Visiting First Baptist Muscle Shoals…

One of the things that I enjoy about an extended stay with my in-laws is that it offers the opportunity to visit other churches in their area.  It just so happens that their area is north Alabama.  There is no shortage of churches in north AL (anywhere in Alabama for that fact), however, in the mix are some really good churches.  One of those is First Baptist Muscle Shoals.  It was about an hour and 15 min. drive for us from her parent’s house but we don’t get to visit other churches very often so it was worth the drive.  I was hoping to get to go to FBC Muscle Shoals in the morning and then go to Grace Community Church in Huntsville, AL.  Paul Lamey is the Pastor/Teacher at GCC and he blogs at Expository Thoughts with wordpress.  However, those plans got pushed back and I will see him on another visit, Lord willing!

It is worth mentioning, that FBC Muscle Shoals changed their name to “Grace Life at the Shoals.”  They changed it this passed summer because they were not the First Baptist Church in Muscle Shoals, but still bared the FBC name.  The current staff and church sought to rectify the situation by changing the name to “Grace Life.”  I think that is a great mark of integrity.

This church is the home church of Paul Washer.  One who is becoming dear to my heart every time I hear him preach.  He is the founder of Heart Cry Missionary Society.  His latest sermon has been well noted in the blogging community, and in many other circles, when he delivered the 10 indictments against the American Church.  This man is truly a gifted man.  He wasn’t there, I would have liked to have met him.

However, it was my great delight that I was able to sit under Jeff Noblit, the teaching Pastor.  He was great.  I really enjoyed his personal appeal to his people.  He was teaching through a series on ffinances, and at first I was wishing that he would preach from some great doctrinal passage but the Lord showed me what wisdom Bro. Jeff was giving to his people.  He wasn’t just preaching/teaching to them, but shepharding them in very practical ways by the Word.  I was grateful for his message! 

It was nice in many ways, more than just the preaching.  When we arrived, the people were friendly, both entering the building and those who sat around us.  One of the Elders came and talked with me for a long time making sure that my family and I were welcomed.  That ment a lot to Kelli and I.  But I was mostly encouraged by the number of children that were in the service.  My wife and I feel strongly that we need to have our children in the service with us not in children’s church or the nursery.  We enjoy multi-generational worship, but not many people share this joy.  It appeared that Grace life at the Shoals was at least friendly to this view (with so many little kids in the service) and that was encouraging!

One more thing to love about the church was their book store!  It was great.  Packed with solid treasures.  And of course I bought one, “Southern Baptist Sermons on Sovereignty and Responsibility” by: Manly, Johnson, Howell, and Fuller.  It is compiled by Dr. Thomas J. Nettles.  I am enjoying every bit of it! 

The next time you take some vac. time or just a trip to see the in-laws, take a few minuntes to plan a time to worship at a Bible teaching church.  Even if you have to drive an hour or so… it will be worth it!

Yogi Taylor

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24 Responses to Visiting First Baptist Muscle Shoals…

  1. Hello Yogi,
    I am glad your visit went well to our church. God has really blessed my family by being there and having a steady diet of expository preaching. I just wanted to let you know that Bro. Paul actually preached at Woodstock Baptist BEFORE the John 3:16 conference, not afterwards. His breakout session at Woodstock was against decisionism, but the 10 Indictements message was delivered a week after he spoke at Woodstock. He preached that message at the Revival Conference in Lilburn, Ga.
    This is no big deal, but I just wanted you to know in case you are questioned. (I work with HeartCry Missionary Society, and was at both of those conferences.)
    God bless you, and let me know when you are going to be in Muscle Shoals again.
    Looking to Him,
    Shannon Ayers

  2. ytaylor says:

    Shannon, I try to have all my facts strait, but that one seemed to slip by me. Upon listening to his sermon I thought that I read that it was after the John 3:16 conf. Thank you for the correction. I will change the info on the post.

    You said that you work with HMS, are you on staff with them? Btw, I plan to be at Muscle Shoals for the True Church Conf. (looking forward to hearing Paul and Voodie).

