Category: Solve Church Problems

by: Jeff Lines

The room was crowded with engineers at the Jamestown, New York Cummins Diesel Engine plant. Corporate VPs were rolling out the first stages of concepts that would radically change forever the world of manufacturing. These were concepts we would later come to know as, “Pull Manufacturing,” “Just-In-Time” and a radical statistical process control called, “Six Sigma.” I could see that my work load was about to explode. Right then, on a piece of note paper I wrote the words, “You can’t have two careers.”

“Well then,” I said to the LORD, “What should I do?”

“What is most important?” were the words that came to mind.

I decided at that conference table that service to God would be the ultimate focus of my life. Nothing ranks higher than the care for the souls of men. It has proved to be the best decision of my life (aside from salvation and marriage).

Allow me to explain the background…

I was a man with a promising career in Manufacturing. I had followed my Dad in his love for a career in manufacturing. I had been given some great opportunities provided by his connections and reputation. At one point, I was offered a position as Steel Products Engineering Manager at one of the Teledyne subsidiaries in the Nashville, TN area. That would have been a “break-out position” into the level of corporate management, but it entailed too much travel and too much entertaining, so I turned it down.

In November of 1982 I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. Life was empty. Alone in a small back bedroom of a mobile home on a Sunday morning while listening to a preacher, I decided to give the LORD a chance to do something with my life. I would need to settle some issues doctrinally later, but one thing I knew: I was a changed man!

I accepted a position at Cummins Diesel Engine Company, but I was also a man with a second career. I was the youth director in our local church. I was putting most of my “off” hours into the ministry of the church. Truth was, I was finding it hard to concentrate on the new projects that were being introduced at Cummins. I fought hard to pay attention in meetings, but my focus was shifting every few minutes or so to the next outing, program or project at the church. Something had to give way to the other and I knew it.

As the Lord would have it, the earth was about to move under my feet in the next few weeks. My pastor called me into his office one afternoon and asked the following question, “Jeff, would you be willing to give me a week of your vacation to go with me to a place called Hammond, Indiana for a meeting called, ‘Pastor’s School’?” “I went there almost ten years ago” he said. “I learned more about church work in one week than I learned in all four years of college.”

I readily agreed to go with him. I was not a Fundamental Baptist at the time. I am sure that I really looked out of place with my long hair and odd clothing. I was not initially impressed with Bro. Hyles, his bombastic style, and tongue-in-cheek swagger, but I was totally impressed by the enormity of the work. The more I listened, the more my heart softened. Then came Thursday night. I still remember how it began…

“What you gonna preach tonight, Bro. Jack?”

“I don’t know, Dr. John.” “I’ll just wait and see which way you go and go another direction.”

“Bro. Jack, preach on…This Kind.”

About an hour later, I was one among thousands who were at the altar weeping and begging God to use their lives in a miraculous way. It was in that meeting that God instigated the change that would further impact my life like no other. I decided to sell my home, relocate my family almost 1000 miles into an apartment in Gary, IN, and cram my four years into six years at Hyles-Anderson College. I remember with a solemn holiness the tears that formed in my wife’s eyes as she sweetly submitted to the news upon my return. A preacher’s wife was not what she signed up for when she married me…so she thought.

Shortly after I returned from Hammond the second time, our church dismissed my pastor because he was taking a stand for soul winning, bus routes, biblical standards and eventually even the King James Bible. I have yet to see any group of people any more full of malice than that group in New York. I watched a good man and his family gracefully take a spiritual beating.

Suddenly, I was a man without a church. We looked for a fundamental Baptist Church to attend in the local phone book. I, my wife and two daughters appeared at the front door of the Jamestown Bible Baptist Church bright and early on the next Sunday Morning.

“Are you missionaries?” said the pastor.

“No” I said. “We have had to leave our church. We need to find a place to attend until we can make our move to allow me to begin Bible college.”

“Oh, where are you going?” asked the pastor.

I said, “We are moving to a place called Hammond. It is just south of Chicago. I am going to attend Hyles-Anderson College.”

The next few weeks and months were wonderful. I owe a great debt to that unselfish pastor, Ron Owens and his wife, Penny. I said that he was unselfish because he could have used his influence to try to encourage me to stay at his church and “train” me for the ministry. Instead, he spent the time we had together preparing me for college as a married man. That was his story too. He had done just that himself. His advice was nothing less than sage. He spared a very innocent family loads of heartache along the way.

His church was never large church. They struggled for many years. Some may not consider him successful as some men count success, but he had a great part in all the thousands that I and my church had a chance to win over the years. He also has had a part in all of the influence that my teaching at Texas Independent Baptist Seminary will have on future churches. I believe God is very pleased with his life.

If there are any men who happen across this article having felt the tug of the LORD on your heart for this thing called, “The Ministry.” I would ask that you give me a serious hearing. I think I can help you.

I am going to suggest that you do five things:

1. Choose a college to attend that is attached to a strong local IFB church. This church and college should be one where the pastor and staff is thoroughly interested in building you and not using your zeal and labour to build an empire.

Resist the urge to stay in your local church and study correspondence or online. I understand that there are some programs with great material and impressive teachers, but they cannot provide you with the benefits you will receive from moving to an actual school. Take those classes after a four-year degree if you feel the need. There is biblical precedent for Bible colleges.

It appears from Scripture that the prophetic order was founded upon the authority of Deuteronomy 18:16-22. God promised a succession of prophets whom He would empower to speak for Him. The first unnamed prophet after Moses appears in Judges 6 when Israel is in distress of the Midianites. The next party we see referred to as a prophet is Samuel. It is during the time that Israel is transitioning from judges to kings that God seems to begin to stress the need for multiple prophets. It is during the lifetime of Samuel that we see a collection, or some might say, a school of prophets.

The first mention of bands of prophets is found in 1 Samuel 10:2-5, when Saul met a group of prophets coming down from the high place. In 1 Samuel 19:20 we see mention of a company of prophets and Samuel as appointed head over them. In 1 Kings 18:4, we see Obadiah hiding 100 prophets in two caves when Jezebel was intent on destroying them. 1 Kings 22:6 finds a company of about 400 prophets called by the king for a war counsel. 2 Kings 2:15 and 16 mention fifty of the sons of the prophets. 2 Kings 4:38-44 finds a man bringing enough to serve 100 sons of the prophets who were eating together.

In 1 Samuel 19:18-19, we see David and Samuel with the sons of the prophets in Naioth in Ramah. “Naioth” is plural and means “Dwellings.” These were most likely the college dorms. In 2 Kings 6:1-2, we find that their number had grown and they needed larger accommodations. This prompted one of the students to drop the borrowed axe of swimming fame during construction. In 2 Kings 4:38-44, we find them eating a common, although deadly, meal. In 2 Kings 4:1-7, we see the widow of a married student with children in need of an “oily” miracle from her pastor.

It seems that the best plan is a very old plan where men separate from the world and gather themselves under the leadership of prophets to learn the office of a prophet. No need to reinvent the wheel when the old wheel still moves the process along as well as it ever did.

2. Sever all ties to your current career. Move your family to a different location.

“So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.” (1 Kings 19:19-21)

Elijah may have been preaching a meeting in the area when the heart of Elisha was touched by the message. When the mantle was cast upon him, Elisha responded as Elijah had hoped. Elisha made known his call and made a wiser choice than maybe even he knew at the time; he severed all ties with his career: He burnt the plow and served up the oxen to his family and friends. Elisha made the statement that he was “all in.” That act does not suggest that he never stood behind a plow again, but the hands on the plow were the hands of a prophet and not a farmer. When he went after Elijah, there was no “Back” to go back to.

Once the decision has been made to surrender, a called man should plan to make a move and sever all the ties he has to his former career. There are several good reasons to move in order to train. First, there will be lots of pressure you will endure in Bible college which will prepare you by giving mental toughness and fortitude that you will need as a man of God. Second, if you remain in your home church and are still comfortable in a career, you will not have the benefit of the same kind of pressure. Third, the Bible teaches us that our heart will follow our treasure. Investment in a move and loss of career will make the investment of college training very dear to your heart. Fourth, relocation sets a sort of mental line of demarcation. It makes a personal statement that says, “I am a preacher who builds tents once in a while, and not a tentmaker who preaches.” Fifth, you will develop friends of a lifetime. You will become a band of brothers. Sixth, your wife will suffer immeasurably without it. Your wife will hopefully get some good training from staff wives and women who will not only become mentors, but also become part of the network of friends she will need when her pastor husband is unable to help.

3. Work to become a faithful and productive Christian.

Once you arrive at your new church, dig in and work at becoming a productive church member. Be industrious. Teach a Sunday school class. Be an active soul winner. Do not wait to be “in the ministry” when you have a position. Do the work, and the position will follow. It doesn’t make sense for God to send a lazy person somewhere else to be lazy.

4. Stay put until you finish.

Resist the temptation to leave early. There will probably come an opportunity to leave school to take a position that either you design or someone designs for you. In my fourth year I saw all of my unmarried friends ready to graduate. I was tired and anxious to finish. I had two more years to go. I sat up an appointment to see Bro. Hyles to suggest that since I was almost 40 that I should go ahead and leave college to get on with my ministry. Very kindly he said, “I know that you would really like to go, and you might make it, but you will someday be sorry that you didn’t finish. I think you will be able to do far more for the Lord if you graduate.” I finished. He was right.

God is still in the business of calling men to the ministry. There are still a few really good churches with sound Bible colleges to attend. It is still a far better plan for a man to choose a ministry in which to subject himself for training, sever himself from his career, relocate to that church, and finish his training under the watchful and helpful eyes of those who will love his family and prepare them for the greatest work in the world. Bible colleges will never be able to teach you everything you need, but they can give you a head start.

