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WHY NO BAPTIST CAN OBEY THE “GREAT COMMISSION.”

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WHAT THE GREAT COMMISSION IS NOT
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By Ken Blue

“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:16-20.

If I have one Baptist friend left out there in “blog land,” this article will probably be the end of that relationship. I don’t write these to make enemies; I have enough of them. I need any friend I might have. However, there are some subjects that must be confronted and dealt with scripturally.

Although I have chosen Matthew 28 as the “great commission,” we must be honest and admit that it is no greater than Mark 16. “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Mark 16:15-18. (See also Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:8).

What is the truth about this commission?

  1. They were given to the eleven disciples.
  2. They were to make disciples throughout the world.
  3. They were to observe whatsoever He had commanded them.
  4. Signs would be evident in their ministry.
    • They would cast out devils.
    • They would speak in new tongues. (Not unknown tongues).
    • They would handle snakes.
    • No deadly poison will hurt them.
    • They will be able to lay hands on the sick and the sick will recover.
  5. The following was also given to His seventy disciples. “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19.

Now if anyone would like to go through the four gospels and see what Jesus had commanded His disciples, and then show that they are doing those things, we will eat this page. In fact, the only thing Baptist are doing, found in the great commission, is going and baptizing. They do not teach what He had taught His disciples, they cannot do one of the miracles promised them. and they don’t have the power to blow fuzz off a peanut. The same goes for every Charismatic impostor.

Finally, if these fulfilled their commission, why was Paul saved, commissioned, and called “the Apostle to the Gentiles?” Who were the eleven to preach to? what was the content of their gospel? Why was Paul the writer of the church epistles, and why would he say he was not sent to baptize, when the command in Matthew 28 is the heart of that commission?

It’s ok to speak up and explain to us how you do, or do not obey the great commissions. The world is waiting.

NOTE: CHECK OUT THE AUDIO SERMONS AND SONGS

THE FERMENTING OF THE MIDDLE EAST

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By Ken Blue

The leaven in the Middle East is working overtime to ferment and cement together the Ten nations prophesied in Daniel and Revelation. “And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.” Daniel 7:24. “41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.” Daniel 2:41-43. “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” Revelation 13:1 . “And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.” Revelation 17:9.

Some may wonder what and who is behind all the turmoil surrounding Israel at this time. Those of us who are Christians know that Satan, the dragon, is the unseen power behind it. As each of those nations fall, under the guise of democracy, they are left leaderless. The above Scriptures assure us that Ten nations in that region will evolve, forming an Arab League. These are the Ten toes, the Ten horns and the Ten kings. They are all the same.

However, a more powerful king will arise from the Ten, perhaps from Syria, and will take control of the Ten; three will resist and be removed, leaving seven. “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” Daniel 7:8.

The remaining seven kings will give their power to the “little horn.” He will attempt to control the world through the control of OIL. He will also conclude that the only way to solve the Middle East problem is to destroy Israel. He must attempt to eliminate them because all orthodox Jews will resist Him to the end. Matthew 24 makes is clear that unless the Lord intervenes and shorten those days, no Jewish flesh will survive. “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” Matthew 24:22.

The conclusion of the matter is illustrated in the book of Daniel. “34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:34-35. When these kings are in power, a STONE (The Lord Jesus Christ, See Revelation 19) completely destroys all other kingdoms and His kingdom will fill the whole earth! So, don’t be confused or fearful if you are saved. You are witnessing the leaven at work to bring about the above events. They are God’s prophecies and they are sure.

“THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH”

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THE BENEFIT OF PURPOSEFUL GOALS

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By Ken Blue

When called to the witness box in court, the attorney may ask probing questions and will not accept anything except a “yes” or “no” response. The goal is to discover our understanding and the facts concerning the subject. We may not like the questioning process, and desire to explain, but we are not always permitted to do so. The attorney has an agenda, and he attempts to move everything in that direction.

Perhaps those in the ministry should “sit in the witness box” and ask themselves some probing questions. Let me share some that might be a good place to start.

