Man of God - Beware!

The Trap Is Set!

By Dr. Art Wilson

Former President of the BBFI

Virtually every facet of life seems to have fallen off the shelf of sincerity, respect, seriousness and approval of decency. This includes the christian segment as well. Even worse, the clergy- the pulpiteers- the leaders and examples if you will- are caught up in this "don't get too serious about the theological plagues."

Everyone knows of the Apostle Peter's claim to loyalty to Christ and his same night shameful denying of even knowing Him or who He was. But those nearly two months of spiritual drouth taught him the greatest lesson of his life. Listen to the voice of experience as he writes in I Peter 5:8-- "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." Though some may choose to ignore this warning, evidence all around us is proof that not one of us is immune from his attack;

Satan Has a Number One Target

Quite naturally then the man of God is Satan's first choice. The preachers (priests) of the Old Testament fell into Satan's "designed trap." God's rod of chastisement fell heavily upon them when the Divine indictment charged them with neglect of duty and fraudulent representation of the Almighty One. Note Ezek. 22:25-26 for a conspiracy (agreement) with the Devil: "There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them." Verse 28: "And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken."

Peer Pressure Destruction

We have all seen many clean-cut and upstanding young people whose lives became shambles. In most cases, this can be traced to peer pressure. They succumbed to that thinking that to be more popular they hide their eyes from God's holiness and marry "the daughter of a strange god." (Mal. 2:11)

Preachers today are being "killed" by peer pressure too. The "peers" philosophy of the ministry is "bigger is better." Regardless of how unscriptural or unethical a "program" may be, some once-sound preachers take out after it. Little by little compromise sets in and before they realize it some even come to disdain the name "Baptist" and remove it from their property, as well as from their hearts.

The Saviour called these "peers" as posing to represent God's true preachers (dressed in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravening (killer) wolves. (Matt.7:13-15) Notwithstanding, their leanings toward false doctrines, their social and financial orbit lures lesser achievers to commence to copy their new "progressive" doctrines and policies, even without full consideration of whether or not it is or is not scriptural. Here is an extremely picturesque Biblical proof of such drifting from the Word of God and its consequences.

This strict, honest and fundamentally sound man of God was instructed by God to go to Bethel and take his stand against King Jereboam's false altar on which he burnt incense. His instruction was followed: "he cried against it in the name of the Lord." (I Kings 13:2) He did what God's word told him to do. That's what all true fundamentalists do. His instructions also included a curse upon Jereboam and the land. Did the King like it? Of course not and he showed his gross dislike by attempting physical revenge which back-fired. So also today, none of the progressive liberals like anyone's undaunted stand for the fullness of truth.

Furthermore, this man of God was told that he would be invited out to eat and drink. The progressive liberal King promised the man of God a reward. That was "peer pressure." That is the magnet which is meant to draw, to allure men of God away from Paul's stand in Rom. 3:4 "Let God be true, but every man a liar."

What difference does it make to God which way the man of God goes home? Hasn't he done what he was told? Only partially. Deut. 11:1 says: "alway." God told him not to return home on the same road he came on. You can easily see that he is a sound fundamentalist. He has rebuked the King as God said. He has cursed the altar as God said. He has refused to dine with the King. He has turned down the big promised reward and now he is going home a different road as God said, How pleased God must be with him! No wonder He calls him a "man of God" which simply means, "God's man always."

Peter's denial of our Lord in the time of crisis is adequate proof that "once a fundamentalist does not mean always one." Otherwise, what is the meaning of the great "falling away," or "they will not endure sound doctrine," or "certain men crept in unawares." (Jude, vs. 4) Therefore, yesterday's stand for the truth is not a guarantee that you will stand today or tomorrow.

Satan - the Master Trap-setter

Watch it unfold. The trap is being set! Whom will Satan use to derail and destroy this so-sound man of God? It was another preacher backslidden and mad at God. Shocking? Don't be. Even today, there are hundreds of them. They've been put on the shelf by God. (Ma1.2:1-4) So they despise and seek revenge against those who believe that the measuring or testing ought to be "let God be true, but every man a liar." (Rom.3:4)

That preacher had two sons who heard the man of God rebuke Jereboam forthrightly turn down both his invitations to dine at the palace and his promised reward. The sons also heard him say what road he was going home on. When they told their father, he didn't thank God that He had sent a man of the truth to rebuke the wickedness of the King. To the contrary, he has only a desire to de-rail the man of God from the straight track of "thus saith the LORD," which is gain-saying. (Jude 11)

His sons saddled his beast of burden for him and he goes after the man of God. Sure enough, he finds the man of God resting himself and probably his horse or mule also. The preacher of "renown" dismounts and greets the man of God. No doubt, it was a most congenial meeting. (Man of God- Beware - the trap is set).

Don't anyone worry about this man of God! Isn't he solidly fundamental? Hasn't he proved it? He went as commanded. He went where he was told of God to go. He rebuked the King as he was told. He put a curse God upon the King's unholy altar as he was told. He steadfastly refused the King's invitation to eat and drink (fellowship) with him as instructed. He has rejected the King's offered rewards (bribes) as God would have him to do. He is even headed home on another road as God had instructed him. Who can say that he is not a sound fundamental man of God?
Man of God beware the trap is set! We bemoan the fact that some of very good church young people go astray and depart from all their training because of what is termed "peer pressure." There is much truth in that. They get sucked into the "dream-world" of someone more popular, has more friends, more money and appears to have less restraints than they do. Envy, covetousness and pride are the three cords that weave the rope which pulls youth into error. The very same thing is true when it comes to preachers, pastors, professors, evangelists and authors.

