COVID-19, Government Overreach, and Compromise

 In 1997 I pastored a small church I had planted in a small town in the state of Oregon. The thirteen years had been good to me. Our church was established, I was full time in the ministry and I enjoyed a good fellowship with a group of pastors from our state and that of Washington. I was scheduled to host a pastor’s meeting at our church. As that meeting grew near, I was contacted by a college in Southern California regarding the possibility of having their Executive Vice President and a group from the college at the meeting as representatives. As the college was associated with this group of pastors, I agreed. But then I did some research. I learned that the college had encouraged students to attend various conferences and events at nearby Grace Community Church, pastored by John MacArthur. At that news, I contacted the college and uninvited them to my church and the meeting. 

It is not that I am a MacArthur hater, I am not. But I do recognize that his ministry and that of Independent Baptists, is not the same. I viewed it as contrary to sound doctrine and to separation to support a movement that would encourage the blending of Independent Baptists with the practices, teachings, and doctrines of Grace Community Church and John MacArthur.

Apparently, I was not the only one who felt as I did. How the word got out, I do not know, but in very short order I began receiving phone calls and notes of congratulations from pastors, especially in Washington State, for my stand. I started getting invitations to preach in their churches and, just a few years later, I was the Executive Vice President of that very same college, since reclaimed by pastors who desired to walk in the old paths.

Let’s fast forward to 2020. The COVID-19 virus has changed our world in ways I am not sure we will ever recover from. The governors of Washington, Oregon, and California in particular have been extremists in their handling of the virus. Churches have been identified as potential “super-spreaders” of the China Virus. California has issued instructions that churches are not to assemble. For some time a number of them, perhaps most of the more well known of them, complied. Grace Community Church included. Of late, John MacArthur has reversed his compliance and in defiance of orders, has returned to the assembly of his congregation. A good number of Christians have applauded him for this stand. I for one pray he is successful.

Here comes the rub. I recently received a twitter message (tweet) with a photo of Paul Chappell and John MacArthur. The tweet, from Paul Chappell, reads, “Thankful to meet and pray with @johnmacarthur this morning. Pray for him as he stands for the biblical call to assemble and worship our God.” That tweet is followed by numerous statements congratulating Chappell for joining up with MacArthur. The only warnings I found were from men who would be considered troublemakers and doctrinally unsound themselves. Here are my problems with Chappell’s newfound fellowship with MacArthur.

The two have pastored in Southern California for more than forty years

Why is the COVID-19 crisis a reason to connect now? I understand that some suggest that this is a matter bigger than doctrine. That neither of the men has to compromise their own doctrines to join forces against this government overreach and that refusal to work together is tantamount to believers refusing to work together when Hitler took over Germany. 

The idea of ignoring our doctrines for a bigger battle is reasonable if there is no God. If the battle is religion versus government, then by all means all religions ought to cooperate to exert influence in the realms of politics. But God is. And God is bigger than the government. Therefore, to cooperate with God is of much greater importance than cooperating with bad doctrine. there is a reason the two men had never met. That reason remains despite the China virus.

It is one step into compromise

I realize it is only one step. It seems like a small step. It also seems like a reasonable step. There never has been a reason Paul Chappell and John MacArthur could not have met, shaken hands, and had a picture together. Human beings ought to be kind to one another. Each man has a right to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience and, since they each have that right, there is no reason they cannot be kind to one another. This is different. This is a deliberate act of cooperation. This is one step into compromise and, with the first step, further steps become much easier.

The consequences of such a step are inestimable

I don’t know if Chappell will take further steps of compromise with MacArthur. I frankly doubt it. But he led by example and I am certain that less known pastors, many of whom have already taken those steps and congratulated Chappell for this, will see this as motivation to become even closer to MacArthur and his non-Baptist, non-fundamentalist, Protestant, Calvinistic movement. This is a subtle movement into the one-world church system. It is, perhaps a well-cloaked movement, but it heads the direction of one world religion nonetheless.

I will continue to pray for churches of all stripes all across the United States. Regardless of doctrine, history, or practice, they each have a right to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience and government overreach against that right is a terribly dangerous thing. But I will remain separated. And I will urge anyone who will listen to do the same.

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields 

Why Aren’t Our Churches Remaining Baptist Long Term?

