Guyana: a New Kind of Missions Trip

Several months ago, we took a missions trip to Guyana, which was an amazing success. We were able to preach the Gospel to about 4,500 school students, many of whom made a profession of faith. We handed out 8,000 DVDS and were able to personally win 169 people to the Lord through one-on-one soul winning. We got all this done in about four and a half days with a team of only nine people.

Our new DVD, “Guyana a New Kind of Missions Trip,” includes the seven sermons I preached in Guyana schools as well as one that I preached in a conference room in Trinidad on the same trip. In addition to those eight sermons, the DVD also includes footage from some of the planning and behind the scenes aspects of the trip, so the DVD is about four hours long in total.

The reason the DVD is called “A New Kind of Missions Trip,” is that most missions trips are more about building a building or handing out tracts. People love to go on missions trips, but we need a new kind of missions trip that is more effective at getting people saved. What we accomplished in those schools and elsewhere in Guyana had much greater eternal value than what is done on the average Baptist missions trip.

We are hoping that this DVD provides a pattern and a framework for others to follow. We want people to emulate what we did there—not just in Guyana but in other countries as well. Maybe there’s something you would do a little differently, but we want you to see what is possible and be inspired to plan your own highly productive missions trip.

We praise God for the many souls saved, but unfortunately, the door is now closed for us in Guyana. We ended up getting banned by the government from every school in the country. The reason we were banned is because the Hindus were so upset with the success of the mission. Guyana is about 25 percent Hindu, so 108 Hindu temples got together and took out a full page ad in the newspaper condemning the school system for allowing us to preach. We were in the media for a couple of weeks, until the government got involved and said we would no longer be allowed in the schools.

The newspaper ad called what we did a “military-style assault with the Gospel.” Because we were so efficient and effective, they speculated that some foreign government must be financing us or that we had some kind of special training. They just couldn’t believe that a team of nine guys from an independent Baptist church in Arizona could have this much of an impact.

Due to the nationwide publicity in Guyana, we have had a spike in internet traffic from that country. I pray that many more will hear the Gospel as part of the ripple effect from our visit. There are many other countries where we can do the exact same thing we did in Guyana, so the plan is just to move on the next country. There are plenty of fish in the sea!

Check out this groundbreaking new DVD to see for yourself what had the Hindus so upset. “Guyana a New Kind of Missions Trip” is available for free here at Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona, or if you don’t live in the area, you can purchase the DVD from Framingtheworld.com.

Day 3 of Red Hot Preaching Conference 2017

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 1:22

Day 3 of the Red Hot Preaching Conference included more soul winning, an afternoon preaching service, lots of food and fellowship, and a youth activity. A record-breaking 217 people showed up to go soul-winning on Saturday morning. Before going out soul-winning, we heard a great short sermon by Matthew Stucky (assistant to Pastor Jimenez) on how we need more men to step up to the plate and do the work necessary to become a pastor.

The afternoon service began with a testimony from Brother Oliver Gonzales, another assistant at Verity Baptist church. Brother Oliver reminded everyone that churches bring forth after their own kind and highlighted the training opportunities available in churches in our movement as a biblical alternative to Bible college.

Pastor David Berzins helped round out the conference with his sermon on “Having Godly Standards in Your Life.” He decided that since we’d already been motivated and edified, he needed to rip some face on a variety of subjects including controversial ones. He preached on dress standards, working hard, the sin of drinking alcohol, the sin of divorce, submission in marriage, child rearing, and Bible reading. He admonished people to put the Word of God into practice, and he also emphasized the importance of establishing personal standards based on Bible principles. Brother Berzins always does a great job, and there was something in that sermon for everybody.

A lot of people are staying for Day 4 to hear Pastor Jimenez preach on Sunday morning. There will also be another soul-winning opportunity in the afternoon, and then “Men’s Popcorn Preaching” on Sunday night. The popcorn preaching night is a popular event where Pastor Jimenez draws names and gives ten men the opportunity to preach a short sermon. There’s a lot of talent in this movement, so the variety of good preaching should make for an exciting end to the conference.