    Thanks again,
    Yogi

  3. Zachary Snow says:

    Hey Yogi!

    I’ve heard nothing but good things about that church. Its really great that you are doing family worship. I wish more people would get on board with that in the American Church. We’ve always kept our kids in service with us and people have always been amazed at how good they are. I try to let people know, in a kind way, that their kids will generally do what is expected of them if the parents are serious about it.
    Stick with it man.

  4. time2stand says:

    Love your website! Keep up the good work! Check us out too! We are trying to link up with as many people as possible. Check out our most recent blog – we are on a Paul Washer – Ten Indictments – offensive!

    God bless,
    Your brother in Christ,
    Jeremy Strang
    http://www.time2stand.wordpress.com
    http://www.time2stand.net
    http://www.time2standladies.wordpress.com

  5. reformatienl says:

    25 indictments against Paul Washer:
    1) willfully limiting the subjectmatter of Scripture
    2) willfully presenting his own fabricated version of true christianity
    3) willfully bringing himself under a cloak of godliness
    4) willfully closing the book of Revelation and the Prophets
    5) willfully painting the graves of the prophets for his own selfish ends
    6) willfully presenting himself since 2002 with remarks that show Billy Graham
    to be his brother, although Graham is high in the world and an archdeceiver
    7) comparison with the whole of Scripture and the true old paths of the Reformation
    show him to be a cloud without water
    8) connection in the Netherlands to all false christianity has to offer, even with those
    who publicly say calvinism is a complete error
    9) presenting himself in 80.000 newspapers in the Netherlands smiling as though
    the sins of the churches and the land are no problem to him
    10) proclaiming a message of revival that has never come, thereby telling lies in Gods Name.
    11) accepting in the core of his message two contradictive systems of doctrine
    12) denying the witness of the Holy Spirit in the Reformation against THE antichrist in Rome
    13) denying the blood of hunderthousands christian brothers and sisters against THE antichrist in Rome
    14) going around the USA and the world to gain one proselyte that he makes a clone of himself
    15) being silent about the developements in the outside world, only preaching for his own parish
    16) laying burdens on small people, while leaving big names in bibleschools, synods, and gospelmusic
    untouched and unmentioned
    17) connecting himself to Kirk Cameron, know throughout the world for the message of a future antichrist
    with Left Behind
    18) himself not being able to go to Wallmart for fear of sinning, yet laying on big burdens on everyone else
    19) printing his own material as though it is manna from heaven, yet is only copying a little text everyone
    knows with some questions
    20) saying he serves the God of heaven, yet he himself is an idolater of the ring on his own finger
    21) his minister is Jeff Nobblit who teaches a future antichrist, that gain is godliness, and remains in the
    SBC although a complete apostate body with a statue for Billy Graham
    22) closing the Kingdom of God for the people by keeping silent about the true contents of the witness of the old paths
    23) denying the true witness of the Waldenses, the reformers, the english puritans, the scottish covenanters
    24) denying the true witness of Augustine against Pelagius, Luther against Rome, the Westminster and Dordt Synods
    25) being a facilitator and manipulator replacing the true religion of the King Jesus Christ with a false one of the new world order

    • Your un-Christlike disdain and hateful response is proof and confirmation of his ministry. Not only are some of your statements fabricated, but they are subjective to your own interpretation. You are obviously part of some wierd cult that denounces wedding rings, and believes that Luther and Augustine had no original sin, and believes that historic premillenialism is of the devil.

  6. ytaylor says:

    Reformatienl, Sorry for the slow response (holidays and all). Your “25 indictments against Paul Washer” hardly deserves a response but I will give one, briefly!

    I would say however, that I wish you could bring to the conversation some intelligent reasoning, instead of animalist attacks. Some of what you say is true, but not how you mean it or publish it on others blog. It is more of a spin on truth. I will not refute all 25 indictments one by one, some I have no knowledge of and couldn’t say one way or another. And some are just stupid. I mean #’s 20 & 25, really? These are not indictments. They’re personal attacks.

