FC Interviews Greg Locke, Former Evangelist, Pastor, And Young Fundamentalist

From Jason Skipper:

JS:  Tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? How did you grow up? Did you grow up in a Christian home? When did you come to trust Christ?

GL;  I was born in the same area in which I now pastor.  I had heard the Gospel many times as a child, but refused to trust Christ.  I was heavy into the world of Rap music for most of my early teens.  I was expelled from the local high school, on probation five times and was eventually sent to a children’s home 40 miles away.  I was almost 16 at this point.  It was at the home that I trusted Christ at a youth revival meeting.  For a much more detailed account, you can listen to my “Unshackled” story.  http://www.unshackled.org/listen_03.html  (#2735)

JS:  How old are you at present?

GL:  I am 33.  My wife Melissa and I have been married for 13 years and we have three boys: Hudson-Taylor, Evan Roberts and Malachi Gregory

JS:  Tell us of your post-conversion years. Did you not spend time as an evangelist?

GL:  I lived at the children’s home for four years.  I then went to Ambassador Baptist College in North Carolina.  The Lord was very gracious to us as a young couple and we were able to launch into evangelism and travelled extensively for 10 years.  We held meetings in 43 states and 15 foreign countries.  Three years into my travels I also completed a masters Degree in “Revival History” from the Baptist Theological School of New England.

JS:  What moved you to come off of the road and pastor a church?

GL:  There are several factors that make up our transition a little over three years ago.  First and foremost was my continual burden for a solid, Bible preaching church in my hometown of Mount Juliet, TN.  Several years before we started Global Vision, I helped a young man plant a church about 15 miles away.  We were able to help a great deal financially from our book royalties.  I thought that this would relieve my burden.  However, it turns out that it only intensified it.  Another factor was my growing weariness with the stereotypical idea of the modern day evangelist.  While I do believe that God has gifted some men with the ability to handle travelling and hold multiple meetings; the Lord brought me to a place of absolute boredom with it.  We had averaged 700 services a year for many years.  Amazing doors were opened to us, but I was tired of seeing lives touched and then leaving those people behind.  I longed for a more close knit personal relationship with people.  I wanted to be a part of their spiritual progress and growth.  I have many friends in evangelism to this day, and I thank God for them.  But I was restless over the “seven suits and seven sermons” idea.  My heart was bursting at the seams to preach expositionally through whole books of the Bible.  I wanted to get involved in people’s lives.  If I might speak so boldly, I think we have over travelled the “evangelist” when in fact he is a New Testament church planter.

JS:  How do you enjoy being a church pastor?

GL:  Words could not describe the joy I have experienced in pastoring GVBC.  Indeed it has been more difficult than originally expected, but I thank God for the honor.  In my mind there is no comparison between evangelism and the pastorate.  Although I still get out a few times to preach through the months, I feel like my preaching has more of a platform.  It didn’t take very long at all for the Lord to flip the switch in my heart.  I will have to say that the transition took longer for my wife than myself.  I have received numerous opportunities to pastor elsewhere.  But I so dearly love the people of Global Vision Baptist Church. We have just crossed the 3 year mark and we are all growing together.

JS:  What is your greatest concern for the people that you pastor?

GL:  I never want them to get caught up in religious politics.  Our church is in no one group or camp, and by the grace of God it is going to stay that way.  We need no other approval other than the New Testament.

JS:  Looking back over your ministry, can you define any significant shifts in your thinking as regards fundamentalism? Are you a historic fundamentalist, a cultural fundamentalist, or do you define yourself in some other manner?

GL:  Wow, that’s a huge question.  I am certainly a historical fundamentalist.  I do believe however that the term has been greatly abused and misrepresented.  I find it distasteful that so many have the idea that their standards, preferences and traditions are to be engraved as “fundamentals” of the faith.  Our church stands uncompromisingly on the authority of God’s Word.  We let folks know right up front where we stand on Biblical doctrines.  It was a glorious day in my ministry when I realized I can be a fundamental Bible believer and not be a jerk about it!  I call it being bold without being belligerent.  I would have to say that I have changed my thinking in a number of areas.  All of us are products of our training.  We all, at some time or another, repeat things we have heard others say.  I used to say a lot of “Amen” statements because of the crowd I was with.  As a Pastor now, I would not have had myself in for a revival in my younger years.  Not because I was a heretic, but because I wasn’t gracious enough.  I have found that fighting over women in pants, going to movies, Southern Baptists, Billy Graham, 1611, BJU vs. PCC, ect is nothing more than a huge waste of everyone’s time.  I heard a message the other day that I had preached years ago and I made a few critical statements about screens on the wall in church.  Well, we have two and we use them in every service.  I think far too often our POSITION is right but our DISPOSITION is horridly wrong.  In a nutshell:  God has had to break me so I could learn to work with broken people.

