I Am Still

God said, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Psalms 46:10 (KJV)

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Don’t be upset. I know what I am doing. I am simply playing with a word. Allow me to play and, perhaps, as you would watching a child at play, enjoy it.

God said, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

I am still.

Because I know Him to be God, I am still.

I am still a believer in Jesus Christ.

The years of worldly wisdom, exposure to disappointments, and even some disillusionments have not soured my faith in Christ. I came to trust Him as my Saviour at the age of 18. Since that day, I surrendered to preach the gospel, got married, raised my children. My wife and I have forty years of marriage. We’ve seen heartache and hurts. But Jesus has not failed us. I am still a believer in Jesus Christ.

I am still the same kind of Baptist I was when I was baptized.

I was baptized into the membership of an independent fundamental, Bible-believing Baptist Church. I am still a member of the same type of church to this very day. I went off to Bible College. I have served in four churches since then. I am still the same kind of Baptist I was when I was baptized.

I still have the same kind of personal separation.

I still listen to the same type of music. I still wear the same type of clothing. I still read and study a King James Version of the Bible.  I still believe in living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. And I still believe those things are defined as I was taught when I began my Christian walk. I still have the same kind of personal separation.

I still hold the same doctrinal Baptist distinctions.

The Lord exposed me to enough types of denominational doctrine that I knew all that was taught in the name of Jesus was not of the Lord. By the time I had found my way into an Independent Fundamental Baptist church, I had been exposed to the Presbyterian church, the Christian Church, the Southern Baptist denomination, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the Nazarene Church. I didn’t buy into the Baptist doctrine without some investigation, but when I did buy into it, I bought it lock, stock and barrel. I still hold to the preservation of Jesus’ Church through John the Baptist. I still hold that the only authority to baptize is in a Baptist Church. I still hold that the Lord’s Supper is for the local body alone. I still hold to Biblical authority, autonomy of the local church, priesthood of the believers, two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Supper, individual soul liberty, saved, baptized church membership, two offices: pastor and deacon and separation of church and state. I still hold the same doctrinal Baptist distinctions.

God said, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

I am still.

Because I know Him to be God, I am still.

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields

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

Knowledge, Academics and Leadership

I listened to a man today make the statement that we have plenty of knowledge in the pastorate today, but we have a dearth of leadership. The statement makes some sense when a person realizes where this, now pastor, comes from. The man has no formal Bible training but does have an extensive and successful background in fast food restaurant management. Having managed a large number of McDonalds restaurants as well as Cinnabon stores, both throughout the United States and internationally - he considers himself a successful leader. Having witnessed many years of church planting conferences and hearing the stories of men who more or less thought of themselves as a failure in the ministry, this man, a leader in the corporate world, concluded that their failure was due to a lack of corporate leadership skills. These skills he now believes he can and should pass down to future independent Baptist pastors.

First, I do not fault his passion for both reaching lost people and helping preachers do well. It is heartbreaking at times to hear men express their desperation for the resources to care for themselves and their families as they attempt to serve the Lord. How can we ever give enough money to fully alleviate the needs of so many families do without so much?

Secondly, I recognize that some of my dispute with this manager/pastor could be labelled by some as mere semantics. I certainly do not discount the necessity of leadership in the ministry and I would be the first to decry to idolatry of academia in the pulpit. We are on the same page Brother!

However, I contend that there is more than semantics at work here; there is a rudimentary difference in the philosophy of ministry:

• The one making the ministry a mere product of man.
• The other recognizing that the ministry is about the calling and gifting of God

If all the pastorate needs is to learn how to manage a McDonalds in order to be a successful pastor, is the church a work of God or a mere marketing outlet? What is the difference between the philosophy so criticized in independent Baptist circles, of Bill Hybels' seeker friendly churches and this pastor’s “have it led way” Baptist churches?

