Greetings! My desire in this posting is to make it clear that I am an Independent Baptist preacher and I am posting articles to SOLVECHURCHPROBLEMS.COM blog, several other networks, and this site to hopefully help those who are of the Independent Baptist mindset. I have 42 years of experience with Independent Baptists and I want to leave what has been given to me to the next generation.
I am not, nor can I change, or alter other groups’ thoughts. My only concern here is to strengthen those who believe and practice the principles of the Old Time Religion. There are great people who are not Independent Baptists of whom I am dear friends. They understand me and what I stand for, and vice versa, and we have NO problem communicating.
I am not an Evangelical, Emerging church mindset, Post-Modern, Mars Hill mindset, SBC, Rick Warrenite etc. If you are of a contrary mindset than fundamentalism then you are welcome to ask questions, but you are wasting your time with attacks. You need to block rather than waste your time in attacking that which some 18,000 local churches, and growing, are practicing.
The church I pastored in Longview, TX, started 1710 churches around the world in my 3 decades as their pastor. My son has set a goal of staring 100 new churches in Texas. My dear friend Dr. Jeff Fugate has started 26 such churches in Kentucky. My dear friend Pastor Greg Clark of Alaska has set a goal of 25 new churches in the state of Alaska. I would not discount these and many others who doing the same thing.
We are a “remnant” and a “peculiar” people. We had to go underground at one point in history and we are not in 2014 in this to win a popularity contest. Just look at the lack of morality not just in our country, but in our preaching and in the pews of these liberal preachers.
It appears the enemies’ attacks are only on the Independents and those conservative local churches of any group. The common denominator is the fundamentalist message they teach and preach that is hated. Thus, the messenger is attacked!
There is more cover-up in the Catholic church than all the other groups put together. However, let me say that it is not fair to say ALL Catholics are for the cover-up. To pick out a few bad eggs does not logically lead to throwing the rest out the window. Local churches have always had those who hurt the name of Christ, but no different than the Catholics, SBC, Emerging church group, Post-Modern church group, Rick Warren, Bill Hybles, etc.
99% of the Independents have always practiced the law-abiding thing and turned folks in to the law immediately. Our public record stands on it’s on. I guarantee you that percentage is not true for Catholics.
The attack is really against the message. Sunday mornings in America churches are filled with hip-huggin, belly showing, teens, or mini-skirted females, among liberal churches and preachers. These pastors have all of a sudden come up with lockjaw and are like the North Pole they are frozen at the mouth. You don’t have to go to a burlesque show just go to the average liberal church in America if you want a leg or bosom show.
Females in this country have literally taken this 1/2 off sale seriously!
If there is no fear of the deacons and their wives; then it most be fear by these pastors of their own skinny jean wearing wives. Look at the pics of the crowds in any setting, baseball, football, basketball in our nation 50 years ago and you will see dresses on the ladies, ties on the men, and manly haircuts on the young men. What happened to modest clothing. Where will it end?
We may not stop the decay, but we can delay the decay.
Now, we have Baptists taking their immodesty to the Florida beaches getting drunk on Spring Break while cursing their parents and challenging them to do something about it.
I have been in the ministry for 42 years and being educated at Michigan State University 1963-1967. I watched as my age group had sit-ins in the Presidents’ office. Now they are running our country. That is scary. They are the rebels in charge who now foster rebellion. All of a sudden our country is unfair and capitalism is not the way to go, because some lazy guy or gal will be left behind.
President Obama is the voice of a nation because the people put him in that office. It is a reflection of our own decay as a nation. Not because of his color, but because of his character. Look at the Socialistic ideology being pushed with his pen and his phone. He is by-passing our nation’s built in balance of power. This is scary. Yet, it is a reflection of every city and hamlet in America plus the churches there. When the liberals start affecting fundamentalist I must speak up and will speak up!
Independent Baptists truly are a minority. We truly are a remnant. We truly are old school. We truly are Old Timers. We truly are dinosaurs. We truly are peculiar. AND we intend to stay that way. I am not against new buildings, but I am for old truth.
So, don’t waste your time in attacking! If you have an honest genuine question I will be glad to receive it and to answer it. Write like gentleman and you will be answered in kind. Otherwise, just block and move on with your life.
I would prefer an email for answers to your questions.
[email protected]
Bob Gray Sr.
Ps. 84:11