Recently I had the pleasure to be in a part of Canada that is home to a number of Mennonite Christians. These are dear people who have chosen to identify their faith by clinging to a lifestyle of the 1500's. Menno Simons, their founder, was ordained a Roman Catholic Priest in 1524 but became a zealous Anabaptist convert and carried his new faith across Holland and Germany. He taught that Scripture was the Churchs sole authority, baptism was by immersion for believers only, demanded non-violence in all forms, and required a simplistic life-style. His influence is still powerfully felt. On the Canadian roadside today are signs warning of Buggy Crossings and plodding along with fast-moving automobiles, tractor trailers, and oil tankers, are the horse-drawn Mennonite-Baptists. Even in the frigid Canadian winters many ride in open wagons, live without electricity, plumbing, or other modern conveniences. Powered equipment is not allowed on most farms and even graves are dug by pick and shovel. Women wear long dresses, dark colors, and bonnets; men wear wide-brimmed black hats, dark clothes, and leave beards unshaved.

 

America was astonished recently by the Christ-likeness in Mennonite Christians when five of their little girls were murdered in their Pennsylvania school. Though their own pain was unspeakably great, the Mennonite community immediately rushed to the killers family who was also catatonic with fear and ministered love to them. That takes grace!

 

While some Mennonites accept a more modern lifestyle, one of the current Amish-Mennonite debates which interested me in Canada was whether or not one is allowed to put rubber rims on his buggy wheels. To old-school Mennonites such precautions are necessary to keep the church pure. At this point Biblical Christianity and man-made religion become confused. Many of the worlds 30,000 different Christian denominations use similar trifles as a test of proving their right-standing with God--and to prove the wrong-standing of others. However, it was this kind of religious fatuity with which Jesus confronted the Jews.

 

In comparison to other Christian groups, Mennonite conversion-rate is extremely low but they have demanded a genuine new birth for their followers and remained numerically strong. Many of the youth remain in the fold because they are isolated from the world around them. Those who leave are shunned by their families, frequently disinherited, and even denied burial in Mennonite cemeteries. Human nature being as it is and the need for acceptance paramount, such harshness works well.

 

Mennonites are of special interest to me as the body of Primitive Baptists in which I grew up came from their identical Anabaptist ancestry of medieval Europe. And like our Mennonite cousins we battled many of the same negative influences. As with Israel in the wilderness, when the Tabernacle Cloud began moving in the 1700's and calling Baptists to change, our churches locked their arms, set their faces like flint, and said, No! We will not move! Today, the cloud is long gone, completely out of sight, and thousands of these once-great churches have perished, abandoned in the desert. Such is the price of religious stubbornness. Oddly, the parties responsible for killing churchesanciently or today invariably see themselves as innocent and totally free of blame. And this is my reason for writing this article:

 

Whenever any groupBaptist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Methodist, or other--rejects the leadership of the Holy Spirit, it automatically opens itself to the control of another spirit of a dangerously evil kind.

 

That invasive spirit may wear a deceptive, pious-looking, religious dress. Its purpose is to pervert, to prejudice, and to paralyze spiritual growth. If it goes undetected, it can be imminently successful. For example, when the Holy Spirit began leading English Baptists into foreign evangelism and other vital changes, the great majority of churches drew back with an emphatic, No! Change meant the introduction of new ideas. The mind-set of the day was, If it isnt old, it isnt God. When the London Missionary Society was established in 1795 William Carey pleaded for Baptist support for gospel missions to India. In the height of his tearful appeal however, one of the senior Elders shouted at him, Young man! Sit down! When God gets ready to save the heathen He will do it without you! In that moment, prejudice was speaking, paralysis was preparing to stop the move of God. Surprising as it may seem to us, the spokesman represented the vast majority of Baptists in that day. Not only so, but he spoke for those who would identify themselves centuries later as Primitive or Old School Baptists. By Careys time, the name Anabaptistmeaning re-baptizer--had been abbreviated to Baptist.

 

Like our Mennonite brothers, my childhood church in Miami, Florida, Little Flock, was an old-line Primitive Baptist congregation--one of the citys first arriving Christian assemblies--that worshiped in a plain, undecorated, open-room structure with separate seating for men and women. Musical instruments were strictly forbidden, the interior was austere, benches were hard, and the services tediously long. Sermons were frequently chanted.

