John Shrader 20: The Little Plane that Dared

[gustava]

Do yu suppose he buys books by the yard????

[apandaaries]

On 6/29/2022 at 3:59 PM, Xan said:

John's post about Father's Day with pics, in case anyone hasn't seen them yet:

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And, Lord help us, Johnny has been writing poetry again.  I don't understand how he thinks he's so good and he's honestly terrible at it.  Even if he sort of gets a rhyme scheme, his meter and beats are off.  Full disclosure:  I couldn't bear to read the whole thing.

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I love that he now thinks he's "historical Biblical Baptist".

For the love of Jesus... poetry has meter and rhythm, and often but not always, rhyme.

We are watching him devolve as a poet in real time. It’d be funny, except it’s too gross. 
Please consider doing something worthwhile, Johnny boy!

[apandaaries]

12 hours ago, gustava said:

Do yu suppose he buys books by the yard????

They look better on the shelves where he’s falsely inflating the number of books he owns/read.

[Botkinetti]

Just as he falsely inflates the number of converts he has.

[postscript]

If that’s the inside of their house, it’s almost certainly far more luxurious than anything their churchgoers live in. It’s also far nicer than anything they could afford in the US.

I wonder if John has ever considered publishing a book of his poetry? He’s certainly got enough of these epics, and there are plenty of equally terrible works available on Amazon. 

[Xan]

He put up a brief post thanking people for wishing him a happy birthday.  He's now signing stuff this way:  

Bro. John Shrader

Historic Biblical Baptist Local-Church Sent Missionary based in Zambia, Sub-Saharan Africa

My, my -- John is starting to feel really important.  He mentioned that the couple had returned to America.  I actually looked them up.  They're older and it's the second marriage for each.  Both were widowed.  His wife died a few years before he met the women who would be his second wife.  For her, her husband died in May, she met this guy in Feb., and they were married in April.  Not a judgment.  Sometimes things just work out that way.  I just wonder if her kids from her first marriage are going to be happy seeing Mama sell everything and move away to Zambia.  The guy works with the Marine Corps so I'm not sure he and John will mesh.  John's pretty bossy and I doubt this man is used to be being bossed around by someone who isn't a superior officer.

[Howl]

I'm hoping there is a frank conversation between the two, now that they've met John in person, about whether moving to Zambia to work with Bro. John is the right move.  There will be lots of praying for God's will in the matter and whether they truly have a heart for Africa. 

I hope God is booming out, "Oh, heck no!"

Late at night, in bed, whispering to each other

Bro. Wade: "Vicky, did you hear that?"

Sis. Vicky: "I did. It's a voice saying  'Don't go. Don't go there'!"

Bro. Wade:  "God, is that you?"

God: "Yes, it's me. Weren't you praying for an answer about your heart for Africa missionary work? Don't go there."

Bro. Wade: "WTAF!"

 

[Freejin]

21 hours ago, Xan said:

He put up a brief post thanking people for wishing him a happy birthday.  He's now signing stuff this way:  

Bro. John Shrader

Historic Biblical Baptist Local-Church Sent Missionary based in Zambia, Sub-Saharan Africa

My, my -- John is starting to feel really important.  He mentioned that the couple had returned to America.  I actually looked them up.  They're older and it's the second marriage for each.  Both were widowed.  His wife died a few years before he met the women who would be his second wife.  For her, her husband died in May, she met this guy in Feb., and they were married in April.  Not a judgment.  Sometimes things just work out that way.  I just wonder if her kids from her first marriage are going to be happy seeing Mama sell everything and move away to Zambia.  The guy works with the Marine Corps so I'm not sure he and John will mesh.  John's pretty bossy and I doubt this man is used to be being bossed around by someone who isn't a superior officer.

I get that fundie women are raised to support their husbands no matter what, but on some level do you think Esther sees that signature on his post and just shakes her head in embarrassment??