I had a great time and wish I could have stayed longer, but I also look forward to getting back in time to preach in my own pulpit. There’s just something about being back in your own home church. Like Pastor Berzins said in his sermon, “If you aren’t plugged into a good church, you need to get plugged in.”

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

Click here to watch Day 3 of the Red Hot Preaching Conference.

Day 2 of Red Hot Preaching Conference 2017

The movie theater was packed out for the Babylon USA showing in Sacramento on Friday morning, and my son Solomon and I enjoyed the time of fellowship with family and friends. Pastor Roger Jimenez preached a sermon before the film where he gave us some grave warnings about the way the next generation is being raised.

Since I wasn’t preaching the second night of the conference, I got to sit back and really enjoy the service. The place was packed out again with over 300 people. One of the songs sung in the service was “Holy, Holy, Holy,” which we enjoyed belting out in light of the recent attacks on the trinity.

The first speaker at the evening service was Brother Graham of Verity Baptist Church. Brother Graham strongly urged people to commute to a good church. He made a great point about the fact that driving an hour or two to church in an air-conditioned car isn’t much to ask considering the fact that Jesus died for us.

Next, Pastor Joe Major of Faith Baptist Church in Violet, Louisiana, preached a powerful, spirit-filled sermon where he encouraged us to “Be Numbered with Those Who go to War.” His sermon was on fire and is a must listen! I especially appreciated his emphasis on loyalty to the man of God, considering what I have gone through recently with heretics trying to split our church.

After such an intense sermon, Pastor Donnie Romero was the comic relief. He had us in stitches several times, but that did not take away from the gravity of his sermon. He preached on the valley of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37. He talked about how we don’t know exactly when or why those people died, just like we aren’t sure exactly when some of the old IFB churches died. He ripped on the old movement but left us feeling hopeful that some of the dead IFB churches will be revived in the next generation. It was an all around great sermon!

Raising the next generation for the Lord, moving or commuting to get in a good church, and the problems with the old IFB movement seem to be underlying themes of the conference so far. Brother Major is a dynamic speaker and was a great addition to the conference this year. If you missed it, you can hear him preach again in Fort Worth, Texas, on August 6th at Stedfast Baptist Church.

Click here to watch the second night of the conference on Youtube.

Day 1 of Red Hot Preaching Conference 2017

The first night of the Red Hot Preaching Conference was an exciting time of preaching and fellowship. The place was packed out with 364 people. It’s always good to visit my home town of Sacramento, California, and I appreciate Pastor Jimenez providing me with the opportunity to preach there.

The first speaker was Brother Jared of Verity Baptist Church. He gave an inspiring and eloquent testimony about moving across the country to attend Verity. He told how he was in Sacramento for last year’s conference and then managed to move his family there just three months later. He made a powerful statement about the importance of making sure your family is in a good church: “Your decision making, whether you like it or not, will shape future generations.”

I preached a sermon entitled “Why they Hate Us,” where I talked about the fact that many IFB pastors actually hate me and other soul-winning preachers, and it’s not right. Someone will get saved after watching one of our documentaries and will find an IFB church in their area, only to get kicked out of the church for listening to my preaching!

I compared the way other independent fundamental Baptists treat people in our movement to the way Joseph’s brothers treated him. They see us coming with our coat of many colors, and they want to rip it off our backs. They hate us because we bring up their evil report. The story of Cain and Abel is yet another example of a wicked reaction to a brother’s godliness.

When we come across someone that is more righteous than we are, we can either have a wicked spirit of envy and hatred, or we can praise God for what they are accomplishing. When I see another church excelling in an area, I don’t get angry about it or discount it because they happen to be pre-trib. I instead ask myself what I can learn from them.

We need to remember that we aren’t against our pre-trib brethren. Our differences are no excuse for hating brothers in Christ. I would love nothing more than for some pre-trib, Zionist church to outdo us on soul-winning. We love our fundamental Baptist brethren, and we love lost souls. We are not in competition with other churches like they seem to be with us.

