TAXPAYERS MUST
PAY FOR CYBERPORN IN PUBLIC
LIBRARIES—A
federal court recently ruled that
a Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), requiring Web filters at
public
libraries, is unconstitutional (6/15 World).The
three-judge panel
said legislatures cannot force public libraries to install software
that
blocks sexually explicit sites from their public computers. This forces
taxpayers
to pay for people to view public pornography in public libraries. What
next?
MASONRY & SOUTHERN BAPTISTS—Messengers
at the recent Southern Baptist Convention rejected voting on a
resolution describing Freemasonry as incompatible with Christianity. An
estimated 500,000 to 1.3 million Southern Baptists, including an
estimated 15 percent of SBC pastors and 18 percent of SBC deacons, are
members of the Masonic Lodge (6/24 Chr. News).
Masons are not a harmless fraternity but indeed a dangerous religion.
Its own books say it is a religion. It teaches that Jesus is not God
and that a person must work his way to heaven. (See 12/1/97 &
2/1/02 CC
s.)
SAUDIS 'WORST RELIGIOUS FREEDOM VIOLATORS'—Saudi
Arabia tops
the list of religious freedom violators. It is a charter member of the
United Nations, yet it brazenly ignores the UN's Universal Declaration
of Human Rights,
which asserts the right to profess, propagate and change faith (7/8 C.
Today). Pakistan, another of our allies in the war on terror,
keeps terrorizing
non-Muslims and imprisoning Christians.
DR. FALWELL, IS HAGEE NO LONGER A HERETIC?—We
have a copy of
Jerry Falwell's May 6, 1994 The Liberty Flame (now
defunct?), with
the front page headline "John Hagee: Heretic?" We now see the same John
Hagee
pictured and listed on page 2 of Jerry Falwell's July 2002 National
Liberty
Journal to bring a Patriotic Message for Falwell's
Independence Day Celebration
(July 3). Is Hagee no longer a heretic, as the 1994 article quoted
Paige
Patterson and newspapers as suggesting? The main problem was Hagee's
"Two
Covenant" belief (see 6/15/94 CC ). If he no longer
believes it, or
was misquoted, he should explain his belief. The 1994 article said in
1975
Hagee resigned as pastor of a charismatic church saying his marriage
was
over and he had become "immoral" in personal conduct. He became pastor
of
Cornerstone Church (San Antonio) and remarried in 1975. His Web site
July
2002 listed a "Cornerstone Fourth of July Campmeeting featuring "Pastor
Hagee
and his guests, Bishop T.D. Jakes, John Maxwell, Jesse Duplantis…."
Jakes
and Duplantis are charismatics. Jakes was recently accused of being a
"Oneness
Pentecostal," which denies the Trinity.
BENEDICTS OPEN FOR MEETINGS—Willard and Donna
Benedict have
just completed a ministry in church planting and are open to minister
in
Bible/mission conferences. Reach them at: 9442 SE 174
th Loop,
Summerfield, FL 34491-6457.
NEW
BOOK ON BILL GOTHARD
—Ron Hensel and Don and Joy Veinot have authored a new book, A
Matter
of Principles , endorsed by leading Evangelical leaders. It
gives the
background and cultural setting for an in-depth analysis of Bill
Gothard's
teachings. Hensel is completing a Master's degree at Wheaton; the
Veinots
are staff researchers and writers for Midwest Outreach Journal.
Gothard
is president of the Institute in Basic Life Principles. They
acknowledge
his sincerity and cite his phenomenal popularity. But they charge him
with
many "strange" and inconsistent teachings and practices—his "chain of
command"
authority structure teaching, his courtship views, his twisting and
misuse
of Scripture, taking things out of context, etc. The "strange"
teachings
include: necessity of circumcision for Christians, arranged marriages
and
a ritual that engages a daughter to her father until marriage, an
unscriptural
"chain of command" authority system, belief that no one should ever go
against
parental counsel, no matter how old the child or wicked the parents—and
even
when they tell us to perform actions we believe to be contrary to God's
will
(unless it's against the direct command of God), teaches that
loneliness
is sin that must be repented of, embraces the Galatian error on
sanctification,
says grace as unmerited favor is a faulty definition (says "grace is
merited
by a person's humility."). He says grace for salvation is not merited,
but
cites Noah, Moses and Gideon as OT examples of those who found grace
and
"possessed qualities that merited God's favor." The authors discuss
Gothard's
"cover up" of a 1980 sex scandal involving his brother Steve (IBLP v-p)
who
"confessed to deception and fornication with several women." Far from
being
a Fundamentalist screed, the book is endorsed by many (and mostly) New
Evangelicals.