[Giraffe]

10 minutes ago, Freejin said:

I get that fundie women are raised to support their husbands no matter what, but on some level do you think Esther sees that signature on his post and just shakes her head in embarrassment??

It’s hard to know what she thinks. It’s possible she’s been gaslighting herself for so long that she wouldn’t consciously feel embarrassment about it. 

She could also share his beliefs and fully support what/how he writes. 

[Freejin]

13 minutes ago, Giraffe said:

It’s hard to know what she thinks. It’s possible she’s been gaslighting herself for so long that she wouldn’t consciously feel embarrassment about it. 

She could also share his beliefs and fully support what/how he writes. 

It’s just so cringy. 

[turquoise]

On 7/1/2022 at 9:00 AM, postscript said:

I wonder if John has ever considered publishing a book of his poetry? He’s certainly got enough of these epics, and there are plenty of equally terrible works available on Amazon. 

Please don't give him any ideas! 

[Xan]

I think John's entering another manic phase.  This is his latest Facebook post:

Spoiler

He says the people next door are burning garbage.  I thought he was praying and trying to get that land himself?  Doesn't appear that God answered that prayer affirmatively.  I do worry about pregnant Esther, even though John doesn't discuss it.

And who on God's green earth wants to hear John yammer at them for 7 hours or for 9 1/2 hours?  I think some of these men just agree to become Christians to get John to shut up.  

I also don't get why he needs "more men".  Isn't it enough that he has a church where he can preach every Sunday and he appears to be supported by his dad's church.  Does he think he's holy enough to have disciples?

John just makes me want to bang my head against my desk for a while.

[CTRLZero]

The garbage-burning “prophets” next door!  Seriously, I’m in solidarity with John and Esther on this issue.  I hate having to close our windows on a summer evening because someone is burning their trash.  Ugh.  And is the “scripturally and solely” sign off something new?  Wonder what’s up with that - did he lose all his other sponsors? 

[postscript]

John’s converts are always men. He never says anything about seeking out or ministering to women. Does he hand potential female converts over to Esther? Or does he consider women too unimportant to convert? 

[Ozlsn]

Both I think. Women are not really converts (or possibly humans) to John - they are subservient helpmeets to the real converts. So their indoctrination is Women's Business, which would obviously be Esther or his daughter's role.

[SPHASH]

Esther is pregnant again?  When is she due?

[sleepygirl1]

30 minutes ago, SPHASH said:

Esther is pregnant again?  When is she due?

I believe she is in her third trimester so within the next couple months.

[Shannonsnarks]

4 minutes ago, sleepygirl1 said:

I believe she is in her third trimester so within the next couple months.

She’s due in early October 

[manda b]

How old is she?

[Xan]

Just now, manda b said:

How old is she?

She's 41.

[3splenty]

On 7/29/2022 at 4:17 PM, CTRLZero said:

The garbage-burning “prophets” next door!  Seriously, I’m in solidarity with John and Esther on this issue.  I hate having to close our windows on a summer evening because someone is burning their trash.  Ugh.  And is the “scripturally and solely” sign off something new?  Wonder what’s up with that - did he lose all his other sponsors? 

Something tells me that John is not the most neighborly person out there.  Did he show up when they moved in, invite them to his church, get turned down, and throw a fit? Yes, burning garbage stinks--but how to John and his family dispose of their refuse? Do they burn trash? Does it interfere with their neighbors' sleep?

And if he lost other sponsors, it couldn't be John's fault, he's the only true missionary, after all. *sarcasm font off

 

[Xan]

There are a few Facebook posts from John.  He's putting up "inspirational" quotes again.  The latest is a crazy post about Satan worship.  Somehow, he thinks the opening of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games is a tribute to the devil.

Spoiler

To be honest, I'm not sure where to even start with this.  The bull was built there to help show the city's industrial heritage.  The women pulling it were not devil worshipers but were illustrating people breaking free of chains.  John just went full-on crazy with this.  To John, everything either is a symbol of God or a symbol of Satan.  "If all you have is a hammer, you will start treating all your problems like a nail..."

