*Personal Note From Don: Folks, while I appreciate the good words and encouragement I do not want this to be about me. This week is about the excesses and outright error to be found in the IFB world. I found that by the end of the week I was dealing with a mixture of emotions. Anger at the arrogance of a movement that is so disillusioned it believes it is God’s last best hope for Biblical Christianity, and pity that ignorance is exalted to such a level of authority and that tradition has replaced Christ as the focus of worship. I watched as a type of rhetorical manipulation took place and the mass of folks listening did not even realize what was taking place. They believe, because they want to believe. And it hurt because I was just like them not that long ago. Only God can open their blinded eyes.

Here is the Wednesday report.

Opening Song: Saved, Saved

“Wednesday is church time, Amen?”

– No ball games or anything like that.
– Keep the main thing the main thing.
– 20th anniversary of having the SOTL at Gospel Light
– Thanks to the Leadership of Bobby Robertson
– Next week is Bobby’s 80th Birthday
– Bobby has been pastoring at GLBC for 55 years

Story time with Bobby:
Text: Job 16:11-12
Title: “As a Mark for Him’

More story time
“You are either in a battle, coming out of a battle or going into a battle”
The Mark of Grace
– The Mark of Separation by Grace
– We need some compassion
– Mark of Grace is shown by: separation, spirituality, and service
– Go out there where they are at
– God gives the increase
The Mark of Growth
– Maturity
The Mark of Gratitude
– I’m my worst enemy
– We are just not grateful
– Be thankful
More story time
Grace- Growing- Grateful
Occupy till Jesus comes

Congregational song: “Living for Jesus”
Announcements :
SOTL commercial
Offering
Field update from Soul Winning in Winston: (21) souls were saved today, the Soul Winning group turned in 21 cards.
*The offering is off from what they would like for it to be maybe this will catch it up tonight

Up Next: Tim Rabon

Opening Monologue:
-Pleasure to be here
-Thanks Bobby
-Mentions Jack Hyles
-Props to Rice, Hutson and Smith
-Privilege to preach here
Story Time: The first time he shook Bobby’s hand was 20 years ago at some conference and bobby was with Jack Hyles. If you had told him then that Bobby sould know his name and be friends with him he would not have believed it. (*gush… fawn…)

Text: Kings 1-12 (a twelve verse preacher? Must not be that good if he has to use that much Text.)
Title: “The Fight for the Future”
– He wants to see his grandchildren have the same type of Church his children had but it will not happen without a fight.
– There’s a battle raging against the home
– There’s a battle raging for the next generation
– It’s a battle to reduce Godliness in our lives
– The Devil delights to destroy the children of God
– Children are born sinners
– Children do not tend to obey
– You have to train them to obey
– When you see a three year old acting up it makes him want to go over there and just shake the parents
– The kid is acting like all three yr old kids want to act
– The problem is the daddy doesn’t have enough gumption to make him behave.

Quotable Quote: ”Punk kids come from Punk parents.”