Including: Two SBC seminary professors, a Dallas Seminary professor,
and
Dr. Jay Adams. We have carried several articles in past years warning
about
some of Gothard's dangerous doctrines and practices (e.g., 4/1/97 CC
). The 383-page book can be ordered from: Midwest Christian Outreach,
PO
Box 455, Lombard, IL 60148, Phone 630/627-9028,
www.midwestoutreach.org
. Price is $15.99 +. p&h.
ALCOHOL'S IMPACT ON CAMPUS—A deeply ingrained
culture has developed on U.S. college campuses that promotes the
drinking of alcoholic beverages, with thousands of deaths, injuries,
sexual assaults and health problems, per
a new report (6/10 Chr. News). Another study
revealed a significant
increase in binge drinking at schools for women.
DID JESUS SIN?—Barna Research Group says a
quarter of Americans
feel strongly that Jesus sinned when he lived on earth. "Feel strongly"
is
the trouble. Many today let feelings take precedence over doctrines of
the
Word of God. To suggest that Jesus may have committed sins when He
lived
on earth is blasphemy. If He sinned, He couldn't be our Savior.
FALWELL & CHARISMATICS—Dr. Jerry Falwell has a long
history of working with charismatics, dating back to Moral Majority and
PTL days. Charismatic leader Stephen Strang, publisher of the
movement's main magazine (Charisma), paid a 1997 bridge-building visit
to Falwell and came away praising his openness to charismatics (see
10/15/97 CC). Falwell has platform-shared and participated with several
charismatics, such as at the 1996 Washington for Jesus Rally with Rock
Church pastor John Gimenez. (6/15/96 CC). He featured Jim Cymbala and
his Brooklyn Tabernacle choir at his Super Conference '99. Cymbala is
reportedly a charismatic, and indeed runs in those circles (see 9/15/99
& 2/1/01 CCs). Falwell also paid tribute to and praised "false
prophet" Benny Hinn (8/15/00, 4/1/00, & 12/15/99 CCs). Falwell
announced in his 7/02 National Liberty Journal that John Hagee of
Cornerstone Church in San Antonio is a July 3 featured speaker at
Falwell's church. Hagee is a dynamic preacher against the moral sins of
our day but is solidly linked to the charismatic movement. He has
pulpit-shared with Hinn and Oral Roberts, and received an honorary
degree from ORU. Falwell had a long article in his 5/6/94 Liberty Flame
titled "John Hagee: Heretic?" (see 6/15/94 CC).
DAVE WYRTZEN MINISTERS AT GRAHAM CENTER—Dave
Wyrtzen is offended that a May 21 Chr. Today article linked his father
(Word of Life founder) Jack Wyrtzen with Carl McIntire and Bob Jones,
Jr. in labeling Billy Graham a liberal (7/8 Chr. Today). He said his
father "deeply respected the biblical purity of Billy's lifelong gospel
message and remained personal friends" with
Graham. [Note: We would question the "biblical purity" of Graham's
gospel.] Wyrtzen went on to say: "Jack did not consider Billy his
enemy, and with my
brother Don, I look forward to ministering this summer at the Billy
Graham Training Center." Note how unscriptural and fraught with danger
Dave's last sentence is: "Dad's legacy taught us that 'friendship' and
'the communion of saints' were far more important than separatism and
jealous controversy." What a sad legacy, this deprecation of the
biblical doctrine of separation!
THE CULT OF JABEZ is the title of a new
118-page book by Steve
Hopkins. He makes the case that the loud clamor of prayers by millions
in
the wealthiest nation, making personal demands that God "bless me,
bless
ME a lot, etc.," are drowning out prayers of suffering believers.
Hopkins
says: "All across the world believers in Christ are suffering in need
of
the basic necessities for daily survival. Yet while they are being
persecuted
and martyred for their faith in Jesus, millions of professing
Christians
in America and Europe covet a life of perpetual ease, and plenty." He
quotes
extensively from Bruce Wilkinson's three Jabez books and says the
recitation
of words or prayers ("vain repetitions," "incantations") is "the
cornerstone
of the occultic teachings of witchcraft and sorcery." You can get
Hopkins'
book from: COJ Book Offer, Bethel Press, Box 777, Burnet, TX 78611.
Price
is $12 (including s&h). Ten or more rate is $5.39 each.
