So Who is the Bully?

Even if I don’t mention any names of other bloggers, I am criticized and called hateful. I guess to criticize is to be considered hateful. So the gloves are off. I have been nice for too long. Montoya and Davis can’t handle any critique. I am sick and tired of them pontificating on and on about all things spiritual and yet so gleefully attack anyone who supports Texas Baptist (BGCT).  What is good for the goose is good for the gander guys. Yall can dish it out but ya can’t take it. What a bunch of wimps!!

There I did it, I mentioned the “bloggers” names and just you wait and see the name calling really kick in.   They will call me ignorant and other names just to demean me. So who is still in the school yard? Who is the bully? Ever notice how they don’t allow for decending views and rip those “offending” views to shreds? Ever notice how they will even go so far as to question your Christianity and calling into the ministry? So who is the one pushing others in the back?

Who is wimping out and not coming to the convention? Who can’t get what they want and so stay home and yell from afar? Who is strongly encouraging churches and individuals to withhold funds and in the process hurt many innocent bystanders? So stop being a bully and man up and start your own convention? What is the old phrase: “Lead, follow or get out of the way.” So guys you obviously don’t wanna lead and you darn well aint gonna follow, so that leaves it for you to get out of the way.

So who is the bully? Just wait and see how they respond. Oh, they may just fume and refuse to give me time of day. Just know I WILL NOT block any response they have. So fire away guys.

And we wait and we wait!

So it is these days, as we nervously await the supposed “Enguirer” like slam down from the blogger.

And we wait and wait. And eventually we realize it is nothing but hot air and the blogger won’t go away. He will write on and on about how persecuted and threatened he is and we all let out a collective yawn.

Yaaaaawn!!!

Extremist Defined

These lines are from a post on Rick Davis’ blog:

“Extremists offer to leave as soon as their work is done but insist they are the only ones who can decide the end of their purpose.”

“Extremists operate well in the sound-bite. Debate, they deride.”

Seems like the perfect description of another blogger of infamy.

Promises, Promises, Promises

That is what a blogger has been offering for a very long time. Promises of more wild and crazy revelations about the BGCT. He promised that heads were gonna roll and the Building was gonna shake, rattle and roll.

Even recently there was a claim that things were gonna come apart in the “next two weeks”. But alas, still nothing. So he waits in anticipation for more earth shattering scandals to come down the pipe. And he waits and he waits.

Why he even blogs about waiting and being patient. Well, it is time to put up or shut up. He even promises to shut up once all is revealed and he will pull his blog down. That he will leave all the dirty laundry to be published by others. My response to that is, “Yeah, right!!”

I can picture him setting all alone on the goal line, waiting for the team to bring the football for him to spike in the endzone. But the lights were turned out a long time ago. The stands are empty and no one is cheering anymore. Oh, he claims others will carry the ball over the goal line and he will just watch. Aint gonna happen.

It is high time to admit defeat and throw in the towel. The promises are getting old and worn out. Everyone knows they have been played. Climb onto the horse and ride off into the proverbial sunset. Pull the curtain down on the last scene of a long drawn out melodrama.  Let’s all leave the theater and go on serving the Lord faithfully and with confidence.

My Heart is Sad

When someone post on thier blog a quote from another individual that could be embarassing, it would be wise to check the legitimacy of said quote. If not then the blogger loses integrity and honesty.

But then the blogger who posts such inflammatory quotes, has already lost integrity and honesty. Someone who is out to discredit another brother in Christ, is an embarassment to Christianity.  It does not speak well of a Christian who desires a followers demise. It smacks of revenge and hatefulness.

We have too many hurtful images of Christianity without adding to the list. And posting inflammatory quotes does not help. Said blogger used to be friends with the “offender”. And now the blogger tears down his former friend. Sounds so much like revenge to me.

The blogger was once an insider who brought down others,but then was ignored. He has seemingly switched “sides” and is going against his former friend.

