| Editor: David E Marlett Th.D. | |
| March 12, 2001 | Vol II #19 |
The Bush administration is taking another look at its faith-based initiative, which would give more government money to religious charities that respond to social needs. The Washington Post reports the Bush administration has been surprised by criticism from conservative groups, who worry about the strings attached to federal funding and fear that because of those "strings," the government would end up intruding on religion. They also don't like the idea of the government treating mainstream religions and "sects" the same, when it comes to funding for social programs. The newspaper quotes Don Eberly, deputing director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, who said the proposal "may need to be corrected in some areas." Eberly said the administration is "not ready to send our own bill up" to Capitol Hill.
[ CNS ]
Editorial Comment: It is interesting to note that those who are most supportive of Bush's plan are the Je$$e Jack$on/ Loui$ Farrakhan wannabes that were marching in the streets and threatening to riot, burn and loot if Bush "stole" the election. We wonder if that has any bearing on this decision to put a hold on the program….
Writing in Monday's Wall Street Journal, Pat Robertson, the founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network and other religion-based groups, said he wants President Bush's faith-based plan to succeed. "With slight modification, it will," Robertson concludes. He proposes a change that would encourage private individuals and corporations to make donations to the religious charity of their choice - but only to those charities which the government has audited for financial accountability and to make sure they're performing approved services for the less fortunate. Such "approved" faith-based groups would be listed in an annual government registry. In return for individual and corporate donations, the government would offer dollar-for-dollar tax credits to the individuals and corporations who contribute to approved projects. "In this way," writes Robertson, "a vast private network of caring citizens would be participating in, and having a degree of oversight over, the thousands of faith-based initiatives throughout the land." Robertson said such a plan eliminates the need for federal regulators; prevents the government from intruding on the religious activities of worthy charities; and prevents the government from directly subsidizing religious practices that might seem anathema to most Americans.
[ CNS ]
Editorial Comment: While this plan still requires government "approval" of a ministry, it does take direct federal tax dollars out of the equation, which is a move in the right direction. We fear however what interpretation a liberal federal judge might make considering the dollar-for-dollar tax credit. This might be considered as direct funding by a liberal judge wanting to exercise control over these ministries.
The only way to be a responsible steward of God's ministry is to stay away from questionable partnerships. The US government has proven itself to be no friend of Christian ministries in the past, and one administration is not sufficient to say that situation has ended. One must look at Bush's faith based initiatives in light of possible future administration. How might these entanglements be used by a future Clinton /Gore-like regime?
Illustrating their personal testimony with photographs and horrific video images, American civil rights workers and Indonesian atrocity victims told U.S. policymakers Friday of a systematic butchering of Christian civilians by Islamic warriors in Indonesia's Moluccan islands.
"Christians I met with on the Moluccan islands witnessed their loved ones being hacked to pieces by 'Jihad Warriors,'" said Steven Snyder, president of International Christian Concern, a civil rights group.
"Children watched their mothers and fathers being killed in front of them," added Snyder, who recently returned from a fact-finding visit to Indonesia.
Most of the 2 million inhabitants of approximately 1,000 Moluccan islands are Muslims who dwelt in harmony with their minority Christian neighbors until hostilities broke out in early 1999. Since then, 5,000 to 8,000 people have died in conflicts between the two communities.
In North Molucca, 168 churches were destroyed, and 34 mosques were destroyed in counter attacks, Snyder reported. In the same period, among both Christians and Muslims, more than 500,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.
Snyder was taken into custody by Indonesian security forces on the Moluccan Islands and together with other foreigners, was forcibly deported out of the area. Later he read accounts in Jakarta newspapers of foreigners being deported for spying on the Indonesian military. Snyder said he previously cleared all of his travel plans with security forces.
Snyder managed to smuggle out of the country a compact disk used by the Jihad movement to solicit young Muslim recruits in their effort to launch attacks on Christians.
The CD shows marching Jihad warriors clad in white, getting into boats and heading in mass for the islands.
"This supports many reports from Christians who said 'Jihad Warriors' came by the thousands in boats and invaded their islands and attacked their villages and showed no mercy," Snyder said.
Snyder showed photos of a Christian family of six, each of whom was forcibly circumcised by Muslim militants; beheadings; burned churches and a picture of an elderly Christian woman who survived after her face was shot away by Muslim gunmen.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom held hearings last month on the violence, which Snyder and other say stems from past government policies economic tensions, and power struggles between the military and supporters of ousted President Suharto.