I have spent a number of days running down old Baptist churches in the northern part of Kentucky. Think about it! One of these churches was established while George Washington was still alive. Another one, while John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were living. They are in different circles than I am, but they are still active, and they are still Baptist in name. Why aren’t more of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches remaining Baptist long term?

 

I am sure I don’t have all of the answers but here are some thoughts: 

Most of these churches are either Southern Baptist or Missionary Baptists. 

They might likely say that their longevity is attributed to their organizations. I would not agree with this because their organizations are moving toward being non-Baptist.

 

I would argue that many if not most independent Baptists are not, in fact, Baptists. 

I think they are more immersing old-fashioned Methodists. 

 

I think Independent Baptists have, for many decades, been more pragmatic and growth-oriented rather than doctrinal oriented. 

Almost anything goes in these days so long as we can claim souls being saved and churches growing. 

 

Doctrine is not preached as much as “help” messages. 

Too many preachers try to answer the questions people ask rather than informing people of the questions they should be asking.

 

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields

The Difference Between Influence and Power

I recently read a piece written by A.C. Dixon, entitled, “I Kept God From Working.”[1]It read, 

“While I was pastor of the Baptist Church in a university town of North Carolina, I was made to realize that as a preacher I was a dismal failure.

Parents from all over the state wrote and requested me to look after the spiritual welfare of their sons in the university. I prepared sermons with students in mind and was glad to see that they showed their appreciation by attending our Sunday services in great numbers. We also appointed a week of prayer and preaching, with the single purpose of winning them to Christ and they attended the evening meetings.

About the middle of the week, however, their interest seemed to turn into opposition. The spirit of mischief possessed them. One night they tried to put out the lights. As I walked through the grove of trees around the university buildings I sometimes heard an imitation of my voice coming from behind a tree. A bright student had caught a part of my sermon of the night before and he was giving it in thought and tone for the benefit of his fellow students who responded by applause and laughter. As I walked before an open window I heard my voice imitated in prayer floating out. I felt defeated and seriously considered resigning from the pastorate. No one had been saved.

After a restless night I took my Bible and went into a grove of trees and remained there until three o'clock in the afternoon. As I read I asked God to show me what was the matter. The Word of God searched me through and through, giving me a deep sense of sin and helplessness such as I had never had before.

That evening the students listened reverently and at the close of the service, two rows were filled with those who responded to the invitation. The revival continued day after day until more than seventy of the students confessed Christ.

What Did It?

The practical question is, "What did it?" Certainly not I. I fear it was I who kept God from doing it for a long time. Out of that day's experience of waiting on God, there came to me a clear-cut distinction between influence and power.

Influence is made up of many things: intellect, education, money, social position, organization--all of which ought to be used for Christ. Power is God Himself at work unhindered by our unbelief and other sins. The New Testament word power holds the secret. The power from on high was no other than the power of the Holy Ghost touching the soul through the living Word and giving it a birth from above. I had been trusting and testing many other good things, only to fail. The touch of God by His Holy Spirit did what my best efforts could not do.”

After sharing the story, a member of the church asked me to explain a bit more about the power of God. I used the word conviction. Bruce Turner, who was preaching for us at the time, interjected about the difference between being convinced and convicted. A conviction is something from God and cannot be altered. God never changes. Those things that come from Him could therefore never change. 

I am convicted, for instance, that the King James Version of the Bible is without error. 

• Academic proofs won’t change that. 
• More popular versions won’t change that. 
• Pressure from others won’t change that. 

I am also, for instance, convicted that the church Jesus built is a Baptist church. 

I could therefore never go to any other sort. It’s not about convenience, programs, proximity, popularity. It’s not about the personality of the pastor or the friendliness of the congregation. It is about doctrine and authority. I am so convicted of this that I could only attend a Baptist church that is equally convicted. 

My convictions come not from what a man has taught me. That would be mere convincing. My convictions come from personal study of the Word of God, an understanding of church history and the work of the Holy Spirit upon my conscience. 

A conviction comes from God and cannot change. I, however, am a man and can change. If I change from my convictions it is necessary that I rebel against them and will be in rebellion until I return to them. 