I agree; we don’t really need more academics. Whether a preacher can define homiletics and hermeneutics is irrelevant. But knowledge, true wisdom, is an entirely different matter altogether. 2 Peter 3:18 KJV does say,

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
This knowledge is different than academics. This is the intimate knowledge of God. It is developed not through leadership but through true theology, the study of and the getting to know our God. 

We have helped no one if all we have done is assemble a congregation and make them feel well cared for and like they fit in to the community of the church (and I suggest that is a reasonable definition of the function of leadership). No sir! The preacher’s job; the pastor’s duty, is to lead the flock of God to still waters and green pastures where they may be satisfied in Christ. No shepherd can do that unless he knows where those green pastures and pools of fresh water are found and he cannot know that unless he has, himself, been refreshed there.

  

The Destructive Catch in the Church

There is a destructive catch that occurs in most churches. On the one hand, the members of a church need their pastor to give them quality, substantive, "meaty" messages. The majority of the members would acknowledge that to be the case. On the other hand these same church members also wish their pastor to be a physical and material support for them.

• They want him to listen to their problems
• They want him to encourage their children
• They want him to attend their functions
• They want him to be there for them to lean upon

This is where the catch arises. The same man is not capable of doing both duties. If he performs the "pastoral care" function to the best of his abilities, he will certainly lessen the quality of his pulpit work. This lesser pulpit work will render the congregation that much more needy if his "pastoral care". But if he focuses on the pulpit work the congregation is likely to respond by either moving to a more pastoral church or else they will be critical of their pastor and refuse him the impact in their lives he ought to have.

Some churches have overcome this destructive catch by assigning a pulpit pastor and a pastoral staff for the personal ministries. The Bible's answer is the office of the deacon. While the preacher dedicates himself to prayer and the ministry of the Word, the deacons serve for the support and, if I may, "pastoral care" functions of the ministry.

But this is a difficult stage for a church to attain. The congregation often sees this care ministry as such a prime feature of the pastor that they expect his presence and participation even with a fully functioning deacon ministry. Further, those chosen as deacons are often not compelled toward or gifted in the ministry of care as they ought to be. The result is a crippled church longing to be effective but having created its own hobbles to prevent it.

Marvin McKenzie

In the field

Missionary Machinery

Everything degenerates with age. Even cheese, which is said to improve over time, can age too much. I wonder if the modern practice of missionary support has also degenerated? With the current ease of travel missionaries are able to canvass almost the entire country as they seek those funds needed to get to the field. And with the current economic circumstances in America, those same missionaries often find it needful to cover the whole country and then some to raise the support so vital to life on a foreign field.

Missionaries are often forced into accepting support from churches they are not in doctrinal agreement with (perhaps over the ordinances, the local church, or some philosophy of ministry) and find themselves quietly holding to themselves a conviction of conscience for the sake of the dollars needed for regular support. This quiet compromise may be at the root of the problem of so many missionaries having a surface relationship to practically no relationship with those churches that support them; too close of contact could potentially expose that there are real differences between the missionary and the churches supporting him.

This tension then leads to what I am calling a "missionary machine" mentality. Missionaries travel quickly from one church to the next. They keep their kids away from church kids. They attend one service in a church (either supporting or potentially supporting) and rush off after a quick meal to make the next church within driving distance. In their minds this makes perfect sense. After all, churches need missionaries to obey the Great Commission, missionaries need lots of churches to get to their field and close relationships with local churches will just keep them busy longer doing what they don't really want to do anyway.

• It's a machine
• It's a business
• It's nothing personal
• It's not scriptural and
• It’s not healthy

Our missionaries need to be more loyal to those churches that support them. They need to become personally involved with them. It will require more of an emotional investment on the part both parties but it is the only way we can get missions support back where it belongs; a ministry rather than a machine.

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields

Separation, the Key to Unity

Separation is a dirty word in almost every Christian circle today. Christians have mistaken a few important passages of the Bible to mean that believers of all sorts and stripes should ignore our differences get along in unity. They would accuse separation as the culprit leading the world to despise the faith. They would urge us to tear down the doctrinal walls and get along for the sake of Christ.

