How To Destroy A Preacher

By David J. Stewart | June 2019

Acts 6:9-15, “Then there arose certain of the synagogue... disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Then they suborned [incite to commit a crime] men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, And set up false witnesses....”

       I've been listening to the wonderful New Testament book of Acts the past few days, and I'm loving it! With my pocket camera, I took this tranquil picture (and a couple others later in the article) this morning while going for my sunrise morning walk at Asan Beach. ...

Psalms 73:1, “Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.”

As I listened to the Scripture and heard the familiar story of Stephen being martyred, I notice something that I hadn't before. I recognized three things that Stephen's enemies did to destroy him. First, let's read the entire related passage so we'll have the proper context...

Acts 6:9-15, “Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Then they suborned [incite to commit a crime] men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.”

Let's list the three stages of how ungodly critics attack God's holy man, as they did the apostle Stephen:

1. THEY BEGIN THEIR ASSAULT BY FABRICATING SLANDEROUS RUMORS (ACTS 6:11)
2. THEY USE THOSE RUMORS TO STIR THE PUBLIC AGAINST GOD'S MAN (ACTS 6:12)
3. THEY SET UP FALSE WITNESSES TO ACCUSE AND DESTROY GOD'S MAN (ACTS 6:13, 14)

The Devil's 3-fold method of attack is very effective, I assure you, as evidenced by the fact Stephen was stoned to death by an angry mob at the end of chapter 7, and the local authorities (including a young unsaved man named Saul, later to be renamed Paul as a Christian) consented unto Stephen's murder. This is the Devil's method to destroy a preacher—SLANDER, STIR AND SET UP FALSE WITNESSES! Revelation 12:10, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” Satan is a critic, which is the very meaning of his sinister name—THE ACCUSER!

Psalms 34:8, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”

Sadly, one of Pastor Jack Hyles' most notable critics has been his own daughter, Linda Hyles Murphrey of Texas. Satan has filled her heart. Linda has a wonderful heritage to be proud of in her father's life and ministry. Kindly, I pray for her to repent. It is not uncommon for the adult children of great men of God to dishonor their fathers, as did Harry Saulneir's daughter, former superintendent of the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago. I met her one day while soulwinning in the Wicker Park area on Chicago's Northside. Luke 4:24, “And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.” Matthew 10:36, “And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.” So what Linda Hyles Murphrey is doing is not uncommon, being ungrateful to her parents. No parents are perfect.

Pastor Hyles' critics are using the same devilish tactics that Stephen's critics did to destroy him—SLANDER, STIR AND SET UP FALSE WITNESSES! Much slander has come from David Cloud, Vic Nischik, Linda Hyles Murphrey, Voyle Glover and Robert Sumner, to name but a few ungodly people. Dr. Hyles defends himself in the needful 1989 sermon titled, “Weathering The Storm.” The year 1989 was the most difficult year of Brother Hyles' entire ministry, which he publicly said at Hyles-Anderson College. The first step that critics always take to destroy a preacher is to fabricate slander and spread rumors about him. That is as Satanic as worshipping the Devil.

Any allegations that cannot be proven are slander! Thousands of wicked people in cyberspace have accepted the slander against Dr. Hyles as true, which is very wrong. The heathen world mistreats God in the same way, slandering Him. The blatantly bogus teachings of evolution are utter slander against our omnipotent Creator! When critics say things about God that are not true, it is slander! Pastor Jack Hyles is one of the most slandered preachers in history, the victim of many malicious falsehoods and blatant lies!

Unjust critics have stirred the public's hatred against Pastor Jack Hyles to attack him (just as they stirred up the people to attack Stephen). Let me simplify—If you want to destroy someone, you get the SNOWBALL ROLLING by fabricating slanderous rumors against them (using anything you can find to cast a negative reflection on that person's character and ministry). Then you instigate hostility by spreading those rumors, stirring people's anger against that preacher. In the final phase, since you already have slanderous rumors going and an angry mob of people stirred up, now all you need to do is falsely accuse the man of God! The slander has now escalated into full-blown accusations. This sure-fire method of destroying someone's enemy is highly effective.

So here we have Satan's scheme to destroy a preacher:

1. SPREAD SLANDEROUS RUMORS ABOUT GOD'S MAN (ACTS 6:11)
2. STIR THE PUBLIC AGAINST GOD'S MAN (ACTS 6:12)
3. MAKE FALSE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THE MAN OF GOD (ACTS 6:13, 14)

I say without hesitation that Brother Hyles is my hero of the Christian faith!!! Everybody has a hero, and mine are Bible-preaching, soulwinning, caring, people-loving, preachers!
 

