The Winds are Blowing! Get Ready! - Spencer Smith

 

Years ago, an up and coming "Independent Baptist" was doing a livestream about his upcoming conference called "Idea Day". He wanted to know what topics he could cover during the conference to help your church. There were probably 30 people in the live chat. Not a big deal.

A few guys asked some basic questions about church growth, and I asked "what can I do to help keep emergent church principles out of my church". He skipped my question several times. He even said at the end, "if there are no more questions, then we are going to go". I asked my question three times again and again. He paused, squinted at the screen, and said "Well, since there are no more questions, I guess we will go. See you all at the conference." It was obvious that he was ignoring my question.

Today that guy is a left wing evangelical. He used to preach in chapel in Independent Baptist Bible colleges in California, but now they won't even touch him. He even wrote an entire blog post about his disdain for Ernest Pickering. Yikes.


The winds of this stuff are blowing, and you would be a fool to ignore the fact that these things are coming to a pew near you soon. Pastors need to be aware and do the work of an evangelist, and be "vigilant" to prepare yourself and your people for the day that this comes into your church. If not, then you absolutely could lose your entire youth department to these issues. Don't fall asleep on this. It's coming. The music is just the start...

Over 50% of NYFD Say They Do Not Trust Vaccine And Will Not Take It!!!

According to a private, internal survey, 55% of NYFD Firemen said they will not take the shot when it comes out. Also, NYFD says that they WILL NOT require firemen and EMS workers to take the vaccine.

See original articles here:

https://nypost.com/2020/12/05/these-nyc-first-responders-fear-covid-19-vaccine-side-effects/

https://nypost.com/2020/11/28/fdny-wont-require-medics-firefighters-to-get-covid-vaccine/

It seems that there is some serious pushback to this upcoming vaccine! I have no doubt that there should be some questioning due to the speed in which it was brought to market, the fact that the vaccine company has legal immunity if you have and adverse reaction to it, and the lack of mass testing of it's effectiveness.

The New York Post article says, "More than half of New York City firefighters say they won’t be vaccinated for COVID-19 when the potentially life-saving shot becomes available to first responders in a matter of weeks, according to a new internal survey. About 55 percent of 2,053 smoke-eaters polled in the last three days by their union, the Uniformed Firefighters Association, answered “No” when asked, “Will you get the COVID-19 Vaccine from Pfizer when the Department makes it available?” UFA President Andy Ansbro told The Post. The responses account for about 25 percent of the UFA’s 8,200 active members."

https://nypost.com/2020/12/05/these-nyc-first-responders-fear-covid-19-vaccine-side-effects/

Personally, I thought that I would be among the few that were going to oppose this, but I'm grateful that I am not. 

Another surprising move is that the FDNY has announced that they will NOT require emergency workers to take the vaccine. This is very surprising news coming from New York. 

Maybe there could be a massive pushback on this new vaccine. Maybe we won't have to take it after all. Maybe there is life after Covid. Maybe we haven't completely bowed to the New World Order yet...

Just my thoughts, 

Spencer  

Harry Emerson Fosdick and The Worldly Independent Baptist's Calls For "Unity"

Harry Emerson Fosdick preached a controversial message in 1922 called, "Shall the Fundamentalists Win?" In this sermon, he appealed to the Presbyterian denomination that we should set aside our doctrinal differences for the sake of world evangelism. The problem was that those "doctrinal differences" were things like the virgin birth of Christ, the second coming of Christ, and the inspiration of Scripture. Today, men that call themselves "Independent Baptists" are making eerily similar appeals...

Although the names and issues are different, the same cycle is happening again. There is another generation of Liberal Baptist Preachers that are saying that we need to set aside our differences on Contemporary Christian Rock/Rap Worship, English Bible Versions, and Ecclesiastical Separation to reach this world for Christ.

What many have failed to see is that these "appeals" are nothing more than veiled attacks on the character of the Holy Spirit (Contemporary Christian Rock/Rap Worship), the doctrine of the Preservation of Scripture (KJV a secondary issue), and the Doctrinal Purity of the Local Church (Ecclesiastical Separation).

I cannot judge the motives of those making these appeals, but I am fully capable of discerning the direction that this will take churches. This is nothing more than a repetition of the same mistakes that other denominations have made in the past, and it cost them everything. Many that went this direction ended up losing their children and grandchildren to theological liberalism and modernism which made them infidels.

I have been teaching my children the importance of standing for what is right. I have made them memorize this saying, "I will stand for what's right, even if I have to stand alone." I will stand as a Fundamental Baptist, KJV only, Ecclesiastically Separate from Heretics, and what is commonly referred to as "Traditional" worship...even if I have to stand alone.

As a Missionary, I have a passion to see this world come to Christ, but I am not willing to "redefine" Christ by compromising Bible doctrine. These appeals for unity at the expense of truth are folly.

Romans 1 speaks of those who "changed the truth of God into a lie." I fear that there are many behind pulpits that are doing that very thing. I will just tell the truth, and let God do the rest.