    I would suspect that you would indict me on many things… maybe b/c I am a Southern Baptist (#21). SBC have a great policy in place, it is called the autonomy of the Church, and therefore not every SBC Church is the same. Or may you would find me to not be “reformed” enough. Even though my theology is highly reformed, I pastor my flock in such a way that they can grow to understand and love the Doc.s of Grace (i.e. with great patience & instruction) and that means that I remain flexible on hills not worth dying.

    Look, here is the bottom line. You have for yourself a personal view of Christianity (or Reformed theology) and if others don’t agree with you they get the boot. Paul Washer is not a heretic. He preaches the full Gospel (and quite well). I may not like everything the man does or even believes, but that does not give me, or you, a license to personally attack him. Indicting Washer is really “grabbing at straws!” Instead of bucking against what you think is not quite in-step with your theology why don’t you try encouraging Paul, and others, to be more God-Centered in thought, theology, and practice. It seems that whether you affirm the Westminster or the 2nd London Baptist Confession, there is still a common goal among us. And if you can’t see that, or refuse to, then you got bigger problems than the ones we are commenting about! Feel free to rebuttal!

    Yogi

  7. reformatienl says:

    Hello Yogi, my reply with @@, reformatienl.

    You wrote:
    Reformatienl, Sorry for the slow response (holidays and all). Your “25 indictments against Paul Washer” hardly deserves a response but I will give one, briefly!
    @@ With all due respect, Sir, but to condemn something before you give it a chance to prove itself, is not very mature nor intelligent.

    I would say however, that I wish you could bring to the conversation some intelligent reasoning, instead of animalist attacks.
    @@ I defend my position at http://bringthenoiz.blogspot.com/2008/11/paul-washer-10-indictments.html
    @@ Also I would like to mention that all 25 statements have been written in plain English understandable for all intelligent people what they mean. To compare them to ‘animalistic attacks’ is very cheap as you do not know the proof and background of this protest. It amazes me greatly how those who have the biggest mouth about christian behaviour in discussions, themselves forget that they first themselves have to do what they ask of others, and secondly that this christian behaviour has to be shown to ALL, not towards friends the angelic non-judgemental flatterer, and towards an opponent suddenly slander, judgemental, and censorship without proof and investigation.

    Some of what you say is true, but not how you mean it or publish it on others blog.
    @@ The only reason I have posted the 25 indictments to as many blogs as I could find, is that the 10 indictment message was put out all over the internet. This is a PUBLIC protest to a PUBLIC message, the private warnings have been given already a long time ago.

    It is more of a spin on truth.
    @@ No, Yogi, there is no spin. The 25 indictments have been written as simple statements for everyone to understand, every indictment has its individual proof collected during 2008 investigating the PUBLIC Paul Washer in the USA and the Netherlands, listening to his public media, and following his church at Muscle Shoals. I am not playing a game, nor am acting out of petty lowlife motives. This protest is for the Honour of Christ as His Honour is at stake here!

    I will not refute all 25 indictments one by one, some I have no knowledge of and couldn’t say one way or another.
    @@ You read what I have written at the link I have given earlier as further background information. And here you confirm that you cannot judge about what you do not have knowledge about, to say things like ‘Your “25 indictments against Paul Washer” hardly deserves a response but I will give one, briefly!’ and ‘instead of animalist attacks.’, are therefore statements that are not mature and intelligent.

    And some are just stupid. I mean #’s 20 & 25, really? These are not indictments. They’re personal attacks.
    @@ How can you judge something you do not have knowledge about ? In my book when I dont understand a statement I ask the person what he means by it, and ask him to proof his point. To call it ‘stupid’ and suppose it immediately to be a ‘personal attack’, is not mature and not intelligent, but plain childish.
    @@ Some background of point 20: 1) in the services at Muscle Scoals during 2008 every year of marriage was celebrated from the pulpit with applause as birthday, 2) during the visit of Paul Washer in the Netherlands in 2008 he asked who was married in his public that evening. All were except one, that person was made fun of by Paul Washer, as the reason he was not marries was probably because he was not that pretty.
    @@ Point 25: The Left Behind books were at the top of booksellers in the USA for many months, teaching a future antichrist. Kirk Cameron is THE actor of the Left Behind series, teaching a future antichrist. Paul Washer connects himself with Kirk Cameron at Way of the Master and Deeperconference. If it can be proven that the doctrine of a future antichrist is from Rome in order to get the attention off from the pope of Rome being THE antichrist, and Paul Washer does NOT want to be clear in his teaching on Revelation, yet joins himself publicly with Kirk Cameron, and knows that his pastor Noblit teaches also a future antichrist, …that religious teaching comes exactly in line with the new world order with a still to appear antichrist, and where Rome has the power. This just as a hint of what I could say on this point.

