Note from Bro. Cloud: I received the following testimony from a young preacher recently. It describes what is happening widely in Independent Baptist churches. It describes what has become the majority thinking over the past 15 years. I pray that this young man will stand fast in the “strictness” of God’s Word and not follow a multitude to do wrong. “Dear Brother Cloud, I have been GREATLY encouraged by your writings because I had been struggling with the idea of holding to and preaching Christian standards when so many of the ‘good’ independent Baptist churches and pastors no longer do. I was getting to the place where I felt alone in desiring to preach and teach holiness from the pulpit, for I had asked many (at least 10) preachers if adapting CCM was ok and if we should preach hard on modesty and music and they ALL told me that if we love people and show them the love of the Lord they will eventually come around to creating their own standards. I was so discouraged because I had been convicted about the music/dress that I was listening to and allowing in my own life and family and was desiring to find a man who would say, ‘YES! TAKE A STAND!’ So thank you for doing right no matter the cost. I have been the youth pastor at an independent Baptist church, but I have been asked to leave by the pastor because he feels I am ‘too conservative/fundamental’ for his ministry (our church is adapting CCM praise music and giving up modesty for the sake of ‘keeping the unsaved in church’). I am in the process of seeking God's face and will for where He wants us to go and what He wants us to do. The main purpose of this email is to let you know that as I seek to serve the Lord, my goal is to be what you laid out in your ‘O Timothy’ magazine. My desire is to be one of the 1,000 preachers that will not give up the faith and hold to sound doctrine and Biblical standards. I do not expect a response, but I wanted you to know that your sound Biblical teaching has given me the Biblical foundation I had been praying for/ searching for so that I could respond (both to others and in my own heart) with the Bible as to why I DO believe that holding Bible standards on music, dress, television, technology, etc., is VITAL to Christianity today.” (Friday Church News Notes, April 26, 2019, www.wayoflife.org, [email protected], 866-295-4143) Comments are closed.
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