Bert Craft Personal Blog
"My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue."
Bert Craft Personal Blog

FAULTY AND DESTRUCTIVE MISSIONARY PRACTICES

"As we look at present-day missionary methods, we can see that so little is happening around the world; and especially in North America. There are hundreds of missionaries, but it seems that indigenous churches can be counted on one hand after 250 to 300 years of Gospel ministry. I began to ask myself, "Why?" I wondered why my ministry was not any more productive than the ministry of those of the past. After much careful research and a restudy of the Bible, I have come to the conclusion that there are so many things that have become a hindrance to building indigenous churches. It is no wonder that there are virtually none among the native inhabitants in this part of the world. Below, I hope to enumerate some of them."<< MORE >>

HAVE MODERN CHURCHES BECOME A DEN OF THIEVES: Robbing Christ's Headship

"This brings us to a sacred cow of many: namely that the church is a democracy. The idea that the church is a democracy robs Christ of His headship. In a democracy, the majority rule and their will is carried out. As Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. president and author of the Declaration of Independence, stated: "A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine." To the outsider, yes, the internal workings of a New Testament church appear to be a democracy as each member has a vote in the church's business meeting. But to those of us who know the yoke of Christ, and His absolute and sovereign right to rule, we do not deem the church to be a democracy, but rather a theocracy....God ruling over His people by Christ and His Word. Furthermore, the late J.R. Rushdooney stated that a democracy is the enemy of theocracy, the rule of God. A New Testament church is not to be mob ruled, but Christ ruled. Christ's rule is the rule of God through the Word and a democracy form of church government is the enemy of divine headship. Let us not be found to be a den of thieves robbing Christ of His headship."<< MORE >>

HAVE MODERN CHURCHES BECOME A DEN OF THIEVES: Robbing God's Glory

"I have often wondered if Jesus were to come to modern day churches, what would be His reaction? Would He see modern day churches, like those of the first century, praying, beseeching, fasting, and interceding? Would He find them ever conforming to and obeying the commands and purposes of our Lord Jesus Christ? Or would He find them to be a den of thieves? I believe there are modern day churches that are a den of thieves. They have altered the purpose for the house of God. They have modified the original intent of the church of God. Whether in ignorance or willful intent, they have robbed God. As I write this, I hear the murmuring criticism of some, like in the days of Malachi, who question: "Wherein have we robbed Thee?" What have we stolen from Thee? Wherein have we defrauded Thee? These questions strike deeply at the spiritual ignorance and rebellion of our day. We are ignorant of our sins, because we are ignorant of God and His Word! We are ignorant of our imperfections, because we are ignorant of His perfections!"<< MORE >>

WHY GOD ALLOWS SICKNESS & WEAKNESS IN HIS MINISTERS

"May not severe discipline fall to the lot of some to qualify them for their office of under-shepherds? How can we speak with consoling authority to a situation which we have never known? The complete pastor's life will be an epitome of the lives of his people, and they will turn to his preaching, as men do to David's psalms, to see themselves and their sorrows, as in a mirror. Their needs will be the reason for his griefs. As in the case of the Lord Himself, perfect equipment for His work came only through suffering, and so must it be for those who are called to follow Him in binding up the broken-hearted, and loosing the prisoners."<< MORE >>

DYING TESTIMONY OF A PRESENT DAY BAPTIST PREACHER

"I got back home from the VA Hospital in Charleston, SC on Friday. I have several malignant tumors in my brain. They say I have from three months to a year to live, but they are not in charge; God owns every ounce of me and when He says time is up I will leave this world and not until then. Please pray that the pain will go away and stay away. Also, please ask the Dear Lord Jesus to give me grace to face this trial like a good soldier. I want Him to receive glory and honor out of this, because He deserves it. I am the blessed one. I get to go to heaven and live with God in a place that is as perfect as God could make it. It is going to be so good and Christ has paid for everything. I love you, my dear friends. It will not be long before our Heavenly Father will gather all of us together and we will never have to say good-bye again. I am not afraid; Jesus has given me great peace. This is going to be the greatest experience of my life. I will be with Jesus and it doesn't get any better than that..." << MORE >>

PREACHERS SHOULD BE SONS OF THUNDER

"When men don't preach much about the danger of damnation, there is want of good preaching...If sinners don't hear often of Judgment and Damnation, few will be converted...Ministers should be sons of thunder: men had need have storms in their hearts, before they will betake themselves to Christ for refuge....If they be but thoroughly convinced of their danger, that will make them go to God and take pains."<< MORE >>

CONVERSION IS MORE THAN KNOWLEDGE OF DOCTRINE

"With the heart man believes to salvation. Although a man has believed some body of divinity, unless those principles which he has believed in his head have taken root in his heart so that he loves God's Son, rejoices in His salvation, denies himself, takes up his cross, follows the Lamb through all manner of reproach, his knowledge only makes him boast. He is blind and cannot see far. He has never felt the authority of God's grace within, and how can such a person love the Saviour of the World?"<< MORE >>

THE MOST EFFECTUAL AND IMPACTING MINISTRY EXALTS CHRIST

"It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all remembrance, that the ministry which exalts Christ crucified most, is the ministry which produces most lasting effects."<< MORE >>

TRUE, EFFECTUAL PRAYER IN THE LIFE OF DANIEL--The Proper Spirit In Prayer

"We cannot enter into God's presence flippantly. We must not be presumptuous. However, on the other hand, we must not be timid. We must seek to cultivate a proper spirit in prayer that is pleasing to God, that is not offensive to His nature and attributes, and that will be conducive to a favorable, divine answer. Daniel modeled a proper spirit in prayer...."<< MORE >>

TRUE, EFFECTUAL PRAYER IN THE LIFE OF DANIEL--Motivation To Prayer

"True, effectual, heart-felt, life-changing prayer modeled by Daniel is something rare in America's popular, Christian culture. God's people and churches need to imitate the powerful and practical prayer life of Daniel of old. True Christianity is an absolute and total dependence upon Christ and His promises. Without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5)! With Him, we can do all things (Philippians 4:13)! Prayer--private or public, verbalized or silent, planned or extemporaneous, with head bowed and eyes closed or walking with head up and eyes open, is the life-blood, the only way that a Christian can truly exist on this earth. Many complain about prayer being removed from American public schools, and yet we find that a similar decree to outlaw prayer was made in the days of Daniel, and he continued praying. You cannot keep a true Christian from prayer."<< MORE >>