I can’t speak for all of the institutions in the country, but I can speak for the one where I serve. If God leads you to check us out, I am sure you will find that we will do our best at Texas Independent Baptist Seminary and Schools to offer you all the tools and support you will need. Zeal and knowledge are a powerful combination. In the words of my mentor, and arguably the greatest trainer of preachers since the Apostle Paul… “We don’t use our people to build our work; we use our work to build our people.”

Jeff Lines
Theology Teacher
Texas Independent Baptist Seminary
Longview, TX

by: Dr. Bob Gray Sr.

Please allow me to put into perspective the delicate relationship between old and dear friends of a life time. In fact, let me give you a Bible principle that will help any one of God’s people to get along with their worst enemy.

Human relationships always reflect our relationship with our God. If you cannot forgive and move on with your life, then the real problem is with the relationship you have with God, not your enemy.  (1 John 1) It merely rises to the surface for all to see because of a failure to grasp this truth.

MOSES

In Joshua 1:2 the Scripture says, “Moses my servant is dead…” God said that! In the closing chapter of Deuteronomy in verse 10 it says, “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.” It says in Deuteronomy 34:5, “So Moses the servant of the LORD died there…”

Hold it, why did God look at Moses’ death, which God Himself had caused because of Moses’ rebellion, and call Moses a “servant”? God Himself took the life of Moses before he wanted his life to be taken. Moses was never able to enter into the Promised Land. He saw it from Mount Nebo, but he, who had led the Israelites for 40 years, was never able to set foot in the Promised Land.

Why? Because of an awful sin he committed, a sin so awful that God took his life. Wait a minute! This is astounding, for as soon as God takes his life God Himself says, “Moses my servant is dead…” God killed Moses and then says in essence, “What a great guy!”

I have a question. Why didn’t God say, “Moses the hot head is dead.”?  Why didn’t God say, “Moses the rebel is dead.”? Why didn’t God say, “Moses the disobedient one is dead.”?  The truth is, Moses was a hot head, a rebel, and disobedient, for which God took his life. Yet, God said, “Moses my servant is dead…”

ABRAHAM

Why did God call Abraham his friend? When God speaks of Abraham he says, “…Abraham my friend.” How can God make such a statement about Abraham? Wasn’t Abraham the one who left the land of Canaan because of the famine and sojourned down into Egypt where he should not have gone? Did he not leave the will of God? Did he not hire the little Egyptian maid, Hagar, to be his servant while in Egypt? Did he not bring her back to Canaan? Did he not impregnate her and had an illegitimate child with her?

Is this the same Abraham of whom God said, “Abraham my friend.”? Yes it is! This is amazing to me. Listen to this, after Abraham’s life is over God says, “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of God.” How do you figure this?

DAVID

Why did God say concerning David, “…I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart.” Someone forgot to tell God that David was the one who stole Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife. Someone forgot to tell God how David had Uriah killed to cover up his adultery. Yet, God looks back at the life of David and says, “…a man after mine own heart.”

NOAH

Why did God say of Noah, “…a preacher of righteousness…”? Someone forgot to tell God that Noah got drunk after the flood. Didn’t God know that Noah took off all his clothes and was lying there naked after the flood?

LOT

Why did God say about Lot, the one who fathered illegitimate children from his own daughters, “…just Lot…vexed his righteous soul…”? I believe you would have to agree with me that this does not make any sense whatsoever. After fathering two illegitimate children by incest, God looks back and says Lot was just and his righteous soul was vexed.

RAHAB

Why did God put an ex-harlot, Rahab, into the hall of faith in the book of Hebrews 11? This is confusing to all of us. Certainly there is no doubt that God Himself placed her name in the hall of faith on purpose. This is no mistake with God. This is not an uh-oh with God.

JACOB

Why did God call a deceiver, a liar, a crook, and a thief like Jacob, “prince of God…”? He stole from his own brother and lied to his own father. A “prince of God.”? This is confusing. This just does not make sense. If God keeps this up, His reputation and credibility will be hurt ,and if the internet ever gets a hold of this God’s name will be hurt.

PETER

Here is another one. Why did God allow Peter to preach on the day of Pentecost? It seems to me that the Bible college he graduated from should have demanded his degree be returned along with his ordination certificate. Maybe the First Baptist Church of Jerusalem should demand he return both?

Fifty days after he had denied the Lord, denied the faith, and denied his church, he preached on a big day. Why did God allow this one who had cursed and swore just 50 days earlier to organize and preach on the day of Pentecost? Certainly this does not line up with the modern day excommunication policies for local churches. The church disciple by-laws are being violated. This doesn’t seem to be in tune with keeping the church pure and holy.

JOHN MARK

Why did God allow John Mark, the quitter, the man who turned back on the first missionary journey with the Apostle Paul, to pen the second book of the New Testament? A quitter was allowed to be the human author of the second book of the New Testament? Something must be wrong with this. Is this a scandal on God?

SOLOMON

Here is one that tops them all in my book. Why did God call Solomon the wisest man in the whole world? Dear reader, he had 700 wives and that is not wise. He had 300 substitutes in case one of his wives called in sick and that certainly was not wise. Yet, God looked back at Solomon’s life and said he was the wisest man in the world.

THIS IS CONFUSING?????

How can all of these cases be true? What was God thinking? Maybe this is what God did. Could it be that He looked at each individual’s life and averaged it out? Did God take one day of their life and grade it? Did He then take the next day and grade it?

Did God, at the end of their lives, average out their days and then come to the conclusion that on an average Moses was a “servant,” David was a “…a man after mine own heart,” Noah was a “preacher of righteousness,” Lot had a “just” and “righteous soul,” and Solomon was a “wise” man?

God is not saying that Moses never did anything wrong. God is saying the average came out to be such that God called him “my servant.” God is saying the same thing about Abraham. God is saying that He averaged out Abraham’s life, and his average was defined in the word, “friend.”

God summarizes Moses’ life by taking into account the bad and good days and gave him the average grade of “my servant.” God did the same with all of the above people mentioned.

WE USE AVERAGES TO DEFINE SUCCESS IN LIFE?

Sammy Sosa led the major leagues in strikeouts the same year he broke all of his home run records. Babe Ruth did the same thing in his baseball days. Michael Jordan in his prime missed half of his shots. So, if Babe Ruth can fail 60% of the time he went to the plate, doesn’t it seem feasible to average out life when it comes to others before summing up our opinions about them?

The professional baseball player who will lead his league in hitting will be the one with the highest average. The Valedictorian will be the one with the highest average. Isn’t this a wonderful thought? Think about it. God will not judge any of His people by bad days, or by high days; He will judge all of the days and give an average.

SUMMATION

Let us consider all of the good things people have done and average it ALL out. A pastor is never happy when someone leaves their church; however, I refuse to be a part of this crowd that says, “What have you done for me lately?” How about changing the motto to “What have you done for me formerly?” Averaging it out will cause you to keep a right spirit about those who forsake you and to keep a right spirit about those who are currently involved in your life.

Dr. Bob Gray Sr.
http://solvechurchproblems.com

by: Dr. Bob Gray Sr.

Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Here are two people who have cancer. They have the same type cancer. One has cancer in vain and the other does not. Two women lose husbands to death and one is in vain and wasted while the other is not in vain. Two people have a teenager who breaks their hearts. One couple’s suffering is wasted and in vain and the other is not. Two young ladies who have illegitimate children with one having heartache in vain and the other does not.

Two teenagers go to college with their dads and moms. They both have friends, church and a pastor back home, but one is bitter and their suffering will be in vain while the other is not. Two women go to college with their husbands and they live in undesirable circumstances. They do not see their husbands as much as before. One is suffering in loneliness and it is wasted and in vain while the other is not. Two couples have children with deformities. One suffers in vain while the other does not.

My admonition is do not suffer in vain! I have observed heartache after heartache of God’s dear people in these decades of ministry. I also have observed how people have taken it or not taken it. It ultimately seems to fall in two categories. Those who suffer in vain and those who do not suffer in vain but fruitfully. What is the difference? In Romans 8:28 we have probably the most famous verse in all of the Scriptures.

IT DOES NOT MEAN ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD FOR YOU

I hear people who have heartaches say, “Well, everything works together for good,” which is just not true. All things do not work together for good for you. What does it mean?

IT DOES NOT MEAN ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR CHRISTIANS

Neither does this verse mean that because you are a Christian that all things work together for you either. This is just not true.

IT DOES NOT MEAN ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF THE ONE WHO LOVES GOD AND CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE

It does not mean if you love God and are called according to his purpose that all things work together for good for you. It means that all things work together for good, but it may be the good of someone else.

Here is a deacon in the Bible who is preaching. His name is Stephen. He is stoned to death, and while Stephen is being stoned I do not see anything good for Stephen here. Stephen is dying and I see nothing happy about that. It did not work together for good for Stephen did it? However there was a young man holding the coats of those who were stoning Stephen and his name was Saul of Tarsus.

Saul of Tarsus saw the way Stephen died and it pricked him and he never could remove himself from the way Stephen died. Saul of Tarsus became Paul the Apostle that great preacher who brought the Gospel to the Western world. Perhaps the greatest missionary who ever lived came into existence because of bad that happened to Stephen.

All things work together for good for Saul of Tarsus because Stephen loved God and was called according to his purpose. It does not necessarily mean that all things work together for good to the person who loves God. Please do not misunderstand me for Stephen did not have it real bad because he did go to Heaven, but the way he went was not very good.

IT DOES NOT MEAN ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD NOW

It does not say that good which comes from your suffering will be in your lifetime. It does not say it will be now, tomorrow, the next year, later in your lifetime or how long later. It simply does not say what we want it to say.

THE PERSON WHO DOES NOT LOVE GOD, HIS SUFFERING IS IN VAIN

What a sad thing to have cancer for nothing, or lose a loved one for nothing, or lose a teenage for nothing, or to go through the jaws of death to deliver an illegitimate baby for nothing, or to go to college for nothing. What a tragedy to go through sadness or a sorrow or bereavement for nothing.