JS:  What do you anticipate in the future for your ministry? For fundamentalism?

GL:  As far as GVBC is concerned, the Lord is doing great wonders in our midst.  We are still a very young church.  We have very little transfer growth.  We have mostly new converts and unchurched folks.  We don’t yet have our own building and we are currently in our 15th location.  We started with a handful and through much trial and error, we have grown to about 130 people.  I really sense God at work in our midst.  My heart is here and I pray that God will allow me to be faithful for many more years to come.

Now for Fundamentalism…..I’m not a prophet, but the “movement” needs a major revival.  Several new church planters have gone with the word “vintage.”  I like that tag a bit better.  The word these days has truly become an “f” word gives off a weird picture of a guy with a towel on his head or a Jim Jones group or even some ridiculous excuse for a Baptist church that has a non KJV Bible burning as a publicity stunt.  I am a fundamentalist in the doctrine in which I believe and in the stand that I take.  But I am in no one’s mold and will not be manipulated by the self appointed “popes” of the Independent Baptist movement.  I fear that the fundamental movement that we have known is afraid of the culture, and therefore is rapidly becoming a nice sermon illustration of “the good ole days.”

From Will Dudding:

WD:  From your experience in traveling around the country, what is your opinion of the current state of fundamentalism?

GL:  Because of my previous response to “Fundamentalism”, let me just say that:  It was a day of great liberation when I learned that God is able to use people whom I disagree with.  I think we have thrown a lot of godly people “under the bus” and we need to wake up and see that God is bigger than our little fundy-bubble world.

WD:  Do you see any signs of a major move of the younger generation of fundamentalists to a more biblical approach to ministry (IE: expository preaching, commitment to theology, true evangelism and not easy believe-ism, focus on making disciples, graciousness in fellowship and separation, etc…)? Or is this found only a in few isolated incidents like us?

GL:  That is a great question and the answer is a resounding, YES!  I believe that guys are beginning to see the major importance for life change in expository preaching.  For me, it has been the redirection of my entire ministry.  I also think that many are beginning to understand the importance of relationship evangelism and not just screen door foolishness.  The newspaper can quote all the numbers they want about salvations; I want to know whose lives are changing.  Discipleship has been embarrassingly overlooked and it seems that now many pastors are finding the right balance.  Sad to say that some young men have been treated like trash and have “thrown the baby out with the bath water” so to speak.  I know of dozens of men that have gone way out into left field of liberalism.  I certainly do not believe there is wisdom in that, but I do have a better understanding of why they leave.  Our movement has been marked by ego, harshness, secondary separation and flat out meanness all in the name of being filled with the Spirit.  In my travels I would say that across the board, my generation is seeing God do amazing things as we find who God made us to be and refuse to be crammed into the mold of an Alumni status.

WD:  When  someone says Independent Fundamental Baptist, what do you want to come to people’s minds? In other words, what should be the hallmarks that identify us?

GL:  I tell folks that indeed we are an Independent, Fundamental Baptist Church.  But the difference is simple: I didn’t start a church so that Independent, Fundamental Baptists would show up.  We are reaching brand new folks for Christ.  I’m not interested in another churches sheep.  I want to reach the lowest of the low and train them in the unchanging doctrines of God’s Word.  As far as the movement is concerned, I can’t make a identifiable assessment.  But in regards to Global Vision Baptist Church, we are known and want to continue to be known for 3 very simple things.

POWERFUL PREACHING

EXTRAVAGANT GENEROSITY

RADICAL COMPASSION

In conclusion I would like to say to those young men in fundamental circles considering the ministry…..  I can think of no higher calling than that of a New Testament Pastor.  I would strongly encourage you to press forward with the burden that God has placed within your heart.  Don’t let anyone rob you of your calling.  To stand before people and declare “Thus saith the LORD” is an honor that we are unworthy of.  We must take seriously the responsibility to be , as Spurrgeon said, ‘ a mouthpiece for deity.”  It is not about our personalities or giftedness.  The ministry is not about our education or the lack thereof.  It is all about the glory of God.  We must point men to HIM, and be through at once with man worship.  You are to be the unique person that God has designed you to be.  You get one shot at this fleeting life, so quit making excuses and jump head long into the work of reaching people for Christ.  I’m not much of anything, but if I can ever lend a helping hand or serve you in any way, do not hesitate to call our office at 615-613-2385.  May God bless you as your storm the gates of hell and show forth the majesty of Christ.