– Glad for how his children turned out
Quotable Quote: ”Obedience wasn’t an option in our home, Obedience was an obligation.
– You have live in such a way it creates a thirst for Jesus in their hearts.
– Athaliah was the off spring of Ahab and Jezebel.
– She killed the entire seed royal except Joash, these were her grandchildren
– You who have children still in your home, your children are watching you and they will go further away from God than you do most likely. ( quite an assumption there dontcha think?)
(Interesting he keeps talking about depravity…)
– It was her pride that motivated her to annihilate any threat to what she wanted.
– We should never ever be thinking our pride will not cause us to act on it.
– We got to learn how to tell our pride “No.” Get in a mirror and practice saying “No, No, No!” (Just like Jack Schaap)
– Jehosheba is a picture of grace taking and hiding Joash.
– She risked her life to protect her nephew.
– God had made a promise that the Messiah would come through the lineage of David.
– What better place to rear a child than in the house of God?
-Don’t be embarrassed to take your children to church.
– You make them take a bath dontcha?
– You make them go to school dontcha?
– They took him and hid him in the house of the Lord
– What’s your children’s thoughts about God’s house?
– Everyday we are preparing our children for tomorrow.
– Church – Christian School- and Sunday School are not a substitute for the family, all these are to support what we are teaching our children. Support not replace.
– Are unsaved or carnal family members telling you you’re sheltering your children?
– Guilty! My children already have to live in the world too much.
– Glad my children never smoked, never drank.
Quotable Quote: ”I’m glad that when my kids got old enough to have an interest in somebody else when they got out of high school. I’m glad that they let me as their daddy guide them direct them help them so that when it was time to look to a young lady and say to her ‘I Love You’, I could say, ‘Its fine, ok.
Some of you teenagers, I’m your friend and I LOVE YOU*, you may not know me but I LOVE YOU.* Listen to me.. IF you tell every little girl and every little guy that you ever set by or ever.. ever talk to, “I Love You” by the time you get to the marriage altar you’ve given so much of your heart away you ain’t got enough to give to the person you’re gonna spend the rest of your life.” (sic) (*emphasis mine) [then I guess he had better quit telling all those teenagers he loves them before he depletes his supply for his wife and family! That is the Emotional Purity and Josh Harris camps. And that is one of the most asinine statements I have ever heard! So we only have a finite amount of love to give? The Human heart has such a limited capacity for love? I understand that physical attraction is not love but this is cult like control over emotion. How is one to live life if it is shackled by Vulcan like non-emotion?]
– He told his kids when they could hold hands
– He told his kids when they could say “I love you”
– Do you pray for your kids?
– Are you investing in Family worship time?
The Plot– the heirs were killed
The Protection– Joash was protected
The Presentation– The king’s son was presented to the guards and to the people

– The guards stood around the king to protection
– We should stand guard over our young people
– Tell Satan “You Can’t have them!”
Visual Aid: He was looking for a 7 year old boy in the audience but he had a 9 year old he had come up to the pulpit. (He was in his Fundie uniform.) He used him as a visual representation of Joash. Said if the Lord doesn’t come in 25 year he may be on the Sword’s platform.

– A Child of the King
– They gave him the Testimony
– Testimony is the Law
– Deut 17:18-19 Every King will make his own copy of the law ( until we get to King James and he did it for the last time it would seem.)
– If we are going to win the future we’ve got to give our children the word of God
– The inspired, infallible, inerrant, preserved word of God.
– We want our children to be filled with the Holy Spirit
– We want our children to be surrendered and serving

Story time: He give a much embellished version of William P. Mackay’s testimony. Mackay tell of an old man… Rabon portrays him as a young man. But of course any embellishment is only good fundie form for retelling a good story. Especially since William P. Mackay wrote “Revive Us Again.” (No fundy story is complete without telling about momma.)

– Are we willing to fight for the future?
– Will you be a Jehosheba?

Altar Call
The Family sermon filled the altar the most of any evening sermon all week.

/end day three

Tuesday: Day Two
Introduction of next speaker: Lou Rossi
Announcements: (sic) “Some of our men and ladies who went out soulwinning this afternoon in downtown Winston, they have turned in cards and reports on al least 12 people trusting Christ. Some of the folks haven’t reported in yet so there’ll be more than that.” And “…”Go down there for a couple of hours walking the streets and, uh, doing what Christians are supposed to do. Amen?”

Special singing “Who Am I?”
Opening Monologue:
Paul Chappell sends his regards from Lancaster Baptist Church, and he is sending a check for SOTL (one Mafia Don to another)
Quotable Quote: (sic)“We are on the same team. Do I have and amen? Flying the same flag the last time I checked, the blood stained b (inaudible) B-banner of Calvary’s cross. The full inspiration, verbal, plenary, inspiration of the Bible, uh, soulwinning, stand on God, separation. That’s what we stand for tonight, somebody say amen.”

