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IN THIS ISSUE:
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-AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO ALL THE FATHERS:
-FAMILY WORSHIP IN THE HOME: THE MAN’S DUTY
-GEORGE WHITEFIELD ON FAMILY WORSHIP
-”THE ROYAL PATH OF LIFE” ON FAMILY WORSHIP

-REBELLING AGAINST THE ROD
-ORDERING INFO FOR “THE ROD”

-RIGHTLY DIVIDING FORGIVENESS OF SIN

-ADS

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AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO ALL THE FATHERS:
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FAMILY WORSHIP IN THE HOME: THE MAN’S DUTY

The man should be leading his home, and should not take a backseat in regard to holiness and Bible knowledge. Scriptures should be read and studied regularly in the home. There should be regular family prayer. The husband and wife should also interact regularly by discussing the Scriptures. The following Scriptures reveal that the man in the home is called to lead his wife and children spiritually:

1 Corinthians 14:35 And if they will LEARN any thing, let them ask their HUSBANDS at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

Ephesians 6:4 And, ye FATHERS, provoke not your children to wrath: BUT bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

1 Timothy 3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

Genesis 18:18 Seeing that ABRAHAM shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 For I know him, that he will COMMAND his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Genesis 35:1 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.
2 Then JACOB said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

Deuteronomy 11:18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and MY HOUSE, we will serve the LORD.

Psalms 78:4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should MAKE THEM KNOWN to their children:

Proverbs 4:1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a FATHER, and attend to know understanding.
3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

Job 1:5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that JOB sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job CONTINUALLY.

It is the man’s responsibility to gather the family together at the appropriate time for worship in the home. He must keep order during this sacred time. Therefore, the common excuse, “It is her fault that we don’t have regular devotions in our home” is not justified. The man is the leader and he is responsible before the Lord to lead and rule his home. The wife is commanded to submit. The husband is commanded to love. In explaining this Biblical love, the Holy Spirit reveals that the husband’s duty is to wash his wife with Scripture (Ephesians 5). To neglect to wash the wife with Scripture is as sinful as the wife refusing to obey her husband.

GEORGE WHITEFIELD ON FAMILY WORSHIP
“And this will appear, if we consider that every governor of a family ought to look upon himself as obliged to act in three capacities as a prophet, to instruct: as a priest, to pray for and with; as a king, to govern, direct, and provide for them….For if, as the apostle argues, he that does not provide for his own house in temporal things has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel, to what greater degree of apostasy must he have arrived who takes no thought to provide for the spiritual welfare of his family?” (George Whitefield, “The Great Duty of Family Religion”)

“THE ROYAL PATH OF LIFE” ON FAMILY WORSHIP:

“A prayerless family cannot be otherwise than irreligious. They who daily pray in their homes, do well; they that not only pray, but read the Bible, do better; but they do best of all, who not only pray and read the Bible, but sing the praises of God….The influence of family worship is great, silent, irresistible and permanent. Like the calm, deep stream, it moves on in silent, but overwhelming power. It strike sits roots deep into the human heart, and spreads its branches wide over the whole being….It affords home security and happiness, removes family friction, and causes all the complicated wheels of the home-machinery to move on noiselessly and smoothly. It promotes union and harmony, expunges all selfishness, allays petulant feelings and turbulent passions, destroys peevishness of temper, and makes home intercourse holy and delightful. It causes the members to reciprocate each other’s affections, hushes the voice of recrimination, and exerts a softening and harmonizing influence over each heart….Its voice has sent many a poor prodigal home to his father’s house….The child, kneeling beside the pious mother, and pouring forth its infant prayer to God, must attract the notice of the heavenly host….But in order to do this, the worship must be regular and devout, and the whole family engage in it….It must needs be that trials will enter a household. The conflict of wishes, the clashing of views, and a thousand other causes, will ruffle the temper, and produce jar and friction in the machinery of the family. There is needed then, some daily agency that shall softly enfold the homestead with its hallowed and soothing power, and restore the fine, harmonious play of its various parts. The father needs that which shall gently lift away from his thoughts the disquieting burden of his daily business. The mother that which shall smooth down the fretting irritation of her unceasing toil and trial; and the child and domestic that which shall neutralize the countless agencies of evil that ever beset them….See what home becomes with religion as its life and rule….Compare an irreligious home with this, and see the vast importance of family worship. It is a moral waste; its members move in the putrid atmosphere of vitiated feeling and misdirected power. Brutal passions become dominant; we hear the stern voice of parental despotism; we behold a scene of filial strife and insubordination….Domestic life becomes clouded by a thousand crosses and disappointments; the solemn
realities of the eternal world are cast into the shade…the sense of moral duty distorted….Natural affection is debased, and love is prostituted to the base designs of self….Let yours, therefore, be a religious home; and then be sure that God will delight to dwell therein, and His blessing will descend, like the dews of heaven, upon it….And then in the dark hour of home separation and bereavement, when the question is put to you mourning parents, ‘Is it well with the child? is it well with thee?’ you can answer with joy, ‘It is well!’” (1882)

REBELLING AGAINST THE ROD

“At first – but only at first – the intensity with which this truth is opposed in spite of its convincing evidence, perplexes us. But it is not always a difference in judgment only. It is deplorable how stoutly the heart can resist after all the batteries of the intellect have been put out of action; ‘the motive being the desire to get rid of all responsibility in the case of Christian believers. This is a grievous error, and those who propagate it will bitterly regret their folly when they stand before the judgment seat of Christ.’ (G. H. Pember) Truth that powerfully rouses and stimulates the Church, is truth which also rouses powerful opposition; and doubtless Satanic energies operate behind the antagonism, together with the strong distaste of the flesh, and the cold cynicism of the world. All our resistance to revelation springs from sin in the heart or life; truth that
touches the spot stings.” (D.M. Panton, “Rapture,” 1922)

“I was there but one night, and stressed the solemn side of the judgment seat of Christ, saying the very things that dear brethren in this land so often resent.”
(G.H. Lang)

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THE ROD: WILL GOD SPARE IT? By J.D. Faust
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RIGHTLY DIVIDING FORGIVENESS OF SIN

Every Christian has the ETERNAL debt of sin paid in full. This is the forgiveness of a LOST SINNER which makes the sinner a SON. But when a SON sins, this sin may no longer merit an eternal penalty. But mystical antinomians and modern, Gnostic psychobabblers refuse to admit that God recognizes SIN in the saint! They refuse to see that the saint is responsible for his or her actions and that there are temporal consequences for evil conduct both here (1 Cor.11) and at the judgment seat (2 Cor.5:9-11).

Some teach that a Christian cannot sin “greatly,” and that the “little sins” still in the saint are simply a result of GOD withholding His grace. Therefore, there can be no consequences for sin since these little sins are God’s fault. But this is a misuse and abuse of the doctrine of God’s sovereignty. Others teach that these little sins are the old man’s problem, and that the new man is certainly not responsible for them. But we simply answer that the Christian who failed to “put on” the new man is the one who is responsible (Ephesians 4:23-24)!