I beg to differ.

I would argue that separation is, in fact, the key to the testimony of Christian unity in the world. To deny our differences and force ourselves together is tantamount to forcing two electrons together. All that can happen is a clash. They each have their place, but it is not together.
To recognize the nature of each element empowers us to use those elements for good purposes. To attempt to force them where they do not belong is a mistake of nuclear proportions.

So it is, I would argue, within the world of Christianity. As a Baptist I am thoroughly convinced that each man has a right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience (and accept the consequences if he is in error). The last thing I would ever want to do is attempt to force someone to believe something they do not believe or worship in a manner that is contrary to their own understanding. On the other hand, I would be loathe to allow someone to interfere with my own understanding of worship and faith. I allow for the reasonable exchange of ideas, even when it comes to ideas of faith and worship. I may find my own faith sharpened by the challenge of another who has studied well their position, but has come to a different view than my own – so long as neither of us is bound in some way to agreement. Our very separation allows for a free exchange of ideas. The problem arises when we are bound together through some artificial means where one or the other or perhaps neither of us is free to express our faith and worship before the Lord without in some way offending the other party. Separation liberates us to worship the Lord according to the dictates of our own conscience without violating the conscience of the other.

The confused mess we find in Christianity today is, to a large degree, the consequence of ignoring the principles of separation. We have young couples ignoring these principles in their quest for a lifelong spouse. Believing they are free to do so, they marry someone of another faith, or else no faith at all. But this union must result in either conflict or violation of conscience. We see Protestants whose doctrinal perspectives are Calvinist yoking with a church whose tradition is Arminian. The argument is that the doctrines are insignificant compared to the relationships in the church. But someone has compromised their doctrine or else such a relationship cannot exist. Either the one joining has submitted his own theology or else the church has compromised theirs.

The same compromise of separation is happening within Independent Baptist circles. Because of the influence of Fundamentalism (which was a Protestant movement that Baptists got caught up in)

• We have some Independent Baptists that are decidedly Calvinistic (they would probably prefer the term “reformed”).
• We have some Independent Baptists that are quite Arminian (I refer to them as immersing Methodists. They have patterned themselves after the Fundamental Methodist Evangelist, Bob Jones).
• We have some Independent Baptists who try to avoid those Protestant influences and follow the Baptist conviction of Biblicism.

While most Independent Baptists claim to believe in the principle of the local church, we have, within the broad spectrum of Independent Baptists, various views of the local church:

• Some will acknowledge they also believe in a universal church
• Some believe in the local church, but see it as imperfect and therefore not authoritative
• Some see the local church as the only vehicle God uses
• Some see larger local churches as having obvious authority over smaller ones
• Some see the local church, regardless of size, as the pillar and ground of truth

The problem is we have come to think of all these persuasions as belonging to the same school of thought.

• We have preaching conferences and fellowships attended by men of any one of these persuasions.
• We send students off to Independent Baptist Colleges without regard to the particular persuasion of that school in comparison (or contrast) to our own.
• We entertain missionaries for church support regardless of which persuasion they may hold.

This arrangement breeds conflict. Someone must either submit their own conscience to that of another or stand for their conscience (and appear to be a belligerent) in someone else’s domain.

The answer is not, can not, must not be to ignore the differences. Unity at the price of conscience is not a fair trade. No. The answer is simply to

• Acknowledge the differences,
• Respect the differences and in Christian charity
• Separate because of the differences

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields

Baptist Heritage May Not Be What You Think

 One of my first experiences in church, once I became an adult was an issue over Baptist heritage. My friend, the man who brought me to a Baptist Church the first time, had loaned me a book by John R. Rice. Rice wasn't a strong Baptist though he was a strong Fundamentalist and thus accepted by the better part of those Fundamental Baptists I was aware of. Rice's book seemed to cast doubt on local church authority which led me to speak to my pastor. After a conversation with him, and reading The Trail of Blood, I became interested in Christian heritage and Baptist heritage in particular.