Unsuspected Trap

This wonderful and effective fundamentalist is soon to become a "used to," a "has been," but he doesn't realize it! He is invited back to the other "preacher's" house to eat and drink (fellowship) with him and his family. Once again he displays his loyalty to God's word, and even quotes it to this new "friend," telling him that God told him not to dine with anybody, no matter whom. But then this new acquaintance gives him the language of a "peer" (superior one). "He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him." (I Kings 13:18).

So he went back with him. Any walk contrary to the word of God is going backward. (Jer.7:24) This is sad, so sad, but it furnishes uncontested proof that one's claim to be a rock-solid fundamentalist does not make him or her immune from "every wind of doctrine" (Eph.4:14). Absolutely not! Man of God beware-the trap is set. It only took one time for this ardent, dependable, fundamental men of God to become the laughing-stock of the whole demon world! Had the man of God simply remembered what I'm certain he knew that God had already said, "I am God and there is none other and I change not." (Isa.46:9; Mal.3:6)

Satan's business is not occupied in seducing and entrapping liberals. He already has these helping his cause. The song writer put it this way: "See the mighty host advancing, Satan leading on; mighty men around us falling, courage almost gone." That is why the Holy Spirit had Peter to write: "Be sober, (serious-minded) be vigilant (constantly on the lookout) I Peter 5:8-- because your adversary, the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
This instruction and exhortation therefore remains as it has been since Moses told God's people to obey God always and to "Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods and worship them." (Deut.11:16)

One Doctrinal Lack

That dear man of God, of whom we are writing, lacked one doctrinal ingredient in his otherwise sound stature for his fundamental life style That was the ingredient of "discernment." When the liberal preacher told him that an angel brought him a special word from God, that is different from what you are believing. Discernment would have preserved his ministry. He should have immediately relied on everlasting stability for any and all of God's people, namely, "let god be true but every man a liar." In reality, the man of God embraced a "new version of God's word." The same type program today is sucking otherwise good men down the drain of liberalism.

No doubt, he was a bit bothered by the thought, "what if God has got a new message for this hour I sure want in on it." Discernment would have given him the reason and the boldness to have rebuked his "peer," just as he had the King himself. Hence the lack of discernment often renders oneself intimidated or fearful. The result "the fear of man bringeth a snare." (Prov.29:25)

No doubt, as he traveled back to his preacher "friend's" house, he felt he was displaying love and the ecumenical spirit of cooperation. But compliance is too often compromise, whether you sense it or not! Remember, it is not "the way that seems right" but the way that "is right" in full harmony with God's word. However enjoyable the fellowship in the man's house may have been, the man of God couldn't help but wonder in his heart "which version is right?"

On the other side of the table, his so-nice "friend" is snickering in his heart, knowing he has de-railed a once-true servant of God and put a stop to his honest service to God. You see the preacher the "peer" himself was backslidden. He knew full well that disobedience has a price How he had gotten off track is not given, but he knew that God doesn't let spiritual treason get by unpunished.

The Couldn't Happen- Did

As you can well see, the set-trap has gotten its victim. A sound man of God has violated the Divine principle: "Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils." (I Cor.10:21) He is now informed, since he is already entrapped, that "heavy, heavy hangs over thy head," meaning that the chastising rod of God will befall him and he will not get home alive. So sad! It's the end of what was a beautiful, God-pleasing ministry, but it will be no more.

As I prepare this message of warning, I'm thinking back over my 66 years in ministry and I cannot count the number of good brethren who have also sold out, having taken man's word over God's, or at first succumbed to "peer" pressure. For all practical and biblical purposes, their effective, Christ-honoring ministry has ended. Even some of their good churches of past won't have them back to preach! Hopefully this message might preserve another from "the trap."

Let's examine the situation prevalent at the time the man of God "fell" into the trap. To his ministry, it was like stepping on a land mine in a war zone you are immediately dead or crippled for life. He was riding the crest of victory. He was a solid and sound fundamentalist. Here's the proof: (1) He followed God's instruction to go. (2) He went where God told him to go. (3) He rebuked the King exactly as he was told. (4) He put the Divine curse upon the false altar. (5) He prayed God to lift judgment off and heal the King's (his enemy) arm. (6) He obeyed Gods word not to dine with (the King) anybody. (7) Like God told him, he was going home on a different road.

Defining a Fundamentalist

That is what a fundamental person is, obedient! The word "fundamental" comes from the Latin, the definition of which is, "foundation," or "basis all things." Anyone who is a true man of God is fundamental for "to obey is better than sacrifice." (I Sam.15:22)

All of us know the extreme joy of spiritual victories such as: the highest attendance, the largest offering, the full altar, the enthusiastic "amens" and the multiple compliments of the people as they leave. All these things can put you on cloud nine. They are certainly cause for much praise and thanksgiving but these are also times that require strong discipline. Enjoy it fully. Guard it soberly. Otherwise you are open prey "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." (I Cor. 10:12) The joyous feeling of triumph (no small matter over a king) possessed the man of God. He is happy! The song is right: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey."