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[1]http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=28004

Baptists and the Political Trap

It is difficult to deny that, previous to the founding of the United States of America, Baptist people had very little political involvement and in most cases refused political involvement. No wonder. The experience of Baptist people and governments had never been positive. Whether it was
·         The pre-Catholic secular Roman government or
·         The burgeoning Catholic system to
·         The multi-headed Protestant monster
Baptists have always gotten a sour taste from government persecution, leaving them to contemplate the place of government in the world of the Christian. Their conclusion was the now famous (some would say infamous) doctrine of separation of church and state.[1] 

It is not as though historical Baptists have never had opportunity to be a government sanctioned church. Indeed, the Netherlands considered it at one time and it was again considered in the early days of our nations founding. After Baptists strongly lobbied for religious freedom, the Constitutional Convention considered making Baptist the state church. In both cases the Baptists declined. In the case of our country's founding, they had lobbied for liberty of conscience. These early Baptists understood that government and faith were terrible bedfellows. 

But then came our constitution and religious liberty. For the first time in human history a government was created by the people and for the people. And for the first time in Christian history Baptists became involved in that government. At first it seemed like a godsend. Not only could Baptists worship according to the dictates of their conscience, they could get involved in the political process to ensure they would always possess this liberty. 

Baptists, the very people who crafted the concept of separation of church and state, began to ignore to the doctrine in favor of using the political process to ensure what politics has always striven to rob men of. Baptists, along with every form of American Protestantism, embraced instead the doctrine of Christian patriotism. That doctrine has been the demise of Baptists.

•  Just as the Waldenses compromised for the sake of their safety and are no longer a vibrant Christian faith
•  Just as the Baptists in England compromised their doctrines to seem more respectable to the Protestant government and lost the savor of their salt
•  Even so have American Baptists so stepped into the trap American politics that we are likely never to escape

Indeed many see no need to escape. 
First, we yoked with the Protestant Fundamentalists who were not Baptists, to fight modernism. 
Today few but Baptists accept the Fundamentalist title, but those who embrace it the strongest are far more Protestant Fundamentalist (in ecclesiology) than they are Baptists. The average Baptist is so unlearned doctrinally that he is unable to discern the difference between a Fundamentalist using the Baptist name and a true Baptist in faith and practice. 

Then we joined hands with Mormons and anyone else who would in the Moral Majority
A misguided and quasi-Baptist preacher led Americans of all persuasions, whether they were Catholics, Protestants, Mormons, or Baptists to extend to one another the right hand of fellowship so long as we each held to "Judeo-Christian" ethics.  Moral Majority has disbanded but many have never let go of the un-Baptist principles of the movement or the unscriptural associations that were formed.  It's a trap, a snare. And I fear that few will even attempt to flee its deathly influence.

Historic Baptists distrusted human governments and devices. They understood the danger of desiring a king like all the other nations. They poured themselves instead into: 

Knowing The Lord

Learning His Word and 

Evangelizing the lost

And left the kingdoms of this world to themselves.[2]

May God grant that some Baptist would see the trap before it us sprung and warn others to flee it.

Marvin McKenzie

In the field

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[1] That modern Baptists are losing touch with this important doctrine is evidenced by the fact that one leading Independent Baptist pastor once tweaked the doctrine from separation of church and state to separation from sin.
[2] I am not suggesting that Christians in America may not participate in the political process. I am merely attempting to point out that, whenever we do, we set ourselves up to be trapped by it.

Scientific Proof of God’s Omnipresence

Science seeks to prove things as fact through the process of observation, measurement and repetition. In science, a man poses a theory, others conduct experiments to prove or disprove the theory and, when the findings are sufficient to warrant it, an authority such as a scientific journal publishes it.

This process is demonstrated in the Bible concerning God’s Omnipresence.

First

David poses his theory[1]

Psalms 139:7-12 KJV

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

The Psalmist asks the question, “Whither shall I go from [God’s] Spirit?”

• Is there any place where a man might go to hide away from God?
• Is there any place where the Lord does not exist?

After posing the question, he proposes his answer through a series of suggestions:

• Is God in heaven? Yes.
• Is God in hell? Yes
• Is God in the uttermost parts of the sea? Yes
• Is God in the darkness? Yes
• Is God in the night? Yes

He has given his question and proposed His answer.

Jonah tests His theory

Jonah 1:1-2:3 KJV

Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.

Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.

And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.

Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.

So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.

Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.

Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,

And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.

Jonah attempted to flee from the presence of God into Tarshish. Though the location of the city is uncertain, it is thought to have been in Spain and perhaps associated with the  lost city of Atlantis. It was the opposite of Nineveh, in what is now modern day Iraq and was then the power center of Middle Eastern Gentilism; across the ocean, an entire culture away. Perhaps God did not exist there.