Text: Isaiah 64:1-2 (another two verse text preacher, look at the treasure he finds in his two verses)

Fundie commercial: the goes on about his favorite football team, his wife, and the conference

Title: “When God Rends the Heavens”
Sermon prayer:

Prohibition right out of the starting blocks. ( +1 for Elmer Gantry)

Referred to 44:3 “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty”

(Now this is funny because last night it was all about there is still water in God’s well but it is up to us to get it out and get it to those who are thirsty. Which is it? The mixed messaging is so confusing.)

*We know he’s serious because he just took his coat off.

-Launches into a Hebrew history lesson.
Quotable Quote: (sic) “Those Hebrew parents with their little boy would say “daddy, why are we wandering in this wilderness?” he could say to him, “on we are wandering because God has led us through this wilderness.” That little boy would say, ”Who is God I don’t know who he is daddy.” He’d say, “He’s the God of the Bible [ really? What Bible did they have in the desert wanderings? Was a King James teleported back through time to them? ] The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, he’s the living God, the one true God. And that little boy would say, “How daddy can I know that God is in our midst?” and he could take him out that tent flap at night he could open it up and say, “There is the Glory of God this a fire by night to keep us warm, and a pillar of cloud by day to keep us cool in this desert. God is in our midst and God’s the only God who walks and lives among his people.” (I’m not sure he took a breath during all of that. )
*He’s turning phrases at about 3000 rpm, don’t know if he will be able to keep up this pace.

– Just touched on Elijah on Mt Carmel.
– On to religious relics
– How God used to work
– Retouched text
– We are missing God’s presence
– At God’s presence Mountains flow down
– He is Known to his enemies
– Rant on Prohibition anti alcohol (+1 Billy Sunday point)
– Brokeness and Humility are the cure for Pharaseeism (you know… all those who aren’t IFB)
– God is Holy
– Pop cultural reference to hip hop and the baggy pants
– When he sees baggy pants he just wants to give them a wedgie
-More brokenness
– More soul-winning
-Return to Pentecost
– Talks of the temple
– Fishes of some “amens”
– Back to Peter and John going up to the temple, the lame man….
– More Soul-winning (+1 for working conference theme into sermon)
– IB churches have lost their Soul Winning Fire
– IB churches and pastors are weak, defeated, need to be stirred up and serve God

Quotable Quote: “If you are going to preach on something make sure it’s something legitimate.”
(Sometimes I wonder if they ever listen to themselves preach)

Ball fields and Malls are crowded but can’t get the people of God in the house of God on Sunday evening.
– Christians should be in the house of God three times a week. (+1 attendance = faithfulness to God)
– Empty churches
– Long hair on men (how he got a haircut when he was saved) (+1 Christian appearance standards)
– Smoking (and tobacco use in general) (+1 Christian appearance standards)
– Rabbit trail alert
– Alcohol abuse, drug abuse (+1 Christian appearance standards)
– Rock music (+1 Christian appearance standards)
– Being a new creature means immediate wholesale change. To look like a Christian (So, WHAT does a Christian look like? )
– Long hair again (+1 Christian appearance standards)
*According to this rant God is not to be found in the IB churches.
– They have many decisions but no conversions. (well duh, 1-2-3 repeat after me does not a convert make. )
– Lack of spiritual maturity like…
– Rice, Sightler, Roloff, Greene, Roberson… that generation is gone
– Touched on Patriotism (+1 for God and Country )
– Guns- God and Country
“Wonders if we will be the generation to see all the power of God completely depart?
– Talks about preaching that relies on wit, humor and a slick presentation. ( get this man a mirror )

Gives his alliterated outline
1. See your need individually
2. Seek his face intently
3. Surrender to God immediately

– History lesson on Samuel and Eli
– Ichabod
– Begging Amens
– Final Story time
– Bow head, close eyes
– Raise hands

