I was driving to Dallas recently and listening to a radio broadcast on my car radio and it was a Rush Limbaugh program. He told the radio audience that he wakes up every morning and for radio prep looks for those institutions and people he cares about that are under attack and defends them that day.
In this social media feeding frenzy I find myself facing some non-negotiable items almost everyday in my world. I average 3,500 readers to this blog every week of the world. I find myself defending my friends against attacks on a regular basis from a minority of readers.
One young man kept attacking my friend Dr. Jack Hyles and I defended my friend who could not obviously defend himself. Here is a man who has been dead for eleven years and some are still kicking a dead man. This young man asked me when was I going to quit defending Jack Hyles. I told him as long as he attacks I will defend.
I find myself under assault when it comes to friends of a life time whom I admire for their life of labor and investment in my life, my ministry, and my family. Some have evolved into a mind set of “What have you done for me lately.” I prefer “What have you done for me formerly” motto to give honor. We can disagree agreeably and still love each other. A lady like an eighty-four year old Mrs. Beverly Hyles can make a choice you disagree with, according to you, and it is as if she never did anything right in her previous eighty-three years. Is it possible to love someone with whom we may disagree? Any one without sin let him cast the first stone. The ones who cry the loudest about how bad the teenagers are acting are the ones who do not have teenagers. You do not know what you will do until you are faced with it. You have not walked in the shoes of Mrs. Hyles thus you have no right to judge her choices.
None of us know what we would do in a certain situation. We may think we know, but until we are faced with it we cannot be sure. I cannot guarantee what my wife or children will do after I die or even before I die, but they still belong to me and I belong to them. This is what you call a family. They may lose the tenth round in the spiritual fight, but they still were victorious for nine rounds.
What I see on the blogs is not the kind of fundamentalism I signed up for in 1972. I fell in love with the love of Dr. Hyles and Dr. Rice. It was not the bombastic sermons rather it was the tear in the corner of the eye that caught my attention. Do not misunderstand me, no one on the scene today preaches any harder against sin than I do, but I doubt there are too many who love as hard either.
AN ATTACK ON ME BECAUSE MY SON AND HIS HAC BIBLE COLLEGE SINGING GROUP STOPPED BY OUR HOME AND I TWEETED THE PIC
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| John Barnes, Scottie Gray Jr., Marcus Perry, Phillip Turner, Matt Bosje, Steven Howard, Scott Gray Sr. |
Recently my son, Scott, and a tour group from Hyles-Anderson College stopped by our home for a visit with me and Mrs. Gray. Our grandson, Scottie Jr. happens to be in that tour group. They asked if they could have their picture taken with me after lunch and I agreed. Later on that day I tweeted the picture with the tour group.
When my plane landed in CT and I registered at the motel I opened up my phone and there was a text message from a preacher friend. The following is the text message.
“Bob, how in the name of common sense and an understanding of the attack on Jesus Christ can you tweet out a picture of the HAC tour group at your house? Are you going to tweet us pictures of any Mormon Groups or JW’s that stop by. Park the run keeper and consider your influence.”
I immediately called this brother and he did not answer his phone. I left a message for him to call me back! He has not as of today and I doubt if he will. This really brings to surface some thoughts I believe that must be addressed. I love this brother and his family. When they were under attack I defended them. This is not about me or my sons. There is something deeper an bigger at play.
I do believe this is a teachable moment for the family of God
- This is my son and grandson’s home and they are always welcome
- Their friends are also welcome
- I know every one of these young men and their families – they are not cultish in their theology at ALL concerning Jesus Christ
- I have preached for some of their churches and they are not traitors to the Gospel
- The new pastor of FBC, who sponsors HAC, John Wilkerson must NOT be held responsible for the previous pastor Jack Schaap’s beliefs or practices
- Pastor Wilkerson does not believe like Jack Schaap concerning Jesus Christ and the King James Bible
- Pastor Wilkerson deserves to have time to cleanse the staff and faculty of HAC of those who agreed with the heresy of Jack Schaap
- I am afraid my friend has a deeper and greater dislike for FBC and HAC rather than concern of reconciliation in honor of supposedly his friend Jack Hyles
- When I pointed out things of concern under Jack Schaap’s watch it was with a hope of reconciliation not destruction and I am encouraged we will see it
- Do not attack my family or friends with false accusations and expect me to sit by indolently
- Are we now calling HAC Mormons and JW’s?
- Lumping my son and grandson in with Mormons and JW’s? WHAT?
When the battle over the King James Bible occured in Hammond I never separated myself from my son and his family. I love my son and his family and they love me. I love FBC and HAC. My son along with a lot of others confronted Jack Schaap, but in all honesty they did not know what to do. I think I know what I would do, but in reality no one knows until they are in the actual situation.
I separated myself from Jack Schaap, but unfortunately that meant that I was forced to separate from the church and college.
If my son were a homosexual would I have my picture taken with him and his homosexual friends? I don’t know! I don’t think I would, but I nor any one else really knows until they are faced with that dilemma what exactly they would do.
I gave Jack Schaap the benefit of the doubt in the beginning. There is no doubt to any one that I did separate myself from Jack Schaap over the King James Bible preserved inspiration issue. The minute Jack Schaap resigned I wanted and hoped for reconciliation. Now, reconciliation must be earned and it appears John Wilkerson is not Jack Schaap and is legitimately an independent Baptist and wants reconciliation.
Does that mean I would preach for everyone he preaches for? No, but that is what makes him an independent Baptist. He appears to be right on the King James issue, soul winning, separation, and the Lord’s Supper, etc.
I did not separate myself from FBC, but I did separate myself from Jack Schaap. Sometimes I separate because of principles hoping to end up with reconciliation. My attacker appears to do the opposite. I have thrown the quilt of forgiveness over all of the ministries in Hammond in hopes to restore, not to where it was, but what it was. How can a man call himself a friend of Jack Hyles and hope for the destruction of Jack Hyles’ ministries.
I do not want to be the legacy spokesman for Jack Hyles, but I do want to perpetuate the legacy. My goal was not to steal Jack Hyles from Hammond, but to keep Jack Schaap from stealing who Jack Hyles really was by redefining him.
I admit Jack Schaap was in my mind while writing WHEN PRINCIPLE WAS KING. However, my goal was not to destroy Jack Schaap; my goal was to not allow Jack Schaap to destroy Jack Hyles. My next book does not even mention Jack Schaap, but it does present vintage Jack Hyles in thought and practice.
I am not looking to pick a fight, because it was simply a text. However, I will not allow this to go any further. He asks if I would have my picture taken with my son and a Mormon group or JW group? I don’t know! He is my Son! I don’t think so, but I really don’t know.
Since, I don’t think I wouldn’t, how can I judge anyone else in their choices especially when it comes to their children. I am not sure my friend wants to go there anyway?
GOTTA LOVE FAMILY!