Being an independent fundamental Baptist....

Brother Don, Stand true to the calling which God ahs placed upon your life! The very reasons you stated are why we are IFB. Remember the words of Paul when he told Timothy to be made strong in the grace of God. We know we live in perilous times, people will NOT endure sound doctrine, heaping to themselves teachers, having itching ears. God put something in their ears to cause the itch, now they turn to liberal teachers to get relief from that itch, but it's amazing their itch is never satisfied, they must heap even more liberal teachers to themslves to feel justified in their cause.


Sounds to me ,Brother, you're preaching it pretty straight, that's why all the "croked" sticks can't stand it, you're too "straight" for their crookedness.

Remember this, God is NOT the author of confusion, the devil is! That's a line I use on the JW's, they bow their heads and walk away. After I tell them I know Jesus saved me Dec. 18, 1992, put my family back together, we are now living for Jesus, so why do they come to try and confuse me? They're of their father the devil and need to repent!

In His Holy Service,

Brother Ricky

 

No,Don..you should not stay away from here! We need you biblical(not legalists) guys around! I do,anyway!

Keep up the good posts!

Molly

 

"I'm just preaching old-fashioned gospel"; yet his congregation looks and acts just as modern and worldly as can be.

What do they look and act like? Do they wear modern clothes? Do they own a TV? Be careful judging people by how they look. How they act is another thing.

That translates to a certain way my family dresses and acts--but not something I force on others. I only preach take care not to cause others to stumble. Yet I'm a legalist and a Pharisee for preaching this.

Most IFB's I've listened to would force it on others and judge their "walk" accordingly.

If I say I love the KJV, I'm held up as small-minded, uneducated, etc.

I've never seen or heard of anyone being critized for loving the KJV. However there are those who are KJVO I might say fit that label.

 

Hey, Don, I can relate. Like Kermit the Frog used to say, "It ain't easy being green."

 

I agree that many times it is very discouraging to read some of the false doctrine shared in a few of our other forums. I pray that this fundamental forum will stay sound.
Murph

 

I have always considered myself to be an independent, fundamental Baptist. Yet, I have tried to not be a legalist. I am not KJVO nor do I believe that specific symptoms of legalism are goals as opposed to common sense principles taught in the Bible. If I type in "independent, fundamental Baptist" into Google and do a search why is it that about all I get is KJVO and/or legalistic websites? No one ever says they are a legalist, even legalists. So, what is a legalist and define it in such a way that it doesn't exempt everyone?

 

I have met some excellent people that are involved with IFB churches in the U.S on this Board, yet It has been my experience that a number of people that are into KJVO doctrines also try to push this as the teaching of the IFB churches which is not always the case.

I try to remind myself that many in the IFB movement are the salt of the earth, yet the 1% of idiots do seem to get alot of attention, and hurt and insult a number of other good people on the Baptist Board, particurly in the Bible Vesions Forum.

 

I don't find it hard to be an Independent Fundamental Baptist these days. I was a drunkard before being a Baptist preacher. Would rather be an Independent Fundamental Baptist than my former self.

I preach from the KJV without apology. I noticed the thread of KJVO throughout many of this forum's posts.
If you call a KJVO position one of double inspiration etc. following a certain preachers philosophy (nameless) than I repudiate that one.
I am KJVO meaning that I believe that the KJV is the Word of God for the English Speaking Peoples of today. This does not preclude the study of Hebrew and Greek.

I preach Holiness and soulwinning. I and our church am Baptist, we are not Baptist in name only, but Baptist in practice.

When we win folks to the Lord and baptise them, we tell the adults that they will be in our discipleship class. It runs for about 12 weeks. I have one of my deacons teach it with the materials that I wrote myself.

We have teacher/worker standards that must be adhered too.
We have standards for deacons and officers of the local church which are adhered too.

I do not ride a hobby horse in my preaching nor in my teaching. I teach and preach the Bible.
I let the S.S. teachers teach standards/separation in S.S. classes along with their Bible lessons.

We have trained altar workers in how to deal with folks.
We train folks to be soul winners.

We have had in men like Jewell Smith on the Bible.
Kent Hovind on Creation
Revival meetings 2 X's a year.
Faith Promise missions conference
Annual Soul Winning Conference

Our church is not perfect and not everyone who attends lives up to everything but they know that to be a teacher/worker/officer, they must adhere to separation standards; tithe; dress standards; etc.