What Jonah learned is that

• God is indeed in the midst of the sea
• God is certainly in the belly of the great fish and 
• God, he implies God is in the midst of our hell

David posed the question and suggested the theory that there was no place where a man could go from the presence of God.

Jonah tested the theory through personal experimentation and demonstrated that there was in fact no place he could flee that God was not already there.

God authenticated the findings

Amos 9:1-4 KJV

I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.

Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:

And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:

And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.

In this passage the Lord, speaking through the prophet Amos, confirms what David had proposed and Jonah had proven.

Though science will no doubt deny the science of the Word of God there is, none the less, scientific proof that God is indeed omnipresent.

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields

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[1] I am speaking as a man. I understand that David wrote under divine inspiration and therefore it is no theory from the supernatural perspective.

Why I Am Opposed to Reformation Theology in a Baptist Church

1. Reformation theology denies the perpetuity of the church as taught by our Lord in Matthew sixteen.

2. Reformation theology assumes that Baptists embraced the doctrines developed by the reformers.

3. Reformation theology leans upon the doctrines of Catholicism.

4, Reformation theology obliterates the evidence of a great cloud of Christian witnesses that never united with the corruptions of Catholicism.

5. Reformation theology leads modern Baptist pastors into a quagmire of false doctrines.

6. Reformation theology is thoroughly universal church.

7. Modern Reformation theologians are reckless socially.

  

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields

Only Church

I have a friend who is struggling in his work today and it is because, though his work is a ministry, it is a ministry that is necessarily outside of a local church and thus requires an organization other than a local church in which to function. Such organizations exist and in some cases, with good reason and I believe a degree of justification:

• Many missions fields are closed to those who are not a part of an agency
• Colleges, in order to provide a well rounded education, need teachers whose experience is beyond one local church (even those churches who have college ministries use pastors from other churches or at the very least, recruit students from other churches)
• Preachers need some means of fellowship among each other for encouragement, support and perhaps a work larger than themselves

But here is the problem and here is where my friend's trouble comes in, invariably these non church organizations begin applying Biblical mandates that have only Scriptural authority to the church upon those who are a part of their organization. They assume that what is true for the church is true for their organization too. They begin thinking of themselves as God thinks of His church. They begin making expectations of those who are in their organization that only their local church ought to expect.

And very frequently (and I think the worse thing about them is that ) these expectations create a conflict for their associates between their local church and the organization. The organization demands loyalty to it even above their local church. The non church organization begins to, in effect, usurp authority over that person's local church.

I do not believe the problem is answered in those ministries that are under the authority of a local church large enough to house a nationwide or worldwide effort because in every case, those ministries usurp authority over those smaller churches that cooperate with them, in effect creating something worse than a para church organization; an ecclesiastical hierarchy. The answer is a call to arms. the answer is a reminder that we are soldiers and our enemy is our own flesh. The answer is to constantly and continually mortify the tendency of self to demand loyalty to anything other than that thing God has created, which is the independent, local (and I am convinced) Baptist Church.

To expect and demand a Christian's loyalty to anything other is to pressure them into idolatry.

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields

Terrifying Fundamentalism

I was with a young pastor a week or so ago. His church is meeting in a building that has had three different church denominations in it previous to him. Although his is the fourth church to use the building, he has been there three years, and the Nazarenes who built the building have been was more than 30 years ago, to this day he says people will say "Oh, you are the Nazarene Church."

It just reminds me that people are not particular about their labels. To most people, a church is a church is a church.

The same goes with distinctions, the distinction of fundamentalism for instance. I realize that there is a multiplicity of fundamentalist organizations.
• Fundamentalist Jews
• Fundamentalist Islam and
• Fundamentalist Christianity
In fact, within Fundamentalist Christianity there is a multiplicity of divisions.

Marc Adler's article in Splice Today entitled, The Terrifying Christian Right, is written from the perspective on one who lumps all that anyone has ever labeled fundamentalist into the same inaccurate heap. Adler's article lumps Evangelicals, Pentecostals and Baptists in the very same camp as being dominionists.
• Dominionists are not Fundamentalists
• Evangelicals are not Fundamentalists for that matter
• True Baptists are not Fundamentalists

That there is a theological perspective called dominion theology is a fact. That dominion theology is dangerous, I will agree. That Baptists, along with evangelicals and fundamentalists have been misled into embracing dominion theology is an unfortunate truth. But to categorize everyone who believes the Bible to be the Bible to advocate dominion theology is inaccurate.