Although no time-out for resting is mentioned on his going out to serve, he now stops to rest on his way home. While his beast of burden grazes and drinks from the nearby water hole, he is re-living his great victories and is so pleased with himself that he had wholly followed God's orders. But his discernment failed at the sight and sound of a "peer" - I am a man of God too and God has changed His word; now you can come home and eat and drink (fellowship) with me.

He arose and went with him. That's when he ceased being a fundamentalist for the foundation for all things is the word of God-- "Let God be true but every man a liar." (Rom.3:4) Like King Saul of old (I Sam.15) who also went out fundamental, his assignment was a single one and to be a success (God pleasing) all he had to do was "hearken unto the voice of the Lord."

He went out sound and solid. But instead of destroying everything and everybody of the Amalekites, as God had said, he spared Agag the King and the best of the sheep and oxen. He brought them back with him. He bragged to Samuel, "I have performed the commandment of the LORD," (I'm still a fundamentalist). But the company he kept exposed his lying hypocrisy. As a result, Samuel had to tell him, "because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord hath rejected thee from being King over Israel." All the hopes and confidence that people had in him were dashed to pieces in a single event because he said he was afraid of the people. Rejected alike by people and God, his life was so desolate, he ended it in a suicide.

Think of how many preachers and christian workers and leaders who have committed spiritual suicide. The Apostle Paul feared such a "cast away" category of life.

Christ, our Redeemer and head of all things to the church, gave us an itemized list of 13 things that ultimately lead to spiritual suicide (sometimes physical also). To start down any one of those roads you have to do two things: One, reject God's word on the matter. Two, convince yourself that you are somebody special and important enough to God and man that you can get by with it. But "be sure your sin will find you out." (Num. 32:23). Even socially, the penitentiaries are full of those who said, "they won't catch me." It is true, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies do not catch every violator but the world's greatest detective never fails. His name is sin.

Judah is another classic example of a sound, deeply devoted servant of the Lord who "bit the dust"of shame and uselessness to God because of "peer pressure." Listen to the scriptures speak: "Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god. The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this...." (Ma1. 2:11-12). He dropped the ball of trust. He neglected to apply the rule of security,) "Let God be true but every man a liar."

In Sedgwick County, Kansas where I lived and pastored for 31 years, one year there were multiple deaths on streets, roads and highways. It brought about great concern to all. How to prevent such a waste of human lives was the big question. More patrol cars, stop signs and extra traffic lights hadn't stopped it, so what would help?

From scores of helpful suggestions, the commissioners chose one, submitted by an ordinary citizen who had lost a good neighbor in one of the accidents. The suggestion was this: Whenever a death or deaths occur, erect along the roadside at the spot not a sign per se, but a life-size skull. I recall seeing five at one spot. Underneath the skull were the words, "Who's Next?" While some complained that seeing those skulls made them nervous, nevertheless they cut down the traffic deaths greatly.

Let's visit the 13 "intersections" where Jesus said most of the "fatalities" in the christian's ministry and life take place. As we do, I am sure you will think of some you personally have known. I can recall far more than I would like to. Remember these death-trap areas Jesus mentioned are in Mark 7:21-23.

How many "skulls" do you know that could be put up at spot one"Evil Thoughts?" How many at spot two "Adultery?" Spot three "Fornication?" Spot four "Murderer?" Spot five "Theft?" Spot six "Covetousness?" Spot seven "Wickedness?" Spot eight "Deceit?" Spot nine "Lasciviousness?" Spot ten "An evil eye?" Spot eleven "Blasphemy?" Spot twelve "Pride?" Spot thirteen "Foolishness?"

Then Jesus said: "All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." Both horribly and shamefully true is the fact that "skull" reminders are being put up daily as a result of some preacher or christian worker stepping into the Devil's trap. Yet all of these death-for-sure intersections are clearly marked with God's warnings. Only utter disregard of God's word will cause another skull to be erected for you. But far surpassing those increasing numbers of fatalities are those ensnared by the words and deeds of so-called leaders or "peers."

Remember, Satan blinds the mind and transforms himself into an angel of light. Hence the false preachers that come to you in sheep's clothing are inwardly "ravening wolves." What should you do? Find a "secret closet" to pray this prayer: "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins." "Keep thy servant from presumptuous sin." (Psa.19:13) While doing so, expect the result spoken of in I John 1:9 and Psalm 145:19. God richly bless you is my prayer.

The Temple Baptist Church of Detroit, Michigan has now dropped the name Baptist from their name. (This Church is now located in Plymouth, MI which is a suburb of Detroit, MI.) From henceforth they will be known as NorthRidge Church, which is a complete departure from its long Baptist heritage. This is an example of what I have been trying to warn our readers about for a long time. Wholesale numbers of Southern Baptists, and Fundamentalist Baptists have been dropping the name Baptist. They are simply following the teaching of Bill Hybels and Rick Warren. This move on the part of Temple Baptist, has sent shock waves through the Baptist Bible Fellowship International (BBFI).

