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WHY I AM NOT A RUCKMANITE

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Hero Worship

 

By Ken Blue

I discovered years ago, if you agree with any person on any point or issues, and if that person is disliked, you will be identified as a follower, and will be railroaded. There are many good men who have helped, and encouraged me in the ministry. To my knowledge, every one of them has been under attack on some issue. All flesh is grass.  Dr. Ruckman is a friend to this preacher, and has preached several times at Open Door Baptist Church.

 I believed that the King James Bible was the Word of God, long before I met Dr. Rukman. I also was a dispensationalist in my early walk as a believer. Someone had provided me with Clarence Larken’s Dispensational Truth fifty years ago. I was not a Larkenite. However, Dr. Ruckman was instrumental in helping me to better understand the Word and the dispensations.

Dr. Jack Hyles preached at Open Door dozens of times, and I attended his pastors’ school, at least the same number of times. I learned much from him about building a soul winning church. However, I am not, nor have I ever been a Hylesite.

Dr. Tom Malone was my pastor, and the president of the college where I attended and was ordained to the ministry. No one ever tagged me as a Maloneite. Dr. Jim Vineyard and Dr. Curtis Hudson were also guest speakers, yet I was not branded a Vineyardite, or a Hudsonit. Dr. Noe was one of my professors and a good friend. He too, preached at Open Door several times. Still, there was no stigma of being a Noeite. Dr. Dave Reese is also my good friend, but I am not a Reeseite.

[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]If you have nothing more to do than play ecclesiastical cop, you should get out of the ministry, and get a real job.[/pullquote]

This is not a defense of Dr. Ruckman; he doesn’t need me to defend him. However, on many issues I would stand with him, as I would the other men I have mentioned. Also, Dr. Ruckman has been more helpful, more accommodating, and more open to me than all those listed above.

“So, who is the man of God you follow?” You ask. The answer is no one. I gave up hero worship a long time ago. 1 Corinthians 1:12 “Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.” If your so called friends abandon you because you have a friend, or attend a pastors school, or have someone to preach, they don’t approve, wipe the dust of your shoes and move on. Thank God you are free of those who want to control you, or hold you hostage so you will make them your “ite.”

Now, you know that I am not anyone’s “ite.” I’m just a poor ex-Baptist preacher in the far, far away corner of the North West United States. I also have more friends than I can count, and I have them without them being an “ite.” If you have nothing more to do than play ecclesiastical cop, you should get out of the ministry, and get a real job. You’re welcome.

THE HYPOCRITE

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THE HYPOCRITE

hypocrit

I gladly identify with those who believe biblical principles for this dispensation of grace. However, those who select random Bible verses, which are for Israel only and then attempt to imposed them on God’s people today, twist the Holy Scriptures to accommodate their own purpose.

That abuse is clearly seen in their misuse of the following text. “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.. 8 When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence. 9 Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled. 10 Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together. 11 Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together. 12 Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.” Deuteronomy 22:5-12.

Most Baptist can quote verse 5 by heart. However, they appear oblivious to the following verses. Women have been scolded, embarrassed and humiliated by ignorant pastors who use the text to control them. The text has nothing to do with any woman for the past two thousand years. The pastor who uses verse 5 must obey verse 11 to control himself. Will he? He will not! These verses were written for the nation of Israel (men and women) to constantly remind them of their separation from the rest of the nations.

In this dispensation of grace, there are no special days for worship, no diets to follow and no dress codes to observe. If you think most dresses are modest, you haven’t been out lately. Modestly for men and women is the key, nothing more. The pastor has every right to set standards for his household and his church, but he manifests that he is a coward and a hypocrite when he pretends the Bible supports his agenda on these matters.

ADJUST YOUR THEOLOGY OR YOUR SKIRT

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dress“… I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid…” Ruth 3:9.

“…and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness…” Ezekiel 16:8.

“…ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew…” Zechariah 8:23.

I do not believe in immodesty of any kind nor do I believe the dress standards you set for your church workers are wrong. However, there are a few pastors and evangelist who act as if there is a universal biblical dress code that applies to all believers and every local church. Their task is to enforce this standard on everyone or discredit their ministry.

If there is a universal biblical standard, you had better get out your “skirt” and press it for next Sunday’s service. As the above text shows, men wore skirts! If a universal standard does not exist, then why create division between churches and fellow believers over such issues? Are these pastors and evangelists so lonely that they must have everyone else give up the things they give up?

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]How people dress is a cultural matter.[/pullquote]

How people dress is a cultural matter. Ignorance of Bible customs and times, forces one to think the Bible was written about them and their part of the world. The following should open the eyes of those who constantly harp about how people dress.  “…ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew…” Zechariah 8:23. A wise thing to do is stick with the Bible. You can find enough sermons for the time and place, if you can rightly divide it.

THE SALES DEPARTMENT AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT

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Service

 

By Ken Blue

Romans 12:1  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

No doubt there will be some who will think it sacrilegious to compare the ministries of a church to the sales department, and the service department of a business, however, the comparison is valid, and justifiable.

In most business these two departments exist, and are distinct. For example, walk on any car lot, and experience the onslaught of salesmen. These men and women are dressed to the max; they are friendly, outgoing, and persistent. You buy the car, just to get them off your back. However, you soon discover that the service depart is a different story.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Outreach and well-structured ministries are the two indispensables of any church.[/pullquote]

I know businesses that I would never enter again, nor would I recommend them to any of my friends. Seldom is it because of the salesmen, or the greeters we are turned off with. In most cases it will be the faulty service you experience. I just had a lady, this week, tell me of a church she and her husband visited several years ago, and when it was time to shake hands, and greet the visitors, no one acknowledged their presence. That was some twenty years ago. People don’t forget bad experiences, and they are quick to tell others.

Whether we want to admit it or not, if a church cannot sell itself to the community, and the visitors, people will not come. You may object by saying we are not in the selling business, we are in the gospel business. The sad truth is, many churches are not in the selling business and because of this, they can’t even give the gospel away! First impressions are the ones that last.

Every church should wrap itself in soul winning. You must plan everything with the lost in mind. Let your church become a soul trap. In addition, you must be just as diligent about having a perfect service department. Pastor, please take note; there are others churches your people could attend. If you don’t provide the services they feel they need, you will lose them. Soul winning and well-structured ministries are the two indispensables.

SERVICE IS THE KEY

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It’s All About Service #1

service

By Ken Blue

A few years ago I visited the Eagle Hardware store in our town. It was a man’s shopping paradise, with tools everywhere! As I entered the large double-doors, a man wearing an employee vest came out of an aisle on my left. We almost collided. I asked where I could locate a particular electrical item. He said, “Come with me.”

I followed him down the main aisle about one hundred feet, and then we turned to the right and walked another hundred and fifty feet. He then turned left and we walked fifty feet to the place where he knelt to the floor on one knee and took the item from the bottom shelf. He smiled and said, “Here you are sir.” I asked, “Are you the owner of this store?”  “No sir,” he said, “I only work here, but I do want you to come again.” I assured him I would. Not only would I return, I would tell all my friends.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Wouldn’t it be great if the people who visit our churches left feeling like they had received same special service?[/pullquote]

Wouldn’t it be great if the people who visit our churches left feeling they had received the same special service I received from a hardware employee? Instead of telling our guest where the bathrooms are, or where the nurseries are, why not train our greeters and ushers to walk with them and help them with their smallest needs. You may not be the preacher, but you will be telling the guest, “You are valuable to us, and we really want you to come again.”  Not only are they likely to return, they will also tell their friends. You see, it’s all about the service.