One of those lessons I learned is that Baptists don't agree on Baptist heritage.

• There are those who believe squarely that Baptists had their beginnings with John Smythe in England in the early 1600's and 
• There are those who believe (as did the author of the trail of Blood) that Baptists trace their roots through Anabaptists to John the Baptist

The two camps tend completely deny the veracity of the other's view. In truth there is some veracity to both schools of thought.

• It is undeniable that some Baptist congregations had their beginning with Smythe but 
• It is equally undeniable that others can trace their roots much further back. It is not an either or situation but a both situation

And herein lies one great rub amongst those who claim the broader title of  Baptists. We keep trying to tie our lineages together when in fact we are two separate systems of spiritual faith as diverse as  Methodists would have been to Presbyterians a century ago. These two schools, even if each claims to be fundamentalist, are unique, diverse, and in very many respects, incompatible.

Notice that I did not say un-christian. I am not advocating that we oppose one another but only that we acknowledge that we are not the same. The distinctives between us are, I believe, important enough to demand that we remain separated lest those distinctives be lost altogether.

• There are distinctives in the ordinances
• There are distinctives in heritage
• There are distinctives in doctrine 
• There are distinctives in emphasis

The melding of our respective camps, whether it be out of a desire to present unity in the world or a misunderstanding of our relationship given we claim the same name, has only served to create

• Confusion among the outside world
• Division within the Baptist community and 
• Compromise of important doctrines

I am thankful for those Baptists who, while being charitable, have begun to call Baptists to separate and identify their family of faith within the broader camp called Baptists.

Marvin McKenzie
In the fields

The Gold's Up Higher

Psalms 119:127 KJV

Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.

Our recent family vacation was spent in Winthrop, WA and the Methow Valley, the heart of Washington gold country. Even now hobbyists and more serious prospectors are bringing gold out of "them thar hills!"

Thanks to Bohannan, my oldest son, we got a small taste of gold prospecting while we were there. Placer gold is that which is scattered down a river stream by the current of the water. It's recovered either by panning or dredging the gold river's bottom and running it through a sluice to sift out the gold from other sediment.

Here's the applicable part for us; since the gold is scattered down the river through the current it stands to reason that the farther you get from the source, the smaller will be the pieces of gold. There are huge amounts of gold all the way down to the ocean, but it's so fine it is almost impossible to sift out. If you want the bigger pieces, you have to go up river, high into the mountains where the nuggets that are too heavy to be carried away in the current are deposited.

Of course, the higher in the mountains a person is, the greater are the hardships of being there.

The same is true in the spiritual life. The greatest treasures of Christianity can only be gleaned by being very close to the Lord. The problem is, it's a challenge to get there and once there you'll find that the world will bring hardships upon you.

Paul said any sufferings he endured in those higher elevations of the spiritual life could not be compared to the glory which would be revealed in him in heaven.

The gold that's available from a close walk with God is obvious worth the hardships of that spiritual life.

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields

Compromise Is Always Loss

I admit it; I have been a "gadget junky" ever since 1992, when I got my first computer. It wasn't that long after I got my first cell phone and, Brother, I was hooked. I resist buying the latest and greatest, and I avoid updating software like the plague. But still, I enjoy the gadgets and many times have found them to be helpful to my ministry. I had a PDA early on in their history and remember telling my wife not would be wonderful if the engineers would design and cell phone/PDA in one gadget. When the smart phone came out I was early on the bandwagon. And I learned very early that those smartphones could be used for other things, like reading books. In the early days I found books posted on a website and read them right off the Site. Not long after my phone had the capability to read books in pdf format. Very shortly thereafter my phone was capable of reading almost any electronic book. And I used it for that.