1. Do you have a clearly defined purpose statement that you understand and you are passionate about?
2. Do you have your purpose statement posted so others see it, and do your church members know and understand it?
3. Do you have five to seven clearly defined objectives stated and understood in order to reach your purpose statement?
4. Do you have clearly defined goals (these include what, why, who, when, where and how) on your calendar?
5. Do you have 5, 3, and 1 year’s goals on your calendar, and are these broken down into 6, 3, and one-month goals?
6. If you don’t have the above, can you be specific about what you are trying to accomplish?

What I observe in many churches is that their only goal is to have another church services next Sunday, and more special meetings throughout the year. The pastor thinks if everyone is busy, the church is moving forward. The truth is, they are on a carousel and don’t realize it.

THANK YOU MINE ENEMIES

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HOW ENEMIES BENEFIT THE PASTOR

EnemiesBy Ken Blue

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” Matthew 5:44.

In the early days of my ministry it never occurred to me that there would be pastors and church members who would hate me. Because I loved the Lord, the ministry, and the members of my church, I assumed everyone loved me too. It didn’t take long for that illusion to disappear.

After five years in the ministry, my wife and I took our first vacation. While we were away a staff member called to tell me of a member who had gathered a group together, and they were going to another part of the city and start a church. I was hurt, angry, and ready to resign. I could not believe an ex-pastor and the members whom I loved would be so deceitful. I thought these were my friends, but I was wrong.

Over a period of years a man in the church, I thought loved me, gathered the addresses of our members and wrote numerous anonymous letters attacking my family and me. These letters were designed to turn the church against me. By God’s grace, it did not happen. This person was in an important ministry in the church and acted as a friend.

The list is not limited to church members. I have also discovered that pastors are also among those who are enemies and have sought to hurt the ministry at Open Door.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…as I look back on their evil intent, I learned from my enemies was how wicked my own heart was.[/perfectpullquote]

However, as I look back on their evil intent, I can see things that I could not see before. One of the things I learned from my enemies was how wicked my own heart was. My response was one of hurt, anger, and resentment. Had it not been for my enemies, I would never discover this about myself, and by God’s grace correct it. So, thank you, my enemies.

Another truth learned from my enemies was just how difficult it is to love them and pray for them. Only God can make it possible for us to do that. It forces us to become completely transparent before the Lord. We must love them, pray for them, do good to them, and bless them.

One other benefit we get from our enemies once they are exposed; we discover who our true friends are. They stand by you, defend you, and love you. So, thank God for your enemies, God uses them to teach us how to be like Him. Thank you mine enemies.

WHEN YOU ARE THE GUEST

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By Ken Blue

Everyone should know there is a different protocol when we are in our own home, or a guest in the home of others. As guest, we sit where instructed to sit, and we follow the lead of our host. This shows respect and gratitude for their hospitality.

I believe visiting pastors should show the same respect when ask to be a guest speaker in another church. It is embarrassing and nauseating to witness the behavior and antics of some speakers. Their goal seems to be to display just how rude and obnoxious they can be. If you must take your coat off, roll up your sleeves, loosen your tie and take your shoes off when preaching, why not do it before you get to the pulpit? Is there some hidden message you’re trying to send? I have witnessed guest speakers break furniture, stand in pews, and insult certain ethnic groups. We had a guest speaker who made the comment, “what has the American Indian given America besides the canoe?” I am thankful those dear church members were absent that night.

When invited to speak, find out the nature of the meeting; and what the pastor wants you to preach. If it is a missions conference, Bible conference or a souls winning conference, find out and plan accordingly. Ask the pastor how many minutes he wants you to preach, and then honor it to the minute. Remember, you are not at home. You might ask if he wants to handle the invitation or he want you to. So, show respect and be professional. You are not there to scold or browbeat his church members. Your job is to edify and build up the saints. You are the guest, so don’t forget that! Be rude and crude, if you must, but do it in your own home.