Fundamentalism has its problems to be sure. But let's be careful of our terminology. Bible believing Baptist people are not trying to take over the world. We do not want the media to proclaim the Good News, we are not asking women to stay and home and we certainly do not want to silence all voices but the Christian one.

We just want to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience.
We want the freedom to use the spoken and written word to persuade others toward our position and
We expect the Lord of Heaven to be glorified shortly


Marvin McKenzie
In the fields

Another Pastor Scandal

The news is out that another pastor is down. This one took his own life, in the church building, with police there, and all of this just prior to Resurrection Sunday.

A few thoughts this morning:
Although he was a Fundamental Baptist, this didn't happen specifically because he was a Fundamental Baptist.
The sin nature exists in us all and snatches people in all groups of people, evangelicals, fundamentalists, Catholics, police departments, fire departments, school officials you name it, sin is in it.

This happens frequently enough among Fundamental Baptists that we should take note and concern.
I am not suggesting we can completely free ourselves from the problem, but we should address the problem. In that light here are a few things to consider:
A. We focus too much on success and not enough on Christ.
Preachers meetings have become all about how to reach numbers and not nearly enough on what is our relationship with Christ
B. We idolize men too easily
Sometimes we idolize self. If we have become successful we view ourselves as above sin
C. We justify lack of spirituality too often
There is no excuse for missing communion with God. Ever.
D. We accept confrontation and correction too seldom
I am reading Ben Franklin's biography right now. In his early years Franklin founded two groups whose sole purpose was to improve each others skills through practice, examination and constructive criticism. One of those groups remained active through his entire life. Preachers ought to form such groups.
E. We fail to take seriously the spiritual battle we have become engaged in.
And we do not pray enough or enlist the prayers of others nearly enough.

May God protect us.

Marvin McKenzie
In the fields

There Are A Lot To My Left

I just ran across an old blog from John Piper entitled, 20 Reasons I Don't Take Potshots at Fundamentalists. I was, of course, interested to see his perspective on Fundamentalism. I was also interested to read anything that would give Fundamentalism a positive spin especially in light of the negative spin of the recent 20/20 program and especially because I an aware that many of the IFBxers are avid followers of Piper.
The twenty reasons given range from the benign
"19. My dad was one." to the relatively sophisticated
"7. They put obedience to Jesus above the approval of man (even though they fall short, like others)."

But here is the one that struck my attention;
"20. Everybody to my left thinks I am one. And there are a lot of people to my left."

I am pretty sure Piper would consider me to be to his right, but I have felt that same sensation of having men on either side of me. Over the years I have had one or two who have left our services because they did not see us as:
• Separated enough
• Conservative enough or
• Politically right enough

But by far what I have witnessed most is that I am too fundamental for a whole lot of people, even Fundamentalists. There are a whole lot of people to my left.

This is not meant to be an excuse to yolk up with people further left of me just because there are people further left of them. But I do think that the point ought to be made that there are a whole lot of people who are so far left of us that we would be just as well off if we stopped worrying about where we are on that line and just went after (attempting to reach and win) the unconverted.

To my readers:

I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.

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Classical Baptist

I friend of mine recently announced that he would self identify as a Classical Baptist rather than an Independent Fundamental Baptist.

Citing a number of reasons; from the excesses of some of the larger and more "excessive" IFB churches, to the effeminate nature of many of today's more common IFB churches.

He claimed for himself the term Classical Baptist in the likes of Benjamin Keach, Adoniram Judson, William Carey and  Charles Spurgeon whose doctrine and practice could hardly be compared to anything Baptists are doing today.

He claimed Classical Baptist in contrast to Reformed Baptist (for reasons I have not yet discovered).
Whose current trend concerns me first because the term reformed links them to Protestantism, which I do not believe true Baptists were ever a part of and secondly because Baptist Churches need no real reformation. Each church does correct its error or divert to the place it is no longer a biblically Baptist church. But those principles, practices and doctrines that make one Baptist need never, yea must never be reformed.

I have long ago determined I did not fit in the Independent Fundamental Baptist mold, though I am all of the above. 