Attempts to move toward more democratic forms of government have been seen by Muslims as attacks on Islam, and secularizing Indonesia. The groups have been pressing for Islamic law. The Jihad movement is also taking advantage of the ethnic clashes that took place in Timor and Java, which spread to the north Moluccan Islands.
"The militants want to turn it into a religious war," Snyder said.
Clashes intensified when the democratic government tried to enact policies to relocate Muslims from overcrowded areas to less crowded, predominantly Christian islands.
"Some of the Jihad groups saw this as an opportunity to destabilize the government and push forward their program for conversion to Islam for all Indonesia."
ICC and Christian Aid, another civil rights group, have launched a campaign to rescue more than 7,000 villagers under threat from the Jihad. One rescue operation has been carried out by boat and another 22 missions are planned.
The civil rights groups are raising $1.2 million to evacuate and resettle families.
The Indonesian security forces have participated alongside "Jihad Warriors." In other areas the security forces are actually serving as security for the Jihad, who have surrounded Christian communities, Snyder and other civil rights workers reporters.
"We've received numerous testimonies like that," Snyder said. "The Indonesian government has not been able to control their own military. The local police, on the other hand, have tried to protect the Christians."
During his visit, Snyder heard many testimonies of excellent neighborly relations between Muslims and Christians, including instances of when Muslims helped Christians build churches and Christians helped Muslims build mosques.
"Many Muslims were afraid that if they didn't side with the Jihad extremists, they'd be seen as sympathizers and would themselves fall victim," Snyder said.
[ CNS ]
William Grimshaw of Haworth, was a godly but in some cases rough man who was used mightily of the Lord to reach thousands for Christ. He, John & Charles Wesley, and George Whitfield were contemporaries and preached with one another. Bro. Grimshaw wrote a treatise on The Admonition of a Sinner. It was a book intended to exhort believers to confront lost people with their sin and lack of salvation.
"Did we really believe that our dear, but poor, ungodly parents, wives, children, brothers or sisters might certainly lie in the fiery pit of hell for ever, if not converted before death, how could we refrain from striving day and night to deliver them from the danger of so deplorable an end? It could not be. So inestimable, so precious are they in the eye of him that made them, that to prevent their otherwise inevitable, intolerable damnation and to procure their eternal salvation, he graciously sent his Son, his only begotten Son into the world, to assume our nature, and to become obedient to death, even the death of the cross. These considerations, if deeply laid to heart, would surely make us solicitous for the welfare of poor sinners, and through the help of God to spare no pains for their conversion.
Cruelty and inhumanity to men's bodies is a most damnable sin. What must it be to their souls, which are immensely more valuable? Alas! we, while here, neither see nor feel what their souls do when they are in hell, for want of our faithful admonition. Little do we know what many a poor wretch, who was once our neighbor, acquaintance, relation now endures in hell upon whom we never bestowed one hour's advice to prevent his destruction. Could we do it now it is likely we readily would, but alas, it is too late. The season is past. As death left them, judgment will find them. The devil has them, and must have them forever. In hell fire they are, and there must be forever.
O that this consideration may rouse us to beware the alike unmerciful behaviour to poor sinful souls in the future!"
(Faith Cook, William Grimshaw of Haworth, Banner of Truth, 209)
Friday Church News Notes, March 9, 2001 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org)
Well-known Evangelical and Charismatic leaders joined hands with a wide variety of false teachers at an inaugural prayer luncheon in January sponsored by the Washington Times Foundation. These included Jerry Falwell, Paul Crouch, Kenneth Copeland, Pat Boone, and CCM musician Phil Driscoll. The participants also included Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus. Robert Schuller, who preaches a false gospel of self-esteem, expressed pleasure at the religious diversity represented at the meeting, saying, "...the only way I can explain it in my theology is the Holy Spirit [and that] Jesus Christ has really diversified His investment portfolio." Roman Catholic musician John Talbot was one of the performers. Cult leader Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who preaches a false Christ, was presented with an award "for his work in support of traditional family values." The Bible strictly forbids this type of association. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Cor. 6:14).
Pro-life advocates are concerned about a growing trend in the medical community where well-known, local hospitals are joining forces with Planned Parenthood to offer a variety of abortion services, either directly or through a "referral service." This trend is occurring in neighborhoods unbeknownst to local churches and residents.
Such was the scene one Saturday morning last month in Encinitas, California, an upscale, middle-class community along the coast between San Diego and Los Angeles. Representatives and activists from Operation Rescue West, California Life Coalition, and Open Eyes Ministry gathered to protest a local hospital's association with Planned Parenthood of San Diego.
