Another Hypocritical Pastor (Don Porter from Indiana)

[creationliberty]

For those of you who pay attention to new posts on our forum, the man who wrote me is named Don Porter, and I use his full name because he makes it public on his site. He claims to be part of an autonomous, independent local church, part of the priesthood of all believers, a pastor, a deacon, an individual soul, separated by baptism and the Lord Supper, and president of "bibleschool.edu," which doesn't seem like it has any students in the first place, but it's hard to tell. This is what he wrote to us in his introduction thread, which I will link to later in this post. Don's in his mid to late 60s based on the information I gathered on him, so in a nutshell, we have an older man who claims he's been a preacher for a long time, and you can probably already tell, just from this information alone, how this is going to end--it's very common for these kinds of people to claim they are reasonable, but they refuse to reason anything out. The beginning of this is the email Don wrote initially wrote me, and if you read everything, you will find the hypocrisy to be staggering.

DON PORTER FROM INDIANA (APR 21, 2022):
I truly have enjoyed reading the info on your website. You are extremely detailed and studied -
I have been in church since 1972 and all of the church buildings have been organized via 501c3. Over the past few years, it has become evident, because of personal study, that our local visible assemblies need to take a pause.
There is a small unregistered church movement, but it needs to grow. Of course, as I have tried to hit this issue in my area, much resistance is experienced. Prayerfully, as the Lord leads, I intend to organize a local NT assembly in my hometown of North Vernon, IN.
After reading your discourse about 501c3 and knowing that the church, as we worship together, is the local visible assembly, I wonder about an issue. I agree with your discourse but am unsure how to argue the point of taxes due if an assembly decides to have a building on a piece of purchased property. Even a non-501c3 assembly will be required to pay property taxes, correct?
I'm attempting to analyze and critically think about this issue as I move forward with a new church plant.
Thanks for any time you may have to offer feedback.
I have had these kinds of questions for many years, and I'm going to warn you ahead of time that you will (most likely) not like my answer. (By the way, did you read the whole book, or did you just read part of it?)

The problem is not with property taxes. The problem is with the way of thinking that churchgoers have, in which they have a corporate church-ianity mentality, instead of the Biblical philosophy they should, so they focus on a "new church plant," which is based on making buildings instead of evangelizing.

The following are some links if you want to do some investigation, and if not, that is up to you. Have a great day.
++++++++
++++++++
The Church is Not a Building
(According to the Bible, it is impossible to "go to church.")

How does our church handle finances without 501c3?
(From the FAQ)

How do we start a bank account without 501c3?
(From the FAQ)
You won’t upset me, I’m not the average Christian that refuses to reason together.

God’s Word is paramount to me, and changes must happen in the NT body.

House, tent, river side, field - wherever the Lord allows. I’m not extremely burdened about this issue of the NT church. The biggest obstacle are those you live in the ministry offering 0 opportunities for discussion.

Thanks be into God for his unspeakable gift
I appreciate the reasonable disposition. I hope the information is helpful.
I'm not extremely burdened about this issue of the NT church...Should have said "I am" extremely, apologies
At this point, a day or two passed, and Don decided to create an account and join our forum. He did the typical churchianity-pastor thing, in which he puffed himself up with all his worldly titles and accomplishments. Here is the link to that thread so you can read what happened:
http://www.creationliberty.com/forum/index.php?topic=1552.0
That put many of us on guard immediately, and if you read it all, you will see how he accuses all of us for "being divisive" (i.e. every person on this forum, including the majority of which he has never spoken with) for just asking him questions, and then throws a divisive tantrum against us for it. After reading his writing and listening to one of his videos, I am fully convinced that he doesn't understand the basics of Scripture, even though he claims to, and his go to verse to defend himself is John 3:16--he uses that to respond to people instead of answering their questions.

After we had to ban him (for contention and spam, because he was making new, one-sentence threads where he was accusing everyone on this forum of random things), I wrote him back:
You won’t upset me, I’m not the average Christian that refuses to reason together.
You lied.
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
-Col 3:9

I told you that you wouldn't like my answer, and I know you didn't, even though you tried to hide it. I know you didn't read the whole book on 501c3 (I can easily tell just by what you wrote), but you don't need to read it. The following book is what you need to read, even though we both know you won't, but my job is to provide it, and let others decide for themselves what they will do:
Why Millions of Believer on Jesus are Going to Hell

I am preaching repentance (i.e. grief and godly sorrow) and remission of sins as Christ taught us...
And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
-Luke 24:46-47
...but you are preaching church-ianity, which is why you focus on creating buildings instead of evangelizing, it is why you struggled to understand how to exist without incorporated status, and it is also why you erroneously believe 501c3 is the source of the problem. I appreciate you coming onto the forum for a short time because the small amount of conversation you provided helped me discern the matter. Thank you for your time.

I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.
-3Jo 1:9-10
pre-eminence (n): priority of place; superiority in rank or dignity; superiority of power or influence

I pray the Lord Jesus Christ would have as much mercy on you and your family as He has had on me and mine. Have a great day.
There’s nothing you can teach me about Salvation, Repentance, Christ, and the Church. All of your forum participants have the urge to edify themselves and create argument.

It appears that exalting Chris and not Christ is the drive of your followers.

Beware of them that cause divisions among you - your followers use the freedom of Grace to hurt the cause of Christ for selfish and fleshly reasons.

The Holy Spirit pricks my heart , teaches me, and guides me. I saw nothing on your forum that supports individual soul liberty other than the individual haughtiness that was liberally meted out.