[Gobsmacked]

He won’t have heard about Birmingham’s famous bullring market then???? There are no words. John knows nothing of working class  England. Nothing of Birminghams solid working class history. Nothing of the animal trading markets over hundreds of years giving the bullring area its name.  He is an ignorant clownish Baffoon plonker living on other folks hard earned money doing nothing to contribute to the world or even the financial situation of Kafue. I hope you are reading here John you total ignoramous.  (Sorry about any spelling I have so much smoke blowing from my ears I can’t think straight).  I feel so sorry for your poor children also any future ones - hopefully no more after the one due - you treat Esther as a brood mare. You are the evil one John. False prophet bouncing around Zambia. Ugh. 
 

rant over. 

[NoneIsEnough]

John seems to be on a down swing right now. His latest long screed, present without comment. It's too long for me to disect this early in the day.

Spoiler

When Will We Get Serious About Souls? (Or do we just keep playing the "numbers" game?)

My heart is heavy tonight, but I'm so grateful that the Lord Jesus will praise faithfulness one day (Matt. 25:21,23). Fruitfulness of Souls is up to God, for it is He that "giveth the increase", according to I Cor. 3:6,7.

One blessing of reading and studying our Baptist Heritage and History is that you often find those that were so very faithful, but not extremely fruitful, according to what many consider today, even after many decades of dedicated service.

This is of great comfort to those of us who deeply desire and would love to see many more come to Christ, but are often disappointed in how many actually do.

I am thinking right now of a faithful young Zambian man, Bro. Scrivner Junior, who is in the Western Province of Zambia, in a city called Mongu, who has faithfully laborered with and alongside Truth Biblical Baptist Church here, and whom our church members here in Kafue are honored to support with their prayers and finances. He grew up in a Godly, Christ-honoring home in Southern Province, and he fears the Lord. After labouring for more than 3 years, faithfully witnessing, preaching, and teaching, he has led one single soul to Christ there, Bro. Humphrey. That man's relative, who is now church disciplined, claims to have led him to Christ, but there was no "new creature" change in Bro. Humphrey until AFTER Bro. Junior led him to Christ, when there was true brokenness.

A few Americans, Independent Baptists (one missionary and one visiting preacher), showed up there in Mongu for just 24 hours, handed out some tracts and had an "impromptu service" on the street, literally in the exact same area where our church plant, Freedom Biblical Baptist Church plant is and where Bro. Scrivner serves, then made a video about the "18 professions of faith" that were made in that short visit, about what a fruitful field this is, and then, to my great surprise, claimed there was no Bible Preaching Church there, and that money needed to be raised to buy the missionary a 4x4 so he could go there and plant one!

I actually emailed the pastor from American to inform him of the Freedom Biblical Baptist Church plant there, but he was not at all interested, sad to say. He had his numbers.

What Americans don't seem to realize, many times, is that a short visit to a field, especially Africa, can yield "professions," and if that's all you are after, they are EASILY obtained here, if that's what you're seeking.

One Independent Baptist missionary claimed to me that they had lead 1,000 Zambian youth to Christ in the schools in one week when I first met him, and their church claimed another 1,000 "saved" one year in their Zambian town. When I questioned a young Zambian man at that same church at the end of that year, I simply asked him how many of those 1,000 "saved" were even regularly attending the church? (not even Baptized and added), he truthfully admitted "one or two." Out of a thousand claimed to be "saved!" Another former missionary based here in Zambia claims a half a million "saved" in about 20 years or so, and that multiple entire villages were led to Christ in a single night!

These make for thrilling stories, but, having Lived, Loved, Learned and Labored among the precious Zambian people for more than 8 years now, and based on my research, and first-hand accounts of the Nationals, I can say without hesitation that's all they are...stories (I'm not saying NONE of them got truly saved, but I can say 100% for sure that MANY of them, possibly even MOST did not). Hundreds of thousands of TRULY saved Zambians would turn this nation of only 18 million people upside down!