    I would suspect that you would indict me on many things… maybe b/c I am a Southern Baptist (#21).
    @@ My protest is against a PUBLIC TEACHER, not against individual believers. If you are an individual believer I would still adress this issue with you in private, but would leave at that. Paul Washer is a PUBLIC teacher, so is adressed PUBLICLY for his PUBLIC hypocrisy. With the private person Paul Washer I have no beef.

    SBC have a great policy in place, it is called the autonomy of the Church, and therefore not every SBC Church is the same.
    @@ If you want to believe that in order to smooth your conscience, who I am to oppose you ?

    Or may you would find me to not be “reformed” enough. Even though my theology is highly reformed, I pastor my flock in such a way that they can grow to understand and love the Doc.s of Grace (i.e. with great patience & instruction) and that means that I remain flexible on hills not worth dying.
    @@ If you consider the 10 indictments to contain truth in them, I call your words here blablablabla, as you are included in the 10 indictments. Your people according to Paul Washer do not know God, and do not know the Gospel. The proverb is as the people so the preacher.

    Look, here is the bottom line. You have for yourself a personal view of Christianity (or Reformed theology) and if others don’t agree with you they get the boot.
    @@ Sir, I kindly ask you to act as a christian and not to suspect something before you have proof it is so. I dont use this kind of petty motive of behaviour.

    Paul Washer is not a heretic. He preaches the full Gospel (and quite well).
    @@ You have my protest against this in the 25 indictments. If you without investigation call my protest the things you have until now, not even worth a response, you at least cannot say you were not warned. If I do a bad job, and someone tells me I am doing a bad job, denying someone said anything and repeat positive statements about my work, will not make a bad work good. But if you want to ease your conscience by making these statements although a protest like mine has been given, who am I to tell you you surpress truth in unrighteousness by still keeping your lies ?

    I may not like everything the man does or even believes, but that does not give me, or you, a license to personally attack him.
    @@ Sir, you have not investigated my protest, you have not asked me questions about my protest, yet you come with one-liners I also hear from heathens. ‘Dont judge us, we judge and slander everyone without investigating, but dont judge us.’

    Indicting Washer is really “grabbing at straws!”
    @@ Sir, with all due respect, but do you even know what my protest is about, what the background is, and why I give this public protest ? You simply slander what you do not know.

    Instead of bucking against what you think is not quite in-step with your theology why don’t you try encouraging Paul, and others, to be more God-Centered in thought, theology, and practice.
    @@ Sir, with all due respect, but are you an intelligent thinking man, or are you a parrot that constantly repeats one-liners he has learned at bible school ? Your reply here is so superficial and dumb, that I truly dont wanna even take the time to answer it. These kind of reasonings have brought the churches to what they are now (see 10 indictments), and you like an obedient parrot keep on repeating the same propaganda !

    It seems that whether you affirm the Westminster or the 2nd London Baptist Confession, there is still a common goal among us. And if you can’t see that, or refuse to, then you got bigger problems than the ones we are commenting about! Feel free to rebuttal!
    @@ Sir, you slander what you do not know, and you give in your reply such superficial and dumb answers, that I truly dont have the time to answer this kind of ‘go with the flow’, ‘dont rock the boat’, ‘dont judge us, we judge you’, cowardly, stupid replies that show you probably still are repeating what you have learned at bible school, never having made the effort to think for yourself and go beyond the surface !