Many People Bear False Witness Against Dr. Jack Hyles

I was saddened when Dr. Hyles' daughter, Linda, slandered him in 2012, publicly calling him a “cult leader.” I read this intriguing 2013 article by former FBCH member Jenner Weber and am glad that she wrote it, showing that Linda Hyles Murphrey A BOLD-FACE LIAR, for claiming that she was somehow a victim of arguably the greatest church in New Testament history! It's a good article that Jenny wrote. Dr. Hyles' enemies have spread all manner of evil slander (untruths) about him. By use of the internet, critics have stirred up people everywhere to hate a beautiful man whom they have never even met. They never shook Brother Hyles' warm hand. They never had a conversation with the brilliant philosopher, Jack Hyles. They never saw his wonderful smile nor enjoyed his wit and charm. Brother Hyles had an awesome sense of humor, loved poetry, and was one of few preachers who called his friends to encourage them.

Listen to me carefully dear reader, anytime that you or anyone assumes as being true a rumor about someone else, that cannot be proven, YOU ARE GUILTY OF SLANDER! Just because several people claim to have seen something doesn't make it true! False Abuse Allegations Against Teachers 'On The Rise'. I remember a true story in Chicago many years ago. A public school teacher was accused of sexual abuse. He was immediately fired. An angry mob of parents came to the front of his home, threatening him. It turned out that a girl brat paid 10 of her classmates $1 each to lie about the teacher. Even though the man was completely exonerated of any wrong doing, he was emotionally devastated by the incident and the damages lasting. We live in an ungodly American culture of lying...

According to a Reader’s Digest poll in 2004, 93 percent of respondents reported one or more kinds of dishonesty at work or school, and 96 percent reported lying to or committing other dishonest acts toward those close to them. Kids lied to their parents about money, alcohol/drugs, friends, dating, parties and sex, according to the poll. Another scholarly study, “Lying in Everyday Life,” conducted by a group of scholars at the University of Virginia, Texas A&M University and Pfeiffer College, showed adults lied about two times a day.

SOURCE: 'You can't handle the truth': 96 percent of Americans admit to lying

Kindly, Linda Hyles Murphrey is a liar on many counts! She claims that Dr. Hyles died after having amassed $80 million dollars worth of real-estate buildings at the church. That is insane! THE TRUTH is that all the property belonged solely to the First Baptist Church of Hammond. Brother Hyles didn't own anything at the church. Furthermore, the only reason the property value was worth so much is because property values skyrocketed nationwide over 30 years. None of that reflects poorly on Dr. Hyles' character. Linda Murphrey will be held accountable by God for defamation, but she is attacking a dead man who cannot defend himself, which is highly dishonorable of Linda.

Exodus 20:12, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”

It is wrong to make dozens of non-verifiable accusations that are baseless. Only an ungodly person believes anything a critic says without having solid evidence to support their claims. Anybody can say anything about anyone, but that doesn't make it true. Remember, it's not what you call someone that matters, it's what they answer to that matters! I choose to remember Pastor Hyles for all his wonderful life-changing sermons in my growing collection of now over 2,742 MP sermons! I cherish each and every one of Dr. Hyles' sermons, and I am trying to collect them ALL by God's grace! I collected Star Wars movie cards as a kid, now I collect MP3 sermons! I pray for God to keep the sermons coming, so I can hear them all, and then freely share them with the world. I dearly love Jack Hyles for all that he allowed God to do through him during his life and ministry! Every time I met Brother Hyles, he always made me feel like a person, like he sincerely cared, like he saw something special in me. I always felt that way when I was around him, because Brother Hyles genuinely walked with God, and you could discern it.

Dr. John R. Rice died in 1980. His lifelong secretary was Viola Walden (1915-2007). She continued to work at the Sword of the Lord after Brother Rice went to Heaven. She never married nor bear any children. Brother Hyles used to call her on the phone every year just to encourage her, calling her “Miss V.” As busy as he was all the time, Dr. Hyles made time to be a friend to his friends. Brother Hyles had the kind of genuine Christianity that is almost unheard of nowadays in America.

For a time I sat right up front at First Baptist Church in the pews. I was so physically tired and emotionally drained—from working fulltime as a truck mechanic all week, driving from Chicago to Crownpoint, Indiana (and back) three days a week to attend Bible college, and driving a Sunday School bus over 200 miles each Sunday, and contending with a problematic wife with serious character and emotional issues, et cetera—that one evening at church my head lunged forward and loudly banged on the front pew. I was so tired, burning the candle at both ends (that is why when I graduated in 1993 I wept much when Brother Hyles handed me my diploma, I was burned out).

In 1992, I sat right in front of Pastor Hyles, to his right side in the pew. During that short time for a few months that I sat upfront in church (wanting to be as close to the pulpit as I could), Dr. Hyles security guard gave me $250? He literally handed me five $50 bills at church and said, “Here, this is for you and your family!” I was still married back then (she sadly divorced me in 2006) and we had three children at the time (the fourth came in 1993). So five times $50 is $250. I am fully convinced that money came from Dr. Hyles, but I cannot prove it, and it is only fair to give the security guard credit, since I don't know. I'll find out in Heaven one day. I am grateful. Brother Hyles was famous for doing little things like that for others. Brother Hyles truly did live for OTHERS in every way, giving himself away. If you knew him, you would love him as I do, unless you are a critic or proud person who doesn't see the virtue of soulwinning.

