Just Bloggin' by Wardo

Matthew 7:1-6 Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. Here is a passage that the modern day fundamentalist does nor care for. As God continues to take away the layers of motes from our eyes it enables us to see clearly and in love and compassion want to help those trapped in modern day fundamentalism. It is not an aurora of superiority and ar...

I was reading on a forum that I post on regularly about a church that had set a goal of having over 2000 people at their church on a given Sunday. At first glace it seems good and plausible, but as I began to ponder deeper on this I wondered 'but is it scriptural'? Having spent 17 years in the world of IFBx and always pushing for numbers, numbers, numbers ...my mind went back to the philosophy that taught about numbers. The problem I saw was that it just isn't scriptural. I know there were 3000 baptized on the day of Pentecost. I also know there is a book in the Bible called numbers. I am aware of the feeding of the 5000 men along with many other accounts in the Bible. But where in the Bible is the goal of having 3000 baptized? I can't find it. Where in the Bible is the goal of feeding 5000 men? I can't find it. Where in the Bible is the goal of personally having 10 saved in a week or 100 in a day? I can't find it. Where in the Bible is the goal of o...

2 Timothy 4:1-2 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word ; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. The veteran preacher Paul is giving instruction to his 'young preacher-boy' as to how and what he should preach. Much is made of the latter part of verse 2, (reprove & rebuke) but most gloss over the statement " Preach the word ". Why is that? Maybe many think that the statement is so self explanatory and simple that it needs not to be discussed. Although I must say that the modern fundamentalist preacher likes to apply the 'preach' part of this verse by going to Isaiah 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. The reason for this is so that those who are "apt to teach" (NT pastoral requirem...

Luke 9:49-50 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. This verse is teaching that people may not be following with you who are truly following Christ. Just because someone does not live by "your" prescribed standards or "your" convictions does not mean they are not following Christ. Just because they are not in "your" prescribed religion or use "your" approved methods does not mean that they have no relationship with Christ. Just because they do not listen to "your" music genre or dress in "your" approved style does not mean they are not living for Christ. Yet many in the Christian world will preach against others that don't live as they do and don't follow as they follow and will lead their people to avoid them or to separate from them. Th...

Romans 14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Many of my independent, fundamental Baptist brethren have made issues and doctrines out of our culture or the change in our culture. They will make these areas a focal point in their preaching or writing. They will preach against them as though there has been a doctrinal dissertation written in the Word of God. However as the Bible clearly teaches in Romans 14:14 that there is nothing unclean of itself - this means that someone may consider something unclean or wrong while another believer may consider the same thing to be clean or right. But the thing or issue is not unclean by itself, this would also include our culture or the change in that culture. It only becomes unclean by a person esteeming it to be unclean. The emphasis is on the person making something or an issue unclean, not the object itself. The G...

In looking back retrospectively over the last 30 years of my Christian life I can see a definitive difference of philosophy between those who are first and foremost a modern day fundamentalist compared to those who are first and foremost a Biblicist. As myself and other Pastors have noticed a trend of the fundamentalists departing further and further from the Bible in favor of man-made platforms as did the Pharisees in the day of Christ. Concerned more about their 'threatened' authority, with their 'outward' appearance, with the 'results' and not with the plain Biblical commands in Scripture such as John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. "Is it fundamental" is a question that resonates from the modern day fundamental Preacher as they push their congregations further and further from the Bible and look to move to the right and be separate from people and institutions that God never commanded ...

Why is that personal discipleship seems to be so strange to many Christians? We obviously know that discipleship is required (Matt. 28:20) but somehow miss the boat as it relates to us invividually. For those who have been saved for some length of time, we can go back into our lives and see the people that have invested themselves into us personally. We know the benefits we have reaped by them sowing into us, however when it is our turn we seem to pass it up. Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. These disciples (students of Christ) are called Christians first in Antioch! In order for there to be a disciple (or student) there must be a teacher. Obviously Jesus invested three and half years of discipleship or mentoring into the Apostles, who in turn turned the world upside down (Acts 17:...

What has caused many independent, fundamental Baptist church members to live in bondage to a set of man-made, extra-Biblical rules or standards? Why would good, church going folks submit themselves to this 'spiritual' abuse? Why have so many God-fearing, good Christians been duped by well meaning, sincere but blinded or beguiled Pastors? These Pastors are trapped in this spiritual system and sadly are not even aware of it. What can be done to help these hyper-spiritual people who are ensared in this trap? Is there a motivating factor that has brought about this sect of fundamentalism? I believe that guilt, fear & intimidation have been the motivating factors that are being used to keep good Christians repressed into a "Phariseeical" role that they are being forced to play. Hebrews 2:14-15 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power...

How does one go about to prove which side of the KJVO (King James Version Only) vs the MV (Multiple Versions) debate is correct? Is it my scholarship can whip your scholarship or even my scholars are smarter than your scholars? No, there are well qualified, well meaning men on both sides of the issue. Is it because the MV’ers have the oldest manuscripts (MSS) and them believing that the oldest MSS are the best MSS? It is a very valid and logical argument. But counteracting that argument on the other side of the coin the KJVO says that they have the majority of the MSS that have been preserved also a valid and logical argument. The MV’er comes back and says but you have added to the Word of God…where as the KJVO says you have taken from the Word of God. By the way I think it would be an interesting study in both lines of MSS to take the earliest copies and compare them with the latest copies (just in their family line) to see if that line has added to or taken away from the Bible. I...

Exodus 33:16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. In many realms of Christianity we are told what separation is and what it is not. The person in leadership believes it is his or her God given right and duty to tell other people how they are to live a separated life. What they can do and what they cannot do. Where they can go and where they cannot go. What they can eat or drink and what they cannot eat or drink. Who they can hang around with and who they cannot hang around with. What music you can listen to and what music you cannot listen to. The problem with this is that separation is not a list of do’s and don’ts. It is not whether my wife wears earrings larger than a dime, or hoop earrings or even pants but does she have the presence of God working and leading in her lif...