It was a natural then, for me to become interested in the electronic readers like Kindle and Ipad. The first Kindle I purchased was actually a gift for my oldest son. At the time I bought the second one for my second born son, I was still reading with my smartphone. Two more e-readers and my wife and one daughter in law were equipped. Me? Still using my phone. Then it was my turn. I purchased an Ipad which I have thoroughly enjoyed. But there have been new gadgets to explore. I watched the gadget world after the Kindle Fire came out until I was able to buy a refurbished one for a discounted price. It has become my typical nightstand reader, replacing first my phone and then my Ipad.

I now find myself packing not one but three electronic gadgets. My problem is that each of the three does something so much better than the other two that, to give up any one of the three would mean to compromise some functionality.

My smartphone does the most.

Frankly, it comes the closest to being the go to gadget of the three. If I could only have one it would be the phone. But it is just too small for Web research and reading for an extended period.

The Ipad is a good research tool.

However it has no phone capability and it would be a catastrophe to give it that function. Also it's virtual keyboard is clumsy to me. It's just a little too big for regular use. I much prefer the thumbs only virtual keyboard on my phone. The Ipad is also large enough that it becomes uncomfortable to read with it for any length of time.

My Kindle Fire is an ideal reader.

I do not like it as a Web research tool, I hate its virtual keyboard, but for reading books, especially in Kindle's proprietary format, it is hands down the machine I like to grab.

To do without any one of them would be to compromise.

Here is the problem; compromise in its basest form, is always a loss. I know our government glories in the art of compromise but compromise means something is always lost. Washington sacrifices pork spending to pass a bill that one side of the house believes is essential. In order to get the legislative, executive and judicial branches to cooperate, many times the thing they cooperate on has been so watered down with compromise that it is in effect, ineffective. Compromise always means loss.

And when that compromise happens with eternal things the loss is very often of eternal consequence. God's Word gives us no room for compromise.

• We are either saved God's way or we are hell bound
• We are either at peace with God or we are at enmity
• We are either preaching truth or we are preaching heresy
• We are either walking with the Lord or we are apostate

There is no reasonable compromise between the gospel of works and the gospel of grace. The only option the Bible believer has is to contend for the truth as he sees it in the Word of God. He may stand alone. His might be few in number. But to compromise to gain a larger following or more acceptance among the religious crowds is to suffer loss of doctrinal integrity.

Compromise always means loss.

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields

Jailhouse Christianity

Our church has a reader sign in front of the very busy road we are located on. Having appropriate and insightful and very concise (less the 140 character) messages on the sign can sometimes be challenging.

• Generally we get positive feedback
• From time to time it has been quite negative
• Sometimes we what we displayed didn't mean to passers by what we thought it meant to us

So I am sensitive concerning others and the messages they display. This then is not meant to be a criticism but a matter of thought.

The message I on another church's sign today reads, "Children brought up in church are seldom caught in jail."

First, there is some question as to the accuracy of the statement
The word seldom may be the saving statement of the message. Perhaps it is true that per capita church kids end up in jail less than kids who have not grown up in church. But I have met plenty of adults who grew up in church, some in fundamental Baptist churches, who have done time; hard time. My friends involved prison ministry have testified that lots of church kids and even preachers kids are locked up right now. So the message is cute and hopeful but might not be true.

More seriously though, I question the point of the statement
And would go so far as to say it is dangerous. It is the wrong message. It makes the church out to be the hope of the family, the hope of our children and the rescuer of the potential inmate. The church is not the hope; Christ is.

This is tantamount to being a false gospel. It is probably what most people who attend church think is the gospel and it is damning families to heartbreak when their kids go bad, bitterness at the church, and eternity in hell. They placed their hope in church, not in Jesus Christ.

Church is terribly important. I would suggest that the professing Christian who sees no need for church membership, worship and service has never met Christ as Saviour. But church is not the Saviour. Sometimes a person glosses over the Saviour, to get into the church where they have been led to believe their help lies. They assume salvation and then commence into church life expecting to have all their problems resolved there. That's backwards. We must become in love and engrossed in the things of God. That is the most likely way our kids will come to be saved and learn to love the Lord themselves.