I first received the news of this name changes from the grandson of G. Beauchamp Vick. Here is what he wrote to me personally. "Bro. Bynum, My name is Larry Bartlett - I am one of the grandsons of Dr. Vick so this letter pains me to have printed, but it needs to be circulated for the obvious reasons. It will be pretty easy to dissect with the Sword of the Spirit! I enjoy your ministry.

Temple Baptist Church was pastored by Albert G. Johnson from 1924-1934. While he preached the fundamentals of the Faith, he never led the Church out of the old liberal Northern Baptist Convention. He went on from Detroit, to pastor the Hinson Memorial Baptist Church of Portland, Oregon from 1934 to 1955. He was born in England, but came to America when he was 25 years of age. He was quite active in the Conservative Baptist movement, which contained some good preachers and churches, but these were unwilling to completely break with the Northern Baptist Convention.

In 1934, Temple Baptist Church called the fiery crusading J. Frank Norris. This meant drastic changes for the Church, which would change their direction for the next half a century. They had never had a pastor like Norris, and it was not long until they separated from the Northern Baptist Convention. His fervent evangelistic preaching brought many souls to Christ and the Church grew by leaps and bounds. Although he never lived in Detroit, he divided his time between the First Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas and Temple Baptist. He alternated between the churches, which was unheard of in those days. I think that he is the only man who was ever successful in doing this. Of course he had to have some good men to assist him in these two churches. Early on he had the good sense to bring G. Beauchamp Vick to assist in Detroit. He was called Superintendent of Temple Baptist Church, but I would say that his duties were more like that of an Assistant Pastor. Norris remained pastor of Temple Baptist Church until 1950 or 1948, depending upon whom you believe. I think his name remained on their Church sign until 1950, but Norris' health was failing and he was there less frequently in the last few years. He remained as pastor of First Baptist Church in Fort Worth until his death in 1952.

In 1950 there was a big split in the World Baptist Fellowship, as it was later called. The largest group went on to form the BBFI, and their undisputed leader was G. Beauchamp Vick. The Temple Baptist Church was indeed the flagship Church of the new BBFI. Vick was a superb organizer and leader who along with others rallied to build the Baptist Bible College in Springfield, MO. Under his leadership Temple Baptist Church of Detroit poured huge amounts of money into the building of the College. It is doubtful that the BBF or BBC would have ever amounted to much, without the fervor, drive, and leadership of G. Beauchamp Vick.
Under the leadership of Norris and Vick, Temple Baptist was a strong Baptist Church teaching Baptist doctrine. I remember visiting in their services on a Sunday Morning in 1962. It was in the midst of a driving rain storm, but there was still over 3,000 people in Sunday School that day. Vick taught the Auditorium Class in Sunday School. It was a huge class and they were studying our Confession of Faith. His subject was baptism and even though he knew there were a large number of preachers present who did not believe this strict Baptist doctrine, he taught it as clear as I have heard it. He covered the four points necessary for Scriptural Baptism that sound Baptists have taught down through the years. He did not soften the doctrine to fit the visitors, and clearly refuted alien immersion. You cannot imagine how disappointed I was when I visited Emmanuel Baptist Church in Pontiac, MI, and saw them practice something very different. How I wished that they had practiced what I heard in Vick's Class.

Vick remained as pastor until the 1970's when he died. This was a great loss to Temple Baptist and the BBFI. In my view they never recovered from it. I was there for the public meetings in 1950 when Norris and Vick split and it was a sad day for me. Without endorsing every thing that each of them did, I can truthfully say that I still greatly admire them both. I think after 50 years for healing, that many who were there could say the same thing.

I think if they knew what has happened, they both would roll over in their graves. They never advocated such things and they never would. Times may have changed, but God's word has not, and Baptist history has not changed. Millions of Baptists have been martyred in the ages past, because they stood for the same doctrines that the name Baptist signifies. Churches are being hoodwinked in to giving up the Bible doctrines of the real Baptists. Next they give up the name Baptist and sink deep into false doctrine.

The BBFI is now in the process of breaking up, because of doctrine and practice. It would be best as the Fellow-SHIP breaks apart, if the sound preachers and churches would refrain themselves from gathering up the old rotten water logged boards and building another Fellow-SHIP. Fellowships are man made organizations, but the local church was organized by the Lord Jesus Christ. They can get the job done until Christ comes for his own.

Below you will read the pathetic announcement from the Pastor of Temple Baptist Church for the change. We are reprinting his quotations from the corrupt NIV, to show the depth of his departure from the truth.

Dear Temple Family Member:
One of the greatest gifts God has ever given me, is the opportunity to be your pastor. I can't imagine being, nor would I want to be, anywhere else in the world with any other people. As I fulfill Gods call on my life to lead this church, I can never forget that my God-given responsibility as pastor is to always be in alignment with God's will. After all, what we do as a church isn't about my will or any other person's will. What we do as a church is about God's will. And, as has always been the case down through the years, God's will isn't always comfortable, convenient, or easy. In fact, it often requires great sacrifice and even hurt. Sacrifice is no less significant today that (sic) it was for Jesus and His first followers.

In this letter I want to share with you what I believe to be a somewhat difficult, and yet, at the same time, a very positive change that will soon be taking place in our church family. It is a change that has to do with our ability as individuals and as a church to fulfill God's call on our lives to share Christ with our world.