• I am independent in church polity.
• I am fundamental in basic doctrine.
• I am Baptist in conviction

But I am wary of the movements that are identified with the title

Perhaps I too am a Classical Baptist.

The Extreme Between the Extremes

I suppose it is of man to swing on the pendulum of extreme.
Christianity is not without our own.
There is on one side the extreme of Calvinism and on the other the extreme of Arminianism.
There is the extreme of an election that says only those special chosen go to heaven and everyone else goes to hell on one hand and there is the extreme that says God must be too loving to allow anyone to go to hell.

Mega church pastor Rod Bell has caused quite the stir with his new book that addresses his extreme view that God has means of "saving" even those who don't get saved so that hell is not a reality. People have been writing in favor of his teaching with such sentiments as "this is what I always thought but was to afraid to say out loud."
Of course it is what people have thought. Adam and Eve insured we would think differently than God when they obeyed the serpent in the garden. What we think is dangerous. That is why God gave us His Word. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

And then there is the extreme of the doctrinal conservatives with cultural liberty.
The Mark Driscoll and Perry Noble's may be the most dangerous of the apostates because they fain to know a God who is true and awesome and (in the Biblical sense) terrible. They preach him thus. But then they betray their true heart convictions of a man centered religion with their abandonment of separation from worldliness. They profess to know God but their deeds prove otherwise. Their application if Scripture demonstrates the old Garden problem; we believe we can decide what is good and what is evil. God's ways are also higher than ours.

I propose another kind of extreme. I propose we practice the extreme of good old fashioned obedience to the Word of God. I propose we practice the extreme of not attempting to attract the world with our extremes instead, but extremely obey God as He has revealed himself in the Word of God.

Let Him build His church as we seek its purity, not its popularity in this world.

Now that is extreme.

Marvin McKenzie
In the fields

The Fishing Is Still Fine

At the moment of this writing it is my pleasure to host Evangelist Larry Clayton. This is perhaps the fifth or sixth year we have had he and Lois here and it is always such a pleasure.
This year Brother Clayton recounted the story of leading Jack and his wife to the Lord. Jack was a successful businessman and a recipient of the Korean Medal of Honor. But when Brother Clayton instructed he and his wife to kneel there at their couch and trust the Lord, their lives were forever changed.

Brother Clayton said he explained to Jack that he was not going to be in town much longer so he had to dump the whole load on him right then. Jack told him to go ahead and pile it on. Brother Clayton told him about

• baptism
• church membership
• faithfulness and
• service

He told him about

• prayer and
• Bible study and
• tithing

He gave him a whole discipleship program in one night.

Months later Brother Clayton spoke to Jack who said, "I've been doing just what you told me to do preacher."
A few years later he quit his successful career and went to Bible College. He and his son were students at the same time.
Jack served on Brother Clayton's revival teams for two years and went on to pastor a church on the East Coast until Alzheimer's took his mind. (Jack's wife one time confided to Brother Clayton that she was just about to divorce Jack that day the preacher came and led them to know Christ.)

And then Brother Clayton looked me in the eyes and said, "It doesn't seem like we catch that big of fish much any more."

Times have changed even in the world of fishing. Fishermen just don't catch as big of fish as they once did. In some cases the big fish they once caught no longer exist. A friend who has worked for the fish hatchery service in Oregon once told me that the species of Salmon from the Columbia River that could weigh 100-150 pounds no longer exists. It is not merely that salmon are being caught before they can reach that size but that the species of salmon that grew to such great sizes has been eliminated; fished into extinction. Tales of catching those fish are left to fewer and fewer people who are still alive to tell the stories. Mind you, it is not that there are no fish to catch today. They are just not those fish.

I went out to eat with Brother Clayton and Pastor Benjamin Park, from Korea tonight. Brother Clayton told us stories of preaching in Korea in the 60's and 70's when nine thousand factory workers would come stand in the fields and listen  to him preach. Scores of professions of faith in Christ were made and churches were planted almost daily in those days. Pastor Park mused almost under his breath, "I wish we could see those days again, but I am afraid they are over." To which Brother Clayton replied, "It is a different kind of work now, but no less important."

In other words, the fishing is still fine, even though it is a different sort of fish we catch.

Marvin McKenzie
From the field

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For more than 3700 Daily Visits with God visit Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.

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