No Compromise On The Gospel

It seems that the Manhattan Declaration has somewhat in common with extreme fundamentalism.  Both obscure the gospel through moralism.  God and country seem to be getting much attention these days.  Sadly, though that is a good thing, God gets the short end of the stick so-to-speak.  The gospel gets muddled so that those who believe in justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone and those who believe in a sacrament or works based justification are all considered Christians.

While most fundamentalists would not do that, they do spend far too much time trying to change people from the outside in, rather than plainly proclaiming the gospel as God’s saving power that will change people from the inside out.

With this in mind, I decided to post this exposition of Galatians 1:1-10.

Here at Fundamentally Changed, we love Christian morality.  We love the USA.

More than that, we love the gospel, and will not compromise it for any of the other.

No Compromise

Gal 1:1-10

Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Gal 1:1-5)

Wasting no time, Paul identifies himself. His identification, however, is more than just a name. He is not Paul, but an apostle as well. Neither is he an apostle of men, but an apostle of Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead. In other words, Paul is stressing to the people that he was both called and sent of the Father and the Son. He was neither chosen by the vote of any assembly, nor sent by any man. Usually when one speaks in this manner the hearers should beware, because abusive leaders are characteristically quick to assert their authority while humble leaders are slow to do so. Authority is easily and quickly abused. Paul, however, is not of the sort to do so. In fact, Paul is somewhat reluctant and cautious when asserting his authority. This is evident in his letter to the Corinthians (2Cor 11:30;12:11). Paul would rather rejoice in having been made weak rather than in the fact that God had honored him with the gift and office of the apostolate. It is indeed true that Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ and the Father who sent Jesus. Luke’s account of Paul’s conversion confirms that truth (See Acts 9:1-22).¹

Why does Paul speak of himself in this manner? When one considers the epistle to the Galatians as a whole it is seen that Paul had preached the gospel to them and they had believed it. Sadly, there were those who corrupted the gospel and misled the people. While doing so, it seems that Paul’s authority, calling, commission, and status as an apostle was called into question. Some have come saying that angels had given them another gospel (See Gal 1:8,9), and others probably had asserted that they had more authority and knowledge than Paul, as they were from Jerusalem and were associated with the Jerusalem church.² Reluctant though he might have been, Paul was forced to present his credentials and explain his authority for the sake of the gospel.

Paul uses his normal greeting by expressing his desire that his readers receive grace and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. It is necessary that we notice Paul’s stating that grace is not from the Father alone, but from Jesus Christ who is our Lord.³ He continues his greeting while laying a foundation for the whole of the letter by stating that grace and peace comes through the redemptive work of Jesus who died for our sins, and to deliver us from this present evil age. He makes a similar statement to Titus telling him that Jesus “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Tit 2:14) Paul mentions Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection here both to show us that we receive grace and peace through Him as well as to establish from the beginning his own confidence that we are set free from sin by God through Christ’s redemptive work. This is a corrective to the legalism that was prevalent in the Galatian churches. We can only stand in awe of such inspired wisdom that enables a man to write an introduction that both wishes his readers well and establishes such a strong and firm theological foundation for his letter.

Paul states that the redemptive work of Christ was according to God’s will. This, too is a statement calculated to help the Galatians see that God’s way of salvation is through Jesus alone, and not through the works of the law. God planned for Jesus to come and die for our sins. Jesus Himself said as much when he said, “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.” (Jn 12:27) Peter would later speak of Jesus’ life, ministry, and redemptive work as being God’s plan (See Acts 2:22-24;4:27,28).⁴ Paul is serious about expressing to the Galatians the fact that Jesus is God’s ordained way of salvation. If he can establish this truth from the beginning, he will be able to build on it for the purpose of destroying legalism.