One of the key points of our strategy as a church family, for sharing the truth and relevance of Jesus Christ with other people, is to invite them to church. I'm sure you've noticed that we do church differently than most. We have purposed to communicate the truths of Christ in ways that are relevant for today and tomorrow. Unfortunately, our ability to reach many people is being hindered by, of all things, our church name. The reality is that many people today are confused by our name and, because of their confusion, are hesitant to come when invited.

As you know, the word "Temple" is more commonly associated with the gathering places of the Jewish, Hindu, and Buddhist religions. Unfortunately, many people have mistaken us for one of these religious groups. When you put the word "Temple" with church, it really does confuse a lot of people today. And the name "Baptist," in our present culture, often carries with it negative connotations. Many churches of varying beliefs and practices wear the name "Baptist." It creates the ability for people to wrongly judge who we are and what we believe simply by our name, and that in turn, keeps them from hearing our message. For the majority of our church family who are diligently trying to invite people to our church, our name has become a roadblock to those who need to hear about Christ and their need for Him.

Because our name has become an obstacle to fulfilling our God-given purpose, the leaders of this church and I, with a great deal of prayer and through a very disciplined process, have unanimously concluded that it is God's will for us to change the name of our church.

The following thoughts represent some of the key principles that went into this decision which, as many of you know, have already been communicated publicly to the entire church family.

Brad Powell, Senior Pastor

1. God has given us only one cause to live and die for: telling people about Jesus and His salvation in order to give them the opportunity to find life. Luke 19:10 - "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost" John 10:10b - "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." This cause was so important to God that He sent His Son into this world to die on the cross. God believes that a changed life is worth any sacrifice. Because of this, we believe that leading people to faith in Christ should be worth any sacrifice by us as well.
2. God has only given us one name to live and die for: the name of Jesus. Acts 4:12 - "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
3. There is nothing scriptural about our present name: "Temple Baptist Church." Our name is not an issue of conviction. What we believe is a matter of conviction, and what we believe remains the same.
4. Changing our name will not change anything about us. What we believe has never stemmed from what we call ourselves. What we believe stems from the Bible. Our beliefs will remain the same. Our practices will remain the same. The way we teach God's Word will remain the same. The way we do ministry and care for people will remain the same. The only difference will be that our name will no longer be a natural hindrance for people in coming to our church.
5. Changing the name of our church stems from only one desire: the desire to accomplish God's will for our churches will to reach every person we can with the good news of Christ's love. Mark 16:15 - He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."

God's will is not about doing what is easiest or most comfortable. It is about doing what is right. It is about fulfilling His cause. And, God's cause is changed lives, and changed lives are worth any sacrifice we have to make. I know that for some, it is a great sacrifice. I know for those who have traveled with me the farthest, this has the potential to cause hurt. But it is important for us to remember the truth that, for Christ and His followers, a changed life is worth ANY price. As His followers today, we must be willing to pay the price to share His Name with our world.

The name that the leaders of the church and I have unanimously chosen is NorthRidge Church. Because our church is directly on North Ridge Road, it is a name that has a point of geographical significance to us. More importantly, it is a name that does not label us in a way that would naturally prevent someone from coming when invited. It is a name that we will be able to define for our community and world by the way we live, talk, and minister for Christ.

Beginning this week, you will see our new name, NorthRidge Church, in a variety of places. It is our goal to have the change fully implemented by February 1, 2000.

While this may seem very sudden to some people, it is important for you to know that this has been a serious matter of prayer for some time. It has been fully discussed and decided upon by the leaders of your church. It has been fully communicated to all of your ministry leaders, small group attenders, Adult Bible Fellowship attenders, and everyone involved in ministry. Finally, on Sunday, January 2, 2000 and again on Wednesday, January 5, 2000, it was communicated to the entire church family.

While there are many important reasons for this decision, it is impossible to share them all in a letter. I would encourage you to get the tape of my New Life message from Wednesday, January 5th at our LifeMatters Resource Center. I shared in detail both the reasons and the heart behind this change. As always, if you have further questions, I would encourage you to talk to your ministry leader or a pastor.

It is my prayer that you will take this change, whether it is easy or hard for you, and use it to fulfill God's will of inviting people to hear His truth. I trust you will continue praying for me, your leaders and our church and all God desire for us here at NorthRidge. I'm so thankful that God has led you to be part of this amazing church family! I look forward to seeing God use you in great ways in what ultimately matters most leading people to a life of faith in Christ and then on the journey to full devotion one life at a time.

Expecting God's best,
Brad Powell, Senior Pastor

Mr. Brad Powell says that the name Temple Baptist is not a Scriptural name. Then he goes ahead and calls it NorthRidge. How can that be a Scriptural name? The Church is now named after a road, and it carries no biblical are historical significance. There are many charismatic churches, and liberal apostate churches that carry a similar name. It carries no hint of the doctrine that is taught there. They are doing this to please a shameless godless generation which will always object to truth. This is known as people pleasing rather than God pleasing.

