One of my greatest joys in deputation is getting to see new landscapes. Most of my time has been spent in PA, VA, and WV, recently, and these states definitely have much for the eyes to look at. I also remember traveling up and down alongside the St. Lawrence River in Quebec in May 2008. The views along the river were magnificent. I had supper with Pastor Rioux and his wife in the small town of Cacouna, where it is said that some of the most beautiful sunsets can be enjoyed. Of course, the eastern states mentioned above have their own beauty to offer. I absolutely love the windy, two-lane roads through the mountains. I hate to travel the interstates, because I miss much of the local beauty. So it’s a real thrill when I can get away from the semi trucks and divided highways to wend through the mountains and towns. I’ve learned much about the physical landscape of this area in my travels.
I’ve also learned much about the landscape of fundamentalism. I’ve experienced everything from the so-called progressive fundamentalists and to the rabbid KJV-only crowd. In fact, the latter crowd are not comfortable with saying “The King James Version.” It’s “The King James Bible,” since it’s the only true Bible.
Thankfully, there’s a more balanced and biblical fundamentalism out there than the two types mentioned above. Some of the churches are struggling and seem to be giving up hope, but thankfully, there are some vibrant congregations of fundamentalists who are making real impact upon their community. The former group is often made up of mostly faithful elderly members, and the pastors struggle to find the answer for the church’s future. But the latter group has a good mix of the elderly and the more youthful. As I think back over the almost 60 churches in the eastern US and Quebec (not to mention those I visited on ministry travels to Haiti, Chad, and Papua New Guinea), I praise the Lord that He continues to raise up generations of those who fear God and desire to uphold the fundamentals of the faith. I’m refreshed by the pastors who refuse to allow their churches to be infiltrated by worldliness.
At times, however, I can get discouraged, because a relatively small group of believers in these churches are active in evangelism, and many of the younger generations are becoming enthralled with worldly Christian music. I wonder what will become of fundamentalism in 20-30 years. Where will we be with the English-version controversy? Where will our music standards be?
The Lord encouraged me this morning with the passage on the unjust judge in Luke 18. The Lord gave this parable to encourage unrelenting prayer and undying hope in God’s purposes. He ends the parable with a searching question: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (NKJV). I heard a preacher explain that Jesus was really referring to “the faith,” but, though the article is present in the Greek, I don’t think the context allows it. The parable encourages the believer to continue praying and not to lose heart that God will bring about justice for His elect. Prayer is the greatest demonstration of faith and a sure sign that we haven’t lost heart. God has promised that the body of faith will never be destroyed, but He does pose the question–will there still be the faithful on this earth when the Son of Man comes back? There will be if the faithful don’t lose heart and stop praying!!
My heart has been burdened by the defeatist attitude of some fundamentalists that I’m meeting. They seem to lack faith, and they may not be praying much for God to change the situation. According to their pastors, they definitely aren’t actively obeying the Great Commission. Do Christ’s words that there is a harvest into which He is sending laborers no longer apply to 21st-century America? Is He no longer building His church in our land?
Let’s not lose heart! Let’s give ourselves to fervent prayer and to prayerful labor! Balanced, biblical fundamentalism IS the answer for today’s hurting, dying world! Let’s keep our focus on the true core of fundamentalism–the gospel–and then proclaim it to all!
Amen, brother, preach it. Paisley had a very encouraging message last night and gave us the verse about if His people would humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked way that God will open the windows of Heaven. He named many instances where God’s people got to a place where it looked very dark, but God caused the Light to shine. He saved them. It wasn’t man’s strength which did it, only God got the glory. He asked us if we thought that God could do it again and everyone shouted, “Yes”. We have to be busy telling others about Christ and showing Christ in our lives. Enjoyed what you said. Shelton’s message from Monday told how there are many Christians in many different countries. We just don’t know about them but they are there serving and preaching Christ. That was encouraging also.
I agree that there is no way we should give up praying and witnessing to the unsaved. It is part of who we – Christians – are. But I can understand those who get discouraged. I myself spent a year trying to find a church between those two extremes: too ‘progressive’ and too ‘separated’ (with a total of four baptist churches available in my area). That was tough time for me, when I did a great deal of praying, some witnessing, and no inviting people to church. I ended up settling for a more ‘progressive’ church than I used to have. However, there were people there who served the Lord with all their hearts, and joining them was a great joy and encouragement. One person cannot change everything in church, but can definitely pray and find a few others who are faithful and rely on the Word, and are not willing to comply with worldly standards being brought into church. I am glad God could use me there to influence certain people. And prayer does miracles. It has not changed the church (yet), but it has taken me out of that area and brought me for two years to PA, where I have a wonderful church, which is fundamental in faith and not claiming KJV to be KJB.
I am so grateful to God for this gift!
One of the things I learnt is that God can use you wherever you are, if you just focus on Him and stop complaining about the circumstances He put you in.
I quite agree that there is a mixture of hope and fear which washes over me when I look at the church landscape I can see from here. Honestly, I think that provided that a sound understanding of the confession and communion of believers assembled in submission to Scripture is the ruling principle in our services, we can survive any kind of stylistic shift, as we have the resources to critique and sift through the changes. When we adopt a methodology of “appealling to the [whatever audience],” though, we cheapen the Gospel–and this is true whether we do so with fire’n'brimstone Antichrist-hunting, exposing City Hall, attacking those NAS “liberals,” or scorning hymn-lovers as old-fashioned.
Scripture as the inscribed utterance of God “in sundry times and divers manners” must overrule our concerns for growth, or even survival, of particular congregations; much more style. It is all in God’s wise hands.