Friday, May 8, 2026

Ramblings of a Country Preacher A Country Preacher’s Pulpit to the World

 Back in 2010, I sat down and started something called Ramblings of a Country Preacher. At the time, I had no grand vision, no plans for influence, and certainly no idea how many people from around the world would eventually stop by to read the thoughts of an old country preacher from Indiana. I felt a burden to write.

What began as a few scattered thoughts soon became a ministry.

Over the years, these writings have wandered through many subjects — faith, political events, spiritual deception, Bible prophecy, church history, preparedness, family struggles, and the everyday trials of ordinary people trying to survive in an increasingly troubled world. Some have wondered why a preacher would write about such a wide variety of subjects. The answer is simple: the Gospel speaks to every part of life.

I have always believed there are more ways to reach people than simply standing behind a pulpit on Sunday morning. The local Church is important, and missionaries are vital to the Kingdom of God, but the world has changed. Today, people search for answers late at night on a phone screen or a computer monitor. Some will never walk through the doors of a church, yet they will quietly read words written online while carrying burdens no one else can see.

I realized years ago that the internet could become a mission field.

So I kept writing.

Some people found the posts encouraging. Others found them disturbing. Some appreciated the warnings; others thought I was too negative. Over time, I was placed into categories I never imagined I would be associated with. I have been called controversial, unconventional, alarmist, and even “the preacher of doom.”

But fear has never been my message.

My burden has always been repentance.

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression…” — Isaiah 58:1 KJV.

As I have grown older, I have become more outspoken about the spiritual condition of the modern Church. I have watched many churches drift from the teachings of Christ to embrace comfort, entertainment, politics, materialism, and worldly compromise. Somewhere along the way, much of modern Christianity stopped warning about sin and started trying to make the world comfortable with it.

That troubles me deeply.

The Gospel was never meant to entertain people on their way to destruction. It was meant to awaken them.

“Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” — Ephesians 5:14 KJV.

I know I do not fit into the mainstream of modern religion. I am not a celebrity preacher. I do not have a television ministry, a marketing team, or a polished image. I am simply a country preacher trying to remain faithful to Jesus Christ and the Scriptures.

This blog has never been about building wealth or fame. I have never monetized it. No advertisements are covering the pages, no subscriptions are hidden behind paywalls, and no requests for donations.

The Gospel is free.

“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters… yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” — Isaiah 55:1 KJV

Because I believe the Gospel should be freely given, I have tried to keep this ministry free as well.

For over sixteen years, a small group of faithful readers has stayed with me. Some agree with me. Some do not. Yet they continue reading because they know these writings come from sincerity and conviction. I may not always be right, and I certainly do not claim to have all the answers, but I believe people deserve honesty instead of polished religious performances.

This blog became my pulpit to the world.

Here I ask difficult questions. Here, I challenge popular teachings that are often taken for granted. Here, I encourage people to stop unthinkingly following men and to search the Scriptures for themselves.

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:21 KJV

Too many believers today know church culture better than they know the Word of God. They can quote famous preachers but cannot explain the teachings of Christ. That is dangerous in an age filled with deception.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine…” — 2 Timothy 4:3 KJV.

I do not write to argue with people. I am not trying to force anyone to agree with my views. My desire is much simpler than that. I want people to think. I want them to pray. I want them to search the Scriptures honestly and seek God for themselves.

“These were more noble… in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” — Acts 17:11 KJV.

The world is changing rapidly. Nations are trembling. Economies are unstable. Wars and rumors of wars fill the headlines daily. Fear, confusion, deception, and moral darkness seem to increase with every passing year. Yet even in troubling times, my message remains the same: Jesus Christ is still the answer.

Not politics.

Not governments.

Not wealth.

Not worldly systems.

Jesus Christ.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” — Hebrews 13:8 KJV

If these writings challenge you, then search the Scriptures. If they encourage you, give glory to God. If they disturb you, perhaps that disturbance is meant to awaken something spiritually asleep.

I am simply an old country preacher sounding a warning and pointing people back to Christ.

And as long as the Lord gives me strength, I will keep writing. If you find this blog helpful, share it with your friends.