While the final part of Paul’s greeting may seem to be simply an expression of praise, it is actually much, much more than that. While he says, “to whom be glory for ever and ever”, Paul is not only praising God, but also stating God’s plan and purpose in sending Christ to die and rise again for our redemption. God’s goal in all that He does is for His glory. In the letter to the Romans, Paul expresses awe and adoration when contemplating God’s glorious plan, saying, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Rom 11:33-36) Everything was made by God for Himself and for His glory.⁵

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. ⁹ As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. (Gal 1:6-10)

Without further ado Paul plunges into his message to the Galatians. Normally, Paul gives thanks for the ones to whom he writes. He does this even for the carnal Corinthians (See 1Cor 1:4-9). There are no thanks, however, for the Galatians. Neither does Paul commend them for any good in the lives. Instead, Paul immediately says, “I am SHOCKED at you!”

Shocked? Indeed. The Galatians had removed themselves from God the Father, the One who had called them into the grace of Christ.⁶ They had fallen away from the Father. Thinking to have improved themselves, they had actually deserted God. How is it that they had deserted the Father? The Father had called them into the grace of Christ, but they have now abandoned the truth of grace for a legalistic self-righteousness. They had traded gospels.

Paul’s complaint against the Galatians is that they had left the Father for another gospel- message of glad tidings.⁷ That message, however, was not gospel. There was simply no good news to be found it that message. As a matter of fact, it was only a perversion of the true gospel. The true gospel is about Christ, but this gospel is about self effort instead of Divine grace in the person of Christ. Remember, “the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (Jn 1:17) Thus the gospel of grace is the gospel of Christ. We cannot have gospel without Jesus and the grace of God given to us through Him. Sadly, there were those who were changing the good news into something that is of an opposite character than that of grace.⁸ The Galatians had fallen away from the Father by accepting this pseudo-gospel that rejected His grace.

Notice that Paul knew that the Galatians were neither experiencing and enjoying God’s grace, nor the new “gospel” that they had received. They Galatians were being troubled and agitated by those who changed the gospel of Christ. The gospel is the power of God to save those who believe (Rom 1:16), and it is the good news of God’s glorious happiness that He chooses to share with us (1Tim 1:11;Mt 25:21). To change this gospel of grace and glory is to take all of the joy out of it. It is no wonder that the Galatians were troubled. They now stood in doubt and fear about their souls. No longer were they standing securely in the grace of God⁹, but were dependent upon themselves for their acceptance before God. They were troubled indeed with heart trouble. They were unsettled, insecure, doubting, and struggling to conform to the demands that this pseudo-gospel placed upon them. By accepting this perversion of the good news, rejecting grace, and moving away from God the Father (Isn’t is precious to think of God as a caring Father instead of as a harsh taskmaster?) the Galatians had allowed these false teachers to agitate their once peaceful hearts- hearts that had once had peace because of the grace of God in Christ.

As we read verses eight and nine we see Paul pulling off the gloves to fight with bare fists. He simply states that he had warned them in the past of false teachers, and now warns them again. His warning is also a command: excommunicate the false teachers. Let them be anathema! They do not love the Lord Jesus, so they are accursed by God¹⁰, and should be removed from the fellowship of the church. Should they protest that they had seen a vision, or received their teachings from an angel, Paul emphatically states that they would still be accursed and should be excommunicated. He understands that Satan and his angels often disguise themselves as the angels of light and ministers of righteousness.¹¹ Paul demands that the Galatians not even have fellowhip with him if he changes and does not preach the gospel of grace. Salvation by grace is that important. Apart from grace there is no salvation; neither is there salvation apart from Jesus. (The writer recommends that the reader pause at this time and read John 14:1-6, Acts 4:12, and Eph 2:1-10.) It is for this reason that we should take a no compromise stance when it comes to grace and the gospel. To allow any tampering with the gospel of grace will be to allow the perversion of the gospel. When the gospel is perverted the souls of men are jeopardized.

Paul now asks, “am I now trying to please men, or am I trying to please God?” He is, of course, trying to convince men of the truth while seeking to please God by speaking truly. Sadly, it seems that the false teachers had claimed that Paul was a man-pleaser. He admits that he was in the past by saying, “if I still pleased men, I would not be the servant of Christ”.¹² His former life as a Pharisee was indeed a life of pleasing men. That had changed, however. Now Paul seeks to please God. One cannot charge him with being a men-pleaser, as he has just declared accursed those who preached contrary to grace. This would by no means please men. It would anger them instead.