It is an obession with the blogger. It consumes much of his time and energy. He is not happy and will never truly be happy until more heads roll and people stand and cheer him. He wants the applause and attention to come back to him.  He was a high roller in the early days of the Baptist battles. But now he is low man on the totem pole. So attacking former friends is his drug of choice.

I truly feel sorry for the blogger. My heart is sad.

This is Too Wild!!!

Here is an article I found on the Baptist Today website. This is too weird to even  be serious, but it is!!!

“The Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton, N.C. will celebrate Halloween by burning Bibles that aren’t the King James Version, as well as music and books and anything else Pastor Marc Grizzard says is a satanic influence.

Among the authors whose books Grizzard plans to burn are well known ministers Rick Warren and Billy Graham because he says they have occasionally used Bibles other than the King James Version, which is the sole biblical source he considers infallible.

According to the church’s Web site, members will also burn “Satan’s music such as country, rap, rock, pop, heavy metal, western, soft and easy, southern gospel, contemporary Christian, jazz, soul (and) oldies. “We will also be burning Satan’s popular books written by heretics like Billy Graham, Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, John McArthur, James Dobson, Charles Swindoll, John Piper, Chuck Colson, Tony Evans, Oral Roberts, Jimmy Swagart, Mark Driskol, Franklin Graham, Bill Bright, Tim Lahaye, Paula White, T.D. Jakes, Benny Hinn, Joyce Myers, Brian McLaren, Robert Schuller, Mother Teresa, The Pope, Rob Bell, Erwin McManus, Donald Miller, Shane Claiborne, Brennan Manning (and) William Young.

During the book burning, according to the Web site, barbecued chicken fried chicken and “all the sides” will be served.”

The only bright thing about the article is the BBQ!!!

Well, well, well, should we send to his bonfire, oops, can’t call it that. His book burning, some of the lousy SBC Sunday School literature. Afterall they use that evil Holman Christian Standard Bible. I just bet the dude has written his own books and they aren’t gonna go on the pile.

I wonder if he preaches KJV. You know how it goes, “Oh, Lordeth, we thanketh thee for not makingeth me a sinner like those brethren over thereith. Thank thou for amazing grace for meith and not for themith. Lordeth judge them harshly. Smote them with thy righteous anger. Amen and Amen!”

As most true students of God’s word know, that at the time KJV was an awesome translation. But we also know that much more accurate translations from more accurate sources give so much more than KJV. It is written in a language that is foriegn to most people. Many of the words used are out of date and are not appropriate. Having said that, if you want to use KJV, fine and dandy. Just don’t claim it to be “good enough for Paul and Peter” then it’s good enough for us.

I can still remember trying to read KJV soon after becoming a Christian and getting bogged down in it. Soon I was reading a modern version and understood and grew. I suspect the pastor of the not so Amazing Grace Baptist Church, “translates” the KJV from the pulpit often. He probably uses such phrases as “in other words” the Bible is saying this. He “translates” it into modern language so the average person can understand it. So using his own judgemental attitude, he too is a heretic. Hey, lets burn him too!! Just kidding.

What a sad and pitiful testimony this guy is sending out to a lost and lonely world.  He presents another reason why many are turned off from Christianity.

Getting Happy over Revenge

The Bible seems to be pretty clear in the overall teaching that we are not to rejoice when bad people get what is coming to them. From Proverbs 24:17 we read: “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles.”

There are some out in the blogosphere who are apparently rejoicing that some doom and gloom is supposedly about to fall on the BGCT. It is as if they are running around giving each other high fives in celebration. As a matter of fact on one blog the blogger is practically gleeful about all that may or may not come down.

I know when President Bush was in office there were some who wished for his demise. Some just couldn’t stand him and wanted him to fail at every thing he did. I remember a movie came out with the suggested theme of killing President Bush. Understand I voted for Bush, but did not agree with everything he did. I was very upset with his establishment of the faith based initiative. I was upset with a number of other things he did. But he was the president and I wished no ill on him.