It's exciting to see professions, but... what if they're not real?

What if, when the money stops flowing, then the churches disappear, or change their doctrine and basically become pentecostal or something else, even while keeping the name "Baptist"...which is exactly what has happened here, time and time again. Any honest missionary will know what I'm saying is Truth, but how many have the courage to admit it?

What then dear friends?

Are we seeking to please men, supporters, or Christ?

What if the faithful, humble, Zambian who labours for years to lead a single soul to Christ, like my friend in Mongu, but then that man takes a bold stand against his culture for Christ (something very rare here), even turning down the invitation of his Lozi King (the ONLY tribe in Zambia with an official King, not just a Senior Chief), in order to honor and follow and please Christ.. what if that is real, and what if... what if those quick to profess (just like has happened to us again and again here), what if those people are merely excited, don't really understand, or maybe even have an ulterior motive to please the Americans in hopes that the resulting relationship might reap desired benefits or rewards?

There is much on my heart, and much more I would love to say, to expose, to speak Truth, but I've said enough for now.

To the church planters, faithful pastors in difficult places, or missionaries, be they in America, or on a foreign field, who have labored, wept for souls, longed to see more saved, and at times felt a failure, but you were or are careful with eternal souls, caring more about Eternal Regeneration than mere Exciting Reports, I say this:

I stand with you, I weep with you, I feel your pain and heartache and share your longing and desire to see more precious souls saved.

I have lost friends I counted dear over this.

I have lost support.

I may lose more.

But I stand with you, and if you need to reach out to me for encouragement, fellowship or friendship, please don't hesitate to do so.

I have several friends that have recently awakened to this serious and critical issue. Their greater clarity and growing convictions in this matter have encouraged my heart more than they realize. There are also several Pastors that have also encouraged me greatly in this as well, truly precious to me, more than words can express.

I at times, humanly speaking, feel very alone here in Zambia.

Very much like a failure.

My hopes and dreams of training men to serve the Lord have largely been disappointed, dashed, and at times, FELT destroyed.

I know Christ called my dear, precious wife and I and our family here. Of course I've had my doubts at times, but the Lord has made it ABUNDANTLY clear, without a shadow of a doubt, that THIS is where HE wants us to serve Him.

I am also not endorsing or excusing laziness. We have personally printed and distributed over a million pages of Gospel literature here, along with hundreds of thousands of John and Romans. I have ministered in 6 of the 10 Provinces (Zambia is roughly the same land mass as Texas), and I spend 5-10 hours one-on-one or small groups sharing the Gospel of Christ with lost sinners. We MUST be sowing the Seed and being faithful witnesses!

I thank the Lord for my darling wife Esther, who often reminds me when we are broken-hearted over the lack of true Spiritual hunger, response, and brokenness... that we just must keep staying faithful.

Amen. Truth.

If the Lord has you, dear friend, at a time of true fruitfulness, and by that I mean, as Christ said, true fruit that will "remain," then I rejoice with you. True fruit will be like Acts 2 or I John, it will "continue."

But to others, my Fellow Follower, may I extend that same encouragement to you. If the field you labor in seems hard and unresponsive, take heart. Stay Faithful. The Lord Jesus Christ is keeping notes, and it will be His Commendation ALONE that will matter in the end.

Thanks for letting me share my heart,

Bro. John Shrader

Pastor for 10+ years in America (2001-2012)

Local Church-Sent Historic Biblical Baptist Missionary (with my wife and 13 children) to

Zambia since 2012 (8+ yrs full-time in country)

Sub-Saharan Africa

 

 

[CTRLZero]

9 minutes ago, NoneIsEnough said:

Pastor for 10+ years in America (2001-2012)

Local Church-Sent Historic Biblical Baptist Missionary (with my wife and 13 children) to

Zambia since 2012 (8+ yrs full-time in country)

Sub-Saharan Africa

His sign-offs are getting longer.  This looks like a résumé.  He really is bemoaning everything.