Notice the Scriptures that teach that New Testament believers must still seek forgiveness for the sins they commit as SONS:

James 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
25 But HE THAT DOETH WRONG shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

1 John 1:9 If WE confess our sins, he is faithful and just to FORGIVE us our SINS, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Luke 11:4 And FORGIVE us our SINS; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us…

“To say that they [believers' sins] are to be recognized as sins, and yet that no acknowledgment is to be made, and no forgiveness sought for them, is a statement so monstrous as to carry its own refutation.”
-B.W. Newton (1807-1899)

“It is not the sinner who is in view, but the failing believer. If we will not forgive, we cannot be forgiven (Mark 11:26). This is an unalterable principle in God’s government of His family. When a believer has SINNED and seeks restoration, he is forgiven as he forgives. This is not the same thing as the justification of a sinner, which is by faith alone….what we have here is the Father’s forgiveness when His own children fail, and if we forgive not our brethren then the Father will not grant us restorative forgiveness.”
(H.A. Ironside, “Addresses on Luke”)

“The term ‘forgive’ is used in two senses in the Scripture. There is forgiveness in the sense of God’s daily approval and fellowship of people already saved…The term is also used of salvation, in the sense that all our sins were laid on the Lord Jesus…One who has trusted Christ for salvation has his sins already forgiven, AS FAR AS HIS ETERNAL DESTINY IS CONCERNED….Dr. Scofield here, in the older Scofield Bible notes on this passage [Luke 11], is mistaken…” (John Rice, Commentary on Luke)

So many of God’s children have become very confused and rebellious in these last days. They don’t even ask God for forgiveness as SONS! This is the day of God’s long-suffering. Yet, in 1 Corinthians 11, God made some saints sick, and others He killed for not discerning the Lord’s Body in the Supper! What then will God do to Christian sinners on the day of judgment when Paul says we can experience the terror of the Lord (2 Cor.5:9-11)? The Holy Spirit provides a remedy, if we will pay attention to it:

1 Corinthians 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 For IF WE WOULD JUDGE OURSELVES, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

If we would examine our lives by the Word and confess our failings, and beseech God for mercy, He would not have to judge us. But some despise His chastenings. These unfaithful sons do not confess their sins and ask God for mercy. They boast that they are no longer responsible for sin, in any sense; they use the truths of justification in eternity as a buffer against any doctrine of accountability. Stripes will surely be waiting for them at the Judgment Seat.

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-NEWSPAPER EXEGESIS?

-SODOMY IN THE CATHOLIC CLERGY: STAGESETTING FOR REVELATION 17 (by Joey Faust)

Part II:

-STAGESETTING FOR TRIBULATION FALLING STARS

-STAGESETTING FOR TRIBULATION EARTHQUAKES

-ADS

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NEWSPAPER EXEGESIS?

I will have more to say on this subject from time to time. Reconstructionists, preterists and postmillennialists are all fond of accusing premillennial prophecy writers of “newspaper exegesis.” For example, Kenneth Gentry’s web site advertises his book, “The Beast of Revelation,” by claiming the book is, “A popularly written antidote to dispensational sensationalism and newspaper exegesis.” I personally have not read a newspaper in years, nor do I own a stinking television, or even hardly ever listen to the radio. I do read a few Internet news sites to see what is occurring in the world. From what I remember, it was a postmillennialist (Gary North) that led the way in predicting doom for the world from computer crashes. I maintained that if they did crash, they would fix them before Revelation 13. I also maintained that, while it makes sense to be ready for panic, a loss of electricity, etc. through a possible computer crash, we are actually more apt to meet with an earthquake, natural disaster, etc., since the Bible clearly states these things will increase as time progresses. I also stated that if nothing significant occurred on Y2K, we would see a revival of postmillennial heresy like never before in history (see our web site at www.refugebaptist.org). These postmillennialists thrive by focusing on the false warnings and over-zealous predictions of dispensational prophecy writers. Since they have the natural flesh of the world on their side, they will prosper in spite of the evidence against them (e.g. telling carnal people that God is about to judge the world with a tribulational period can be like telling carnal Christians they can be literally spanked at the judgment seat. The flesh is not on your side. Nevertheless, God’s Spirit is sufficient for all things). The position of the Kingdom Alert is that no prophecy (other than Scriptures such as 2 Timothy 3 and 4 and 1st Timothy 4) is being fulfilled in the present. Current events are only “prophetic” in the sense that they set the stage for the future tribulation age. For example, Israel reviving as a nation in the midst of turmoil (1948 -) sets the stage for Revelation 11 and Matthew 24, etc. These prophecies assume Israel is present in her land. Christians who are not asleep or drunk should use these preliminary signs to awake to righteousness, to motivate the drowsy, and reprove the scoffers. They call us “pessimists” and maintain that the Antichrist and the Revelation plagues are figurative, past history. But the watching premillennialists told the scoffers to watch Israel. After enduring years of sarcasm and mockery, the early premillennialists were vindicated by the “newspaper” in 1948. And now we see that the main reason postmillennialists hate and deride so-called “newspaper exegesis” is because the newspaper (when it simply reports current events) is the postmillennialists worse enemy (next to the Bible literally interpreted)! If you are trying to bury your head in the sand and pretend that all is well, reports concerning giant earthquakes, fires, broken temperature records, sodomite priests, dangerous asteroids, implanted computer chips, turmoil in Israel, etc. are enough to take the heart out of any honest postmillennialist. This issue of the Kingdom Alert is therefore dedicated to my postmillennial brethren around the world. May the Lord open your eyes and cause you to see that there will be no literal Kingdom without the literal presence of the King. The ship is sinking. But the Word of God is not bound! God bringing to past what He has warned is not “defeat.” Was it defeat for Paul to be bound in prison? God used it to spread Christianity around the Roman empire! (For more information on this subject see my audio sermon on postmillennialism on our web site).

SODOMY IN THE CATHOLIC CLERGY: STAGESETTING FOR REVELATION 17 (by Joey Faust)

“Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 30 – AIDS has quietly caused the deaths of hundreds of Roman Catholic priests in the United States although other causes may be listed on some of their death certificates, The Kansas City Star reported in its Sunday editions. In the first of a three-part series, the newspaper reported that its examination of death certificates and interviews with experts indicated several hundred priests had died of AIDS-related illnesses since the mid-1980s and hundreds more are living with HIV, the virus that causes the disease. The death rate of priests from AIDS is at least four times that of the general population, the newspaper said….” (AP, 2000)

“Los Angeles – More than 100 people in the nation’s largest Catholic diocese have complained to authorities in recent months of sexual abuse by priests, authorities said Thursday….Authorities said the complaints in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles surfaced after the priest abuse scandal emerged in Boston in March, then erupted nationally….Officials with the Archdiocese of Anchorage said national guidelines adopted at a Roman Catholic bishops conference are flawed but a crucial first step in publicly dealing with pedophile priests….” (AP, June 21, 2002)

The media (at least in the news reports I have read online) has been busy reporting on the scandals occurring in the Catholic Church. Unfortunately, the true sin (“sodomy”) is not named. A generic, politically correct phrase such as “sexual abuse” is often used to soften the blow to the media’s favorite “Christian” denomination, and keep the homosexuals happy and “gay.” What will be the general, ultimate response to the now widely publicized sodomy, child abuse, drug dealing, and disgusting perversion in the Roman Catholic clergy? These sins among the clergy are nothing new. In spite of feigned outrage, they will be largely ignored, just as they always have been.