If you do not love God, you suffer in vain and your suffering is wasted. This love spoken of here is a godly love, a deep love, a deep abiding love, a deep commitment and a deep trust.

THE PERSON WHO LOVES GOD TAKES SUFFERING AND USES IT FOR THE GOOD OF SOMEONE, SOME WHERE, SOMETIME OR AT SOME PLACE

You may not ever see it, know it, or understand it, but if you love God then your suffering will be for the benefit of someone, some where at sometime or at some place. There is a word that is missing from the Christian’s vocabulary and that is the word “unselfishness.” Everything is centered on us.

A person who loves God and does good God will take their suffering and use that suffering somewhere for somebody, sometime, and at someplace in time.

GOD PUTS THE SUFFERING OF A PERSON WHO LOVES GOD AND DOES THE WILL OF GOD IN A BOTTLE FOR FUTURE USE FROM HEAVEN’S DRUGSTORE

In other words Romans 8:28 assures that not one ache, or pain, or sorrow or heartache will ever be wasted to the one who loves God and is called according to his purpose.

Now with that in mind it is not as hard for you or me to suffer. If I stop and realize that some day this is going to help someone, some day, somewhere or at some place then I can make it. So selfish people can’t take it because it is all about them. Unselfish people can take it. That is why you admire certain Christians who are going through some awful thing in their life with a smile on their face and say, “I don’t think I could do that.”

The suffering that comes my way may help my wife, my sons, my daughters, my grandchildren, my preacher boys or my preacher friends. If I love God and I am in the will of God and then I suffer, then that means I am not wasting my suffering. I will not suffer in vain. Hold it! I will still suffer, but it will not be in vain.

You who are selfish and do nothing but think of yourselves, may I say in the first place you cannot escape suffering. In the second place, you will be miserable because you are selfish and your suffering will not benefit any one, including yourself.

God said if I love Him and if I’m in His will, then when I do suffer He will take my suffering and bottle it up as a medicine for someone else.

Can you imagine going to Heaven and walking through gates of Pearl, walking on golden streets, having a spell enjoying Heaven, then looking down from Heaven and watching God use your suffering to help others.

Revelation 13:14, “…and their works do follow them.” However, those of you who do not love God, and I’m not speaking about a fondness either, and those of you who are not doing good, your suffering is in vain and it is wasted on you. What a shame! You’re complaining, griping, finger pointing, cruel words and hateful attitude helps no one.

Thank God, God sometime or somewhere will use every tear I have shed, and some place for the good of someone. Every hurt that I feel or have felt and every heartache will be used someday for the good of somebody. No tear, no pain, no sorrow, no grief, no bereavement, and no heartache is ever wasted.

What a shame to sit there in a rest home for nothing. What a shame to have cancer for nothing. What a shame to have lost a loved one in death for nothing. What a shame to have suffered physical illness for nothing. What a shame to have a physically handicapped child for nothing. What a shame to be left alone as a mother to rear children alone for nothing. What a shame to have a church split for nothing. What a shame to be betrayed by so-called friends for nothing.

Please understand this, anybody anywhere can love God, can do good for God, and be in the will of God if he or she is a child of God. The tragedy is that no one is going to escape suffering. Either you will suffer fruitfully or fruitlessly.

Dr. Bob Gray Sr.
http://solvechurchproblems.com

by: Dr. Bob Gray Sr.

One of the most divisive doctrinal invasions on the scene today is the debate over John Calvin and his theology. It seems every generation has to contemplate and parley this issue. It is kept alive where intellectualism has become the god of our so-called higher institutions. The truth is, God is more concerned about the simplicity in Christ and common man hearing Him gladly.

Calvinism is based on the theological beliefs and teaching of John Calvin (1509-1564), a leader of the Reformation period. The truth is, Calvin never thought of himself as a theologian; however, many others did. Augustine first taught his extreme doctrines, and then for about a thousand years no one found them in the Bible until Calvin developed such a theology.

Salvation by grace, eternal salvation, without works, is a Bible doctrine. I believe John Calvin’s doctrine is a perversion by proud intellectuals who thus may try to excuse themselves from any spiritual accountability of not only going soul winning, but actually leading souls to Christ for salvation.

Charles Hadden Spurgeon was a Calvinist and made it clear he was so; however, he did not believe all the doctrines of Calvin. If those teachings of Calvin were emphasized as little as Spurgeon emphasized them, then modern day Calvinist could not use his name. If today those who call themselves Calvinists worked as unceasingly to win souls as did Spurgeon, they themselves would not speak of Calvinism as much.

TRENDS INFLUENCE YOUTH

Influence is really the key thought. The Apostle Paul asked the folks at the church of Galatia this question, “Who hath betwitched you?” It was not “What hath bewitched you” but “who.” Those you run with tell others much about “who” you are, based on “who” they are.

Peer pressure never goes away, and it becomes even more of a danger in days of youth. Insecurity in Christ can lead the best of us to allow influences in that normally we would never consider. I am amazed at how we will sacrifice so much for so little. Big is not always better! John was alone on the isle of Patmos as far as the world was concerned, but not as far as God was concerned; he and God made a majority.

The amazing thing is when big occurs within the perimeters of the Word of God, then the things of God are not sacrificed on the altar of bigness. I would rather preach to 100 than 10. Likewise, I would rather teach and preach to a 1,000 than a 100; however, the temptation to take a short cut is a real temptation. It no longer becomes the cause of Christ, but it becomes the cause of self. My friend, there is such a thing as spiritual greed.

The danger is when we turn our spiritual backs on holiness, Holy Scriptures (KJV), soul winning, doctrinal purity, godly music, separation from the world, etc., in search of bigness. It is a wonderful thing to witness and be apart of a great work when God does it.

Whatever the latest is may not be the best there is. We are to lift man up to God’s status nor bring God down to man. I am fearful of some of our young leaders who name drop Evangelicals names in their books and reject great men like Jack Hyles and other giants of the faith. A big work is not always a great work. Bill Hybles garnered a great crowd, but his own in-house study revealed he did not produce great Christians.

Jack Hyles had not only a great work, but he did it with God, not without God. Lee Roberson, Lester Roloff, Dallas Billington, Jack Hudson, Curtis Hutson and others had great works, but they also did it with God’s methods not without God’s methods.

Simplicity in Christ allows God to do it. When some of these young leaders re-word Rick Warren and deliver him deceitfully to our young men in their conferences, it is disgraceful and dangerous. This road leads to spiritual disaster. It scares me for the next generation.

WHY FOLLOW SPURGEON?

He was an amazing preacher, an evangelist, and some think he was the greatest preacher since the Apostle Paul; however, when he was wrong he was wrong. He was a man, and at his best he was still a man. He, for example, said he did not know enough about the return of Jesus Christ to teach and preach on it. No man is perfect as long as they are dwelling in flesh.

It would be foolish for us to follow Spurgeon in whatever false doctrine of Calvinism he believed, as it would be to follow him in smoking cigars. He did realize the mistake of smoking a little while before he died, but it was too late for those who were influenced by him. Many have testified that Spurgeon recognized the errors of Calvinism before he went to Heaven, but it was too late for those who were influenced by him.

The danger is we have the potential of losing our soul winning emphasis because of influence. If the independent Baptist church movement is not about soul winning, then who is going to carry the banner to the next generation? We are a generation away from losing the push for winning souls. Calvinism becomes nothing more than an excuse to NOT go soul winning and to stroke the pride of the intellect.

CALVINISM IS A DISTRACTION

Calvinists usually outline their doctrinal position with the letters TULIP:

T for Total depravity of the sinner

U for Unconditional Election

L for limited Atonement

I for Irresistible Grace

P for Perseverance of the saints

TOTALLY DEPRAVED AND THUS INCAPABLE OF REPENTANCE

The doctrine that all are sinful being incapable of saving themselves or doing good without God’s help is certainly a truism; however, it is certainly absolutely NOT true that some never could repent or that God leaves them intentionally without light or unable to be called.

Acts 17:30, “God…now commandeth all men every where to repent.”

Acts 11:18, “Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”

John 1:9, “That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”

John 12:32, 33, “And I, if I be lifted from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.”

Romans 1:18-21, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

Psalm 19:1-4, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun.”

Romans 2:11-16, “For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another,) in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”

Romans 1:16, “the gospel of Christ…is the power of God unto salvation”

Titus 2:11, “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.”

Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION

It is sad when some make election a whim of God whereby he saves some, compels them to be saved, and damns the rest whom He has decided He does not wish to save. No, election is not “unconditional.”

Now comes the doctrine of election! God elected me to be in the ministry. God elected my son to be my pastor. Election is when you were saved, first, God commanded you to be baptized, join a local church, tithe and give offerings and go soul winning; second, His election is to put you into an area of ministry to others. In essence, election has to do with you working for God. No one is elected for Heaven or elected for Hell. That is as much heresy as a bloodless religion is or a non-inspired Bible is!

When God saved me at age eleven at 132 E. Michigan Ave., Galesburg, Michigan in February of 1957 He cleared my record in Heaven, declared me justified or innocent, appeased Himself, court adjourned, He gave me a new creature, He gave me the Holy Spirit, He prepared a glorified body for me in Heaven, gave me an opportunity to fellowship with Him, preserved me for Heaven, and elected me to be in the ministry.

• Israel was called an elect nation

In Romans chapters 9, 10 and 11, you find that Israel was not chosen for salvation, but was chosen by God to do a unique work in the world. She was chosen by God to give us the Scriptures, give us the Messiah and to give us the local New Testament church. In Matthew chapter 10, all of the members of the first Baptist church of Jerusalem were all Jews. Israel was chosen by God to present the Gospel to the world.