As soul-winning Baptists, we are all on the same team. We need to follow Joseph’s example and Christ’s commandment to do good to those that hate us. Regardless of how other IFBs treat us, we need to be like Joseph and just try to save people alive.

Click here to watch the first night of the conference on Youtube.

Oneness Heresy Paving the Way for the Antichrist

The Bible makes it clear that the antichrist is going to be very convincing. Many unsaved people all over the world will be deceived, and there is a reason why that is the case. The idea of a mark in the forehead originally came from God, not the Devil. The Bible mentions a mark being placed in the forehead of those who are righteous. The first mention of this mark is found in Ezekiel 9:4 and it comes up again a few times in the Book of Revelation.

“And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.” Ezekiel 9:4

“Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” Revelation 7:3

The Devil is not stupid. He wants to dupe people by counterfeiting something that is mentioned positively in scripture. He's going to use the verses about God's mark to convince people to take his mark, but there is a colossal difference between the mark of the beast and the other forehead mark. I believe the major difference in the two marks will be the name.

The Bible teaches that the antichrist won’t be coming in the name of God the Father. The antichrist will come in his own name. I’m not sure if he is going to go by the name of Jesus or by the name of "Yeshua" (a bogus name promoted by the Hebrew roots movement), but whatever exact name he goes by, he will be claiming to be the second coming of Jesus Christ. In order to deceive those who know that the mark is supposed to be the Father’s name, the antichrist will have to teach a doctrine that says the name of the Father is Jesus/Yeshua and that “Jesus is God the Father.”

The increasingly popular “oneness” doctrine denies the distinction between the Father and the Son, making it easier to deceive those who may have otherwise questioned why the mark they are being asked to take is not the Father’s name. Modern versions support oneness by changing a key verse to read that the mark of the beast will be both the Father and the Son’s name. Here’s what Revelation 14:1 says in the ESV:

“Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.” - Revelation 14:1 (ESV)

Here’s that same verse in the King James Bible:

“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.” Revelation 14:1 (KJV)

The true Word of God is careful to tell us that it will be the Father’s name in the foreheads of the righteous.

It is alarming how well the oneness doctrine fits with the antichrist’s agenda. Although oneness/modalism existed in the early centuries after Christ, it was rejected and eventually disappeared for centuries before being resurrected in 1913 by the "Oneness Pentecostal" movement. Bible believing churches have kept this strange doctrine at bay for years, but it is just now starting to creep into evangelical and Baptist churches. I believe this is because the false doctrine of oneness is an end-times heresy that will be used to pave the way for the antichrist. Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs all believe in a "oneness" type God, so in order to bring all religions together, the trinity will need to be discarded.

Instead of trying to meet oneness heretics halfway, we need to stay strong on the traditional, biblical view of the trinity that every Baptist has believed for hundreds and hundreds of years. The Bible clearly teaches that the trinity consists of three distinct persons that make up one God.

Here is a sermon on the trinity.

We are Not Expendable

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:” 2 Corinthians 4:3

I’ve heard pastors say we are all replaceable, but I don’t believe that for one second. None of us are expendable because we are all different. There is no one just like me, and there is no one just like you either. We can do a lot for God as a church, but a church is made up of individuals. As church members, we are all part of a team, and God uses each of us in different ways.

God himself gave people the Gospel while he was walking this earth as Jesus Christ. He won people to himself when he was here as our example, and when he left, he commanded us to do it:

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15

God does not appear to people today and give them the Gospel. As you continue reading the New Testament, you’ll notice that even when Jesus Christ appeared to the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus, he sent him to Ananias. Another example like this is the story of Cornelius. When Cornelius had been praying and the Lord spoke to him in a vision, did God himself give him the Gospel? No. God sent Simon Peter. In order for Cornelius to be saved, Simon Peter had to be obedient and go and give him the Gospel.