 

A Cross was not allowed on the building and we had no night services. Some of our churches were built with separate doors for males and females to enter. Most of the hymns (which I will always love) were written in the 1700's and many songbooks contained no musical notes. Offering plates were never passed among the peoplecontributions were usually made privately. Pastors were unsalaried circuit-riders and congregations met on designated Sundays only. We were trapped in a time-warp with all modern benefits forbidden. That trap not only excluded instrumental music but Sunday Schools, Mission Societies, Youth Meetings, and every other helpful auxiliary. Except for dress, worship at Little Flock resembled a 1700's congregation. That may have been realistic practice in Colonial America but became tragic religious law for all future generations. Though we made no claim to Menno Simons his influence made great claim on us.

 

Even so, God blessed us and as a teenager I had a dramatic, life-changing encounter with Him in a Primitive Baptist Church. I was baptized, ordained to ministry in 1949, and for the next 30 years this body of believers was home for my lifes work. Unlike the old-line, the congregation I joined had a piano, youth meetings, Bible classes, and discouraged the out-dated practices. Pastors in both camps were sometimes powerfully anointed and at times I saw them literally bathed in the glory of God. Other times I witnessed an aura or halo come on both speakers and hearers. Belatedly, I realized this did not happen because we were Primitive Baptist; it happened because we were worshiping Jesus. In my early years of preaching I saw whole congregations be seized with such rapture that they broke into uncontrollable weeping and shouting. About that same time, one of the pastors I traveled with, W. I. Dobbs of Girard, Illinois, was an elderly brother who had actively preached in the 1800's. He told me of great revivals among Primitive Baptists (called Old School Baptists in northern states), one in which he baptized 500 new believers. I was amazed, but then he said, That year my father baptized 700.

 

A practice in the original P.B. Churchesand one which began disappearing in the early 1900's--required anyone seeking baptism and membership to come before the congregation and relate an experience of grace. As a parallel of ancient Israelites seeking shelter in the cities of refuge, Numbers 35, each new member had to give a convincing testimony of his saving-encounter with Jesus. In my childhood I remember hearing of a young woman who had no such testimony but desperately wanted to impress the family of a certain gentleman in the congregation. To do so, she lied about her experience of grace. When she finished speaking, the pastor who had studiously listened to her, asked, Does that testimony come from your heartor from your mouth? For a moment she hesitated, said, My heart ... and fell dead before the congregation. The scene of Ananias and Sapphira had reappeared.

 

My grandmother told me with tears how, as an un-baptized young woman in the 1890's, she feared her testimony was insufficient and earnestly prayed for an encounter with God which would be assuring to the church. Soon afterwards she was awakened late one night to find the entire house filled with Light. (This was before the days of household electricity) She sat up in bed staring incredulously at the radiance around her. The brightness seemed to be coming from a certain place and as she rose from bed to approach it, every chair, table, item, was visible throughout the rooms. The Glory of God surrounded her. As she neared the Presence it suddenly vanished and the house was plunged back into darkness. The effect on her was life-changing and when she tearfully shared her experience of grace with the church she was eagerly received and baptized. When grandma died at age 95 the memory of that night was still as permanent and impacting as when it first happened. Though radically faded now in Primitive Baptist congregations, such was the Holy Spirits power in these churches a century ago.

 

The body of progressive churches I joined made a noble but failing attempt to escape medieval practice and introduce change. I say failing because no effort was made to restore the churches to the historic doctrine of Justification by Faith. This truth had been the cornerstone of orthodox Baptist belief and was well established in their London Confession of Faith of 1689. But--by 1900it had been systematically forced from Primitive Baptist pulpits. A conflict between the denominations interpretation of unconditional election and Justification by Faith denied the need for personal belief in salvation. For example, an unbelieving, unrepentant, Hindu or Muslim who never hears the name of Jesus will still be saved--if he is Gods elect. If he is not Gods elect, his hearing the gospel will not matter anyway. To justify that posture, huge parts of Scripture are ignored. Since the gospel is unneeded for anyones salvation, Primitive Baptist evangelism is non-existent. Consequently, no one is ever exhorted to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Acts 16:31. Had I or some other minister rightly preached the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believes, or, God so loved the world that ... whosoever believes in Him should not perish, Romans 1:16, John 3:16, we would have been quickly excommunicated.

 

More effort is made to protect the denominations interpretation of particular, eternal, and unconditional election than to protect the rest of Scripture.

