Posted on 02/08/2015 5:22:25 AM PST by fwdude
With the appalling apostasy, both overt and subtle, engulfing many evangelical churches in these last days, I have found myself in search of a truly Bible-believing church body that is serious about the Truth taught by God through Jesus Christ.
To be specific, these are the things I am trying to avoid:
- The cultish "mega-church" mentality (though size doesn't not necessarily disqualify an otherwise orthodox church culture)
- Any sympathy, working agreement, or tacit acknowledgement of any Christian legitimacy with Rome.
- The hyper "grace only" heresy of the need just to "believe on Jesus Christ," nothing else matters (i.e. repentance, therefore renouncing sin, optional.)
- An above-all social component to church life, using Christ as the pretext to party and have a good time.
- The "contemporary worship" scene, where the great traditional hymns of devout saints are jettisoned in favor of the shallow, repetitive pap of me-centered guitar and percussion powered emotionalism.
- Teaching that completely avoids, or gives apologetic ground to, the deadly evil in today's society, especially the stridently militant homosexuality that is engulfing even many churches behind the scenes (even the SBC).
- The unlimited "welcoming" banner that is put out by many heretical bodies, i.e., no questions asked and no requirements for participate in the life of the church.
With these in mind, here is what I am seeking:
- A praying church where prayer is not just and afterthought or a mandatory formality.
- A church that holds its fellowshipping members accountable and expects real spiritual growth in them.
- A church that believes in the spiritual gifts as the Scriptures lay them out, without the emotionally caricatured ones. (I wouldn't even object to the gift of tongues if it were genuine and conducted biblically (a real existing language not learned by the practicer), and not like most maniacally charismatic church's wantonly display in disarray.)
- A church that meets regularly, and doesn't dismiss services for Superbowl Sunday.
These are obviously not exhaustive lists, but my point is that I am through wasting time in congregations that ignore the spiritual reality of the world, and focus on the empty wood, hay and stubble of the world, neglecting the members of the Body, and subjecting them to eternal danger.
At the risk of attracting caustic criticism, I'll also throw in that I've valued the teachings of Gordon C. Olson as biblically sound, so any recommendations for church bodies that adhere closely to the theology that he taught would be much appreciated.
“Bible-believing” ??
How much of the Bible does this church have to believe before you would consider it? Or to ask a companion question, how much error must the church desire to reject before you would consider it?
Of all the blatant errors in common churh-ianity, the two that are easiest to understand and reject are the observance of Xmas and Easter.
Every year many major publications run stories that document how Christians adopted Xmas from paganism. There is not a single aspect of modern Xmas culture that is scriptural.
As for Easter, Jesus said that the only sign he was Messiah was that he would be in the grave three days and nights. (Matt 12:40). In my understanding when someone who refuses to lie tells me that the only sign is something, then I take that seriously. You just cannot get three days and nights from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning.
All this apart from the fact that the word “Easter” does not appear a single time in the Greek text and the one place it is commonly translated into the English (Acts 12:4), the word is pascha (Passover).
There are a few churches in the area that reject Xmas and Easter. Most likely they would also meet on the same day of the week that Jesus observed, which is Saturday. Many people who decided to reject error when God allows them to see it, have come to understand that there really remains a keeping of the Sabbath for the people of God (Hebrews 4:9).
You will be surprised at how much of present church-ianity is merely custom and pagan practices repackaged with a Christian theme, if you are determined to really be “Bible-believing” and act accordingly.
Nowhere else is the BBQ or Texmex better
I hope it hasn't changed too much since I moved in 1990...
Thanks for the referral... and the warning. I’m aware of the penchant for legalism that is a real danger.
The stabbing attempt is certainly the most memorable, but there were other security issues over the years. I believe someone once did something to his car, but I don’t remember the details. After that he had to park in a secure spot where security could monitor his car. He eventually moved into a secured neighborhood, too.
I remember one Sunday a black woman stood up and started shouting at him while he preached. I was on the other side of the sanctuary so I couldn’t hear what she was saying. When she seemed to be making a move toward the front, she was swarmed. I was never sure if all the men who jumped on her were security guys or men determined to never let an attacker get close to him again. I was always concerned someone would try to shoot him.
Adrian Rogers has been dead 10 years this year and he is still hated in this town. He’s respected, loved, and missed, by those who knew him, but the world hated him for boldly standing for God’s truth. He’s still particularly hated by the so-called “moderate” Baptists (apostate liberals). They utterly despised him because he stood up for biblical inerrancy and against ordination of women.
I hope it hasn't changed too much since I moved in 1990...