When God elected Israel to do all of that He was saying, I need a nation to give the Scriptures to, the Messiah to, the local New Testament church to, and the Gospel to. God is not saying I have chosen Israel to go to Heaven and all the other nations to go to Hell. No, God elected Israel to do a particular work for Him on Earth.

• A local New Testament church is called elect

2 John 1:1, “The elder unto the elect lady…” The local New Testament church is called “…the elect lady…” Does that mean that everybody who’s a member of Longview Baptist Temple of Longview, Texas, is elected to go to Heaven? Oh, no! Election is not about going to Heaven or Hell in the Scriptures. The local church has been elected to be the instrument of the propagation of the Gospel in the Ark-La-Tex area.

Israel was elected for a particular work for God on Earth. Longview Baptist Temple and every other local New Testament church is elected to spread the Gospel on Earth. Election is when Dr. Bob Gray II was saved God said, “I’m going to elect Dr. Gray II to be the pastor of the Longview Baptist Temple of Longview, Texas.” At salvation God elected you to do what you are doing for Him.

Here is the question, your calling is to be a soul winner, are you doing it? Your election is to do a specific work for God on Earth at this very moment, are you doing it?

Israel was an elect nation. Elected to Heaven or Hell? No! Elected to give the world the Saviour, Scriptures, Gospel and New Testament. The local New Testament church is the “elect lady.” Elected to Heaven or Hell? No! Elected to give the Gospel to every human being on Earth for God! This was not given to “Youth For Christ,” “Child Evangelism,” “Gideon’s,” “Campus Crusade,” “Bill Bright Ministries,” “The 700 Club,” or any Para-church organization. God has elected the local New Testament church, not to Heaven or Hell, but to spread the Gospel to “every creature.”

• The Apostles are called His elect

Does this mean that the Apostles are the only ones going to Heaven? No, thousands were saved and baptized during their day. Election cannot be referring to going to Heaven or Hell. The Apostles were the first ones chosen for a specific job on Earth for God. They were chosen in a unique way to lead in spreading the Gospel to the world. Election is being chosen for leadership to spread the Gospel around the globe to every nation.

• Paul the Apostle called God’s elect

Titus 1:1, “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;” Paul calls himself a servant and an apostle with both being “according to the faith of God’s elect.” He is saying God elected him or chose him to be a servant and an apostle. Was Paul elected for Heaven? No! Paul elected to get saved and then God elected Paul to be a servant and an apostle.

2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Our God does not want any one to go to Hell! Our God does not elect people to Heaven or Hell. He elects people to do a work on Earth for Him.

• Elect Angels

1 Timothy 5:21, “I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels…” Are angels born again? No! Thus, this cannot be dealing with Heaven or Hell. Angels cannot be saved. What are angels? Messengers! To what are they elected? To be messengers!

Paul was elected to be an apostle to the Gentiles. He took the Gospel to the western world. The Jewish nation was an elect nation to give us the Messiah, the Scriptures, the Gospel and the local New Testament church. The local New Testament church is the elect body to spread the Gospel to the world. The angels have been elected as special messengers to help us spread the Gospel for God.

Election is a Sovereign act of God to do a specific work to spread the Gospel to the world for God. If God makes an act based on what you do, then that is not a Sovereign decision by God. God cannot elect you to do something or be something you have already chosen. I did not choose to be a preacher and neither did any one else who is in the ministry.

All are commanded and called to be soul winners, but only a few are chosen to be the pastor, youth pastor, bus director, etc. Just before Matthew 20:16, is the parable of Jesus sending forth labourers in to the vineyard. In dealing with those labourers He said, “few are chosen.” Thus, this doctrine of election has nothing to do with who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell, but who works or who labors in a particular field.

John 15:16, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” God does not want you to be barren spiritually, but spiritually fruitful. Jesus is saying that being “chosen” relates to the work in the vineyard. Every context of the word “elect” in the Scriptures has to do with work. God has elected you not to be a lazy hound dog. All of us are called to be a soul winner, but some are elected to be the principal, youth pastor, mission’s director, college president, or pastor, etc.

At salvation God took away our sins, decided not to record any future sins, put Jesus’ righteousness on our record, declared us justified, appeased Himself by Himself, declared the case closed with the court adjourned, set me aside for Heaven in the future, regenerated us, gave us a new creature, sent the Holy Spirit into us to convert us, reserved a new body in Heaven for him, made it possible for us to fellowship with God, preserved us by sealing us with the Holy Spirit, and then election is God giving us a specific work to do for Him.

LIMITED ATONEMENT

This term in actuality means “limited love” or “limited grace” and is a slander against God Almighty. This doctrine is really the heart of Calvinism. They are saying that Jesus Christ did not die for ALL men. They are asserting that God made no provision for the unregenerate so they could have a hope of Heaven. They are in essence claiming that God did not love all men enough to allow Christ to die for ALL. They are declaring that grace is limited so it is “finite” instead of being “infinite.”

John 3:16, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son” He gave his Son for “whosoever” could believe if he chose to do so. No limited atonement in this verse.

John 1:29, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” It is obvious here that He taketh away the sin of the WORLD.

John 2:2, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our’s only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” No limited atonement here.

Romans 5:20, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” The grace of God is infinite, much more than for those who will be saved, even much more than for all the sins of all the people in the world. Romans 5:20 creates no limit on the atonement.

1 Timothy 4:10, “…the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.”

Colossians 1:20, “…having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” This does not say a thing about accepting Christ, but it does speak of atonement for ALL and a peace treaty to bring to a climax the war between God and sinners. No limit on atonement here!

GOD’S GRACE IS NOT IRRESISTIBLE

The teaching here is that all who elected to be saved will be saved and they cannot resist this special limited grace. Those will be saved when God calls. If this be true, then it only makes sense on the opposite side of the coin that…

• Those not elected are irresistibly damned and cannot be saved.
• Since God works irresistibly to save or damn, Christians cannot affect it.
• Since it is irresistible, Christians have no responsibility or burden.

2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

1 Timothy 2:1, 3, 4, “all men,” “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, Who will have ALL MEN to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” Thus it is clear that God’s grace can be resisted.

Matthew 23:37, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not.” Jesus is saying I would and ye would not! Thus, His grace was and could and would be rejected. It was not irresistible!

Proverbs 1:24, 25, “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof.” “…did not choose the fear of the Lord.”

Galatians 2:21, “I do not frustrate the grace of God?” The church at Galatia were teaching salvation by the law and frustrating the grace of God.

Genesis 6:3, “My spirit shall not always strive with man.”

THE SAINTS FINALLY PERSEVERE

The “P” in TULIP is used for PERSEVERANCE of the saints. If Calvin meant that Christians receive salvation by works, then this is foreign to God’s Word. Christians do not always do right for they are trapped in their flesh. Our righteousness is the righteousness of Christ who bore our sins in His flesh. He paid for all of our sins and gives eternal life freely to those who choose Christ.

This should be called “preservation” not “perseverance.” The eternal security of the believer is a Bible doctrine.

John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed form death unto life.”

John 10:27-29, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”

2 Timothy 1:12, “…for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”

Calvinism is an unscriptural false doctrine that tends to flourish in intellectual pride and where there is disobedience to the command to win souls to Christ. It is Satan’s attempt to kill and murder concern or compassion for souls.

We need to be wary of current Bible colleges that they do not become a modern Mecca for independent Baptists, allowing the seeds of Calvinism to be taught. It is the local church that is the institution promised perpetuity by Jesus Christ and not colleges. My desire is for our young people to have their educational toolbox filled with supplemented truths and not substituted truths at Bible college.

The challenge is to be wise enough and spiritual enough to be extremely careful about who and what we allow to influence us. I prefer the giants of the faith of old and not so much those who know how to grow a crowd, but not grow Christians.

Dr. Bob Gray Sr.
Longview, TX
http://solvechurchproblems.com

by: Dr. Bob Gray Sr.

Acts 10:34, “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:”

There are certain graces that God commands for his people to have and God never commands us to do anything He does not give us the wherewithal to do.

Philippians 3:1, “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.”

Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.”

These, and other passages, teach God’s people to rejoice. God commands us to rejoice; those are not suggestions for those are commands my friend. God commands you to rejoice and that means you can rejoice. Anyone can “will” to rejoice. Anyone can “decide” to rejoice.

If you are not happy, it is your fault! If you do not have joy and rejoice, it is simply because you chose not to have joy or rejoice. The fact that God commands you to joy means you could choose to have joy. You can will to do anything God commands you to do.

You can love God because God said in Deuteronomy 6:5; 10:12, and other passages, “Thou shalt love the LORD thy God.” This is a command from God. If this is a command from God, then you can will to love God. Anyone can decide to love God, and remember, God never commands us to do anything we cannot decide to do.

You can love your neighbor because Leviticus 19:18 says you are supposed to love your neighbor. The Scriptures say in several places, “Love thy neighbour as thyself.” Thus, you can love your neighbor.

“But preacher, so and so is just naturally a loving person!” No! Brother so and so chooses to use the love that he has! God has given that love and then commands for us to give it to others. The choice is up to us! Use it or lose it!

The Bible says for us to love our enemies. Luke 6:27 says so. We are commanded by God to love our enemies, and if He has commanded it we can do it.

If you do not love God, it is because you have decided not to love God. If you do not love your fellow man, it is because you have decided not to love your fellow man. If you do not love your enemies, it is because you have decided not to love your enemies. Use it or lose it!

Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be ye kind one to another.” Apparently, we can be kind one to another. Why? Because God said so. God would never have commanded us to do so if it was beyond our ability to do so. If you are not kind it is because you have chosen not to be kind. Because one chooses to be kind, that causes him or her to be kind. With the command comes the ability to do it. If you decide to do it or not to do it all rests on your shoulders. Use it or lose it!