I/we teach from a practical Biblical standpoint and do our best to disciple folks. We work at grounding people in the Word of God. I also love my people very much and I tell them so and I brag on them.

If the Lord has a man's heart, He has his wallet, etc. etc.

We are not setting the world on fire, but in my 4 yrs here as pastor, we have seen approximately 200 souls saved and baptized most of them.

We have grown from below 100 when I came to approx. 150 in S.S. & 200 in church. Our Wed & Sun nights have about tripled.

Maybe I'm too ornary, but I am not ashamed of being a Baptist ... a Conservative Baptist.

 

Just an addendum to my last post.
When I said "conservative Baptist" that is my position rather than liberal/progressive etc. & nothing to do with the conservative Baptist organization.

I have been a preacher/pastor for 32 years and hope to go a few more until the Lord calls me home or comes back.

 

I think you've expressed yourself pretty well, but in case those who may not see through your post; "Tit for tat!" Insult for insult!

 

Amen brother, sounds like a good Bible believing church that I would be happy to attend if I were in that area.

 

I'm trying to straighten out some of my more legalistic peers, but I wouldn't trade 'em for someone like Josh for anything in the world....

That we agree on.

 

In order to save webspace let's only quote parts of threads that are really necessary to prove our points. If you need the entire quote go ahead and post it but if not don't.
Murph

 

I sense your frustration, but whenever you stand for something, it isn't always going to be easy. And She Eagle...that was the most concise comment I've ever read. You got that right. It ain't easy being green.

God Bless You,
Charlotte

 

As those who stand for the Bible and holy living get fewer, so doest he morals of this country continue to deteriorate.

As Christians continue to embrace sin and call it good so does sinful living increase.

As those who want to be Christians and still love the world, the world will continue to grow exceeding sinful.

What has retarded the sinfulness? Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches preaching the truth, sinning souls, discipling them, training them and sending them.

Why is American so sinful today? Christians who ridicule those who win souls train them to live holy separated lives. Christan's who embrace the pleasures of the world while rejecting holy living as called for in the Word.

Christan's who say God is a loving God and doesn't expect us to live clean holy lives.

It is not the Fundamental Baptists who are causing the sin in America, but those who deny the word of God and say they are Christan's.

It is just like the guy beating himself in the head with a hammer, until he stopped he didn't know how good it felt not to hit himself. So it is with modern Christians who see no need to live for God. They don't know how God it is.

 

You are not alone Don. The problem is that most Baptists tend to be emotional first and study last. Tradition holds a lot of sway and while we say we are 1st Century Christians my guess is that we would look like the folks that Church didn't want to let back among them in Hebrews.

The sad thing is the Baptists still have it together more than the other denominations and that is scary. We are far closer to the End they we know.

Preachers looking at dwindling congregations tend to get progressive rather than realizing that will be the trend in true Bible preaching churches as we get closer and closer to His return. He said that He wondered if there would even be faith on the Earth when he returned not mega churches and mega revivals. Because iniquity will abound the love of many will wax cold. So, because the truth doesn't "work" we look for things to make it better and we end up in pure-T manure.

Most of our people are extremely immature and unlearned even those that have been around for decades. We would have a hard time finding a wolf in sheep's clothing amongst the elders and we more often than not call hirelings as pastors and then wonder why the church splits. Not to mention that most of the members are probably not saved. R. G. Lee once predicted that only 5% of the SBC were saved and we probably ain't doin' much better if we are doin' that good.

Hence we argue over everything and know nothing and nothing happens like in a 1st Century church, but we is 1st Century Christians.

Legalism is adding anything to Christ's work for salvation. It is not standards for living separated in a place that we are only passing through. Now, have some gone bonkers in some areas? Yes, but more so than not we have used our liberty as a cloak of maliciousness and justified our worldliness by using grace and "gray areas."

So, what is the future? The saved will be saved, and the lost will be lost. The bulk of the saved will live defeated lives because they do not have the energy (zeal) or the stones (commitment) to seek to appropriate all that God has given us because we might find that He does not approve of our favorite teething ring or rattle that we got from the World and that He might actually expect us to mature and be responsible in our Church and our culture.

Legalist? Heck, Don they stoned the prophets and crucified Christ in the "house of His friends". Can you expect much else from Christians who have waxed fat and kicked? Just seek to do His will and share what you can with others. That is all you can do. Those who will turn away will turn away and others will see Christ in you and the truth in His Word if they look.


Shalom!