Next up: Devices of Satan

Announcements: SOTL renewals, they will run you down and get you to renew. (The SOTL collection agency)
VIP cards: three levels. First level gets all this years SOTL sermons and Smith’s School of the Prophets conference album, lapel pin.. Then there’s the Gold level, Conference album lapel pin and a beautiful, (the most beautiful Shelton Smith has ever seen) genuine, calfskin leather, Scofield, New Testament w/ Psalms and Proverbs. Finally there is the Diamond level, you get all the above and, a genuine authentic leaf from a 1620 King James Bible, with authentication and beautiful framing. (so you can worship your very own page that was torn out of a real King James English Bible, in the comfort of your own home. )
Offering:

Intro of 2nd Speaker: Norris Belcher
As Norris came to the pulpit one of his people he brought with him stood up and shouted, “That’s my pastor!”
Opening monologue: Comment on the singing, “If that singing don’t light your fire then your wood’s wet.”

– “I don’t believe we have long.”

Text: II Corinthians 2:10-11 (I guess two verse text are enough to get any IFB preacher with his salt going these days, and probably more than most IFB pew dwellers can handle anyway. )

Title: We are not Ignorant of his devices but it “Seems we are Ignorant” or it could be subtitled, “Ignorance is not bliss,”

Opening Monologue: “Give me fifteen minutes or so to build a foundation and I’ll give you something to shout about.”
– Paul’s biography (Cliff notes version)
– The “we” Paul uses is in hope that the Corinthians mature
– Paul was not ignorant of the Devils devices
(so far pretty tame stuff I can live with… uh oh here we gooooo)
– 35 years of ministry allows me to say something on this.

– Evidently we are ignorant of Satan’s devices
Quotable Quote: With the direction that we are seeing the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement going, some or our brethren are ignorant of his devices. Our movement, now you listen very carefully to what I’m going to say here, I believe with all my heart, our movement, our stripe, our churches are the last vestige for keeping old Fashioned, fundamental, Bible, Christianity alive and well in this world.
We’re it!
Everybody else is already gone. Every other denomination, they’ve already gone. They’re liberal to the core. And if we don’t do it who’s going to do it? If we don’t stand up for God and hold the line and stay with the stuff, Bible Christianity will soon be gone.
We’re God’s Last Hope! (that’s right preacher) (poor little anemic, sickly, weak god. Here is the heart of the IFB. God needs us! W-E A-R-E God’s L-A-S-T H-O-P-E! )
I was thinking:
Obi-wan: “That non-denomination denomination is God’s last hope.”
Yoda: “No. There is another.”

Paul does not tell us what these devices are. (So Norris is going to tell us what three of them are.)
Three Devices Satan uses:
#1: Satan Labels Evil Things with Pleasant Names
– Homosexual agenda is called “Gay”
– Beer advertises with beautiful people and if you drink their beer you’ll be cool
Quotable Quote: (sic) “If they were truthful the commercial would show a kitchen with tow or three crying infants. Maybe a 4 year old and a 3 year old and a 2 year old cowering under the kitchen table and then the camera would pan from those kids shaking to death, crying, weeping and hiding their faces so the cannot be seen and the camera would then pan over and you would see a mother laying on the floor with her eye swollen shut with a bump knot over top of her eye and blood coming out of her nose; blood coming out of her mouth laying unconscious on the floor then it would pan on over and there would be a drunken daddy standing there with his knuckles all bruised up standing there with his hair all messed up standing there slobbering all over himself with a can of Miller in his hand and then some smooth talking low (garbled) announcer would come over the air and say, ‘Welcome to Miller Time!’ that would be truth in advertising.”

– Right is wrong and wrong is right
– Politics

Quotable Quote: “Some of you took vacation to be here this week … You’re crazy. What in the world is wrong with you people? You took your vacation to come and sit and listen to a bunch of guys get up here and yell at you for four hours a day.” (now THERE’s truth in advertising )
Quotable Quote: “Who is the smart aleck who said that little teenage girl who dresses like a tramp is, well you know, just a little loose?”
– The world calls drunkenness a disease but that’s not what my bible calls it.
– Teenagers in rebellion
– We have lost the sinfulness of sin,
– Drunkards
– Sodomites

– When we stand before God we will not have any labels
– He’s tired of camp loyalty
– He tired of loyalty to colleges
– He tired of loyalty to conferences
– He’s tired of us being loyal to man made institutions
– When are we going to be loyal to the Bible?
– When are we going to be loyal to God?