From Shadow to Substance: The Transition from Physical Worship to Spiritual Worship

One of the greatest truths many believers fail to understand fully is that the coming of Jesus Christ brought a transition from the shadows of the Old Covenant into the spiritual reality of the New Covenant. Much confusion in modern Christianity comes from attempting to rebuild what Christ fulfilled.

The Old Testament system was built around physical worship:

  • a physical temple,
  • a physical priesthood,
  • physical sacrifices,
  • physical ceremonies,
  • physical circumcision,
  • physical holy places,
  • and a physical nation under the Law.

God gave these things for a purpose, but they were never meant to be permanent. They pointed forward to something greater.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

“Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” — Colossians 2:17 KJV

The Law was a shadow.

Christ is the substance.

Under the Old Covenant, worship centered around earthly locations and outward ordinances. God’s presence dwelt in the Holy of Holies behind a veil. Only the high priest could enter, and only once a year with blood.

But when Christ died upon the cross, something dramatic happened.

“And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.” — Matthew 27:51 KJV

God Himself tore the veil.

This signified that access to God would no longer come through an earthly temple, earthly priesthood, or ceremonial system. Through Christ, believers now have direct access to the Father.

The New Covenant shifted worship from the outward and physical to the inward and spiritual.

Jesus explained this clearly to the Samaritan woman at the well. She asked Him whether worship should take place in Jerusalem or on Mount Gerizim. Christ’s answer revealed the coming transformation.

“Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.” — John 4:21 KJV.

Then Jesus made one of the most important statements in all of Scripture concerning New Covenant worship:

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” — John 4:23 KJV.

Under the New Covenant, worship is no longer centered in earthly geography.

Not Jerusalem.

Not a temple.

Not a holy mountain.

True worship is spiritual.

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” — John 4:24 KJV.

This is where many modern prophetic systems become confused. They continue looking backward toward physical temples, physical sacrifices, and earthly systems that Christ already fulfilled.

But the New Testament continually points believers away from shadows and toward spiritual realities in Christ.

Under the Old Covenant:

  • circumcision was physical.
  • Under the New Covenant, circumcision is of the heart.

“Circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit.” — Romans 2:29 KJV

Under the Old Covenant:

  • Sacrifices were physical animals.
  • Under the New Covenant, believers offer spiritual sacrifices.

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices.” — 1 Peter 2:5 KJV

Under the Old Covenant:

  • The temple was a building made with hands.
  • Under the New Covenant, believers themselves are the temple.

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” — 1 Corinthians 3:16 KJV

Under the Old Covenant:

  • The priesthood was limited to the sons of Aaron.
  • Under the New Covenant, all believers are part of a royal priesthood.

“Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood.” — 1 Peter 2:9 KJV

The entire direction of the New Testament moves from the external to the internal, from the earthly to the heavenly, from shadow to fulfillment.

Even the kingdom itself is spiritual.

“The kingdom of God cometh not with observation.” — Luke 17:20 KJV

And:

“The kingdom of God is within you.” — Luke 17:21 KJV

This does not mean the physical world is unimportant. It means the New Covenant centers upon spiritual transformation through Christ rather than ceremonial systems and outward ordinances.

The writer of Hebrews warned Jewish believers not to return to the old shadows after the substance had come.

“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things…” — Hebrews 10:1 KJV

Yet many today are fascinated with rebuilding shadows:

  • rebuilding temples,
  • restoring sacrifices,
  • returning to ceremonial systems,
  • and emphasizing earthly kingdoms rather than the spiritual kingdom of Christ.

But Christ fulfilled the Law.

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” — Romans 10:4 KJV

The New Covenant is not about outward religion alone.

It is about inward transformation.

It is about the Spirit writing God’s Law upon the heart.

“I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts.” — Hebrews 8:10 KJV.

This is why true Christianity cannot merely be political, ceremonial, or cultural. A person may outwardly identify with religion while remaining spiritually dead within. Jesus continually rebuked outward religion without inward transformation.

The Father is not merely seeking religious people.