Whatever the responses, two things are certain. First, the Bible predicts that Rome, and her religion headquartered there, will be a worldwide center of fornications and moral perversion:

Revelation 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

There is a figurative fornication revealed in Revelation 17. It speaks of the political courting of this so-called church, and her unholy union of church and state (Revelation 17:2, 18). Yet, she is also the mother of the ABOMINATIONS of the earth. Sodomy is an abomination (Leviticus 20:13). Therefore, Rome will also be the root and haven of LITERAL fornication and abominations. Like both the Rome of ancient days, and Rome throughout the dark ages, Rome future (and its religion) will continue to become the center and shelter of LITERAL sexual perversion! The woman’s cup is filled with FORNICATION and abominations (17:4). The fact that this is also literal (as well as containing figurative truth) can be seen from the fact that the woman’s cup also contains BLOOD (17:6). Yet, almost all commentators teach that the blood by which the woman is drunken is the LITERAL blood of the saints. Therefore, if the woman’s cup contains blood, and this blood is literal, then it should reasonably follow that the fornications in the same cup are also literal. Since the woman is drunken by blood, the Holy Spirit is defining one of the ABOMINATIONS (plural, 17:5) in the woman’s cup to be MURDER (17:6). The Bible plainly calls the murder of the innocent an ABOMINATION to God:

Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an ABOMINATION unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and HANDS T
HAT SHED INNOCENT BLOOD,

This abomination in the cup (i.e. murder) is certainly literal. Therefore, it would be reasonable to conclude that the fornication in the cup is also literal, and that other abominations (e.g. sodomy, etc.) will also be found in Rome in the last days. Sorcery, thefts, murder and fornication are all literally the major sins of mankind in the last days (Revelation 9:21). It is therefore reasonable to conclude that the main, world-dominating, influential city in the Tribulation period will be the promoter of these same LITERAL vices. This is why the Holy Ghost reveals that Rome’s cup contains these literal abominations. Rome in its final days will not only be a center of idolatry, a state-church, and false religion, it will be a city that spawns LITERAL FORNICATION and MURDER throughout the world. We have seen this in the past in Pagan Rome and Papal Rome. It will likewise be Rome’s destiny in the future. The sodomy and fornication rampant among priests in the present is another sign that the Tribulation age is rapidly approaching. Let us watch and pray!

This bring us to the second point, already noticed somewhat: In spite of the bad publicity the Roman Catholic organization is presently receiving in the press, it is certain that its influence or impact will NOT, ultimately, be diminished. Whatever temporary setbacks it may suffer, it will continue its rise to power until it finally and completely fulfils Revelation 17 in the future, Tribulation period.

While we pray that many individual Catholics will use this time to reconsider the claims of Rome, the majority of people will simply respond to the perversion of priests in the same manner that they responded to the perversions of former president Clinton in the White House. Many will see this perversion as a necessary evil; others will actually welcome it, since it provides a cloak for their OWN perversions and debauchery.

Roman Catholicism, unfortunately, is here to stay – at least until Revelation 17:16. The masses will respond to the modern perversion of priests in the same manner in which they responded to the perversion of earlier priests throughout history. The sexual immorality of Catholic priests is not a new problem. Historically, it has been linked to the celibacy of the Catholic clergy by a number of writers. Sodomy is one of the last depravities into which rebellious man falls before his destruction (see Romans 1, Genesis 19). Therefore, it is true that depraved man will indulge in this sin, with or without the unbiblical doctrine of a celibate clergy. On the other hand, this evil doctrine makes provision for this sin, and helps hasten the damnation of a nation.

An anonymous writer, in 1844, wrote, “Romanism: Incompatible with Republican Institutions (by Civis).” In this work, the writer states:

“The celibacy of the clergy tends still more directly to the destruction of morality. The history of the church abounds with evidence that where the clergy have been confined by their rules of discipline to a life of celibacy, they have been the most industrious promoters of licentiousness. Hear what Claude D’Espence says on this subject, a divine of the Romish church. He complains as follows: ‘Shameful to relate they give permission to their priests to have concubines, etc., upon the payment of annual tribute. And in some places they oblige them to pay the tax, saying they may use the privilege if they please.’ We forbear to multiply passages of this nature, not because they are rare, but because the recital would be offensive to the reader….Wielding the power of the confessional, the master of the secret actions and thoughts of the females of their communion, they hold in their power the most potent means for their corruption.” (p.70).

Alexander Hislop, writing in, “The Two Babylons” argues similarly:

“The records of all nations where priestly celibacy has been introduced have proved that, instead of ministering to the purity of those condemned to it, it has only plunged them in the deepest pollution….The excesses committed by the celibate priests of Bacchus in Pagan Rome in their secret Mysteries, were such that the Senate felt called upon to expel them from the bounds of the Roman republic. In Papal Rome the same abominations have flowed from priestly celibacy, in connection with the corrupt and corrupting system of the confessional….Out of a thousand facts of similar kind, let one only be adduced, vouched for by the distinguished Roman Catholic historian De Thou. When Pope Paul V. meditated the suppression of the licensed brothels in the ‘Holy City,’ the Roman Senate petitioned against his carrying his design into effect, on the ground that the existence of such places was the only means of HINDERING THE PRIESTS FROM SEDUCING THEIR WIVES AND DAUGHTERS!!” (p.220)

“The Manual of Universal Church History,” by Alzog, bears the Imprimatur of the Archbishop of Cincinnati. In this volume, Catholic historian, Alzog states:

“There were eighty councils held in France during the eleventh century, and of these there was not a single one in which a protest of the fathers was not directed against the lawlessness and brigandage of the laity and the unchastity and simony of the clergy….The gradual decline in papal influence and the evil example of the lives of some Popes reacted with terrible effect upon the morals of the bishops….Concubinage was the crying vice among the clergy of many dioceses….The dissoluteness of morals rapidly infected the laity, who learned from those whose lives should have been examples of manly honesty and priestly honor to put a light estimate on the virtue of purity….Some professed to believe that the marriage of the clergy was the only adequate remedy for the evil; but others…maintained that the well-being of the Church depended on the rule of celibacy….”
(Vol. II., p.368, 928-31).

The historical work, “Lives of the Popes,” by Catholic writer, Ludwig Pastor, was drawn from the secret archives of the Vatican. The work was praised by the Pope and dedicated to him. Pastor writes:

“But this [prostitution] was not the worst of the maladies which the false renaissance brought upon Italy….There is unmistakable evidence of the revival of the horrible national vice of the Greeks [i.e. sodomy]….It made its way into the lower ranks also….many of the monasteries were in a most deplorable condition. The three essential vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, were in some convents almost entirely disregarded…Sixtus IV found it necessary to direct a Bull against some Carmelites in Bolgna who had maintained that there was no harm in asking for things from demons….”