– You and I will give account how we stood for the old Gospel of Jesus Christ

Quotable Quote: “I think it’s time for ever IB preacher and I think it’s time for every IB Evangelist, and I think it’s time for every IB Missionary and teacher and lay person to get their nose in this Bible and find out for yourself what you believe instead of having to go to your pope (That rocked the house w/everyone denying that they answer to a pope…. Because each of them are the pope in their own eyes. ) or having to go check w/your administrator, or your mentor, or your hero or your headquarters to be told what you believe.”

Quotable Quote: “let’s just take the Bible issue.. this is not hard its in the bible, right here (points to his KJV) This Thing. Put your Calvinist Commentaries on the shelf for a minute. Let’s just go with what the Bible says. Put your manuals up. Let’s just look at the Bible ok? I know it’s gonna be hard for some of us but that’s ok. You know this verse, you know it… I know. 1 Timothy 3:16. Listen… This is King James. I’m gonna give you King James, some of you w/those wacky Bibles in your lap, don’t even look at them just listen, ok? Ready? “ALL” (the house gets to rockin again) You got that part? I could stop right there. “ALL” scripture is given by…. In-spir-ation of God. “PERIOD” … that’s it! You don’t need anything else. He just told you …Hey! He just tol you that the Bible is inspired of God. Put a period there! You don’t have to go to a seminar to find out its inspired, he told you it was.”
(The house is rockin with “hey-mens”, “Preach-it brother”, “go on preacher”, “That’s right”, “Tell it” and a host of other validation responses.)

*goes on to brag about preaching at a young man who obviously saw his error when he preached this sermon elsewhere.
– More KJV Proof texts that show the King James is inspired, incorruptible and perfect.
– I Peter 1:23 – Incorruptible is the King James. Liveth is the inspiration and abideth is the preservation (I guess that it doesn’t matter that that verse is talking about the person of Christ? )
– Psalm 19 -The Law of the Lord is Perfect. (I do not deny any of these verses but I deny that they can be used as proof texts for idolizing the King James translation of Scripture. Truth in advertising: yep they are ignorant of the devices of Satan)
– He goes on to say that the King James was checked 14 times before it was sent to the publishers. (blah, blah , blah… so what. That proves nothing other than there should not have been a spelling error. Hey, that means the Apocrypha was checked 14 times a well… Idolatry is all it is )
.
– The Bible is perfect
– His answer to anyone who says there are errors in the Bible “show them to me”
(This sermon had deteriorated to Bible worship. )

*Basically he goes on to ask, “who do you think you are if you don’t worship the King James?”

Quotable Quote: “We took the clock down and put a calendar up”

#2 Satan Attacks us on our strongest side
– Where we are strongest not our weakest
– Anti- “Entertainment churches”
– According his Bible Soulwinning is on the front burner
– The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing
– The purpose of the church is soulwinning
– Soulwinning- Soulwinning- Soulwinning
– The pastor is the one who has to do the soulwinning program
– That’s why we’re not growing because we’re not soulwinning

#3 Satan puts the emphasis on Tomorrow

– Don’t think we have much longer
– A whole dispensational commercial
– We’re living on borrowed time
– Teach your people to be soulwinners
– Teach them how to love people
– How to give the gospel
– How to be soulwinners
– Soulwinning is the key. “Bingo!”

– He was thinking what if Paul could be at the conference this week
– Somebody is going to be spoken to by God and they’ll hit the altar and be a changed man
– I’m just gonna stand with God
– Bow your heads with me.
“Heads are bowed and eyes are closed.”
Postscript:
With our head bowed and our eyes closed start for this altar

Begging the altar call

SOTL Commercial

/ end day two