This passage tells us much about the heart of the apostle as well as the heart of God. God simply is not pleased when the gospel is distorted in any manner. Whether it is by grace being used as an excuse to sin¹³, or by grace being replaced by works, God despises the perversion of the gospel. Too often we are prone to be men-pleasers. We want so very badly for people to think well of us. We desire to allow the world the opportunity to do as they please and still profess Christianity, so we lead them to believe that they can live as they please and still be saved despite warnings to the contrary¹⁴. On the other hand, we may seek to show our fellow Christians how much that we agree with them and impose on people rules and regulations that are either unBiblical or extra-Biblical, and tell them that they must observe these things if they are to please God. In so doing we are often found guilty of transgressing against grace. How truly sad this is. It is time for those who preach and teach the Word of God to sound a blast of the trumpet against false teaching and false teachers. It is time to stand firmly for the gospel of the grace of God which is designed to give glory to God. Let us accept and proclaim God’s grace in His Son Jesus Christ and preach the gospel.

Let there be NO COMPROMISE!

1See also 1Cor 15:9,10;2Cor 11:21-33;12:1-13

2We do not definitely know this, but can reasonably infer that something similar to that must have happened, because Paul emphasizes that he had a relationship with the apostles in Jerusalem although he was not dependent upon them for his theological knowledge (See Gal 1:15-24;2:1-10). In fact, having heard of Paul’s conversion to Christ, the Judaean churches glorified God because of him.

3See 1Pet 5:10 cf Jn 1:16,17 God is the God of all grace, but Grace came through Christ.

4Paul also notes that Jesus’ redemptive work fulfills the Scriptures. Cf Rom 1:1,2;1Cor 15:1-4

5See also Col 1:15-17;Rev 4:9-11. Also, notice Jesus’ words in Jn 12;27,28;13:31,32. Of special significance is John’s statement that our sins are forgiven for His name’s sake (1Jn 2:12).

6The Father calls us to the Son by the Spirit. See Gal 1:15;Jn 6:44;Mt 16:13-17;1Cor 12:1-3

7The gospel is glad tidings, or good news. See Lk 2:10,11;Rom 10:15

8 It seems to be a trivial matter to teach the Law and affirm works, but this does more damage than human reason can imagine. Not only does it mar and obscure the knowledge of grace, but it also removes Christ and all His blessings, and it completely overthrows the Gospel, as Paul says in this passage. The cause of this great evil is our flesh. Steeped in sins, it sees no way to extricate itself except by works. This is why it wants to live in the righteousnesses of the Law and to rest in trust in its own works. Therefore it knows nothing or nearly nothing about the doctrine of faith and grace, without which the conscience cannot find peace.

Luther, M. (1999, c1963). Vol. 26: Luther’s works, vol. 26 : Lectures on Galatians, 1535, Chapters 1-4 (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther’s Works (26:vii-55). Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

9In Rom 5:1,2, Paul states that we stand in grace. Not only are we saved by grace through faith, but we are secure in that grace. Our very standing before God is “in grace”, not in works of our own.

10See Jn 3:19-21;1Cor 16:22

11 If he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. (2 Cor 11:4) Such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 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 Cor 11:13-15)

12See Mt 6:24;Eph 6:5-8;Col 3:22-25;4:1

13See Jude 1:4

14See Mt 7:21-27;Gal 5:19-21;Heb 10:24-31

An Interesting Piece on The Manhattan Declaration And Fundamentalism

Do you think that fundamentalists blur the gospel and come near to replacing it with moralism?

Ben at Paleoevangelical thinks so, and notes that there is a parallel in the Manhattan Declaration.

Some Preliminary Thoughts About Miracles

First posted on Pastoral Musings.

Many years ago one of the fundamentals of the faith that the historic fundamentalists contended for was that Christ truly performed miracles. Sometime in the future I shall deal with this issue more in depth, the Lord willing. At this point I would simply like to point out a few things that should be considered about miracles in general.

1. Jesus Himself spoke of the miracles that He did as being real. (Jn 10:37,38;14:11-13) To deny miracles is to deny the words of Jesus. One must deny the truthfulness of Jesus’ statement. Of course, one could always enter into the higher critical mode and declare that those were words attributed to Jesus and not something He truly spoke. When we do that, we open up even another can of worms. The problem simply grows larger the harder one works to deny the miraculous.

2. To deny the miraculous is to deny much of the history of the book of Acts as well as the Gospels and even the teaching of some of the Pauline epistles. To top it off, one would also have to deny much of the content of the book of Revelation and of the Old Testament, too.

