This
writer is a former mover and shaker in Charismania, repentant, now on the narrow
way, and in a Fundamental Baptist Church. He has a powerful ministry to Mormons,
and he can speak with authority about the very CENTER of incipient Charismatic
power-- he was there-- where the hundreds of millions of dollars rolled through.
He has also helped Freemasons demit as he shared with them his researched knowledge
of the Lodge. He is regularly dealing with confused sinners and leading them to
Christ.
YOU,
preacher, have made an omega of him. What a blessing you missed in this one, and
I can tell he will quietly move along if he ever hears of a New Testament Acts-type
local church in central California. He would tell me not to put this comment here,
for he did not write looking for mediation. I think this new section of our journal
will be bringing out the worst and the best in many local Fundamental Bible believing
churches.
Now,
do I hear a preacher saying, "....is it I ?" Or, do you even care? I
do believe that many of you preachers are greatly intimidated by godly men who
have more zeal than you do. Frankly, when I was pastoring in Michigan, California,
and Arizona, I was delighted when a man came along who was way ahead of me in
some area. First, the man would help me come up to speed in my zeal. Secondly,
he would lead by example before the whole assembly and show the way to victory.
It
is a cheap sleazy bit of slow bellied Cretian who is threatened by a man who is
greater than himself in spiritual things.
You
may quote that last sentence. It is mine :-) It is also biblical and Pauline.
There
is another reason why preachers don't make friends of the men in their assembly.
A bright and motivated man is dangerous to a preacher who is chasing whores and
fooling around with porn. These men with busy minds sense evil in another man,
and they hear what is going down in the community. So, these preachers make a
collection of dim bulbs for deacons and men in the church.
Another
consideration is that many Fundamental Bible believing preachers are not savvy
about life and the world. God wants the opposite in his servants:
Ecclesiastes
3:11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world
in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the
beginning to the end.
2
Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant
of his devices.
God
is not asking for a preacher to be worldly, but to be informed. If the preacher
never worked on the block, but he came straight from PCC, Bob Jones, or Crown
College, he will have a gross lack or understanding about life, cults, wolfish
things, human troubles, and even about how the world turns. His understanding
of evolution, for example, will come from Jack Chick and Kent
Hovind.
He will not have tested his zeal in the nearby university library. Some of these
preachers have never been in a library outside of the college they attended.
1
Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
You
cannot be sober and savvy about the ways of the devil and never walk the streets
of the city. There is death in the city, and sin and sorrow. Those who insulate
themselves from the vigilant life DOWNTOWN show their crass little personality
when some saint is wounded in the battle. These preachers just give them a pat
on the head and flee to "work on my sermon."
Put
another way, these preacher boys came into life in a Christian home, got saved,
stayed under the incubator all their life, and now they have just enough wisdom
to know that they are dumb as snot. So, here comes a fellow with experience in
life, wisdom tested in warfare with the wicked, battle scars, and with zeal to
use this knowledge to win souls and edify saints. If the preacher turns the fellow
loose to serve the Lord in the local church, the man will shine for Jesus. This
Jackboot preacher will have to sooner or later admit that the sun does NOT rise,
circle around his shoulders three times, and set, and that is a perfect day.
How
utterly sad. And, that is why that preacher attracts dim bulbs for men in his
church. They are the only ones who are impressed with him. That is why Fundamentalism,
all of it, is associated with dull people. Dr. Luke, Apollos, and the Apostle
Paul would be run off from these churches.
One
preacher in Dayton, Ohio told me that he never asks his deacons what they think
of anything he intends to do. He boasted to me that he keeps his deacons at the
level of janitors. He also is the idiot who had an altar call and asked everyone
to come forward who vowed to support the pastor, him, 100%. Those few who did
not go forward were "churched" by stealth by and by. I conclude that
this man is either in adultery, or he is a devil playing tricks in the church
house.
Our
reader above in California sure got me going that time :-)
So,
I hear one small voice from a preacher-- "So, what do I do to make up for
lost time?"
Answer:
Get out of your office, and make arrangements to meet with two men in your church:
1. The
slowest man in the assembly.
Proverbs
14:21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor,
happy is he.
This
is the man who is poor in zeal, in spiritual knowledge, and possibly in income.
He is the man you have made into the omega in your assembly. READ
about him. Also HERE.
You
have been punishing this fellow for some perceived deficiency, and you NEED him
to thrash during altar call time and when things are not going right. You have
blamed him for poor turn out to everything you do, right? Well, it is time to
humble yourself and love this good old boy. If he loves to run to auctions, ask
him to take you to a good one this Saturday night. Buy something collectable,
and brag on the good old boy at church for helping you find the treasure. This
man is NOT an omega wolf. He is a sheep Jesus loved and died for. Saved or not,
if you can win his friendship, you will reverse much damage in the assembly. Your
arrogant "yes" men on the board will soon be begging to go to the auction
with the good old boy. Mission accomplished. Will he come out for visitation if
you do all this? Who cares? Jesus wants that fellow loved, and that is your DUTY
to him and Christ.
2.
The brightest man in your church.
Ecclesiastes
4:9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that
is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
Go
to lunch with him. Whatever his area of expertise and knowledge, ask him to bring
you up to speed in that. If he is a web surfer or into technology, seek his help
finding background material for your sermons. Like, "I am in Daniel, brother.
Could you find me some historic and cultural information on Babylon about the
time of Daniel?" You have NO idea how that will turn on this whiz kid. Men
with knowledge, if they love the Lord Jesus, have a monumental urge to help anyone
who needs their knowledge. On the other hand, not being asked hurts.
A
pastor, not long ago, started into the biblical issues of Mesopotamia and pre-Babylon
in the Bible as he was teaching Genesis. I groaned as I realized he had little
or no idea what he was talking about, and some of his information was clearly
from some out of date biblical encyclopedia. His Bible knowledge was great, and
the Lord used him, but he was all over the place in historic issues from recent
archaeology. He knew I had done research into this for six years, but he did not
want to let anyone think he needed help I gather.
If
you don't want men of knowledge of the world, culture, and issues, then just do
as you are doing. You will one day have a complete set of dim bulbs, none of them
smarter than you.
Preacher,
if you have an alpha / omega wolf pack church family, you are in deep trouble.
You are doomed to have nothing by pliable clones of you. You and your wife will
be nagging and pestering the omega man and woman in the church, and your people
will never be more than spiritual babies. And, the responsibility will be YOURS.
You are, in fact, serving Satan well. It is time to give the altar call and hit
the carpet yourself !!
BLESSED
QUIETNESS IS BEST FOUND IN MUCH ASSURANCE