I disagree with a lot that President Obama is doing. But I do not wish his demise or falling. He falls, we all fall. He messes up it reflects on us all.

The same is true of the BGCT. I do not wish failure on them. Those that seem gleeful that some may fall, are projecting failure on us all. If they fall, so do we.  The BGCT is a reflection on us, albeit not perfect in any way, but they are us and we are them.

So what are we to do? Pray God be glorified. Pray His name be lifted high.

Why would anyone pray for a lawsuit against the BGCT? Why would anyone desire the FBI destroy anyone within the BGCT? Yet there are those out in the blogland who seem to desire this. Why the tone on one  blog changed to rejoicing and celebration. One blogger is happy and glad to finally see the possibility of doom to come down on the BGCT.

Maybe we ought to remember Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind one to another tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ sake has forgiven you.”

Let us pour well springs of kindness and not revenge and harm. God will take care of those who do harm. We need to get out of the way and pray.

For those within the BGCT, know that you are all in my prayers. I pray God shield and protect the innocent. Those who are at fault, God will ultimately deal with them. In the meantime, let us not rejoice when justice is meted out.  But instead seek His grace to cover the whole situation.

Let’s not get happy over revenge.

The Sky is Falling!!!

With our economy still in the tank and more jobs  being loss, it would be real easy to go lock ourselves up in a closet.  Some seem to think the sky is falling.

As if that is not enough, with supposed recent new information coming out about Valleygate, one would think the BGCT is about to implode.  God is still God and He still reigns, so I am not worried about “new” scandals and revelations.

Those who have been pushing, dare say,  begging for more dirt to come out about Valleygate are aglow with happiness about some supposed new investigation into these matters. They think some heads are gonna roll. The Bible tells us to not rejoice when the bad get  justice. Instead we are to pray. I’m afraid there is a little too much high five moments out on the blogosphere.

I sincerely pray those, as some bloggers call them, “in the building”, are not discouraged by the blanket condemnation being thrown at them from some circles. I guess by calling them “the building” makes it less personal and easier to point fingers.  Not everyone feels like those few bloggers who live for slamming all who are employed by the BGCT as evil doers.

Many, many Baptist, I dare say, the majority support and pray for the BGCT. I know there aren’t many bloggers out who defend the BGCT. But I know most do NOT feel like the loud and obnoxious bloggers that find fault with anything that comes out of the BGCT. 

The sky isn’t falling.

Is the TBC Needed?

It is appropriate, now that David Currie has resigned as the Executive Director of Texas Baptist Committed,to ask if it is needed today. Is it useful and necessary to have them around?

TBC has been on the firing line keeping our churhces aware of the dangers of fundamentalism for over two decades. Some feel the threat  is over. That is the farthest from the truth. As I speak there is at least one church in my association that is being hoodwinked into leaving the BGCT and switching to the SBTC. They were told a one sided story of how evil and bad the BGCT is. To date I don’t think any representative from the BGCT was asked to “defend” the false accusations from the SBTC speaker.

Yes, TBC was needed to defend the BGCT from fundamentalist takeover and it is safe from that because of their work.  But now the “takeover” is at the local church level. As soon as a church is without a pastor, a “respresentative” from the SBTC comes in and tells far fetching stories of how the BGCT “supports” homosexualilty, abortion, doesn’t believe the Bible and the list goes on and on. All of those are lies. There is no other way to describe it.

So the threat is still there and TBC needs to keep churches informed. Maybe the focus of TBC needs to switch to the local church level and less toward the BGCT.

Fundamentalism is about control. And control they will, by stealth if necessary. They aren’t able to sneak into the BGCT anymore, but they sneak into local churches. The send fundamentalist pastor’s to do “interim” work at pastorless churches and “win” them over to their side.

Yeah, TBC is needed. Keep up the good work but reform to meet the needs of local churches. The BGCT is fine, it is the local churches that are in danger.