What will they do when people object to the name Church? Some are already doing this. Billy Graham and the Pope have both announced that there are saved people in non- Christian religions. This kind of belief is far more prevalent than most people think, and will become more popular as time marches on. It is our belief that this is being foreseen by Powell and others, because of the invention of such names as "LifeMatters Resource Center." No doubt some of these citadels of compromise will one day be known by such a name. How can it be said that "LifeMatters Resource Center" is a a Scriptural name? It identifies no relationship to anything Biblical, but in fact could be used by most any pagan non-Christian religion.

Pastor Powell also says that there will be no change in doctrines. For once I agree with him, because their doctrine changed long before the change in names. This Church has changed in doctrine and practice, from what prevailed back down the road. This pastor has no knowledge of our Baptist history and doctrine. His is trampling underfoot the blood of the martyrs shed in the last 19 centuries of time. It is a complete sell-out of the truth, and an insult to the Temple Baptist Church of yesteryears, and the noble pastors that filled their pulpit.

The doctrine of the NorthRidge Church will not be Scriptural. It will be an open baptism, open communion Church. It will have people pleasing doctrine that will change to reach the crowd. There is an old saying that "if you lie down with the dogs, you will get up with the fleas." A close examination would most certainly reveal that Pastor Powell has been hanging around with the wrong crowd. He has come back with something worse than the fleas. He is following the "Purpose Driven Church" idea promoted by Bill Hybels, Rick Warren and others. It is a landmark structure located far down the road of apostasy.

He talks a lot about Jesus, but this does not mean the Jesus who promoted truth. He warned about those who would not keep His truth. "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46) "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15) Paul warned of those that preach another gospel, another Jesus, and another spirit. "For 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." (II Cor. 11:4) Make no mistake about it, this is not just about a name change. It is a change from the doctrine preached by previous generations of preachers who occupied the pulpit of Temple Baptist Church. I would not quibble on the change of the word "Temple," but I will fight for the noble name Baptist until my dying day. Since they no longer stand for the truth, I think they should drop the name Baptist, and a lot of others ought to do the same.

One final comment about his Bible quotations. I did not notice that any of them were from the King James Bible. They seem to be from the corrupted New International Version. We ordinarily do not print quotations from other versions, but we did in this case to illustrate part of the departure from the truth that this group have made. To see for yourself the new- evangelical purpose driven unbiblical way that this Church has gone, check the website. www.TempleNet.Org

I am quoting in the rest of this column the article by Larry Bartlett, the grandson of G. Beauchamp Vick, former pastor of Temple Baptist Church.

The comedy/tragedy of compromise ends completely on February 1, 2000 when the `new model' will be rolled out. The tragic end is complete as the naive `hangers-on' have been led to abandon Temple's historic Biblical Baptist Heritage by the theologically centrist, Generation-X, CEO, Brad Powell. The long trail of deception culminates as Powell's identity crisis is resolved. By using the Devil's time-honored method of gradualism, Mr. Powell systematically lured the congregation (especially the elderly) away from their fundamental, Biblical roots. By getting rid of the former venerated standard of absolute truth, the King James Bible a few years back, the church was easily moved away from the Biblical standards of separation in almost every area. Compromises in policy, practice, and presentation always follow compromise of Absolute Truth. Pandering to the `trends' of the modern-day, upper- middle class, the church in `Hybelistic' fashion moved to the `user-friendly' approach to the Master's Work. No hard sayings, negative preaching, Bible waving, pulpit pounding, or raised voices. Don't you know folks today do NOT like, nor will they tolerate, being `preached at.' They disdain preachers who proclaim that we are sinners exceedingly. Today's church is looking for positive. . . upbeat . . . and most of all entertaining messages. Use the culture, even if it is decadent, to reach the masses. "I'm O.K., you're O.K."

The compromising slide toward a socialistic and liberal approach to Biblical Christianity actually began back in the mid-1970s after the death of Dr. G.B. Vick. Dr. Vick's successor, Dr. A.V. Henderson took a neutral position on the English Text of the King James Bible as the Absolute Standard. As a result, he actually, unwittingly greased the skids toward the inevitable.

Dr. Truman Dollar, a skilled religious politician and able pulpiteer in his own right, added some liberal grease, by using noted evangelical, Southern Baptists, and non- denominational special speakers to soften up the fundamental Baptist core of the Temple Baptist congregation. Many of these speakers spearheaded Dr. Dollar's covert disdain for the King James Bible by actually introducing into the pulpit the New Age bibles (NIV, NASV etc.), which have become so prevalent in the Laodicean Church of this last generation.

After Dr. Dollar's resignation, Temple Baptist was without a pastor for approximately two years. During the interviewing/candidate process, some of the congregation's staff and lay- leadership revealed their true `colors', by rejecting several fundamental Baptist pastors. And eventually choosing the "progressive moderate-to-liberal `baptist'" CEO - Mr. Powell.

In light of the recent events in the NYSBBF called to our attention - I thought this entry might reveal the magnitude of the apostasy.

God bless you in your defense of the Faith, once delivered.

This `news' of Temple's Demise should SHAKE the brethren - but it probably won't.