So, wisdom dictates that a mature Christian leave such childish games dealt to other Believers.

You may need this:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
You may need this:
Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
-Luke 12:51

Have a great day, and I pray the Lord Jesus Christ blesses you and your family with all your needs throughout the coming rough months in this country.
Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
-1Pe 3:9
END OF DISCUSSION
Forum members are welcome to leave their own thoughts and comments below, especially since some of you spoke with him before he got banned. I just found it hilarious that, according to Porter's own words, I started out to have wisdom and understand, and within 48 hours, I no longer had wisdom and understanding. That's an amazing trick. I'm being facetious, obviously, but the reason people do that is because they speak before they listen, meaning that all those compliments were just flattering lips because he has spent far too long playing church-ianity politics with people who love flattering lips, and was not expecting rebuke from actual Christians.

[Ellie]

You won’t upset me, I’m not the average Christian that refuses to reason together.
You lied.
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
-Col 3:9

Wow. Glad you pointed that one out. Yeah, he completely refused to reason together on the forum whatsoever. He refused every single time, and was completely dismissive of anyone who said anything to him. It really does make me wonder if he was expecting to recieve praise about his accomplishments because even at the very first response to his introduction, Kenneth just asked him about his testimony. He didn't even go hard on him at that point, he was just asking for more details.

There’s nothing you can teach me about Salvation, Repentance, Christ, and the Church. All of your forum participants have the urge to edify themselves and create argument.

The fact that he went so far as to say "there's nothing you can teach me about Salvation, Repentance, Christ, and the Church" just shows his extreme pride and stubbornness. ​I don't think I would ever claim that there is nothing that I can be taught about those things even if I spent literally all of my time studying. I am definitely younger than him and I've been saved a shorter amount of time than I'm sure it took to complete all of his churchianity endeavors, but I'd imagine that others here who have been saved for longer than me wouldn't claim something like that either. God reveals new things to us at the times that He wills to and I imagine that the depth of understanding just keeps growing and building upon what we already do understand.

It appears that exalting Chris and not Christ is the drive of your followers.

Beware of them that cause divisions among you - your followers use the freedom of Grace to hurt the cause of Christ for selfish and fleshly reasons.

None of us even mentioned Chris in response to him. We addressed him on what he said and wanted his testimony of being saved by Jesus Christ. So it really is absurd when people make those accusations, it doesn't even make sense.

I also don't understand why asking someone how they got saved is hurting the cause of Christ. People like him who exalt themselves and their own achievements in the name of Christ are the ones who are guilty of that.

I saw nothing on your forum that supports individual soul liberty other than the individual haughtiness that was liberally meted out.

So, wisdom dictates that a mature Christian leave such childish games dealt to other Believers.

So he was claiming that we who talked to him were "haughty."

HAUGHTINESS, noun hau'tiness. The quality of being haughty; pride mingled with some degree of contempt for others; arrogance. Webster's 1828

CONTEMPT, noun [Latin See Contemn.]
1. The act of despising; the act of viewing or considering and treating as mean, vile and worthless; disdain; hatred of what is mean or deemed vile. This word is one of the strongest expressions of a mean opinion which the language affords. Webster's 1828

So haughtiness is pride mixed with contempt for others. He accused us of doing this, but even in that same reply to Chris, he was pridefully referring to himself as a "mature Christian" while claiming that we were playing "childish games" just because we addressed what he posted. This was one of his favorite insults toward us, to accuse us of being immature Christians whenever something was said to him that challenged him. Clearly, he was puffed up in pride and he had a lot of contempt for us because he didn't even consider us worthy enough to offer a charitable explanation/discussion with us. He just completely dismissed us and refused to reason things out. Here's some more quotes where he demonstrates his haughtiness very clearly.

I won't be bated into an argument, too many immature Christians dying to argue and, in the end, accomplish nothing.

Why am I here? Hoping to find Spiritual maturity, but that may be waning.

In response to me addressing him on the fact that he didn't find the definition of repentance to be "pertinent," he quotes this scripture, which I believe was meant to call me a fool and he used it to excuse himself from answering why he doesn't want to talk about repentance, his salvation, or answer our questions:

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

So based on the short time he was talking to us, I believe he made his pride and contempt for us quite clear once he realized he we weren't going to accept him unconditionally just because of his achievements and church positions.

[creationliberty]

What I find amazing is that, every time this happens, they act like they are standing firm of the Gospel of Christ, but never once do they consider that we might not be saved Christians. I mean, what if we are not? Why would they not stick around and be apt to teach, to try and explain to us where we are in error?

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
-2Ti 2:24-25

It just seems to me that these men are so accustomed to the church-ianity game, they have no concept of reasoning with someone from the Scriptures for the salvation of souls.

[Ellie]

Good point. And even if he did believe we were saved but just “immature Christians” like he said or basically babes in Christ, then why didn’t he actually spend time to correct our errors as a father might do? Where was his care for Jesus Christ’s little ones?

“And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:2-6‬

He said in another thread when he claimed to have been saved, and it would be 50 years if I remember correctly. So you'd think that someone who claims to have been saved that long would have grown in patience and compassion, but I guess that wasn't the case. He just chose to insult us and made his way out. If we were truly in error as immature Christians, it apparently wasn't worth his time to try to truly persuade and correct us. Oh well. It was pretty clear to me from the beginning that he was completely puffed up in pride and that he would end up leaving anyway.