Unfortunately, government-wise it has become a leftist sewer. We now have "non-discrimination" laws (that actually discriminate against Christians) more severe than the state or federal government - including not on homosexuals, but cross-dressers in employment, housing, and accommodation arenas.
I wonder where he learned that.
How about, all of it?
I'm well aware of the un-biblical nature of the current Easter and Christmas practices, and to the extent that church bodies make these central to their message and worship, then those bodies are apostate.
But acknowledgement doesn't equal official doctrine. Besides, the acrid hatred of the godless left toward these Christian-referenced holidays is enough to warrant at least acknowledgement of the truth to which they point.
I meant unapologetically Biblical! Ha! Sorry. I assume you knew my intention. You are welcome.
I am surprised by what you said about Albert Mohler. I used to listen to his radio program and I thought he was always point on with important issues. I remember one program with a former homosexual about leaving the lifestyle.
We left a hierarchical church, ELCA for same reasons, went for over 20 years to a Bible church which kind of fell apart due to poor leadership and a deceitful newer pastor. Just began attending a one year old Southern Baptist church which we really like for many reasons. I am going to visit with the young pastor about this. I know him to be grounded in the Word and I am anxious to hear what he says. We don’t have many choices like you do in the metroplex.
Revelation 3:7 [ The Faithful Church ] “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:
The Key of David unlocks the Bible. Find he who has the Key of David and you will find the Church of God. Isaiah 22:22 also mentions the Key of David.
Google the key of David and the link to God's Church will come up, along with the false imitators.
Albert Mohler has disappointed me several times over the past several years. When he is in the enviable position of powerful influence, being the president of an established, well-known seminary with a loud soap box, he is especially culpable when he allows weakness into his statements. A few years ago, he made the disappointing statement that Christians would have to “learn to live” with the encroaching homosexual agenda in culture. What pathetic capitulation!
Yes, there are individual SBC congregations that will not agree with every policy point of the national organization, and that is to their credit. But, increasingly, to me affiliation is endorsement in these evil days. We can have no fellowship with the works of darkness.
Don’t forget the mayor’s committee scheduled an Imam to give the prayer/blessing on the Sunday night opening of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. In the name of diversity and political correctness they insulted the large majority of those who love and attend the rodeo. It went around Facebook and I called the given number to verify. The woman that spoke with me said “you could call him a Muslim but he really wasn’t a Muslim”. I said what was he if not a Muslim and she said “an Imam, I M A M” and then I informed her what an Imam is. Ignorance and PC will be our downfall.
I love Fort Worth but the governance has always been liberal for some reason.
Never lived there so can’t help you but I am happy with the doctrine taught by my own Bible church and we get many of our pastors through Dallas Theological Seminary. Perhaps you could contact them and ask them where THEY attend services.
DTS grads tend to be independent Bible Church pastors and members, I’ve found. There is one close to me that seems biblically sound, but the sole deacon (very small church) was previously a member of an Anglican church and doesn’t seem to disclaim that affiliation as at odds with biblical Christianity. I’m very wary of any baggage that might have crept in with him.
Let’s see - I think you left out the use of flannel boards in Sunday school classes. Have you considered starting your own church? I’m not joking, either. You seem to be those types that hyper jump from one church to another for one of thousands of reasons.
If you just want to attack and not help...
bug off.
I have a similar problem.
Church would be great if it were not for the teaching, the music and the people who attend. ;o)
You are truly a rude and graceless person. You must be an awful person to deal with on a day to day basis. I feel pity for your family. Your kids will definitely need therapy.
A couple things of note which may help you.
1) You may want to look for churches that are KJV only or mostly. The ones I found like this seem to be non-denominational (or left the denomination) Baptist, or Independent Baptist. Just call up the church and ask. I found a couple, but am not in your area.
2)There is a church like this which has online services livestreamed, and saved on Youtube. It is called Bethel Church in Festus, MO,(REAL close to Fergusen) and the pastor is Michael Hoggard, who also preaches on Biblical Prophecy and the accuracy of the KJV Bible. Hymns. No drums. I think you may find help here, especially since he has spoken on this issue of finding exactly what you are talking about. www.mikehoggardonline or youtubemikehoggard. Best wishes.
Denton Bible Church ... Pastor Tom Nelson ...
St. Pete Calvary Chapel ... the music is terrible, pastors preach without even tucking their shirts in, the idea seems to be as “casual-in-your-face” as possible, even to the point of being “deliberately redneck” (and I don’t have anything against folks who live in the country or listen to CW music) ... the pastor (Danny Hodges) has received requests for “years” to improve the music, but he basically ignores them ...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.