Sadly,

Bro. Larry Bartlett - Joshua 1:8-9

(Job 13:4) "...ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value," are Job's words in answer to Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. At the end of Job chapter 12 all three had taken their opportunity to assess Job's problem. Like modern spiritual(?) advisers each based their solutions on the symptoms. For them Job's predicament was easy to diagnose. He was in pain, his body polluted, and his surrounding pathetic. Although they at times gave good advice it rarely applied to Job. He was not being chastised, however he was being proven faithful. God had identified him as a man who was "perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil." (Job 1:1) God also called Satan's attention to the uprightness of Job. Had Job followed the advice of such spiritual physicians along with that of his wife it would have been disastrous. Job's evaluation of these three men was the result of their calculated opinion about outward circumstances. Although they clearly identified his physical condition, their advice didn't come close to addressing the issue. Consequently, Job defined their qualifications clearly when he declared them to be "physicians of no value." Job's condition was not the result of spiritual weakness yet these three analyzed it as such.

All who seek to display a deep regard for a close walk with the Lord God today will likely experience the same criticism. Especially the pastor that follows closely the biblical method of reaching the lost. Although conditions may differ from those Job experienced they will very likely draw the same censure from a crowd ready to judge their lack of enthusiasm toward modern methods. All who are a ready scribe, willing to point out false doctrine and practices will be assessed much the same as Job by these friends(?) who deemed Job as being out of step with God. Note a few topics that raise the ire of those who once practiced the very thing they now criticize others for defending.

While there are not many who name the name of Christ who will openly deny verbal inspiration, subtle insinuations reveal they think otherwise. The subject of translations will be covered briefly later, yet the words in the Authorized Version (KJV) are often denied as being conclusively the translated words which God spoke. Some say they believe in inspiration yet contend that God did not inspire the small "insignificant" adjectives, conjunctions, etc, into the writings. They openly declare these were left up to the scribe.

The Lord placed great emphasis on small things. Such as the mite of the widow who cast in all the living she had and consequently gave more to the cause than the wealthy. (Luke 21:2-4) This was the Lord's appraisal of her action and not the evaluation of the flesh. Note how He feels about seeming unimportant strokes in the inspired Word: "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." (Matt. 5:18) "Jot" (iota) is the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet and symbolizes a very small part of anything. Likewise, "tittle" is virtually the same and indicates the tiniest bit.

It really matters very little how intellectual one sounds, it is the Lord's judgment on any subject that counts both now and forever. All who criticize we who believe that God breathed every word should take heed. Proverbs 30:5 states that "every word of God is pure," and the Lord emphasizes this in Luke 4:4, "...man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." In both instances the word "every" means the entirety of what God has said is meaningful and must be heeded. How could any man be counted more than "physicians of no value" who challenges the inspiration and preservation of every Word of God. Suppose these detectives of God's intentions were indeed capable of determining what God meant to say and didn't, or said and didn't mean. All seekers of truth would be at their mercy to understand God's message.

From where does the Word of God come? The Bible is clear concerning the inspiration of God's Word. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God," leaves no possibility of it coming from any other source. (2 Tim. 3:16) Again "all" indicates the little things in His word are not left to the impulses of human minds. Note also that it is the Scripture that is inspired or divinely breathed into the men who wrote. "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Pet. 1:21) It was the very Word of God which these men spoke. It was God the Spirit that moved both the tongue and the pen.

God is not only the God of inspiration but He is also the God of preservation. Divine inspiration would be of little value apart for Divine preservation. The God of creation is clearly identified as the God of preservation. The heaven and earth is maintained by an all caring God. (Gen. 8:22; Col. 1:17) He has no less care for His eternal Word. The Word of God is for ever settled in heaven (Psa. 119:89). Jesus plainly states, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away," (Matt. 24:35). The language in which the Lord spoke these words does not matter. What does matter is the Lord meant to say exactly what He said. Since this is true it should matter whether the message is faithfully translated in the language all men can read. If Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic were used at various periods of time to convey God's command to men, surely God will not leave me wondering if I have access to His Word today.

"King James Only" is the title applied to all who believe the KJV is the very Word of God for English speaking people. I fit in that term, however, it is not King James that I have confidence in but the God of inspiration and preservation. Since God is not hindered in communicating his message clearly through the mouth of a donkey, (Num 22:28-30) He can surely preserve His Word by any means He desires. Even through men appointed by King James. God has blessed the English speaking world with spiritual revival not when King James is honored but when the Word of God is preached and believed. Many learned men go to great length to prove that errors in abundance are found in the Authorized Version and give little or no attention to the variance between all other versions. They become "physicians of no value" who can only point out the assumed disease of one person and can only say it would be better if another disease replaced it.

A title of mockery was written above the cross identifying the crucified Savior. "And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS," (John 19:19). The next verse reveals "it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin." The chief priest knew that each of the languages stated exactly the same thing. I also know what the title said in English: "Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews." The chief priest, like modern day critical editors of God's word wanted the sign to say something else.

The Word of God has been translated into English and many other languages. The responsibility to heed what is said must be honestly faced. Because responsibility to do this is so weighty on the wicked nature of man he must do something about it. He either must reject it or revise it. Rather than declare the instruction given as being correct he denies preservation, translation, and ultimately inspiration and invents his own method of degeneration.

We who believe the Word of God is preserved in the KJV do not mind the criticism and censures from those who disagree. Although it behooves us to teach that it is the preserved inspired Word of God translated into English. Yet there are those who accept the AV as the very Word of God who are reluctant to accept its teaching on the matter of separation. 2 Cor. 6:14-16 reveals the impossibility of compatibility with anything of the world. The following two verses proclaim the method of handling these undesirable conditions: "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Cor. 6:17,18).