I desire unity and I desire world evangelism, but not at the expense of truth. If I have to believe something about God that I know not to be true to fellowship with you, then I simply cannot. I don't have a bad spirit, and I have no ill will, but I must be true to what I know to be true. So help me God...

Just a few thoughts from some guy that got saved when he was 18, and has a Bible on his desk...

-Spencer

Pee-Wee Herman Christianity!

The culture of today has tried to re-define what a man should be, and has even intimidated the church to re-think manliness.

Men of previous generations were powerful, strong, and tough. Men of today are passive, soft, and timid. Men of previous generations took a stand, men of today only take a stand when they are standing against a man that takes a stand. The greatest sin of today is to simply be a man of conviction.

John the Baptist had his head chopped off for opposing the immorality of a politician. (Matt 14) Paul stood in a jail cell and rebuked the local magistrates for his unlawful imprisonment. (Acts 16) Jesus rebuked the religious and political leaders of his day by calling them serpents, vipers, and even a fox. (Matt 23)

The mindset of today is that a Christian man should be some jovial, passive creature that goes with the flow and never rocks the boat. This idea of manliness has more in common with Pee-Wee Herman than Jesus Christ.

Christian men should not be rude and hostile, but we should be willing to stand with compassion where God stands on the issues of our day. When one stands FOR God, he soon finds himself standing WITH God...and that puts him in good company. God + One = The Majority.

Find out where God stands, and stand with Him. God help us to reject this effeminate counterfeit and have a revival of true, biblical manliness!

Disposition Over Position

When people can't argue with WHAT you are saying, they will begin to argue about HOW you said it. Far too many are concerned more about DISPOSITION than POSITION. They don't care what you say, as long as you say it in a charming, and acceptable way. The danger in valuing DISPOSITION over POSITION is that people will accept heresy because they like how it was said. Objectivity requires that we look beyond their demeanor see what they actually believe. Sometimes the most powerful poisons come in the prettiest packages.

"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."

- 2 Corinthians 11:14-15

The problem with arguing DISPOSITION over POSITION is that there is nobody on the planet who has that one perfect, "catchall" disposition that everybody is going to accept. There will always be some inclination, quirk, sentiment, or even accent that will violate the prejudices of the listeners. There will always be someone who says the preacher is too loud, too quiet, too aggressive, too weak, too wordy, too simplistic, too short, too long, too funny, or not funny enough. It is because of these issues, those who would argue disposition over position have no valid argument. Therefore, every preacher should strive to have a Christlike disposition, but at the same time realize that no matter what you do, there is going to be someone who will reject your position and blame it on your disposition.

God uses all types of dispositions to articulate the correct theological position.

Conclusion:

Don't hesitate to just be yourself. God uses all types of preachers.

Then again, I'm just a guy with a Bible...

-Spencer

"The Three Biggest Lies of Sin"

"The Three Biggest Lies of Sin"

The Three Worst Sermon Types

The Three Worst Sermon Types:

Preaching is a very important part of the ministry. It should never be undermined or discounted. The man that would mount the sacred desk should realize that he has a serious responsibility before God to feed his flock. Sermons should be well prepared, prayed over, and delivered clearly if they are to be of any help.

God uses all types of personalities. He uses the serious, the jokester, the cryer, the straight shooter, and the intelectual all the same. There are many effective ways to communicate Bible truth to a congregation, and there are many ineffective way to communicate a Bible truth to a crowd.

Let me give you just a few of the worst sermon types:

1. All Shout - No Substance

The man that would mount the pulpit with fire in his belly should be able to articulate what he is so excited about. If a man is excited about a truth, then he should be able to explain that truth. There are secular speakers that are able to work a crowd into an emotional upheaval with sad stories, emotional displays, and a dynamic delivery. I fear that some in the ministry know how to do the same thing. The command to "preach the word" still stands today. Away with rhetoric, cliches, one liners, and generic sayings. Give me something from the Words of God!

2. All Information - No Application

There are many covenants, laws, prophecies, and traditions in the Bible. These things can be very detailed and complicated. Some men have taken it upon themselves to learn the intricate details of these concepts, and preach them to their congregations.

The difficulty comes with the application of these concepts to the average listener. Many people in the pews are not helped by an exposition of the second toe on the left foot of the beast in Daniel 2. If a preacher would go into these concepts, he must make sure that there is some application that the listener can apply to their life. If not, then you are just boring them.

3. No Shout - No Substance

We have all heard the hopelessly boring man preach with substance. We endured his lack of personality to get the Bible message he was giving us. Then there is the hopelessly boring man that preaches without substance. Not only is he missing a personality, he is missing a message.

These men tax people's patience, weary teenager's souls, and make children think that church is boring. Nothing is worse than going to church without feeling like you have gone to church. Imagine being invited over to someone's house for a meal, only to find that there is nothing to eat when you get there. The man that has no substance does the same thing spiritually to his listeners.

Conclusion: 

Every sermon should have three basic elements: Substance, Shout, and Application. All effective communication has these elements, and sermons should too.