Cheryl Sullenger, Director of California Life Coalition, notes that many hospitals contract with Planned Parenthood so that they can participate in the fee income HMOs now offer for abortion services. Many of the protesters agree that "this is big business" and many in the community have no idea what is going on "in this leased space provided by this hospital," contends Sullenger.
[ Agape Press ]
By David W. Cloud
(1) THE DENOMINATIONAL SYSTEM ITSELF IS UNSCRIPTURAL.
(2) THE SBC IS RADICALLY ECUMENICAL
(3) THE SBC HAS REFUSED TO DISCIPLINE BILLY GRAHAM
(4) SBC CHURCHES ARE NOT GOVERNED SCRIPTURALLY.
(5) WORLDLINESS IS RAMPANT IN SBC CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS.
(6) HUNDREDS OF WOMEN ARE ALLOWED TO HOLD LEADERSHIP ROLES IN THE SBC.
(7) THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT IS GROWING WITHIN THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION.
(8) THE SBC IS PERMEATED WITH THEOLOGICAL MODERNISM.
(9) THE SBC IS FILLED WITH MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE YOKED WITH PAGAN ANTI-CHRIST ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE MASONIC LODGE AND THE EASTERN STAR.
(10) THE VAST MAJORITY OF SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONGREGATIONS REFUSE TO EXERCISE CHURCH DISCIPLINE.
Elaboration and documentation of each point can be found at
http://wayoflife.org/~dcloud/fbns/whyi.htm
II Corinthians 11:13-15 makes it clear that the devil has his preachers and since he does, he is the one who calls them. Oliver B. Green said years ago, "For every one preacher God calls, the devil calls two." It will not be easy to detect the devil called preacher. So, you must be careful.
A devil called preacher is the most dangerous, damnable, and deadly thing there is. A lot of devil called preachers carry a KJV Bible, claim to love God, associate with and mix among God's people, many of them dress right, have a Bible knowledge, quote Scripture, talk like a fundamentalist, and preach some Bible, mixing it with error to deceive.
May I tell you that every Jehovah's Witness, Mormon missionary, Catholic priest, Seventh Day Adventist preacher, Campbelite preacher, every modernistic, liberalistic preacher, Jim Jones, Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Baker, and every woman preacher is devil called. God does not call anyone to preach contrary to HIS Book! It is clear from the Scriptures that God has never called a woman to preach (I Tim. 3:1-7). Let's consider the marks of a devil called preacher.
The first mark is that a devil called preacher is destitute of the spirit. Rom. 8:9 says, "But ye care not in the flesh, God swell in yea, now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is not one of his." That means he is not saved. Devil called preachers are lost and have not the spirit of God.
Second, they are deceitful in their service, see text and Titus 1: 1 6 declares, "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
The third mark is that devil called preachers deny the Savior. Jude 3:4 reads, "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation. it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly count for the saints. For there are certain men kept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."
The fourth mark of the devil called preachers is they are doubters of the Scriptures. II John 7, 1 0, & I 1, "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and antichrist receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is a partaker of his evil deeds."
Fifth, devil called preachers are disrupters of the Scripture. In I John 2:22 & 23, we find these words, "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is an antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the son hath the Father also." Some say that some of verse 23 here was not in the original. How do you know? You have never seen the original. If it has a chapter and verse number, I believe every word in the very inspired Word of God.
In the sixth place devil called preachers are devoid of sight. Matt. 15:14 says, "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind...."
Seventh, they are depraved in their sin, they are immoral. Who has not read of the immorality of Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Baker, and of Catholic priest who molested many young boys over a period of years? Jude 8 says, "Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities."
Furthermore, they are deceptive in their appearance. Jesus said in Matt. 7:15, "Beware of false prophets which come unto you in sheep's clothing, but inward they are ravening wolves." See also text in II Cor. 11: 3-15.
They are serious about big salaries-they are hirelings. Paul warned Timothy about the love of money in I Tim. 6:10 by saying, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
Finally, they preach a pleasing message. It is what people want to hear. It appeals to the flesh. Gal. 1:10, "For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" A God called preacher does not seek to please men. His main concern is to please God. And he could care less if he pleases men. Thank God, there are still some God called preachers today who have not compromised, who still preach the pure, plain, unadulterated word of God. Pray for them, support them.
Pastor Albert Hardin
Chesnee, SC.
[ Baptist Bible Trumpet, March 2001 ]
To be removed from this mailing list you can unsubscribe
through the homepage
or send your request to
Unsub-tccn@wilderness-cry.net
If this newsletter was forwarded to you and you would like a free subscription simply send an e-mail to subscribe-tccn@wilderness-cry.net