3. Of course, one would also have much to deny about the nature of God if they reject the supernatural. What kind of god is it that cannot/does not perform miracles? What kind of god is not supernatural?

4. Finally, one would have to be God to truly be able to state conclusively that miracles do not happen. They would have to be both omnipresent and omniscient to ever be able to truly make that statement. All of our experience deals with our short life. God is timeless and is not limited by time and space constraints. He knows all things, too. He alone is omniscient and omnipresent. We will never have enough knowledge to declare conclusively that miracles do not happen, or that they have never happened.

This leaves us with the necessity (if we are to be intellectually honest) of at least allowing for the possibility of miracles.

Just musing…

NC Church Burns Bibles On Halloween

A few weeks ago we posted about a North Carolina church that planned to burn Bibles and other Christian materials on Halloween.

I had hoped that the media coverage would have made them slink back into their cave like a member of the Taliban, but it seems to truly have taken place.

The Wall Street Journal has an article about this event and has titled it Burnt Offerings.

What irony!

You see, it was on October 31, 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg. This act is marked as the official beginning of the Protestant Reformation. One of the hallmarks of the Reformation is the fact that the Scriptures were translated into the vulgar, or common, language. No longer was it locked up in Latin and inaccessible to the common man.

While we respect and love the King James Version we must say that the burning of Bibles is more in tune with Halloween than it is with Reformation Day and Reformation faith. There is more satanic movement behind the burning of Bibles than there is true, Biblical faith and principle.

As a Burnt Offering the burning of Bibles is more in line with the wicked act of king Jehoiakim instead of the spirit of righteous Jeremiah.

Let it thus be stated, then, that the Burnt Offering of Amazing Grace Baptist Church is unacceptable to God, and is probably akin to the strange/foreign fire of Nadab and Abihu.

Mohler on Separation from Heretics

No doubt the Bible speaks of both unity and separation. Often the case is oversimplified: fundamentalists emphasize separation too much while evangelicals emphasize unity too much. I think there are many exceptions to this, and whether one wants to be called a fundamentalist or evangelical is, honestly, irrelevant to me. I think any Christian and church should strive for a biblical balance between these two concepts. Does Dr. Mohler find that balance in his response here? Why or why not?

Church Still Works by Paul Chappell And Clayton Reed

Interesting interview here on Ed Stetzer’s blog.

Paul Chappell has teamed with Clayton Reed to write a book called Church Still Works.

If you’ve read it, give us your impression.

Fundamentalism Being Redefined?

I recently received a letter from my Bible College Chancellor that was sent to all the graduates of Golden State Baptist College and in the letter, concern was expressed about the redefinition of fundamentalism. The part of the letter that really got my attention was:

“Before our very eyes, fundamentalism is being redefined; and so many are buying into it hook, line and sinker. It shocks and horrifies me. So much of what we see in the name of fundamentalism and old-time religion today would have been fought by Lester Roloff, John Rice, Jack Hyles, Oliver B Greene, Harold Sightler, Lee Roberson, Tom Malone, Curtis Hudson and others like them. I am alarmed at the rapid decline of our churches and at the acceptance of the modern, user-friendly approach (which by the way, is bringing in the crowds, but will never preserve a nation).”

Several questions come to mind when I read this letter.
First – What does he mean by fundamentalism being redefined? If it’s what folks like us are trying to do on this blog, then I rejoice that an impact on those in hysteric fundamentalism is being made that causes them fear. But we don’t have big churches and Bible colleges, so I kinda doubt it. He mentioned the “user-friendly” church; is that what Fundamentalism is being redefined into? Can anyone point to where that is happening? Where is Rick Warrenism redefining fundamentalism? I guess you could look at TTU and Highland Park Baptist Church, but it’s already pretty obvious that they have totally defected from Fundamentalism.

Second – Is he making reference to the “young fundamentalist” movement that is emerging mostly among those who are in the GARBC, FBFI, BJU Maranatha and Northland circles? They are in such a minority in comparison to them and they are almost completely ignored.

Third – What does he mean by rapid decline of our churches? According to Paul Chappell’s latest book ‘Church Still Works’, Independent Baptist Churches are growing. Perhaps he’s referring to the West Coast Baptist College style of fundamentalism? They’re a little more tech savvy and a little less extreme than the “Hyles” stream which could very well constitute as being “user friendly”, especially when you use screens to project the lyrics of your hymns. *gasp*

What do you think this concern is really about?