A Better Christian Than Me?

I cannot tell how many times I have heard a Christian esteem another and judge themselves with a term similar to this, "He is a better Christian than me."

Such a judgment has sometimes led to one being motivated to grow in the cause of Christ. As often and perhaps more often it leads to compromise or other weaker spiritual traits. Who is to say that they are a better Christian? By what criteria do we make such a judgment? Is one a better Christian because
• They win more people to the Lord?
• They spend more time in the Bible?
• They are less likely to display tendencies of the flesh?

After all I have heard some Christians claim that Mormons are better Christians than they are. Mormons are not Christians at all!

And then when did we get Biblical authority to judge one a better Christian than another? The Bible says 2 Corinthians 10:12 KJV
For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

It is never safe to compare ourselves among ourselves but would do best to keep our eyes upon the Lord. He is the measure by which we want to place ourselves.

I tend to think that the comparing of our Christianity with that of another person is based rather on our own sense of failure in the Christian life. Which one of us feels like we
• Pray enough?
• Witness enough?
• Know our Bibles well enough?
The most telling though is this, who is it who believes His relationship with Christ is essential and real enough?

We all wrestle with the flesh and we know it. We know it well enough that we certainly want to avoid letting others know it. And here is the thing: that guy who is a better Christian than we are; he's got the same tension inside him we do.

He probably thinks we are better Christians than he is.

Marvin McKenzie
In the field

What Is An Independent Baptist Church?

I thought I would submit today an article I wrote originally to be used as an informational tract for those visiting our church.

---------------------------
Are you confused about all of the different churches in your community? Do you wonder what the difference is between each of the denominations?

You are not alone! Jesus warned that there would come a time when there would be so many different religions claiming to be the true faith of Jesus Christ that, if it were possible they would deceive even the very elect of God. (Mattew 24:24)

Many today feel that the church should be a place where no real distinction is made, only that we all love Jesus. But is this really of God?

The position of independent Baptist Churches like this one is simple and three-fold.
Independent Baptist Churches believe in the preservation of the soul.
Our contention is that the Bible teaches very clearly that when a person is genuinely saved, they cannot lose that salvation. Our conviction is based upon the person of Jesus Christ. If He is all that the Bible claims Him to be, then how could He possibly preside over a salvation that is as fickle as is mankind? The Bible says we are saved, not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to His mercy. (Titus 3:5) His mercy brought Jesus to the cross for us while we were yet sinners. (Romans 5:8) That same mercy will not fail to keep us saved after we have trusted Christ.

Independent Baptist Churches believe in the preservation of the Bible.
How could Almighty God have gone through the effort to give us a perfect Bible, only to allow sinful men to pervert it and twist it? It is not consistent with the power of God that He would allow the Bible to be so corrupted by men as to necessitate the work of scholars to improve upon its accuracy. God has promised repeatedly in the Bible to preserve His word without error. (Ps 12:7) Baptist Churches like this one believe that God has kept His promise and that He has done it through the King James Version of the Bible.

Independent Baptist Churches believe in the preservation of the church.
Jesus said He would build His church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18) That church, as far as the Bible declares, is always a local congregation of believers.

Historically, there are those churches that strayed from the faith once delivered unto the saints. (Jude 1:3) Those churches had to be protested against and reformed. Today they take the form of the Catholic Church and all of her children, the Protestant denominations.

Independent Baptist Churches follow a different line than those. We follow a line of churches that refused to unite with the catholic system from its very beginning and that have tenaciously striven to keep the faith committed by Jesus to His apostles.

When you attend an independent Baptist Church, you are participating in a form of worship

• That leans only on the Word of God for its authority,
• That believes strictly that we are saved and by the grace of God and not of our good works, and
• That claims a heritage of unwavering allegiance to the doctrines once committed to the saints.

Marvin McKenzie
In the fields