“These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. They will put you out of the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. These things they will do because they did not know the Father or Me.” (John 16:1-3, LSB)
The early churches had it rough, didn’t they? Comparatively speaking we have it pretty easy here in the good ol’ USA. We really do. However, being in the Lord’s work is not always sunshine and lollipops.
There are no religious groups (that I know of) seeking to kill other religious groups. Yet the truth of the matter is, if you happen to do anything different, or buck the system in some way, or even question some tradition, the modern equivalent in some circles is “they will put you out of their fellowships, and remove you from their conferences. The hour has come that everyone who slanders you will think he is offering service to God.” At least that is the way it is in the circles I have been in. There may be no physical abuse, but the verbal does sting.
I’ll leave the rest of that text (John 16:3) to the Lord to judge.
The recent revelation about Josh Buice really hit home with me. Yes I met him. No, we didn’t have a close relationship. Besides the 2023 G3 Conference, I don’t think we had ever met before or since. But I have met his type before and although I was not the target of his anonymous accounts on X, I have been the target of others so I can empathize with those who were.
After my last post, I feel it is time for this one to “go live” too. It’s been pending long enough. Here’s some more of my story.
In 2021, the church I pastor was involved in assisting a group that left another church. Slander and malicious gossip was spread about me and the church here all over this country. Many churches did not get involved, understanding the autonomous nature of the local church but there were a number of pastors and churches who did get involved. Among those, I can count on one hand the pastors who asked for my side of the story. Sadly, many men ran with a story they heard and to this day some will have nothing to do with me or the church I pastor.
As if that isn’t bad enough, there was pressure placed on other pastors, churches, and missionaries. For example, in late 2022, an elderly missionary from South America came to the states. He had been a longtime friend of mine and my family and so we had contact with each other. Arrangement was made for him to come to my house and preach for us here in Georgia. However, when some of the brethren caught wind of it, they threatened to cut his support. He didn’t have a vehicle, so it was a bad situation at the time. In order to keep the peace, myself and some of the members of our church met with him at a sister church close to us when he was visiting there instead. This was at that other pastor’s invitation, who was well aware of the situation.
And I’m glad we were able to do that because that missionary is now with the Lord and so is the pastor of the church where we met. We all had good fellowship there that day. I am not angry at the one(s) who pressured my elder brother like that, and gave him trouble, but I pray there is true repentance before the judgment!
“Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”” (Matthew 9:10–13, LSB)
Sometime over the past 4 years a rumor started circulating that I have left the ranks of the “faithful and true” to join with other Baptists who have “compromised!” Indeed, I do fellowship with a wide variety of Baptists, and I am not interested in the tribalism that some men are engaged in. But that does not mean I agree with everyone I fellowship with on every point. Again, I can count on my hand the number of brethren who have asked me about this, but I know the names of many men (boys are more like it, I hesitate to call them brothers or men) who run their mouths and their keyboards like little schoolgirls with stories to tell.
Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11–12, LSB)
Sometimes the stories get back to me from others. Other times I hear it in sermons. We live in a digital age, and I enjoy hearing preaching. Good preaching, bad preaching….it all makes me wanna preach! In December 2023, a missionary visited my home, ate at my table, and we seemed to have good fellowship. He left, only to go to another state to a church I have never visited to preach a sermon about deception and in that sermon, he mentioned me by name criticizing me for attending the G3 Conference. Again, he had just been at my house a few days prior and never brought it up! I was foolish enough to write him and ask him about it, but he didn’t want to talk about it to me. He only wanted to talk about me behind my back, in a room where I was not present.
The Bible does not dictate in clear fashion as to what kind of Baptists we should fellowship with (we all draw the line somewhere), but it is clear “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people…” (Leviticus 19:16, KJV)
I have not changed my position on any major doctrine, but I have found some good fellowship with good and Godly men in circles that I used to not run in. It is true, I don’t frequent the places I used to, but that is not compromise. Why should I run to churches or pastors who have made a sport of slandering me, my family, or the church I pastor? Shall I do it for the sake of tradition? God forbid! Tell me, dear reader, would you enjoy sitting down at a table knowing that the moment you get up from it and leave the room you will be the subject of malicious gossip? That’s not Christianity…that’s hypocrisy, reminiscent of Judaism of old.
Yes it is true I have “unfriended” and even “blocked” certain men (preachers even) from my social media accounts. These men have my number if they want to get in touch with me. Some were blocked or unfriended because they have proven to be very pugnacious men. Others were slanderers.
“There are six things which Yahweh hates, Even seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked thoughts, Feet that hasten to run to evil, A false witness who breathes out lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.” (Proverbs 6:16–19, LSB)
“Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.” (1 Timothy 5:19, LSB)
The LORD still hates the one who spreads strife, the one who sows discord among the brethren and so I am writing this to tell you, if you are still reading….. be careful where you get your information from. Things may not be like they appear. It might just be hearsay, rumor, gossip, or slander. This goes not only for me, but also for other brothers and churches whose names are being ruined by this devilish behavior..
The Apostle Paul knew something about this, and wrote about it too: “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the preaching might be fulfilled, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth.” (2 Timothy 4:16–17, LSB)
I am writing to warn, but I am also writing as an encouragement for those who have been lied about, slandered against, etc.
In all of this over the course of the last few years I have not lost one friend. My grandfather (the late James Hobbs Sr.) taught me long ago, that you never lose any friends in life…you only learn who your friends really are. I’m encouraged by the Lord who has stood with me and I trying to pray for all, even those who have an agenda.
Navigating through these issues, there is a danger of bitterness and maybe that is why some folks give up on the churches or conferences, etc. But it’s the Lord’s church, not the hypocrites church. Conferences can still be a blessing, if you attend the right ones. My friend, Zach Watson wrote an excellent piece called “Where Have All The Meetings Gone?” which I highly recommend. My identity is not in the brethren, in a particular circle, or a conference. My identity is in Christ. If you are saved, the same is true for you too.
I started this post at the beginning of John 16, so I’ll close it with the last verse:
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, LSB)