He is seeking worshippers who worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

The Church must remember this in these confusing times. Our focus must remain upon Christ, the indwelling Spirit, holiness, truth, and the spiritual kingdom of God—not a return to the shadows that Christ already fulfilled. 

Search the Scriptures: Christ Must Remain Our Foundation

 There is a growing awakening among many believers today. Christians from different backgrounds are beginning to reexamine long-held prophetic systems and doctrines that were once accepted without question. For generations, many sat under teachings that shaped their entire understanding of Israel, prophecy, tribulation, and the end times. Yet now, as the world grows darker and events unfold before our eyes, many are discovering that some teachings do not fully align with the spirit and teachings of Jesus Christ.

This should not frighten the sincere believer. It should drive us back to the Scriptures.

The Apostle Paul warned:

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:21 KJV

God never intended His people to unthinkingly follow religious systems, famous teachers, or popular movements without testing them against His Word. Every doctrine must ultimately bow before the authority of Christ and the witness of Scripture.

For many years, dispensational teachings shaped modern evangelical thinking. Through prophecy conferences, study Bibles, television ministries, and bestselling books, millions were taught to see world events through a very specific prophetic lens. Some were taught that modern political Israel must be supported unconditionally, regardless of its actions. Others were taught that the Church would escape tribulation while believers in other nations continued to suffer persecution and martyrdom.

Yet when many believers return to the New Testament and carefully read the words of Christ, they begin to see tensions between these systems and the teachings of Jesus.

Jesus never called His followers to place their trust in earthly kingdoms.

“My kingdom is not of this world.” — John 18:36 KJV

The early Church was not built upon nationalism, military power, or political alliances. It was built upon the cross, the resurrection, holiness, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

The danger facing the modern Church is not merely theological error. It is the temptation to place political ideology above the spirit of Christ. Whenever Christians excuse hatred, cruelty, oppression, or the suffering of innocent people because of political loyalty or prophetic systems, something has gone deeply wrong.

Christ never commanded His followers to defend governments at all costs. He commanded us to follow Him.

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” — Luke 9:23 KJV

The Church must remember that no earthly nation represents the fullness of the kingdom of God. America is not the kingdom of God. Israel is not the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is found in Christ Himself and among those who are born again by His Spirit.

Paul wrote:

“For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly… But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly.” — Romans 2:28–29 KJV.

And again:

“There is neither Jew nor Greek… for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” — Galatians 3:28 KJV.

This does not mean Jewish people are rejected or unloved by God, far from it. The Gospel is for all people. But it does mean that salvation and covenant are found through Christ, not through ethnicity, nationalism, or political identity.

Many believers today are discovering that some prophecy systems have shifted the focus away from Christ and toward endless speculation about wars, nations, and political movements. The result has often been fear, division, and confusion instead of holiness, compassion, and spiritual discernment.

Jesus warned repeatedly about deception in the last days.

“Take heed that no man deceive you.” — Matthew 24:4 KJV

Notice that Christ warned about deception before He warned about wars, famines, earthquakes, and tribulation. The greatest danger to the Church is not merely external persecution but spiritual deception within the Church itself.

Believers must therefore return to careful study of Scripture. We must stop depending entirely upon popular teachers and begin searching the Word for ourselves.

The Bereans were praised because:

“They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” — Acts 17:11 KJV.

That spirit is desperately needed today.

Question every teaching that causes you to compromise the spirit of Christ.

Question every doctrine that glorifies violence while ignoring mercy.

Question every system that produces fear instead of holiness.

Question every prophetic interpretation that places political loyalty above truth.

Question every movement that causes believers to lose compassion for suffering people made in the image of God.

The true Church must never become captive to political kingdoms. Our allegiance belongs first to Jesus Christ.

We are entering dangerous and deceptive times. The answer is not panic, blind nationalism, or endless prophecy speculation. The answer is a return to Christ, the Scriptures, holiness, prayer, discernment, and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Now more than ever, believers must search the Scriptures for themselves and ask one simple question:

Does this teaching truly reflect the spirit, character, and teachings of Jesus Christ?

If it does not, then no matter how popular it may be, it must be questioned in the light of God’s Word.