 

There is an obsession with this one principle and excuses are instantly raised for all other Bible passages that conflict with it. As a result, young people in the Church are indoctrinated but not necessarily converted. With that is an unspoken assumption that all denominational youth are elect. The reverse possibility is never considered. At this point, Primitive Baptists are as insulated from accepting any unfamiliar Bible truth as much as are Mennonites about airplanes and automobiles.

 

My great-great-grandfather and his son were both circuit-riding, pioneer Florida Primitive Baptist preachers during the States Seminole War and Civil War days, 1835-1865. One was a member of the Florida Bar and the State Legislature. I own the eldest ones Bible. This is my ancestry, these are people and churches whom I will always love in the greatest possible way. Even so, I refuse to be part of the denominations self-destruction--to ignore it--or be silent about it. This year I am 76 years old and have been around the Primitive Baptist camp longer than my critics. If I am not qualified to challenge the denomination, who is?! Will my cry be heeded? Probably not.

 

In 1952 I personally wrote some 3,000 Primitive Baptist Churches in the United States, pleading with them to recognize the decline we were in and to seek Gods restoration. My appeal was not only ignored but ridiculed. Today I seriously doubt that 500 of those 3,000 churches are still alive. I preached the final denominational sermon in the old Hopewell, New Jersey church, founded in 1715, where John Hart, signer of the Declaration of Independence is buried. Near him are numerous graves of Revolutionary War soldiers who died in the church-hospital. John Gano, George Washingtons Chaplain, preached here. Today, the beautiful brick building is a museum. Its gospel is as silent as its cemetery. Why?! Preaching Christ was substituted for an emphasis on predestination, sovereignty of God, unconditional election, and other loveless, hard-line denominational doctrines. I cannot overemphasize this point:

 

Even when doctrines are true, if their purpose does not glorify Jesus, they become heresy.

 

Many of the Nations oldest Baptist Churches were Primitive Baptistbut before their degeneration. The first pioneers to cross the Appalachian Mountains and travel the Ohio River on log-rafts for the purpose of establishing a church in Indian territory were Primitive Baptists. The city of Cincinnati now marks the site. The oldest Protestant church in Illinois where I once preached was Primitive Baptist. In numerous other states the story is the same. Abraham Lincoln was sexton in his parent's Primitive Baptist Church, Pigeon Creek. When I moved to Atlanta to begin ministry in 1949 I discovered that the oldest churches in the city and the surrounding area were Primitive Baptist. In the same region now covered by metropolitan Atlanta there were probably 35 Primitive Baptist Churches when I arrived nearly 60 years ago. Today, Atlantas historic Baptist shrines are gone with the wind and pioneer graveyards mark the sites. Our Mennonite cousins at least survived, Primitive Baptists did not. Not only so, but those surviving do not care enough to correct the problem.

 

Even with its record of colossal failure, the denomination self-righteously claims to be Gods true Church, to have the only valid baptism, the only legitimate Communion, the only authentic gospel. Baptisms are of no value unless done by themyet, comparativelythey baptize none while others baptize millions. They close thousands of churches while others are ablaze with New Testament Revival. To people Scripturally informed, such claims are embarrassingly empty exaggerations. Rubber on the buggy wheel is an equally valid subject. Am I being too hard? If love for my childhood church is my motivation, the answer is No! I am not being hard enough. No accusation is too hard until the preachers wake up and make deliberate changes..

 

As with some other Christian groups, there is no Kingdom-consciousness in Primitive Baptist theology--only Church-consciousness. And this absence prevents the leadership from rightly discerning the Lords Body. 1 Corinthians 11:30-31. Whether one fails to discern the Lords Body in the bread and wine of Communion or to discern His presence in the congregation across the street, the failure is the same and the consequence is the same. The eye cannot say to the hand , I have no need of you; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you." 12:21. God does not read church signs to determine who belongs to Him and such arrogant denominational claims is a flagrant insult to the Cross. Paul explained the reason such churches die when he said: For this cause (failing to discern the Lords Body) many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. Thankfully, the Apostle also gives the remedy for this deadly state: For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. Read it for yourself! The judgment can be counteracted only by churches daring to embrace other believers. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. 1 Corinthians 12:12,13.

