Ephesians 6:10-13, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
One of the saddest things that I have seen in my 41 years as a born-again believers (I was saved at age 13) is pastors who don't stand. I was only 5 years old in 1972 when Dr. Hyles preached this beautiful sermon. The older I get the more I understand what Pastor Hyles means in this encouraging quote:
“I've been preaching a long time, and I've watched a lot of things happen. To me the saddest thing that I've watched in my life, apart from my own country going to the Devil nearly, has been the change of preachers and churches. I find myself amazed and stunned with near disbelief, as I see men who once stood who don't stand anymore ... I know every week I cry some, I mean cry, I mean tear cry, because of preachers who are turning.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, from the 1972 sermon titled: “I SHALL NOT BE MOVED”
I get encouraged every time I read that quote, because I have seen the same thing in my lifetime, and especially today in 2021. I cannot think of more than a handful of pastors who are really standing, I MEAN STANDING! I get tired of hearing Baptist pastors attack Pastor Steven Anderson, when he is STANDING!!! America's pulpits have become weak! You'll have a hard time finding a church and pastor today who truly STAND for morality, right doctrine and truth in the community. I don't agree with everything Pastor Anderson says and does, but I stand with my brother who is standing. I am a friend at midnight.
I need to write a separate blog about the woeful problem of pastors who won't contend for the faith today. Bob Jones University's women's basketball team is called “The Bruins.” BJU's The Bruins competes in intercollegiate sports with Pensacola Christian College's team “The Eagles.” Folks, look at the perverse false gospel that Dr. Steve Pettit (president of BJU) preaches! BJU fully endorses their alumni Pastor John MacArthur and his ungodly Calvinist ministry in California!!! What am I saying? I have no idea...lol. No, seriously, I am saying that right doctrine ought to matter to us more than it does! By allowing their college students at PCC to yoke together with BJU they are bidding Godspeed to them. I am one of only a couple people preaching against Bob Jones University for teaching Lordship salvation.
I could name a bunch of popular big name Bible colleges, well-known pastors and thriving churches today who go along quietly with Bob Jones University and won't say a word of warning about BJU or John MacArthur or the perverse teaching of "Lordship" salvation. Today's pastors and churches have become far too comfortable, complacent and indifferent toward false teachers! Pastors have become distracted by the work of the ministry, so that buildings, budgets and business meetings matter more than right doctrine and people. PEOPLE ARE THE MINISTRY!
When Pastor Grayson Fritts took an uncompromising faithful Biblical stand in Knoxville, Tennessee against the wicked LGBTQ movement, hundreds of scared local pastors and churches disassociated with him. Pastor Fritts was persecuted by Cracker Barrel restaurant, the chain refusing to serve their church events. It is wickedness!!! Ungodly newsmedia, website and magazine covers bared false witness against Pastor Fritts, falsely accusing him of saying that police should kill gays.
The truth is that Pastor Fritts simply upheld Leviticus 20:13 in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, which calls for capital punishment (by due legal judicial process) for homosexuality. There is a world of difference between preaching that the government should have laws criminalizing homosexuality, versus saying that police should kill gays. Do you see how wicked people slander, twist and dishonestly distort reality? Psalms 56:5, “Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.” The Devil is the father of all liars, and children of the devil are also liars (John 8:44).
Did you know that as recently as 1962 homosexuality was a punishable crime in all 50 states? It's true! So why is the media today so alarmed and hellbent on demonizing and censoring any pastor who dares to call for the government to go back to punishing homosexuals? God hasn't changed folks, we have! The Bible hasn't changed, our society has. Jesus Christ is the SAME yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). God never changes (Malachi 3:6). In theology it is said that God is “immutable,” which means He cannot change! God's holiness cannot change. God's love and His promises cannot change. The Bible is forever settled in Heaven (Psalms 119:89). If you are wise you will attach yourself to the things of God which are eternal. This world and everything in it is only temporal. Ye must be born again (John 3:7).
Thank God that some things never change! American culture has been deteriorating at a rapid speed, becoming worse and worse each year for the past century. It is a strange and frightening phenomena to watch how our American culture has changed for the worse each generation, and to see what was once despicable and wrong to be promoted today as respectable and right. Who would have imagined a time in the United States when homosexuality, adultery, indecency, shady advertising, abortion and Marijuana smoking would all be legal. I am so sick of it all! And sadly, right doctrine doesn't matter anymore to most pastors, churches and Bible colleges. People simply follow their leader like dumb sheep.
Pastors' Steven Anderson and Grayson Fritts are exactly what America needs today—preaching preachers!!! That is why Satan has banned their preaching. YouTube removed 6,500 sermon videos by Pastor Anderson. Since, they have censored thousands more, again and again, silencing his voice for righteousness. Ultimately, in eternity every human being will be held accountable by our Maker for every good and evil deed done (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Matthew 12:36). Those wicked people today who silence the Bible preacher will be held accountable for all the people who would have been helped and saved, but weren't because they held back THE TRUTH from them.
This is a brief article, but volumes of books could be written on this important matter. Now is the time for Bible preachers to stand! What is preaching? Pastor Jack Hyles rightly said that preaching is truth set on fire! Preaching is trying to convince other people to adopt our mindset. Teaching is merely the transfer of knowledge from one mind to another mind; but preaching is the appeal of one soul to another to change, to repent, to think differently and head toward a new course. The homosexual community have been preaching their vile LGBTQ message for decades. Now is not the time for God-fearing, Bible-believing, Christians to dip our sails and stop preaching THE TRUTH of God's inspired Word. STAND!
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