Pastor also documents the immoral lives of many of the popes. Will Durant, an atheist historian, also quotes Pastor for his history. He documents that it is the tendency of people to accept immorality as normal in the Catholic clergy:

“Alexander VI, like Luther and Calvin, thought clerical celibacy a mistake, and begot five or more children before subsiding into reasonable continence as a pope….a certain amorousness was THEN ACCEPTED AS USUAL in the clergy….Some confessors solicited sexual favors from female penitents. Thousands of priests had concubines; in Germany nearly all. In Rome it was assumed that priests kept concubines; and some reports estimated the prostitutes there at 6,000 in a population not exceeding 100,000. To quote again a Catholic historian [Pastor, "History of the Popes," V, 457]:

‘It is not surprising, when the highest ranks of clergy were in such a state, that among the regular orders and secular priests vice and irregularities of all sorts should become more and more common….But it is a mistake to suppose that the corruption of the clergy was worse in Rome than elsewhere; there is documentary evidence of the immorality of the priests in almost every town in the Italian peninsula….Their immorality was so gross that suggestions in favor of allowing priests to marry began to be heard.’

….Bishop Hardouin of Ang
ers reported (1428) that the clergy of his diocese did not count concubinage a sin, and that they made no attempt to disguise their use of it. In Pomerania, about 1500, such unions were RECOGNIZED BY THE PEOPLE AS REASONABLE, and were encouraged by them as protection for their daughters and wives….Wyclif, Langland, Gower, and Chaucer agreed in noting a predilection, among monks and friars, for good food and bad women….”
(Will Durant, “The Reformation,” 1957, pp.13)

Again, temporary movements of apparent reformation aside, the final result will be that Rome, through Satanic seduction, will rise in dominion over the entire world. In fact, so many people’s minds are so perverted through TV, movies, and the Internet, the publicized actions of these priests will only serve to PROMOTE and SANCTIFY sodomy and sexual child abuse in the minds of many.

Historically, it appears that it was no secret in the minds of political and Roman Catholic leaders, or in the minds of the masses at large, that clerical celibacy contributed to the moral depravity of the priests. In fact, many no doubt sought (and still seek) the priesthood for the purpose of increasing their opportunities for vile perversion. What is the reason that this wicked restriction is left in place? Jeremiah J. Crowley (a well-known, former priest), in 1912, states that Rome uses the corruption to wield power:

“Why this rank, rampant immorality among the Roman Catholic hierarchy? Priestly celibacy and auricular confession, I assert, are chiefly responsible. Priestly celibacy and auricular confession ever have been, and are now, prolific sources of crime and licentiousness. Pope Gregory VII, in the eleventh century, imposed the unnatural law of priestly celibacy, notwithstanding the vehement protests of the priests, the vast majority of whom had wives and legitimate children. This decree, making priestly marriage a wrong and priestly celibacy a virtue, has honey-combed the Roman Catholic Church with corruption. Pope Gregory VII, and his infallible successors, in imposing priestly celibacy, WERE ACTUATED BY POLITICAL rather than virtuous motives. This was generally admitted….In 1907 three thousand French priests signed and sent a petition to Pope Pius, praying for the abolition of priestly celibacy. All of these priests were past the marrying age themselves, but were speaking from the weight of responsibility thrust upon them by confession. This appeal was consigned to the papal wastebasket. Dr. Robert E. Speer, the noted secretary of the Presbyterian Board of Missions, recently wrote:

‘The celibacy of the priesthood had seemed to me a monstrous and wicked theory, but I had believed that men who took the vow were true to it….But the deadly evidence spread out all over South America, confronting one in every district to which he goes; evidence legally convincing, morally sickening, proves to him that, whatever may be the case in other lands, in South America the stream of the church is polluted at its fountains.’

Rome is ever and everywhere the same. She prefers priestly celibacy with concubinage to priestly marriage….Among those who have been compelled to flee to escape chastisement, or perhaps death, from outraged husbands, fathers, brothers, or lynching by the community at large, are: The Most Rev. Bertram Orth, lately Archbishop of Victoria, British Columbia. The Right Rev. Thomas F. Brennan, formerly Bishop of Dallas, Texas. The Right Rev. Timothy O’Mahony, late Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto, Canada, formerly of Australia, and Cork, Ireland. The Right Rev. Monsignor Capel, formerly of England. The Right Rev. Monsignor Fowler, formerly of Sioux City, Iowa, and Philippine Islands. Rev. W.R. Thompson, formerly of Portland, Oregon. Rev. Lawrence Erhardt, formerly of Chicago. Rev. F.J. Knipper, formerly of Troy, Ohio. Rev. Levis T. McGinn, formerly of Brooklyn, New York. SOME OF THESE WERE GUILTY OF THE CRIME OF SODOMY – A CRIME, ALAS! TO WHICH MONKS, PRIESTS, PRELATES, AND EVEN POPES, THE ‘VICARS OF CHRIST,’ ARE NOT STRANGERS. The number of similar offenders is legion, and no wonder! The vast majority of priests, prelates, and other members of the Hierarchy are driven into immorality by priestly celibacy and auricular confession. THIS WHOLESALE DEMORALIZATION WAS ONE OF THE PRINCIPLE MOTIVES FOR INSTITUTING CELIBACY AND AURICULAR CONFESSION. THE RESLUT ACCOMPLISHED IS JUST WHAT THE VATICAN MACHINE WANTED. THIS DEMORALIZATION COMPELS WICKED PRIESTS, PRELATES AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HIERARCHY, OF BOTH SEXES, TO STAND BY EACH OTHER AND FOR THE VATICAN SYSTEM, THEIR AXIOM BEING, ‘Standum est pro auctoritate per fas aut nefas’ (Stand by authority, right or wrong). IT IS THE SAME PRINCIPLE AS IS FOUND AMONG CORRUPT POLITICIANS, WHO FOR THEIR OWN PROTECTION, ARE COMPELLED TO STAND BY EACH OTHER AND FOR THEIR POLITICAL MACHINE. Rome, thoroughly aware of its diabolical crimes, for its own protection promotes the shrewdest of her demoralized ecclesiastics to the very highest offices….” (“Romanism: A Menace to the Nation”)

As with so many other things occurring in the world today, the sodomy among Catholic clergy is a stage-setting sign that the time of the end is upon us. Let us use this opportunity to help Catholics see and admit that Rome is not infallible as she claims, and the only way to be saved in eternity is through faith in the Gospel.

STAGESETTING FOR TRIBUATION FALLING STARS
“Asteroid Gives Earth Closest Shave In Years – Paris – June 20 (AFP) – A football-pitch-sized asteroid capable of razing a major city came within a whisker of hitting the Earth on June 14, but was only spotted three days later, scientists said Thursday. Asteroid 2002 MN, estimated at up to 120 metres (yards) long, hurtled by the Earth at a distance of 120,000 kilometers (75,000 miles), well within the orbit of the Moon and just a hair’s breadth in galactic terms. It is the closest recorded near-miss by any asteroid, with the exception of a 10-metre (33-feet) rock, 1994 XM1, which approached within 105,000 kilometers (65,000) miles on December 9, 1994, they said….If one of these were on a collision course, that would leave no time to launch a rocket or missiles to try to deflect or destroy it, or even prepare cities for a potential disaster…”

Comments:
Revelation 6:13 And the STARS of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

Revelation 8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great STAR from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

Revelation 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a STAR fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

In the King James Bible, a “star” is a luminous body in the heavens, just as a “fish” is something that lives and swims in the water (like a whale). Therefore, an “asteroid” can be referred to as a star. The Bible predicts that in the Tribulation period, the earth will be plagued and cursed by these fallings stars.