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, it tells us that in everything we are to give thanks. So, we can be thankful. God commanded it, and with that command comes the wherewithal to be thankful.

• God commands us to rejoice.

• God commands us to love our neighbor.

• God commands us to love our enemies.

• God commands us to be kind to one another.

• God commands us in everything to give thanks.

All of these commands can be done if we decide to do them. Use it or lose it! If you are not grateful for your parents, school, church, preacher, youth pastor, teachers, salvation or the clothes on your back, it is not because of a lack of personality; rather, a lack of deciding to do so. It is because you and you alone have chosen not to be grateful. If you are grateful, it is because you have chosen to be grateful. Use it or lose it!

Acts 16:31 tells us to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. That is a command to believe or place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for Heaven. Romans 12:3 tells us that God has given to every man a measure of faith. That means you have faith. Use it or lose it! If you use that faith it is because you choose to use that faith. God has commanded us to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation from Hell. “But preacher, I can’t believe.” Hush! God is not a liar! He would have never told man to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ if man could not believe. Use it or lost it!

If you have faith, it is because you have chosen to have faith. If you do not have faith, it is because you have chosen not to have faith.

God says in Colossians 3:12, “put on mercy” which means you can choose to be merciful. In Colossians 3:12, God says put on kindness and put on humility; thus, you can decide to have mercy, be kind or to be humble. 2 Chronicles 3:14 says humble yourself. God would never have commanded this if it were not possible. We can partake if we so choose.

Oh, someone says, that lady is so merciful by nature, or kind by nature, or humble by nature. That is simply not a true statement. If she is merciful it is because she chooses to be merciful, or kind, or humble. God will not tell anyone to do something that they cannot decide to do or partake. Anyone may choose to rejoice, love God, love your neighbor, love your enemies, be kind, be thankful, believe, have mercy or be humble.

Colossians 3:12 also says to put on meekness; thus, one may decide to be meek. God says to be longsuffering and patient, so one also can decide to be longsuffering and patient. All of us have been given the same degree of patience everyone else has or God would not have instructed us to put it on.

How about that temper? “Preacher, I by nature have a hot temper.” No, you by nature have a broken decision maker. Any child of God could decide not to have a hot temper by having a sweet spirit and by partaking of the Holy Spirit. God would not have told his children to do all these things that have been listed if we could not do it. The only thing left to do is to do it. Use it or lose it!

Husbands who fly off of the handle all the time, why don’t you choose to be longsuffering, patient and kind? Your poor wife never knows what kind of a disposition you will have from day to day. Decide to be meek, humble, kind, love God, love your neighbor, love your enemies, have joy, be thankful, believe God, be merciful and longsuffering.

In Hebrews 13:25, God tells His people to be content. If you are not a contented child of God it is because you have chosen not to be content. “Preacher, I’m tired of working two jobs just to keep the children in a Christian school.” Hello, selfish one! Your children did not ask to be born. You are the ones who brought them into this world and you are responsible. You could choose to be unselfish if you so desired. God’s people must quit blaming God because they have chosen not to be unselfish, not to be merciful, not to be kind, not to be grateful, not to love God, not to love their enemies, not to be content and not to have joy. It is really time for the child of God to quit blaming God for his or her choices or lack of partaking of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

God did not make sodomites, hateful people, ungrateful people, discontented people or selfish people. This is a matter of decisions made by mankind. God did not make you the way you are for you to decide to be the way you are today. You can choose to have a clean mind, be meek, humble, mild mannered, patient and have a sweet disposition. It is your choice to partake You decide!

Acts 10:34 tells us that God is not a respecter of persons. God did not give me more than He gave you. God did not give you more than he did me. Thus, we all started out with the same measure of love, joy, contentment, gratitude and equality of treatment. God gave to all of us the same amount of graces.

Obviously, the question must be asked, why are some people kinder than others? Here is why. They use what God gives them. These graces are not stale or stagnant graces. They do not allow their kindness just to lie in storage or in limbo. You either use it or lose it!

God has given to each of us a reservoir of kindness, and since God is not a respecter of persons, we each have the same amount placed in our reservoir. The difference is not in whether we have kindness, it is whether we use it or not. If one decides to be kind, then kindness is always flowing, and thus is fresh to us. If one decides not to be kind, then kindness becomes stale like the Dead Sea and will begin to even give off a stench after a while.

Why are some more thankful than others? It is because they decide to use their thankfulness and keep it fresh while it is flowing through them as they channel it to others. God has given to all men the same graces along with the same amount of each grace. God is not a respecter of persons, and from there we decide whether to use those graces or not to use them. Use it or lose it!

Many of you reading this article have a fresh pond of contentment, joy, thankfulness, kindness, mercy and love, while others of you have a stale stagnant pond that is beginning to give off an odor like the Dead Sea. The truth is, it was your call and your decision alone. To partake or not to partake is man’s choice.

The truth is, you are the way you are not because you do not love or are not thankful, but it is just that your pond of graces has not been stirred lately. God did not give those graces to you, but rather they were given by God to go through you to others. It is the cup that runneth over that is for others. God does not mind when these graces fill your own cup, but He does mind if it does not overflow.

Whatever God has given you is meant for others, and only then can those graces keep flowing and remain fresh to you and them. I challenge you to constantly look for ways to stir those graces for the benefit of others, and only then will what you have in your own cup remain fresh as well as the overflow. Stir up the waters of love, gratitude, kindness, mercy, and patience. Decide to be unselfish, thankful, and patient. It is then that these graces will continue to flow through you.

Dr. Bob Gray Sr.
Longview, TX
http://solvechurchproblems.com

by: Dr. Bob Gray Sr.

There was an amazing character trait within Dr. Jack Hyles that often appeared at particular times. Many mistakenly believe that Brother Hyles’ views became more extreme as he grew older and at the close of his ministry. I do not believe that is true.

In 1 Chronicles 7:28, God promised His blessings upon Solomon “…if he be constant…” I believe Brother Hyles’ positions remained very consistent throughout his ministry. There were issues and positions where he evolved slightly, but none drastically, and always with Bible support. We simply became of aware of them because of the attacks of others.

No one physically grows extra body parts, but the body does grow. Brother Hyles matured and grew without adding the so-called new. When asked about his growth in certain areas he simply replied to me, “Some grow and some do not.” He obviously “grew.” He was always in a teachable mode.

1 Peter 2:2 and 2 Peter 3:18 probably described Brother Hyles best, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ…” He loved the Word of God and grew because of God’s Word.

Dr. Hyles always believed that women should not wear man’s apparel, or specifically breeches, as well as dressing modestly. (Deuteronomy 22:5; 1 Timothy 2:9) It was his right to believe so and was a position he felt safe in taking based upon the Word of God. In his book, Jack Hyles Speaks On Biblical Separation, the issue of pants on women was touched on once and long hair on men only twice. (1 Corinthians 11:14) It was not a pet issue, but it was one to which he personally held.

His observations were in some ways prophetic concerning the end of the path of disobedience to the biblical separation issues of his day. He was consistently urging us to look to the end of a matter first, before deciding to take a path. Hebrews 13:7, “…whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.”

In our nation we have same-sex marriages, some proposing marriage with animals, and multiple same-sex marriages. It was a bigger issue than just clothing to Dr. Hyles. His sermon on “Unisex” was prophetic. He did not want his people to take a wrong path. (Proverbs 5:4; 14:12; 23:18)

1 Peter 4:17, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”

Proverbs 27:23, “Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.”

He never placed church membership requirements on this or other separation issues. He gathered around him leaders who already embraced such standards. He looked for folks who were already walking with God, not people who were made to walk with God because of a position.

Acts 2:1, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” Brother Hyles understood one of the biblical reasons for the blessings of Pentecost was leadership being on the same page and not being forced to be on the same page.

Romans 1:12, “That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.”

Dr. Hyles loved the bus ministry. His famous statement, “I’ll take the bus kids” has been repeated and even ridiculed thousands of times. He did love the bus ministry, even though he built his first four churches without ever having a bus ministry, and he himself never actually worked on a bus route. He actually advised many pastors not to start a bus ministry too soon or not to build it too quickly. He reached the poor, the halt, the blind and the lame because the Bible said to do so. (Luke 14:12-24)

He always loved the King James Bible. Always did! Nothing changed. Other translations were never used as anything other than referral tools in his early days. He believed in biblical inspiration and preservation through the King James Bible his entire ministry. When other translations became a distraction and detrimental to the cause of Christ, he quickly moved to the right, strengthening his position. He remained teachable and taught others what he had learned.

He loved the local church and believed in the autonomy of the local church. He believed in and practiced independence throughout his ministry even when he was in the Southern Baptist Convention. His position never wavered on this issue.

Nothing drastically changed regarding his beliefs in these and other issues in his ministry. He grew like all great men, but never demanded that others grow as he grew. However, in all of these areas he practiced great tolerance with others whose ideas were not totally aligned with his.

There were many good men with whom he preached and fellowshipped who did not align with him totally on some of these issues. They were tolerant of him and he of them. They loved each other. They held each other in high regard and showed great respect towards one another. They were brothers in their love of the Word and in reaching the lost.

Did something change in his later ministry? Yes, it most definitely did. Did Dr. Hyles become stronger on things? No! He became more knowledgeable as he grew, while remaining tolerant of others who had not arrived at his same conclusions. He merely responded to intolerance of others while holding the same belief system. (Romans 14:1-5)

Did these become pet issues to him that defined him? The answer is absolutely not! Then what changed, you may be wondering? It does seem that he spoke out more vehemently about these at the end of his life than he had earlier. The answer is simple and it is built around a principle by which he lived his life.