 

Thankfully, a few Primitive Baptist Churches and pastors are seeing the need for serious alteration and are struggling to free themselves from the judgment of weakness, sickness, and death. I salute them, pray for them, and encourage them! But, again, it is too little, too late to save the denomination. Internally, it is too schismatic, too weakened, too far beyond rescue, and in my opinion God has already removed the candlestick. Revelation 2:5. The Glory is departed and Ichabod is written on the door. I Samuel 4:19-22. While individual churches will survive, only fragments remain of the organizations former greatness and no one group is large enough the claim the title denomination.

 

This question unavoidably touches all Christians: Why did it happen?! How could so many God-loving churches vanish from the earth? Jesus gave the answer when He warned the Jews, "You reject the commandment of God that you may keep your own tradition ... you make the word of God of no effect through your tradition. Mark 7:9. It is unnecessary to look further for explanations. Specifically, when the Tabernacle Cloud moved, instructing Baptists to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, Acts 1:8, 13:47, Primitive Baptists said No, to God. And God said No back to them. And He has had the final word.

 

Today, many Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, and other denominational churches have lost sight of the truth which a Roman Catholic Priest, Menno Simons--who became an avowed evangelical Anabaptist--taught centuries ago. While wrong on some opinions he was absolutely right on this one: Scripture is the Churchs sole authority. Denominational opinion has none. Even when doctrines are true, if their purpose does not glorify Jesus, they become heresy. Beautiful as denominational tradition may be, there is no spiritual nourishmentno powerno life--in it. Like cosmetics on a corpse, tradition makes a cadaver look alive when the spirit has been long departed. Worst still, tradition takes a living body and restricts it as if it were dead. Finally, I add the strongest warning possible to those denominations who are ignoring Gods Word and implementing their own egoistic choices:

 

Whenever any group rejects the leadership of the Holy Spirit it automatically opens itself to the control of another spirit of a dangerously evil kind..

 

Today, the Cloud of God is moving again worldwide. It is calling all Christians everywhere to reach beyond their partisan walls and receive the full New Testament empowering of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8. Some 500,000,000 believers from all denominations have responded. Thatis one-fourth of Christianitys total world-wide population! Such a step is not always easily taken. In 1977, after the greatestmost horrendously difficult--spiritual battle of my life, the Cloud moved me out of my isolationism and into Kingdom-ministry. Today I love the Church more than ever before but I am now free to embrace the whole Body of Christ. My attachment to denominational fragments is ended. Buggy wheels, half-truths, denial of Scripture, is over. A Reformation greater than the one Luther saw is here. With that fact undeniably before us, we need to surrender our objections, come reverently back to God, and receive all that He has for us. Perhaps this old 1700's-hymn can become our prayer:

 

                    Return, O Holy Dove, return!

                        Sweet Messenger of rest;

                        I hate the sins that made Thee mourn

                        And drove Thee from my breast!

 

                        The dearest idol I have known,

                        Whatever that idol be,

                        Help me to tear it from Thy Throne

                        And worship only Thee!

 

                        So shall my walk be close with God,

                        Calm and serene my frame,

                        So purer Light shall mark the road

                        That leads me to the Lamb!

 

                                    Amen!

 

 

WE HAVE A CHOICE By James Robinson

 

The following is quoted from James Robinsons full page message to America in USA TODAY, Tuesday, October 24, 2006.

 

 

WE MUST HAVE GODS POWER and protection in order to miss our enemies plans for us. Without this divine miracle, unparalleled, indescribable devastation is coming to our shores---truly the sum of all fears. Im not referring to the natural disasters we are already witnessing and the challenges that reveal our nations soul and character. Im talking about deliberate destruction directed by the deadly actions of evil men. Many times in prayer, I have seen agonizing pain and suffering resulting from a direct nuclear or biological strike in major population centers in the United States. I see masses of people crying out in fear and panic from destruction and death beyond comprehension. There is a cry for help and mercy, for a way of escape, for protection, for communication, for news of loved ones. Comfort is totally disrupted. A sense of total loss jeopardizes our way of life. Prayer is prevalent. People are desperate for help---even divine intervention. No one asks, Is there a God? It seems everyone is looking for Him, including those who once moved to keep God out of public life. Many ask, Why?Others ask, Where was God when this happened. But people are not questioning the faith of others. They are looking for faith in others. There is brokenness and humility, along with humiliation, as those who once thought they stood firm, rapidly fall. Many high towers crumble. Households and communities tremble in the aftermath. Our way of life pales compared to the simple desire for life itself. The only strength and hope for the future comes from those who are truly strong in the Lord ...For the full-length copy log on to www.WeHaveaChoice.org