STAGESETTING FOR TRIBULATION EARTHQUAKES
“500 Dead in Iran Earthquake – Tehran, Iran – A strong earthquake rocked northwestern Iran on Saturday, killing at least 500 people and injuring 1,600, Iran’s state-run media reported….” (AP, June 22)

Luke 21:11 And great EARTHQUAKES shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

*******************************************
THE ROD: WILL GOD SPARE IT? By J.D. Faust
*******************************************
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IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH – by Dr. JG Williams (148 pages) – a doctrinal study
of the Charismatic movement in workbook format. Over 800 relevant scriptures regarding every aspect of the modern Charismatic movement are examined. Comment by the author is kept to a minimum while the reader is required to look up the scriptures to see what God actually said – the workbook format makes it impossible to simply brush over cross-references. Excellent for self-study, discipleship, Sunday school quarterly study (thirteen lessons) – designed as in-depth study of the doctrinal foundations
of the Charismatic movement and suitable for anyone. In New Zealand where the author is a missionary, the Charismatic movement is a MAJOR issue and this book is used both to train believers and as a teaching tool for charismatics. For more information and sample pages, please see our website (Verity & Charity Publications) at www.veritycharity.com – online ordering!
==================================

ACTIVE, INTERESTING independent Baptist Web, with “end times” and general
interest to all Bible Believers, updated daily. Over 2000 items including articles about Terrorism, End Times, Islam, Moslems, Koran, Patriotism, Sermons, Israel, ProLife, Humor, Illustrative Stories, Missions, Devotions, Puritans, Spurgeon, Computer Humor, Martyrs ancient and modern, many things of interest for Children, Youths, Adults, Seniors, Pastors, and Missionaries. OVER 28,000 “HITS” IN MARCH. “Click” on following hot link addresses:

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-THE MISTAKES OF MANY CHRISTIANS CONCERNING JEWS STATED AND CORRECTED (John Wilkinson, from “Israel My Glory,” 1894)

-PRAYER REQUESTS

-ADS

================================

STAGESETTING FOR TRIBULATION ANTISEMITISM

“JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The Israeli army has released a photograph of a toddler dressed as a suicide bomber that it says was discovered in a Palestinian militant’s house in the West Bank city of Hebron….Ordinary Palestinians said if the photograph were genuine it was likely the child had been dressed up for fun and did not mean Palestinians were about to use children in suicide bombings – something they have never done. Children have been seen dressed up as suicide bombers at school ceremonies and rallies supporting militants spearheading a 21-month-old uprising against Israeli occupation.” (June 28, 2002)

In the first book in our canon of the Old Testament, the Lord gives His promise and warning concerning the Jew:

Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Genesis 27:29 ….cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

In response, Satan rages against the Jews for bringing forth the sacrificial Saviour, who will soon return to judge and rule the earth, and send Satan to Hell. He desires to exterminate the Jew to obliterate the prophecies. The nations, inspired by Satan, will likewise respond to God’s promises and warnings by uniting against the Jews.

Psalms 83:4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of ISRAEL may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:

Psalms 74:8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.

God will use these mad nations for His purposes; and then He will answer them swiftly:

Zechariah 1:14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
15 And I am VERY SORE displeased with the HEATHEN that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and THEY HELPED FORWARD THE AFFLICTION.

Joel 3:2 I will also gather ALL NATIONS, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage ISRAEL, whom they have scattered among the nations, and PARTED MY LAND.

Indeed, from the time that God promised to bless the world through Abraham’s seed, Satan has sought to annihilate the offspring of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This devilish hatred will continue to increase until it reaches a climax in the Tribulation period. Catholics persecuted the Jews in the Inquisition. And who dares to forget the venomous hatred of the Nazis? Notice these murderous, malicious words from Hitler and his minions:

“This Jewish contamination will not subside, this poisoning of the nation will not end, until the carrier himself, the Jew, has been banished from our midst.” (Hitler, Aug. 1920, D Irving, “The War Path: Hitler’s Germany”)

“As National Socialists we see our programme in our flag. In red, the social aspect of the movement; in white, the national; in the swastika emblem…the mission to fight for the victory of the Aryan man and likewise for the triumph of the idea of productive work; an IDEA ETERNALLY ANTISEMTIC. NO JEW SHALL BE A CITIZEN.” (Hitler, “Times,” June 10, 1932)

“The Jew has caused our misery, and to day he lives on our troubles. That is the reason why as Nationalists and as Socialists we are enemies of the Jew. He has ruined our race, rotted our morals, corrupted our traditions and broken our power. We are Jew-haters because we admit that we are Germans. The Jew is our greatest calamity.” (Dr. Goebbels)

“The drive against the Jews is increasing in ferocity….The ordinary Jews have less chance of employment in Germany than has the habitual criminal in this country. About a third of the Jewish population is already faced with destitution. The persecution has given Hitler something like half a million jobs with which to reward his followers.” (“Contemporary Review,” Nov., 1933)

“There will be no peace for the nations, unless the Jews are expunged. From a moral point of view the Jews are, for the white race, what plague, consumption, and syphilis are to the health of humanity, and part of our bequest to our children must be the fight to annihilate Judea.” (Herr Kobe, Nazi leader, “Manchester Guardian Weekly,” May 25, 1934)

Hating the Jew Leads to Direct Hatred of God and His Word

To hate anyone for their race is to hate God’s commandments. Hatred of the Jew, inevitably, matures into an OPEN hatred for God and the Bible:

“….a London editor (“Church of England Newspaper,” Aug. 18, 1933) reports ‘an almost unbelievable rumour we heard the other day from a well-informed source that a section of the Nazis is urging Herr Hitler to wage war on Christianity on the ground that Jesus was a Jew.’ When all that emanates from Jewry becomes so fiercely obnoxious that the Old Testament is rejected because Jewish, a like fate awaits the New; and the refusal of the ‘salvation that is of the Jews’ (John iv. 22) is a refusal of the only salvation that saves.”
(D.M. Panton, “The Dawn Magazine,” Oct. 16, 1933)

“Jehovah is the desert demon of the Jews, and, once for all, the so-called Old Testament must be abolished as a book of religion; while our movement seeks to eliminate from the New Testament some of its obviously misplaced and superstitious gospel accounts. The Christian Churches are a prodigious conscious and unconscious falsification. Therefore one of the greatest tasks of the century is to give expression to the Nordic soul in the German National Church built up on national and individual honour.” (Herr Rosenberg, Commissioner of the Fuhrer for the Supervision, Instruction, and Education of the Whole National Socialist Movement)