The extremes of Dr. Hyles’ positions were defined by the level of tolerance or intolerance others had for that position. Dr. Hyles had no desire to control others and he was comfortable with their choices. Some pastor friends did not take his position regarding pants on women, and he tolerated that. Romans 14:5, “…Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.”

2 Timothy 2:1-2, “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

He was not compelled, nor ever felt compelled, to push his choices on other men of God. The level of tolerance or intolerance was coming toward him, but never from him. He only committed to teaching those who wanted what he had to offer. He was perfectly comfortable within the confines of his church and Pastors’ School to teach and preach his beliefs. Others wanted what he had been given by God, and only to that extent did he respond to their request.

Hebrews 13:17, “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.”

Each church is indigenous as well as the pastor of that church. The local pastor is independent of other pastors and their churches. There is no such thing as a denomination in the Scriptures, only local churches. Each pastor must give an account to God for every soul under his leadership. We have no pope or denominational headquarters on Earth.

1 Peter 4:11, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” We are not all alike in our positions on separation, but we are all alike in God’s call for separation from the world.

Romans 1:1, “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God.” We are to separate from the world UNTO the Gospel of God. Each man of God must determine biblical boundaries for his ministry from the world in order to help his people navigate through this world’s system.

Some men of God did not run buses, and Brother Hyles was fine with their choice. Some were silent regarding their exclusive use of the King James Bible, so that would not be a point of contention. Some close preacher friends held somewhat differing views on the local church, and he did not shun them for that. Both sides practiced tolerance. This biblical truth of independence allowed him to be a good steward of the manifold grace of God.

If you study the men with whom Dr. Hyles was close, you would see a diversity of ideals and beliefs that was staggering. Men such as Bob Jones, Sr., Myron Cedarholm, G. B. Vick, Bill Dowell, John R. Rice, Lester Roloff, Lee Roberson, Curtis Hutson, Bill Rice, R. G. Lee, J. Harold Smith, Harold Sightler and many others were all very close friends and enjoyed great fellowship with one another. There was no dissension between these men and Dr. Hyles.

Even men like W. A. Criswell were men he respected and with whom he shared great similarities. Dr. Hyles was never intolerant of the choices these men made that differed with his own as long as they were not over important doctrinal issues. He did not leave the Southern Baptist Convention, nor did he turn on the men with whom he was friends. The SBC left him. His friends left him. Jack Hyles remained cordial with many Southern Baptists throughout his life and remained very close to R. G. Lee until his death. He had him preach for him many times, and R. G. Lee wrote the introduction to The Hyles Church Manual.

Please do not miss this: Dr. Hyles tolerated differences as long as his were tolerated. When the biblical independence was violated he stood for his right to be independent. When the things he believed in were attacked, he set out on a different course. He was an independent’s independent. He valued it for himself and guarded it for others. The reason was because of Hebrews 13:17 that he did such. Ultimately it affected his people he pastored and he could not allow it to happen.

Yet, when threatened by those who became intolerant of his differences and attempted to destroy something he stood for and believed in, he would become very vocal and make it an issue because it was an attack on his independence.

Acts 20:28, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”

When those who did not take his position on women’s clothing began to attack his right to take his position, he took a stronger position. He defied anyone to infringe on his right to believe what he believed. Why? Because of the dear people he pastored and ultimately for whom he was accountable to God.

It was fine that many men did not approach the issue of women wearing pants as he did, but when they made it an issue he came out fighting. Dr. Hyles did not separate with anyone over that issue, but he fought those who reviled his position. The greats of the past were not men who did that to each other.

When men began to launch an attack against the King James Bible as a support for their own position, he saw the need to fight. Their intolerance became an attack on others’ tolerance. Dr. Hyles was not going to allow others to attack his Bible because of their decision to use other versions.

For example, he would not have attacked a preacher for his position until he slandered the King James Bible with assertions of it lacking inspiration in print. That would have brought out the fight in him, just as it did in many of us.

Some men’s intolerance is like waving a red flag to a bull in the rodeo ring. The truth is, there are several leaders who agreed with a recent pastor of a mega-church, but did not want anyone to know it. They chose to be tolerant when they should have been intolerant.

Proverbs 22:28, “Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.”

When the bus ministry came under attack from men who thought it to be a shallow way to reach souls, Brother Hyles came out fighting. His idea was that it was fine if you did not want to have a bus ministry. It is your business what you do at your church, but if you attack others who believe in the bus ministry, Brother Hyles felt you were starting a fight.

He never chose the bus kids over the rich people. He merely refused to allow the rich people to pressure him into forsaking the bus kids. Had the bus kids said, “If you do not get rid of all these rich people we are leaving,” I believe Dr. Hyles then would have said, “I’ll take the rich people!”

Dr. Hyles was not afraid to fight for an issue, but he did not start the fights. Others looked for fights over issues while he accepted fights over his right to do what he felt God wanted him to do. Independence was always important to him. He was tolerant of others as long as they were tolerant of him.

The minute they sought to force him into a corner, look out! He did not think the bus ministry was the only ministry, nor did he think it was the most important ministry. When others began to take positions against the bus ministry and even fight them, he put on the gloves for a fight.

Dr. Hyles remained silent if a man differed in some of his ideas regarding the local church, but if that man began to be intolerant of what he believed to be true about the church, he took up the fight. If you wanted to be a Southern Baptist, he was fine with that choice for you, but if you attacked his right to be independent he would fight for his independence. In essence, Dr. Hyles did not pick fights; they picked him. Let me give you a few examples.

The first example was the right of a church to govern itself. Dr. Hyles held strong beliefs regarding the autonomy of a local church. If you did not agree with his beliefs that was fine. However, when those men who differed moved to intolerance, he entered the fray with total commitment.

Another example was the right to have the standards you believe are right. Dr. Hyles was far from being legalistic. He loved everybody. He never embarrassed women who came into the church building wearing pants. It was never really an issue to him, but when some evangelicals decided to attack anyone who believed as he did, he made it an issue. The issue was bigger than pants; it was his right to have his standards. He was tolerant until intolerance went on the attack.

The attack against the bus ministry was another example of him going on the offensive. Dr. Hyles loved the bus ministry, but he loved all ministries that reached souls for Christ. It was not his pet ministry. Some churches were unbalanced in their approach to the bus ministry, and in some cases, used buses to perhaps just to have a bigger attendance. He had never dedicated a service just to promote the bus ministry until the year when some individuals began to take pot shots at the bus ministry.

It was then that he made it an emphasis. Actually, they made it an issue, not him. He knew the lives that had been reached and transformed because of the bus ministry, and he was not going to allow some critic to tear down the right of churches to gladly operate bus ministries. It was then he took an entire service at Pastors’ School and promoted churches to commit to start and build the bus ministry.

The right to promote confrontational soul winning was one that brought out the fight in him. When the crowd who taught lifestyle evangelism decided that it was the best way for them to reach the lost, Dr. Hyles was not angry. He believed in lifestyle evangelism as a method of reaching people for Christ. When the proponents of that form of soul winning attacked personal confrontational soul winning, he went to war. His objection was not against their method, but their tyranny and intolerance.

This may shock you, but Dr. Jack Hyles preached some expository messages. Today we have young upstarts preaching against topical preaching while shooting their venom at Dr. Hyles’ way of preaching. He was a defender of topical preaching because of the intolerance. Yet the truth is he was not against expository messages.

Dr. Hyles did not believe in pet issues and warned us against them. Back in the 1950’s he took a fighting stance for the pre-millennial position not just to take a position, but also to defend it against the attacks. The attacks against were strong at the time and were gaining a foothold in his convention. Perhaps his only real “pet issue” was his right to be independent. When threatened, he fought back. Fight his right to take a position and you just got yourself into a fight.

He allowed others the freedom to differ from him, but not to dictate him, nor did he desire to dictate to them. Did he try to influence them? He absolutely did, BUT not with anger, threats or unkindness. When Dr. Hyles preached for others, he did his best not to preach his beliefs over theirs. He was a gentleman and a Christian.

1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

I remember the time when Dr. Hyles came to fight against intolerance for me. Someone had written an article criticizing our soul winning methods at the Longview Baptist Temple. They questioned where all our converts were. To Dr. Hyles, the issue was not whether he did or did not agree with all our methods. The issue was that the critics were being intolerant because they, in essence, decided our methods were not acceptable to them, even though they really did not fully know our methods.

It was then that he wrote the article, “Where Are the Nine?” If you read that article very carefully, you will see the real fight he had undertaken was not at all about methods. It was about independence and intolerance. He also preached this as a sermon at the National Bus Conference.

There were three major national articles written against our bus ministry and soul winning. Dr. Hyles came to my defense and refuted those articles. The truth is he was fighting intolerance and supporting independence more than defending our ministry and me.

As I look back on the life of Dr. Hyles, he has been wrongly portrayed as a man who fought over minor issues or what they called “hobby horse” issues. Not only is that untrue, but I have never known a more tolerant man than he. The fight was much bigger than the issues. The fight was over the right to be independent to practice what you believed God would have you to do without judging another who did it differently.

John 21:21-22, “Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow me.”

If issues, such as pants on the females, had really been such a big issue to him, many men would have never spoken for or with him. He was bigger than that. What was intolerable to him was not his differences with others, but their intolerances with him.

Let us not forget the fight against us is not really a fight of issues because Satan cannot win that fight. It is a fight of distraction. Dr. Hyles knew that, as did the great men with whom he fellowshipped long ago which is why their fight was not over their differences. Don’t allow the enemy to bait you into missing the bigger point of protecting your right to take the stand you believe is right.

Dr. Bob Gray Sr.
http://solvechurchproblems.com

by: Dr. Bob Gray, Sr.

2 Samuel 10:5, “When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.”

The Ammonites were the descendants of one of the illegitimate children born to Lot’s daughter who became pregnant by her father Lot. This happened after Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. Ammon had a new king and David, the king of the people of God, decided to send messengers down to Ammon when the son of the old king had taken over. These messengers sent greetings to the new king. They came to pay their respects and to do homage to the son of the old king now the new king.