    @@ I already know that I am bitter, without love, proud, and judgemental, and the threatnings of Gods Wrath I have heard also many times, so please, Sir, show you are mature, intelligent, and NOT superficial, and act as man instead of replying as a woman !

  8. ytaylor says:

    Wow. I must have really struck a nerve! I mean, to take the time to comb through every sentence in order to use my words against me with such detail shows incredible resolve!

    In spite of your backslapping comments, you made some good points. You brought out the point that I responded having never investigated the matter thoroughly. This is true. Another point, which I guess I had coming, was the comments about the personal attacks. It is true that if you are going to call someone out on person attacks you better be above reproach. However your point became extremely invalid as you continued saying “act as a man instead of replying as a woman.”

    Wow! I was already insulted by most of your jabs at my schooling, calling me a parrot, saying I have a lack of intelligence (or was it maturity, I forget), and making the backhanded comment ‘as the people so the preacher.’

    Truthfully, you became more offensive the more you wrote, but I guess that this kind of passive aggressive language is to be excepted. After all I did write very scathing reply to your indictments.

    You are far more passionate about indicting Paul Washer than I am about defending him. As you say, you are also used to being called bitter, without love, proud, judgmental, etc… and it sure shows! I am not your enemy (at least I don’t think I am)! I ask your forgiveness for being so rude in my response. I can see that it fueled you to do the same! So much of what you said was wrong. However, I will read more on the indictments against Paul Washer and give a more fitting response than the one before.

    Yogi

  9. reformatienl says:

    OK, thank you for your reply and looking forward to what is coming !

    Regarding being offensive. I take offense in my country having to read about churches that simply do NOT bring the Gospel, do NOT bring the christian life, but through the years have more and more apostasised.

    I take offense that I have a treasure in witness and works of brothers and sisters from the past in which I recognize the Scriptures and the Voice of My Master Jesus Christ, and that that treasure is thrown to the wind by those who say they know the same thing, yet by their PUBLIC words and deeds show they either dont, or they dont wanna know, or they only use it for their own gain.

    I take offense that I see so called pastors who only let their people look at their personal lives, their personal hearts, their every word and thought, but close the big picture, close whole parts of the Scripture, take away truth and (private) judgement, and think in their pride of education or years of experience that they can explain Scriptures and true christianity by giving out their own exposition, while that exposition is NOT blessed by God (see 10 indictments) nor can stand the test of truly blessed brothers and sisters from the past who lived and witnessed all the things they hypocritically only give lipservice to while their hearts follow after their covetousness !

    If I would say to you how much slander has gone over my head after simply testifying to the truth of the witness of Scripture and the old paths, by those who do lipservice to the true christian faith and who sit in churches each Sunday, you would wonder why my protest is not even stronger and with more offensive words to those who are giving only lipservice to Jesus Christ !

    I know God has everything in HIs Hands, and I rest in His Will, but Christ also asks His Militant Church to fight for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3 KJV), that is what I now (although I am only a simple man NOT without sin) try to do, forgiving those who slander and censor me, as they do not know what they are doing !

    This is no game.

  10. Crystal says:

    Hey Yogi! If you are ever in the Hoover, AL area and have the chance to hear David Platt at The Church of Brook Hills – you will not regret a minute of your time spent there. He’s phenomenal!!!

  11. David says:

    Shannon never got back to you, but yes he is responsible for “Donor Relations” I believe is his title … God Bless you!

  12. Hello dude, I thought I’d post and let you undergo that your blog doesn’t look so enthusiastic on the Shielia browser. But it doesn’t have many users so it’s no big deal 😉

  13. Grayson says:

    Sad, but I guess by now, everyone is aware, Paul Washer is gone from FBCMS, or now Grace life. Things didn’t go as planned. The thought that the church is in anyway family integrated was removed when Voddie Bachum was not invited back…and Paul Washer was asked to leave. Paul now speaks on the platform (2nd year in a row) as the key note speaker for NCFIC (National center for FAmily integrated churches)
    Grace Life is FILLED with great people, but they just don’t share the same vision with men that Yogi respects. A different view…to be sure.
    Blessings.

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