FBF RESOLUTION ON NEW EVANGELICALISM IN FUNDAMENTALISM—Realizing
that significant numbers of professing Fundamentalists continue to
drift into
New Evangelicalism, we grieve over this departure from Biblical
separation and call for an unwavering commitment to a bold, militant
defense of truth. As Fundamentalists, we must be willing to point out
error and deal with it honestly, and when necessary, to separate from
New Evangelicalism posing as
Fundamentalism. We reaffirm our beliefs and practices concerning
ecclesiastical and personal separation, and resolve to model Biblical
love, intellectual honesty, diligent study, Scriptural preaching,
appropriate debate, Holy Spirit dependence, joyful endurance, pure
character, and gentleness of spirit, but deplore and forsake hypocrisy,
unapproachableness, rashness, reactionism, contentiousness, and
unteachableness.
GRAHAM DOESN'T WARN LAMB OF WOLVES—Billy
Graham, quoted in 5-6
Foundation from 10/10/99 St. Louis Dispatch: "I am not a pastor of a
church.
That's not my responsibility. My responsibility is to preach the Gospel
to
everyone and let them choose their own church, whether it is Catholic
or
Protestant or Orthodox or whatever it is. And to me that's between an
individual
and a church and God."
IBFNA RESOLUTION: RESPONDING TO COMPROMISE IN THE GARBC—WHEREAS,
the Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America (IBFNA) exists to
lead the cause for Biblical Separation and this leadership requires
both teaching the truth and warning against compromise (Col. 1:28), and
WHEREAS, continuing compromise is evident in many of the churches
affiliated with the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches
(GARBC) and its partnering schools and agencies, and WHEREAS,
symptomatic of this compromise is the appointment of Dr. William Brown,
currently the president of new-evangelical Bryan College (Dayton, TN)
as the next president of Cedarville University, and WHEREAS, this
appointment continues the theological decline Cedarville University has
pursued for many years under the leadership of its retiring president,
Dr.
Paul Dixon, as demonstrated by the speakers in its chapel pulpit, the
lack
of separatist teaching in its classrooms, the rapid descent into
worldliness in its most recent jazz festival, and the discarding of its
former musical and theological standards, and WHEREAS, the GARBC is
cooperating with the theological compromise of Cedarville University,
the site of the 2oo2 Annual Conference, through its partnering
relationship, and WHEREAS, partnering has
proved no better than the approval system but has only served to
deflect criticism
of the GARBC, and WHEREAS, we recognize that there are several of our
fundamentalist
brethren who remain in the GARBC, BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that we, the
members
of the IBFNA meeting in Annual Conference in Middleburg Heights, Ohio,
June
25-27, 2002, do affirm that affiliation with the GARBC is inconsistent
with
the Biblical Doctrine of Separation that has been the very purpose of
the
IBFNA from its inception. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we encourage all
of
our fundamentalist brethren to withdraw from the GARBC and that they
rally
together with the IBFNA in raising high the standard carried by the
separatist
founders of the GARBC. BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that we instruct the
Editor
of the IBFNA Review to provide Pastors and church members with current
information
about the compromise in the GARBC so that the IBFNA continues to follow
the
example of Dr. Robert T. Ketcham, Dr. Paul R. Jackson, and other past
leaders
of the GARBC, who challenged the compromises of their day and defended
Biblical
Separation in official GARBC publications.
NEW BOOK ON HOLY LAND—Dr. Stewart Custer
served many years as
chairman of the Division of Bible at BJU and currently pastors Trinity
Bible
Church at Greer, SC. He and his wife have led numerous tours of the
Holy
Land. He has a fabulous big book, Stones of Witness—an extraordinary
collection
of photos of Holy Land sights (best we've ever seen!) with an
artfully-weaved concise text. You can order this 236-page book and CD
from Janella Murry, BJU Press. Phone: 864/242-5100, Ext. 4350. E-mail:
jmurry@bjup.com
IBFNA CONFERENCE REPORT—The 12th Annual Family
Bible Conference
of the Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America took place June
25-27 at Middleburg Heights, Ohio. The preaching, music, and fellowship
were good (see June CC for list of speakers). Officers elected to new
two-year terms were: Jeff Bailey is the new Moderator, succeeding Dr.
Clay Nuttall; Dan Brown
is the new IBFNA Secretary; and Tom Hamilton is Treasurer. Dave
Reinhardt is the new Editor of The Review, succeeding Paul Gustine.
Next year's meeting is tentatively set for Norwich, Conn.
IBFNA HONORS CC EDITOR—The Independent Baptist
Fellowship of
North America presented its Watchman Award to this editor at its annual
convention June 27. A plaque with the Ezek. 3:17 verse had this
notation: "For His Contributions to Our Fellowship and the Cause of
Fundamentalism as Editor of the Calvary Contender." What an undeserved
surprise!
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