However, some princes had the idea that these messengers were there to cause trouble. These princes said they were there to spy out the land. Suspicion has always played into the hand of Satan.

These princes had the messengers grabbed, cut off their trousers and then cut half of their beards off. Which half I do not know. Vertically or horizontally cut the Bible does not say, but for these men this was a humiliating experience.

In the first place, for a man to wear short breeches is humiliating for a man. In the second place, for a man in those days to have his beard cut off was a sign of disgrace. It intimated in that day that they were Sodomites. The short breeches and the half cut beard were saying these men were perverted. For these men to go back to Jerusalem and face the king and the people with shorts in combination to a half cut beard would be the worst of all humiliation.

After this report was given to King David, he sent a message to his men, “Tarry at Jericho” until your beards are grown back. David told his men not to come back and embarrass themselves with a half beard and wearing shorts. David knew this would be an embarrassment to them publicly. David tells them to let their beards grow back and buy some pants, then come back to Jerusalem and we will give you proper honor.

The messengers stayed there until their beards grew back and they had some modest trousers to wear. In other words, “NOT NOW!” TARRY AT JERICHO.

God is saying to us here that there is a time to do what we ought to do. There was a time for them to come back to Jerusalem. They did not have to stay at Jericho forever, but King David said now is not the time to come back. It is a good thing to go to Jerusalem, but it was not a good thing to go now. David was saying there will be a time to come, but now is not the time.

There is a time to do what you ought to do and there is a time not to do what you ought to do. For example, I believe there is a time when holding hands with the opposite sex is a wonderful thing. I believe kissing is a wonderful invention by God if it is with the opposite sex at the appointed time.

There is nothing wrong or wicked with hand holding, but high school, junior high or college is not the time appointed. There is an appointed time at the altar for hand holding, kissing, and embracing. The time to hold hands, kissing, and embracing are not in junior high, high school, or college.

I would often tell the students at our college that if they did not want to kiss their girlfriend I was going to ship them home, and if you do kiss your girlfriend I am going to ship them home. I would tell them that their job was to want to kiss her for four years and my job was to keep you from kissing her for four years.

Nothing wrong with holding hands if you will tarry at Jericho until your beard is grown. Nothing wrong with an embrace between a male and female if you will tarry at Jericho until your beard is grown. Nothing wrong with smooching and having a big time if you will tarry at Jericho until your beard is grown. You are to wait until the appointed time which is after marriage.

You will enjoy the hand holding at the appointed time. You will enjoy the embracing at the appointed time. You will enjoy the kissing at the appointed time.

There are a lot of things we ought to do and things that God wants us to do, but He does not want us to do them until the appointed time; but NOT NOW.

KING SAUL

King Saul had said to his people that they were in a battle and that as long as they were in this battle no one could eat anything until the battle was over. The battle is over, but no one was to eat until the evening time. Saul’s son Jonathan did not hear his father’s instructions. He saw honey dripping and he took his rod and stuck the rod into the honey and ate some of it. The people told him not to do it. However, it is too late, his father had made a rule that no one was to eat any honey until the battle is over. Why, because this is not honey time. Victory time is honey time. Hold it, there is nothing wrong with honey. In fact, the Scriptures admonish us to eat honey. God recommends eating honey, but there is an appointed time to eat honey but NOT NOW.

COUNTING THE COST

Luke 14:28-30, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him. Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.”

Herod and his people had built Herodian mansions all over the area and some people wanted to copy them and build one for themselves. Thus they started duplicating those mansions, and soon they found out they did not have enough money to finish the projects. As a result, all over the countryside there were partially built Herodian mansions. People who started to build but did not count the cost were humiliated. God is making it plain there is a time to do good, do right and to build, but it is at God’s appointed time. There are so many things God has for us to do, but we are not supposed to do them until God’s appointed time. In other words, NOT NOW.

MARRIAGE

I am glad God created marriage. The late Dr. Bob Billings, who was president of Hyles-Anderson College, use to say, “I didn’t know what happiness was until I got married and then it was too late.” I recommend marriage. I want our young people to marry, but somehow the young people have the idea that their parents and the authorities in their life do not want them to date let alone marry. That is just not true! We just do not want you to marry the wrong one. I want the young ladies and young men to find the right one so they will be happy; however, they will flop if they do not wait until God’s appointed time. High school and college is not the right time. NOT NOW! Tarry at Jericho until your beard is grown and you are wearing big boy pants.

Young men who shave with a pair of tweezers or manicure scissors are not ready to marry. Do not marry too soon. NOT NOW! The Scripture says, “Seek not a wife.” Some of our young people are marrying too soon. NOT NOW!

My son who was a very successful youth director for 21 years used to say there are three phases young couples go through: first, “I like you,” second, “I love you,” and third “I do!” Learn to tarry at Jericho. The further you can delay marriage the better off you will be. You then can be financially, emotionally, spiritually and educationally ready. Tarry at Jericho until your beard is grown and you are wearing big boy pants. God has an appointed time for marriage and it may be NOT NOW. Slow down your romancing. Quit talking too each other so much. Have fun together with activities more than you do with too much serious talk. Be open with your parents about every thing. Spend more time on a date having a good time than talking so seriously about life. Tarry at Jericho until your beard is grown.

The great late Dr. John R. Rice and Mrs. Rice were engaged for five years and then Dr. Rice thought it was too soon to marry! You may be ripening too soon. Plan your dates! You wait until the appointed time before you hold her hand, kiss her, or embrace her until you are able to support her!

LIFE’S WORK

Too many of our freshmen and sophomores in college think they have it all together and are ready for the real world. “But preacher, the world is going to Hell and I can’t wait.” You will do more in fifty years with training than you will in 52 years without training. Tarry at Jericho until your beard is grown and you are wearing big boy pants. Stay in high school and earn your diploma. Stay in college and earn your degree. Do not go out half-cocked and half-prepared. Tarry at Jericho until your beard is grown.

I can name dozens who did not tarry at Jericho and left unprepared and they are doing nothing for God. You would not want a surgeon to operate on you before he finished medical school. It is like one student said to me, “I don’t know what I don’t know!” He meant it one way, but the truth is the opposite of what he thought. Tarry at Jericho until your beard is grown and you are wearing big boy pants.

MATERIALISM

Our teenagers do not need cars. I could name dozens of teens who are unfaithful to their God all because they had a car while being a teen. Tarry at Jericho until your beard is grown and you are wearing long pants.

Young married ladies do not need a dishwasher when you are first married. You do not need to go to Hawaii when you are twenty. You do not need a $30,000 car when you are in your twenties. You do not need a $100,000 house in the early days of your marriage. Tarry at Jericho until your beard is grown and you are wearing long pants.

You are stealing from your future, and when you future arrives you will be bankrupt emotionally, spiritually, financially, and materially. Grade schooler, don’t steal from your junior high years. Junior higher, please do not steal from your high school years. High schooler, please do not steal from your college years. College students, please do not steal from your young married years. Young married couples, please do not steal from your middle-aged years. Tarry at Jericho. Be patient and learn to say, NOT NOW.

Do not use up your future or you will have no future. Many are married too soon, get a new car too soon, get new appliances too soon, get a new house too soon and new furniture too soon. Tarry at Jericho until your beard is grown and you are wearing long pants.

No one ought to retire at 55! Americans are using up their lives before they are forty years of age. They have seen everything, had everything, done everything, bought everything and been everywhere. Save some of your life for later. Tarry at Jericho until your beard is grown and you are wearing long pants.

Marriage is beautiful in His time. Life’s work is beautiful in His time. Embracing is beautiful in His time. Kissing is beautiful in His time. Having things is beautiful in His time. There is an unhappiness that exits in the lives of some of God’s people simply because they do not do it in God’s time.

Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time…”

There is a time for everything. Tarry at Jericho until your beard is grown. Every major mistake made by God’s people is deciding to do something outside of God’s timing. If it is right to do the Scriptures will give you a green light, your youth director will give you a green light, your counselors will give you a green light, your parents will give you a green light, your principal will give you a green light and your preacher will give you a green light. Tarry at Jericho until your beard is grown and you are wearing long pants.

OBSERVATIONS

• Do not rush the phases of your life.
• Enjoy each phase of your life.
• Learn from those who have been where you are.
• Expect to learn from life.
• Enjoy the now.
• Learn from the now.
• Take what you have learned to the next phase of life.
• Do not let those who rush the phases of life intimidate you.

Dr. Bob Gray, Sr.
Longview Baptist Temple
Longview, TX

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by: Dr. Bob Gray Sr.

There seems to be many independent Baptists who have taken to excusing their smallness to being a remnant, but is it really true? We seem to think that we are small because we are more right, and if others would take a stand like we do they would also be a remnant.

First, let us consider what it means to be a remnant. A remnant is something that is left over from a larger portion. For example, if you leave food on your plate, that would be a remnant. If you are laying carpet in your home and you have left over pieces, that would also be a remnant. So, whatever is left over from a larger group would be considered a remnant. After the flood, Noah and his family would have been considered a remnant. In Isaiah 10, those Israelites who turned back to God after the judgment against the king of Assyria were called a remnant. When Elijah was despairing that he was the only faithful one, God assured him that there was a remnant of 7,000 others who had not bowed their knees to Baal. In Matthew 7, we see that there will be a remnant who enter in at the straight gate. Certainly, God always has a remnant of people who are truly His own.

Here is the question, is a particular group or a particular church a remnant? Is the reason a church is small because they are a remnant church? Is the fact that a movement is dying indicative of them being a remnant? I do not believe it is. God always wants his people to be reaching more and more people for Him. Perhaps we are small because we are not doing all that God wants us to do. Will the remnant always be smaller than the whole? Yes! However, smallness is not proof of a church or group being the remnant. Claiming to be the remnant is a sign of arrogance. To excuse a church’s lack of growth on being a remnant is to claim that we are more right than others.