“The word ‘heathen’ is not regarded by us a term of reproach, but as an honored name. We are proud of our German belief and our Nordic heathenism. We believe that God has revealed himself to us in our German blood and German conscience…Our Holy Land is no longer Rome or Palestine, but Germany alone. We do not believe in the Holy Ghost, we believe in the holiness of blood ties. In the Evangelical Church Jews and semi-Jews are no longer allowed. Consequently, nowadays, neither Paul nor Christ himself would be allowed to be pastors….We will abolish Christian festivals and celebrate Yuletide, Eastertide, Whitsuntide, the summer solstice, harvestide, the gathering of the clans and the day of mourning for the dead.” (“The A.B.C. of the German Heathen,” published in Germany in 1935)

“Throw away from you the last remnants of your Christian education, which destroys the character of Nordic man. Hurl from you the Jewish-Christian ideas of sinfulness, pity, love for your enemies. Carry before you the conquering symbol of the swastika. We must be hard if we would conquer. A curse upon sympathy and mercy!….Youth! do you not feel the spirit of your fathers that aroused them to fight against that foreign doctrine – Christianity? Does not your heart burn to renew this struggle?….”(“Nordland,” Nazi magazine, Hitler Youth press)

The Jew: God’s Dial

“The Jew first?….The world says No. God says Yes. The world has tried to cast down the Jew and cast him out, but in the plan and purpose of God he has been first and he will be first….there is the Jew first – as the Clue to God’s Plans. The budding of the fig tree, the re-awakening of the Jewish nation, the return (in unbelief) of the Jew to his own land, this is to be THE sign that the end of this dispensation is near, and that the coming of the
Lord is at hand….The Jewish nation, now in part blinded, shall yet be the head and not the tail (Deut. xxviii.13), the first which is now the last shall yet again be the first….Where are you putting him in your missionary thought, your prayer, your evangelistic effort? First? May the Lord Who has redeemed us with His blood, and sent us out to witness for Him, give us a greater love for the Jew and a greater desire that he may be reached with the message of the Gospel.” (Dr. C.K. Mowll, “The Jew First;” in “Trust and Toiling,” 1933)

“It is manifest that the granite Jew is being reserved for a gigantic destiny which slowly unfolds before our eyes: for the Jew is God’s dial; and when he is in the Land, the Dawn will be in the sky. Dr. Herzl told a friend that it was the despair created in his soul by universal Anti-Semitism in which Zionism was born….Rabbi Levy, of Tresmont Temple, New York, says: – ‘The Temple at Jerusalem will be rebuilt, or possibly the Mosque of Omar which now stands upon that site, will simply be cleansed and rededicated to Jehovah; for according to the strictest Jewish Law, any place of worship may be transformed into a Jewish synagogue or Temple by removing all idols, and rededicating it to the God of Israel.’” (D.M. Panton, “The Dawn Magazine,” Aug. 15th, 1924)

The fact that Israel is in the promised land with the world growing weary is a sign that the time of Jacob’s Trouble is drawing near. Let us resist the spirit of the world and the various cultic movements that deny the literal Millennial Kingdom, deny the literal Jews a place in future prophecy, and generate suspicion or hatred for the “brethren” (according to the flesh) of our sinless Saviour. We are not called to agree with everything that every Jew believes or does. We certainly must not consider Jews automatically saved. Christians must also avoid the snare of “Jewish” movements and traditions that undermine the King James Bible and spoil the saints (Col. 2). But we must equally resist the spirit of Satan that seeks to attack the system of literal, premillennial interpretation by stirring up prejudice and hatred for the modern Jews. We are not ignorant of his devices. Therefore, let all Christian Gentiles resist the Devil and fear God in these last days:

Romans 11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, BUT FEAR:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
===================================

THE MISTAKES OF MANY CHRISTIANS CONCERNING JEWS STATED AND CORRECTED (John Wilkinson, from “Israel My Glory,” 1894)

“Prejudice is blinding. We readily assent to this in the case of the Jew. The Jew has been, and to a large extent is still, prejudiced against Christ and Christianity, and that prejudice blinds. Many Christians are still prejudiced against the Jews and are to the same extent blinded. Hence, in the case of the Jew, the Scriptures which relate to the Messiahship of Jesus are misinterpreted under the blindness of prejudice; and in the case of the Christian, the Scriptures which relate to the Jew are misinterpreted under the same blind influence. It is a mistake to suppose that NATIONAL REJECTION, which is but TEMPORARY, and which affects necessarily only TEMPORAL INTERESTS, has imperiled individual salvation…[see Romans 11:1, 10:12-15, 1:16]. Then if national rejection of the Jew has not imperiled his individual salvation, it has always been, and is now, the imperative duty of the Christian…to preach to him the Gospel….Furthermore, it is a mistake to suppose that the guilt incurred in the crucifixion of Jesus hinders Jewish conversion. How frequently have hard thoughts been suggested, and hard words uttered by even Christian ministers and commentators when quoting the imprecation: ‘His blood be on us, and on our children [Matt.27:25].’ Now we readily admit that judgment came on the NATION as the result of rejecting Jesus as the Messiah; and it must be admitted further that individual Jews rejecting Jesus as Saviour necessarily died in their sins, for Jesus said, ‘If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.’…the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus not only affected the national and temporal interests of the Jews, turning the nation out of Palestine and scattering them among the Gentiles…but that the deliberate rejection of Jesus as Saviour affected the spiritual and eternal interests of multitudes of individual Jews then as the same conduct in Jews and Gentiles does now. But when we consider that tens of thousands of Jews of that same generation were truly converted after the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus, we are justified in maintaining that the spiritual and eternal interests of the people as a whole were not unfavourably affected by the people’s imprecation, ‘His blood be on us, and on our children.’….Admitting, however, that for purposes of retribution God does permit imprecations to fall on the heads of the wicked themselves, He does not permit the wicked to dispose of the spiritual and eternal interests of their children. If imprecations on others were to be answered, the Romanists would have made short work of the whole Protestant world before now; and even drunkards would barter the eternal interests of their children for the intoxicating cup….They crucified knowingly a MAN. They crucified knowingly an INNOCENT man…They crucified knowingly, not only a man, an innocent man, but also a Divine Messenger, as His works testified. But they did not crucify knowingly ‘the Lord of Glory’ [1 Cor. 2:8, Acts 3:17]…It must also be remembered that our Lord’s prayer on the Cross for His crucifiers was based on their ignorance of what they were doing [Luke 23:34]….The sin of crucifying Jesus was a sin, and a great sin, but it was not THE sin of the Jews. THE sin of the Jews then, as now, is THE SIN of the Gentile also – rejecting salvation through the blood after the blood was shed….Thus we regard it as a mistake to suppose that the imprecation uttered nearly 2000 years ago has unfavourably affected the spiritual interests of untold millions of Jews in subsequent generations.

It is a mistake to suppose that the Divine order ‘to the Jew first’ has ever been annulled or reversed. ‘To the Jew first’ as an INDIVIDUAL in this dispensation, and as a NATION in the millennial era, is God’s plan; and the neglect of this order has been followed by disastrous results….the Lord Himself will see that this arrangement is carried out on His return to bless the world….