Separation of the Body of Christ from all but spiritual activities is largely ignored. Israel was God's chosen people in the Old Testament record. They were not only to be separated from others but to be separated to God. Mixing of many things were expressly forbidden. The ox and the donkey were not to be yoked together to pull the same instrument. Divers seeds were not to be planted in the same row. The circumcision of the Israelite male made him aware he was different from the rest of society. Solomon was forbidden to mix worship of the true God with that of false gods. He disobeyed to his own detriment. Other instances of worship and work could be cited but this will suffice for now.

What has this to do with the Lord's church today. Baptists of a half century ago would be hard pressed to recognize many worship(?) services today as scriptural. From music to the message in many instances have deteriorated to the point of no return. Too often the pew directs the pulpit both in time and text. Programs have replaced preaching, and ministries(?) have replaced the message. Seeking to enhance attendance by devising new ministries is a tonic whipped up by "physicians of no value" so far as the need of the soul.

Appearance was esteemed highly in Israel's worship to God. Those who served as priest were to so dress as to "cover their nakedness." (Exo. 28:41-43) Before someone begins to interpret this as being applicable only to the priest of the OT, be reminded that all believers are now priests of the Lord. (Rev. 1:6) Consequently believers are to take heed to both actions and appearance. The actions of men are more often addressed than their attire. This in no way leaves the man with no guidance to dress properly. How they treat the older women as well as the young is positively declared. (1 Tim. 5:2) The manner in which men treat and respect women is largely dependent on the attire of the woman. Men are attracted to women in a much different manner than vise versa. There is no doubt left as to the will of God in the matter of women's apparel. The Word of God is clear when it says "that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, . ." (1 Tim. 2:9) Modest apparel is that which "becometh women professing godliness (devoutness; piety)." (v. 10) God's directive in the OT states, "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God." (Duet. 22:5)

This generates laughter in the mind of those who defend women wearing pants. The argument is that some two-legged clothing is made for women. There is an old adage concerning a bossy wife that says "She wears the pants in that house." Meaning of course that she is taking the place of authority in the home. (1 Cor. 11:3) Aside from the question of putting the garment on `one leg at a time,' is the garment modest? Church camps at one time had strict clothing guidelines. No shorts were to be worn by either boys or girls. Later there was the idea that the girls were not privileged to participate in activities in a dress. The argument was that pants would be more modest. The "physicians of no value" have come to the rescue. Then comes the idea of culottes (short pants or long shorts) which would be less restrictive. Or pants could be worn for activities so long as they were loose fitting. (What male camp director would be a suitable judge of that.) As human nature takes its worldly course the women and girls were soon wearing pants or shorts that appeared tight enough to have been sown on the body. If only the silhouette of some women dressed in such pants and a tight fitting sweater (worn even at church camps and some to church services) was viewed it would be difficult to tell if any clothing covered their body. The "physicians of no value" say those who are affected by this are old men with dirty minds. Or that the young men have their mind in the wrong place. It does matter what men think. It matters even more what the Lord thinks. "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Matt. 5:28) The man is certainly at variance with God when he lusts after the woman. However, modest dress on the part of the woman greatly diminishes the likelihood of the man sinning in this manner. What decent woman would want to have part in a man committing adultery in his heart? (See "She Maketh Herself Coverings," by Liz Graf, Tract #B-344.) I know that God looks primarily on the heart (1 Sam. 16:7) but sinful man looks on the outside and it influences his heart.

This brings us to our last consideration.

Israel had found themselves in bondage to other nations as a result of their negligence toward God's command. Egypt and Assyria were two nations used of the Lord to bring judgment upon His people. Isaiah was one of the prophets used to call Israel to repentance and a return to God. Isaiah's injunction to dedication was "touch no unclean thing; . . . be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord." (Isa. 52:11) Paul to the church in 2 Cor. 13:5 said, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; . . ." "Clean" in Isaiah 52:11 means to clarify by examination. "Examine" in 2 Cor. 13:5 means to scrutinize, to discipline. Paul issues a call to dedication in (Rom. 12:1,2): "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

These few verses are among many that call believers and especially the pastor and the church to seek no other remedy for their spiritual ailments than the inspired Word of God which He has divinely preserved in the KJV. May our minds be centered not on the things we do not understand but on the things which we do. The Word is clear on the matter of inspiration, preservation, separation, and dedication. If a wicked man like Pilate can translate into three languages that Jesus is King of the Jews, surely it will be of no great consequence to believe God can use men appointed by King James to give us the preserved Word of God.

Let the Word of God be guide to our actions and not an excuse. Gimmicks and gadgets are rapidly replacing the Gospel to draw crowds. Children's Church is substituted for teaching correct conduct in the regular service. These are not only "miserable comforters" but they come from "physicians of no value." (Job 16:2; 13:4) Such are only looking at the symptoms and not at the sin that causes the spiritual problem. They concoct a cure of human inventions that will never make a dent in restoring the Body of Christ to spiritual health. Rather than humbling the heart they are furnishing the flesh with every enticement invented by man. The only cure? "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chron. 7:14)