Throughout history we find churches that were stronger in reaching the lost than others. They may have been apart of a minority, but they were not carrying around a ball and chain of calling themselves, “The remnant.”

You are not part of the remnant because you have stricter standards than a bigger church across town. You are not a part of the remnant because you are more separated than other churches. You are not part of the remnant because you sing old-fashioned hymns instead of modern choruses. Those things may be important, but all too often we use those as excuses for our ineffectiveness. Putting independent, fundamental, sin hating, old fashioned, premillennial, King James Bible Only, and Baptist on your sign does not make you the remnant. God does not read signs, He reads hearts.

Many churches are comfortable with what they believe and have lost their passion to grow. Their belief system has nothing to do with their numbers. The theology they practice is an indigenous decision. They may be categorized as a minority, but certainly would not be classified as a remnant.

The Southern Baptist Convention has over 40,000 churches. In their last convention report it was discovered that 50% of their churches did not baptize one convert the year before. There are between 18,000 to 20,000 independent Baptist churches in America. They have no headquarters, so there is no annual statistical reporting; however, I would be surprised if the percentages were not similar among independent Baptists. Yet, we attack the Southern Baptist Convention and then hide behind the excuse that we are a “remnant.”

Liberalism exists in the Southern Baptist Convention; however, it also exists among independent Baptists. There are some who remain faithful in both groups. The issues of the cooperative program, the King James Bible, and the liberal faculties of some Southern Baptist colleges separate us from them; however, there are some in the Southern Baptist Convention who remain faithful. To claim superiority over them is to exhibit pride. To call ourselves the remnant because we are not Southern Baptist borders on arrogance. Do not misunderstand, I have no intention of becoming a Southern Baptist, but quite frankly I am not always certain I want to be identified with the excuse ridden independent Baptists of our day.

We walk around with our labels on our sleeves while a world is going to Hell. We, like Elijah, wallow in our smallness while excusing it on being “the remnant.” Well, God cleared that up with Elijah. Not only was Elijah not the only one, there were 7,000 others who were as faithful as he and he did not know it. They must have been from a different group than Elijah. Well, my independent Baptist friend, we too must stop wallowing in our “woe is me, I am the remnant” mentality and start building aggressive soul winning churches again.

Who is the remnant? I think we would all be surprised if we knew. The remnant is made up of individual, blood bought believers from all around the world. Some will wear the labels with which we would not agree, but they have not placed their faith in those labels but on the true Gospel of Christ. Are some in our churches? Absolutely, but we must remember that our job is to reach more people, not to wallow in our remnant mentality. Brethren, let us stop with the excuses and get busy with the mandate of reaching our cities with the Gospel of Christ.

Dr. Bob Gray Sr.

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by: Dr. Bob Gray Sr.

Psalm 142:1-4, “I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.”

In the psalm above, David was in the cave alone being chased by Saul who vowed to kill him. While thinking of his situation he said, “I looked on my right hand and refuge failed me and no man cared for my soul.”

John 5:7 says, “The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.”

This verse brings a similar sad note. Thirty-eight years this man had been carried to the pool of Bethesda with one hope, and that one hope was that he might be placed into the water after it was troubled because the first crippled person to be placed into the water would be healed. However, the Scripture says, “…Sir, I have no man…”

One man, Shamgar, took an ox goad and killed six hundred Philistines. One man, John Knox, saved Scotland. One man, D. L. Moody, heard it said that the world has yet to see what God could do with one man totally sold out to God. On man, Aaron, stood between the living and the dead.

John Knox saved Scotland, D. L. Moody saved America and England, Billy Sunday saved America and Charles Spurgeon was used of God to saved England. Apparently one man can make a difference. The value of one!

I fear that we cry, “God save America,” when we should be crying, “God saved Joe, Joyce, Harry, Susan, Sam, Carol, Mary, George, Elizabeth, Billy, Harriet, Tom, Rose, and Jack.”

Jeremiah 5:1 says, “Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.”

Here is a country ready for destruction, and God tells Jeremiah to go find ONE man seeking truth. All Jeremiah had to do was find ONE man seeking truth and present the truth to him, and after he received it go find another ONE seeking the truth and then go find another ONE seeking the truth then God said He would spare the city.

What will save America is God save Harry not America. When God saves Bob, Dan, Bill, Willy, Ken, Mike, Ray, Rob, Scott, Kevin, James, Paul, and Tony, then God will save America.

Nebuchadnezzar is coming from Babylon and his ruthless fierce army is about to come down on Jerusalem. In just a few days the women will be ravished and raped. In just a few days every house in the city will be leveled. In just a few days people will take their own children, because of a famine and kill them and eat their flesh. God said, “Run up and down the streets and look for ONE man seeking truth.”

It appears that young men of God desire to be a D. L. Moody, Dr. Lee Roberson, Dr. Jack Hyles, Dr. Curtis Hutson, Dr. Tom Malone or a Dr. John R. Rice, when in reality they should realize that any one can win one to the Lord and attract the attention of the God of these men. If I can just win ONE man to Christ, I will attract God and He is the One who will accomplish the work. God does not need a bunch of talented pretty boys to spare America. God does not need a bunch of physical specimens to save America. ONE man seeking the truth and trusting Christ, and any modern day Nebuchadnezzar can be stopped.

What God desires to have is for someone to run through the streets looking for ONE person seeking the truth. Lot didn’t, Lot’s wife didn’t, Lot’s daughters didn’t, Lot’s in-laws didn’t and the result is that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. God did not say that if someone could just sing like Ray Hart or Paul Duckett He would spare the city, but if any one would just win one that God would do His part to spare the city. Young man of God, you may not be able to preach like an R. G. Lee, but you can go up and down the streets of your city looking for ONE man seeking truth and give him that truth.

Unfortunately the cry today is for “Revival” which folks believe will result in souls saved. NO, NO, NO, and another NO! Winning souls is right if there is never a revival. With this logic we can sit on our duff and blame God if people do not trust Christ. God’s children are to win souls regardless. Soul wining precedes revival. Revival does not precede soul winning.

Someone says, “God’s never going to give revival until everyone in the church is right with God.” My dear friend then there will never be revival. So, if God doesn’t move in and bring revival we can obviously blame Him and we are free of blame? Then God’s people can sit and wait! NO! Mark 16:14-15, “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven, as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

From Mark 16 to Acts 2, the local church grew form 11 to 120 and that was accomplished in 50 days and that is not bad. The truth is soul winning is right whether there is revival or not. What happened after they obeyed the command to personally win souls? The Holy Spirit came upon them and revival broke out! Too many are sitting in their church pews or standing on the front porch of the church thinking today might be the day for our Pentecost without ever knocking on a door or going up and down the streets looking for ONE man seeking truth, and then giving him that truth.

In Jeremiah 5:1, God wanted to put the thing that would save a nation within the grasp of every child of God, and that is go until you find ONE person who is seeking the truth and then give him truth. God will not spare a nation because of the idle righteous, but because of the active righteous. It is not a matter of not being righteous, but rather not doing righteousness. Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalted a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” It is the doing of righteousness not the being righteous that exalts a nation!

Thus, we are to seek ONE person seeking truth and then give him truth. God is not looking for a rich man, poor man, white man, black man, old man, young man, female, male, strong man or a weak man. God says to His children, “I want you to seek ONE man seeking truth and give him truth and I will take care of the city, nation or church.” The Scripture doesn’t say how big, little, old, young, pretty, ugly, what IQ, talent or education. God simply told us to go up and down the streets looking for ONE seeking truth and give him truth.

Scripture doesn’t say what profession, He just says find someone seeking truth and give him truth. Think about what ONE man could have prevented? ONE saved woman or man could have spared the destruction of Nebuchadnezzar’s army. The mightiest fighting force on the face of the Earth could have been stopped by ONE salvation decision of a man or woman.

If Lot or his family had just won ONE person to the Messiah, then Sodom and Gomorrah could have been spared. AMAZING!

Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man ear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

Jesus is standing at the door of a church, which happened to be the worst of all in the Bible. It was a church that was a people pleasing, compromising church. It was a church that was run by ecclesiastical heads, a church that had popularity without convictions, and a church that was the wickedest church in all the Scriptures, but Jesus was knocking at the door.

This is amazing! Jesus is saying if ANY man, if the staff, deacons, school teachers, college staff or assistant pastors will open the door He would come in! Someone said, “As long as one person in the church is not right with God we’ll never be blessed of God.” The trouble is God says the opposite because according to God all it takes is ONE man to open the door.

Matthew 16:18 says, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” As long as any local church will attack the gates of Hell by seeking ONE seeking truth and giving him the truth of salvation, then the gates of Hell cannot prevail.

Luke 15:7,10 says, “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

ONE soul saved, and that could have kept the powerful Nebuchadnezzar from destroying Jerusalem and the Temple. Just ONE soul saved could have prevented God’s people from being taken captive for seventy long years. ONE soul saved could have prevented the Temple from being leveled. Just ONE soul saved could have brought those folks back to freedom to rebuild the temple and their homes. Just ONE soul saved could have spared Sodom and Gomorrah. Just ONE soul saved could spare a New Testament church.

THE VALUE OF ONE

• One soul saved can spare a home.
• One soul saved can spare a church.
• One soul saved can spare a city.
• One soul saved can spare a nation.

OBSERVATIONS

• God needs ONE man seeking ONE man seeking truth.
• God will respond to ONE man spreading truth.
• Soul winning precedes revival.
• Revival follows soul winning.
• Any one can lead souls to the Saviour.

Dr. Bob Gray Sr.
http://solvechurchproblems.com