Wrong thoughts about the Jews have produced unkind and unchristian feelings towards the Jews; and wrong thoughts and wrong feelings have produced wrong conduct. It is a mistake to use the expression ‘Gentile Church’…it suggests unscriptural and dangerous inferences. It leads Christians to infer that this is a purely Gentile dispensation, so that without any culpable neglect of duty they may leave the Jews alone until the times of the Gentiles close and the Gentile Church, so-called, is complete….[see Acts 10:45, 11:1, 18, Eph.3:6, Rom.11:17]….Gentiles were admitted into the Jewish Christian Church only to SHARE on common terms the blessing of a common salvation: and the ‘ALSO TO THE GENTILE’ is as truly the revealed mind of God as is ‘TO THE JEW FIRST.’”

***********************
PRAYER REQUESTS
***********************
-Please pray for my dear, sweet grandmother in Lugoff, S.C., Marjorie Powers, who has had a stroke, and is close to death. I have been very close to her growing up. (J.F.)

-Please pray for a young man (16) in our church who has a court case before a jury in a few days for simply holding a sign against Harry Potter. The President’s underage girls are drinking in clubs without prosecution, yet this young man is given a citation for trying to keep his peers from degenerating
into more occultism!

*******************************************
THE ROD: WILL GOD SPARE IT? By J.D. Faust
*******************************************
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This book is 440 pages (6 X 9). It consists of 29 chapters, 2 appendixes, a glossary, chart, bibliography, and an index. It is paperback; professionally published and printed by Schoettle Publishing. To view the book’s cover, read reviews, or read the Foreword by Dr. Bill Jackson (Christians Evangelizing Catholics), visit our bookstore. Wholesale prices available.

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ADVERTISEMENTS
************************
IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH – by Dr. JG Williams (148 pages) – a doctrinal
study of the Charismatic movement in workbook format. Over 800 relevant scriptures regarding every aspect of the modern Charismatic movement are examined. Comment by the author is kept to a minimum while the reader is required to look up the scriptures to see what God actually said – the workbook format makes it impossible to simply brush over cross-references. Excellent for self-study, discipleship, Sunday school quarterly study (thirteen lessons) – designed as in-depth study of the doctrinal foundations of the Charismatic movement and suitable for anyone. In New Zealand where the author is a missionary, the Charismatic movement is a MAJOR issue and this book is used both to train believers and as a teaching tool for charismatics. For more information and sample pages, please see our website (Verity & Charity Publications) at www.veritycharity.com – online ordering!
=========================================

ACTIVE, INTERESTING independent Baptist Web, with “end times” and general interest to all Bible Believers, updated daily. Over 2000 items including articles about Terrorism, End Times, Islam, Moslems, Koran, Patriotism, Sermons, Israel, ProLife, Humor, Illustrative Stories, Missions, Devotions, Puritans, Spurgeon, Computer Humor, Martyrs ancient and modern, many things of interest for Children, Youths, Adults, Seniors, Pastors, and Missionaries. OVER 28,000 “HITS” IN MARCH. “Click” on following hot link addresses:

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====================================
Now Available from Vance Publications: Classic Reprints No. 57 One of the most significant books ever written on Roman Catholicism! “The History of Romanism,” by John Dowling http://vancepublications.com/webdoc21.htm ====================================

http://www.refugebaptist.org

817 453-5542
pastor@refugebaptist.org

-PRAYER REQUESTS

-ADS & NOTES

===================================

Note: There was no Kingdom Alert last week, due to the fact that I was out of town due to my grandmother’s illness.
======================================

BREAKING THE PORNOGRAPHY STONG HOLD!

2 Corinthians 8:21 Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but ALSO IN THE SIGHT OF MEN.

Webster defines the word “honest” in the above verse as “decent.” In the past decade, “indecent” satellite TV, cable TV, videos, and the Internet have brought lust and many forms of the horrible sin of fornication right into the homes of multitudes of professing Christian families:

“Danville, Calif…Most churches are uncomfortable admitting that the faithful could be hooked on porn, and confession is especially shameful for church members torn between their behavior and biblical virtues….anecdotal reports suggest that growing numbers of church members and pastors are being ensnared by addiction to pornography, in large part because they can easily access it anonymously on their computers….Examples: Promise Keepers, the evangelical men’s movement, reports that one out of three men who attended its revival-like rallies in 1996 admitted that they ‘struggle’ with pornography. Focus on the Family, founded by Christian psychologist James Dobson, reports that one out of seven pastors who call its toll-free help line say they are addicted to pornography….” (Los Angeles Times, March 20, 2001)

“Most homes now have computers with monitors that are more realistic than the TV. Children can operate them better than the adults; and over 20% of everything on the web is pornography or worse. Half of the Christian families in America now have the XXX store right in their homes. Families lie down at night and sleep just a few feet from the black door of Sodom….There was a time that if a man was 10 minutes late getting home from work an explanation was expected; today men retreat to rooms with closed doors and take trips to Bangkok, Thailand or the skin joints of New Orleans. Fifteen years ago less than 1% of men used pornography. Today, according to recent polls by Christian ministries, more than half of the professing Christians ‘use pornography’ regularly. Preachers who would have been too proud to have ever gone to a porn shop, can now go to the worst joints in the world, knowing they are absolutely secure against accusing eyes….There is an epidemic. The churches are either dead or alive with lust….This sin is so pervasive in our society that if all the child molesters were arrested on Friday night, there wouldn’t be enough people [to] show up for work on Monday to operate the country. Prisons that now have 1,000 inmates would have 100,000….” (“The Challenge,” By Michael Pearl, May – June 2002)

Let me state some reasons why I believe we are in this mess. First, let’s deal with some foundational, doctrinal issues. Those who rightly hate sin and uphold the moral laws of God, often have no other “hammer” to contend against pornography than to tell professing Christians who struggle with sexual sins that they need to “really” get saved so they can be victorious. Yet, assurance of salvation is a prerequisite to overcoming sin (Romans 6:11-14, Ephesians 6:17). And this assurance, since it is to be absolute, is impossible if our works play any part. Instead, works and fruit offer a partial evidence that we will be “saved” at the Judgment Seat and get a “well done.” We are not called to have certain assurance of reward, but only a bold confidence. Assurance of salvation in eternity should be based entirely on Christ’s work. Any other foundation is sinking sand.

Others, who rightly understand the grace of God in eternal justification, are often weak on Biblical standards. Thus, one side (the “lordship salvationists”) destroys the power of assurance, and is a bedfellow to Romanism. The other side (“easy believism”) is often devilishly antinomian in regard to practical sanctification, producing a softness and effeminacy in warriors who are commanded to fight manfully onward. One side fights manfully, but under the wrong banner of law, instead of grace. The other side has the right banner, but will not fight manfully; it too often leads saints to sleep in sin so grace may abound. The one side wrongly puts the truths God gives for practical sanctification in the place of justification. The other side wrongly puts the truths God gives for justification in the place of practical sanctification. The one side wrongly makes eternal justification a monkish struggle. The other side wrongly makes practical sanctification a flowery bed of ease. Brethren, these things ought not so to be!