God is not going to get the Gospel to everyone in Phoenix without Faithful Word Baptist Church and the few other soul winning churches in our area, and he’s not going to get the Gospel to everyone in your area without you. Yes, unbelievers are “without excuse,” but it is up to us to give them a clear presentation of the Gospel so they have a better chance of getting saved. God has put us on this earth for a reason. He has a plan for your life and my life, and there are people he wants each of us to reach.

I am often criticized for emphasizing man’s role in getting people saved, but the Bible emphasizes man. God is not going to knock on people’s doors, and if we don’t do it, it’s not going to get done. We need the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit in order to win souls, but don’t de-emphasize us to the point where you think God is going to somehow do it all himself.

“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” Ezekiel 22:30

Here is a sermon to go with this article.

One Problem with Children's Ministries

Long-haired hippie Jesus

I’ve preached a lot on the subject of “Suffer the Children," in reference to allowing all infants and children in the church service with their parents. Keeping the family together for every service is biblical and commonly known as being "family integrated." Children’s Sunday School classes, junior church, and vacation Bible school may seem harmless, but there are some serious problems with these programs.

Most parents are aware of the risks of letting their young children out of their sight, so they feel better when there is a window on the door and perhaps two adults supervising the class. Some children’s ministries have more of these safeguards in place than others, but do people know what their children are being taught?

One of the problems with having multiple Sunday school classes—even for adults—is that there usually aren’t enough people in a church who are qualified to teach the Bible. My dad taught me to always opt for “the pastor’s class” when visiting a church since the other adult Sunday school teachers might be more liberal. If you’ve attended more than one Sunday school class, you will probably agree with this rule of thumb.

If you think it’s any better in the children’s classes, you’re wrong. There is a popular school of thought that actually encourages churches to give new converts their own ministries as soon as possible in order to keep them attending church faithfully. These newbies may not be knowledgeable enough to impress other adults, so they have them start out teaching children’s classes. Even a mature Christian who has attended a church for decades will not necessarily be in agreement with the pastor doctrinally.

I know what you are thinking. You’re going to tell me that your pastor purchases or writes the Sunday school curriculum and that all Sunday school students are being taught the same lesson—just on a different level, geared toward their own age group. A lot of churches have that policy, and it sounds good in theory, but I’ve heard of too many instances where a teacher goes renegade.

In one church, a vacation Bible school teacher whispered to the students that repenting of sin is necessary for salvation. Obviously, this infiltrator knew that what he was saying was different than what the pastor of the church believed and preached, which is why he was being sneaky. Older kids will sometimes catch stuff like that and tell their parents, but what about a four or five year old?

Even if the deviation from the lesson is not intentional, a lot of female teachers with very little discernment will get ideas for crafts and other supplemental materials from Pinterest. Who knows which denomination or Bible version those craft templates might be coming from?

Recently, a Sunday school teacher at a friend's church handed out a puzzle and had very young children piece together a long-haired “Jesus.” Keep in mind, the official curriculum handout was from an IFB source that would never portray the Lord that way, but the teacher had added something of her own.

“But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” 1 Timothy 2:12

I don’t recommend letting young children out of your sight, but I can understand why people are more torn when it comes to teenagers. They want their kids to have fellowship with and eventually date like-minded believers. The teens seem to mingle more after the service in family integrated churches like ours than they do in a church that has Sunday school, so some parents feel like their son or daughter has to attend the teen Sunday school class for a while just to get to know the other teenagers.

Savvy older children and teenagers will often pick up on false doctrine, hypocrisy, and Pharisaical attitudes from ministry workers. They’ll see right through it and may even tell their parents, but could bad Sunday school teachers and youth leaders be causing your teenager to become disillusioned about church?

People understandably want to fit in and get on board with the programs in their church but at what cost? We need more family integrated churches across America and around the world, so that people aren’t faced with the dilemma of whether or not to drop their children off in a questionable class. Age segregation in churches has so many drawbacks and just isn’t biblical. Ideally, Christian parents should find a pastor worth following, and then let their children sit in and listen to him too.

Here is a sermon on why our church is family-integrated.