I eventually started sitting all the way in the back pew, simply because that is my personality. I felt like a fish out of water sitting up close in church, although that is where my heart wanted to be. I learned that it's not where you sit in church that matters, but the condition of your heart. I had once heard a man on staff at Hyles-Anderson College say that, “You can tell how close someone is to God, by how close they sit to the pulpit.” For that reason, I wanted to sit upfront. But when I used to sit upfront, I thought everybody in the choir was looking at me, and it made me very nervous, and I couldn't enjoy the sermon because I was so self-conscious (I wish I wasn't that way, but that is who I am, a thinker). I was trying to sit closer to the pulpit, because I had heard one of my teachers make that statement. Eventually, I had to learn (kindly with respect) that he was very wrong to teach that. Sitting closer to the pulpit has everything to do with your comfort level, personality and emotional profile than it does being right with God. In fact, where you sit in church has absolutely nothing to do with how close you are to God. I know that to be a fact! So we all learn as we go in the Christian life.

“PREACHING IS TRUTH SET ON FIRE!!!” —Pastor Jack Hyles

I love my heritage of having attended Hyles-Anderson College. What a blessed privilege! Dr. Jack Hyles made the difference. What a great guy! I love all my teachers, as imperfect as some of them were (like all of us). When I enrolled in 1985, they had only been a college for 13 years, since 1972. So they were still in the learning process as a college. I'll never forget when my father said to me one day, when I was about 32 years old, “Please be patient with me son, I've never been a father before!” That truth impressed upon my heart, because he was absolutely right! I earnestly thank God at every memory of having attended Hyles-Anderson College and First Baptist Church of Hammond (a miracle of God as far as I'm concerned), but I wish the First Baptist Church of Hammond would go back to their roots, to the former position established by Pastor Jack Hyles that the King James Bible is inspired. It really is you know!

Again, let's list the three stages of how ungodly critics attack God's holy man, as they did the apostle Stephen:

1. THEY BEGIN THEIR ASSAULT BY FABRICATING SLANDEROUS RUMORS (ACTS 6:11)
2. THEY USE THOSE RUMORS TO STIR THE PUBLIC AGAINST GOD'S MAN (ACTS 6:12)
3. THEY SET UP FALSE WITNESSES TO ACCUSE AND DESTROY GOD'S MAN (ACTS 6:13, 14)

What what Stephen's great crime for which his enemies wanted him dead? He must have been a murderer, right? Nope. Well then Stephen must have been a rapist, right? Nope. How about a homosexual? Nope. What crime could Stephen have committed, that compelled a handful of people to fabricate lies about him that would incite an angry mob of people to run upon him with one accord and tear him into pieces? My dear reader—STEPHEN SIMPLY TOLD THE TRUTH!!! Acts 7:54, “When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.” Pastor Hyles preached THE TRUTH...

“A lady when I first came here said, 'I don't like that loud preaching.' I said, 'Sister, what I preach you wouldn't like if I whispered it.” —Dr. Jack Hyles

Like Stephen, Pastor Jack Hyles is a martyr of the Christian faith, being killed every day all over the internet by an angry mob of critics, stirred up by trolls and disgruntled ingrates, and ungodly false accusers. John 8:44-45, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.” The Devil's methods haven't change in 2,000 years. To destroy Stephen, his enemies had to start rumors about him, spreading gossip and slander to stir up the people, even making false accusations so they could have him killed. Is this not exactly what Pastor Hyles' enemies have done? Yes, it sure is! Remember, anybody can say anything about anyone, but that doesn't make it true!
 

'Many' Ungodly People Beared False Witness Against Jesus

Jesus said that the servant is not greater than his Master. If they persecuted Jesus, they will also persecute us today! Look at all the liars who beared false witness against Jesus, just like Brother Hyles, in a sinful attempt to destroy Him...

Mark 14:55-59, “And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. But neither so did their witness agree together.”

The slander against Dr. Jack Hyles is so full of holes, inconsistencies and blatant contradictions, that only a naive person (or an ungodly person) would believe it. The Bible says that “MANY BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST” the sinless only begotten Son of God! That is the Devil. I've read the craziest accusations on the internet against Brother Hyles (things I won't even repeat). Only a wicked person believes what they read or hear without having solid evidence to back it up. If it's nor verifiable, it's slander! And again, I challenge you (if you question Dr. Jack Hyles' character, listen to his own words of defense for yourself in the 1989 sermon “Weathering The Storm.”

The critic who has something negative to say about God, Christians, preachers, and the King James Bible will be the only loser! Christians are already on the winning side in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:37, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” This temporal earthly life is the ONLY hell Christians will ever suffer, and the only heaven Christ-rejecters will ever enjoy! This is as bad as it gets, Oh Christian, so cheer up! John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

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