Therefore, the doctrinal weapon against this modern Goliath of pornography is to give people the full Gospel: Salvation in eternity is by grace through faith alone. It is not of works. In fact, if you are not regularly slandered as an antinomian in regard to salvation in eternity, you probably are not teaching Paul’s Gospel in its pure form (Romans 3:8). But this true Gospel also contains a “hope” (Colossians 1:22-23). The teaching of reward according to works in regard to the Judgment Seat and the Millennial Reign is the proper “hammer.” God is not soft on Christian sinners who will not repent. There are abundant warnings to Christian fornicators in the Bible (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:9,13, 10:6-11, Galatians 5:19, Hebrews 12:15-17, etc.). These warnings need to be taught to this generation in full force. If they were needed then, they are certainly needed in this perilous hour! We have churches filled with people enslaved to pornography because the promises and WARNINGS of God to His people are not thundered from pulpits in the right measure. We have churches that are hard on false professors. But where are the churches that will warn true professors? These are the ones the Devil seeks to sift as wheat.

But there is more. The above deals with one’s motivations. We will now deal with the actual warfare. Christians who indulge in pornography on TV or Internet do not need much counseling. They do not need to sit in a circle and talk about the sin. They need to obey the Bible’s commandments in regard to HOW to FIGHT. Notice the following inspired words:

Romans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and MAKE NOT PROVISION for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Matthew 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, CUT IT OFF, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Proverbs 5:8 Remove thy way FAR from her, and COME NOT NIGH THE DOOR of her house:

2 Timothy 2:22 FLEE also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, WITH THEM that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Commands such as these could be multiplied. They reveal that the way to overcome the pornography stranglehold is to STARVE THE SIN. In other words, before a man plucks out his eye, he might try a less drastic measure and pluck out his TV or computer! But the principle is the same. I have preached this for years, and have seen tremendous results in the lives of people. It is the BIBLE way. To try to fight pornography and keep a computer hooked up to the Internet or a TV hooked up to cable or satellite, fills the Devil with glee. It is useless. It is disobedience to God.

There are so many out there who profess to hate their sin. They profess to hate the fact that they are slaves to pornography. But when they are given GOD’S answer to their problem (i.e. make not provision), they often will not hear it. Perhaps they secretly love their sin, and in their realization that they are often powerless (due to the wrong method of warfare) they feel they can cast blame on God.
When they hear God’s reply, they realize that their crutch is being removed. Therefore, if you are struggling with pornography, you must disconnect your computer from the Internet and seal up any other crack by which the vile dung is seeping into your life. Why will you stubbornly and foolishly wait? Love God, love your family, love your soul. MOVE NOW!

I actually had one man (who was struggling with this horrible sin) tell me through E-mail that he could not give up his computer since he liked to check the weather online! What INSANITY! Others reply that they can make extra money by having a computer, or that their job depends on the Internet. I believe these men should move to a smaller house and get another job. A job is certainly less precious than a hand or eye (Matthew 5:30)! The point is, there IS NO EXCUSE. Fight God’s way, or be overcome. The pathetic, effeminate whimpering is disgusting. If a man refuses to deal with his sin and overcome it God’s way, and he will still walk in it, he should be disfellowshipped from the assembly until he repents (1 Corinthians 5).

What Families Can Do

If there is already a problem:

-Get rid of the computer
-Get rid of the Internet

If there is not yet a problem:

-Get a porn blocker or filter
-Covenant with the wife to check the “history” and the “cookies” on the computer regularly. Set up the browser so the history will not be deleted. Have constant and open accountability in the home and office.

What Churches Can Do

Almost no man in my church possesses a TV hooked up to the world’s programming. You cannot control what comes over the screen, and you must therefore be tempted before you can act to remove the temptation. And then, once drunken and drugged, how will we be quick to act? And before long, we will not even have the discernment to recognize the temptations. In regard to the computer, some men have likewise junked it. I praise God for these warriors. For those who use the computer/Internet for business or godly purposes (and are not struggling with temptation), our church has instituted the following plan of defense. If someone is already tempted, I teach that they should get rid of the Internet or computer, quickly! But to avoid future temptation, the following practical advice will save your men in these perilous times. I got the idea from Mike Pearl (“Train Up a Child”). It is Biblical and necessary. I will let him explain it:

“I challenge you. Let us who name ourselves after the holy man of Galilee make a statement to the ‘church’ and the world. Let us proclaim in no uncertain terms that we believe Jesus is worthy of our whole hearts. Let us demonstrate that there is a remnant that does indeed walk in truth. Let us get certified as real Christian men. Find three or four other Christian men who will covenant with you to certify that you are free from porn on the web….Your computer will be open to inspection at any time by any of the men with whom you have entered covenant. You will never erase the web history on your computer unless in the presence of one of the other men. You will welcome one of your covenant brothers to walk in unannounced and search your web history periodically. You will do the same for each of them. As a group you will make it known that you have been certified, and you will challenge others to form additional groups and maintain their certification. Men who have the web and will not open themselves to inspection should be noted as not walking in truth. We don’t do this because we don’t trust ourselves. We do it, first of all, because we are jealous for the testimony of the church and the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, because we want to provide support for those weaker brothers who may need oversight and encouragement. Write a certificate of certification and have all the men sign it. Frame it and place it on the wall of your home or office. Be bold. Be holy. Our Lord is worthy. ‘Provide things honest in the sight of all men’ Romans 12:17. ‘Abstain from all appearance of evil’ 1 Thessalonians 5:22…” (“The Challenge,” By Michael Pearl, May – June 2002)

I believe every fundamental pastor in America should step into the pulpit this Lord’s Day and OPENLY DECLARE that his computer is open for inspection IMMEDIATELY, at any random time, by his brothers. We are not talking about personal files. We are talking about searching for evidence of vile SIN. By his example, the pastor can then lead the other men to enter into the same covenant. Our churches will then be protected. The strong will not be a stumblingblock for the weak.

There may soon come a time when the computer/Internet will be impossible to manage – when sin and temptation will be flashed before our eyes before we are able to avoid it. On such a day, I will ask for all Kingdom Alert subscribers to send me their postal addresses, and I will mail my newsletter out in hard copy. And I will decry the Internet as loudly as I preach against worldly TV (which flashes scenes and sensuous commercials BEFORE the viewer can move to avoid seeing them). But for now, by manly diligence and fortitude, the Internet can be used for good and MANAGED – IF the proper steps are taken by pastors to lead the men into accountability covenants.

Through reviving the love and fear of God and His Law in our churches, and by obeying HIS WAYS in regard to how to fight our battles, we may indeed overcome the sin of pornography in our churches! Praise the Lord!

An Example of Our Accountability Covenant

“I hereby do declare, before God and witnesses, on this day____ of ______ year_____, that if ever I find myself tempted to view pornography on the Internet, I will get rid of the Internet immediately. I will not try to fight this sin in any other manner but by fleeing it and starving it, according to the word of God (Romans 13:14, 2 Timothy 2:22, Proverbs 5:8). As long as I am not struggling with such a sin, I will possess a computer hooked up to the Internet for godly purposes. I will not delete the history of the web sites I view, and will set up my computer so this history will not automatically be deleted. Out of love for Jesus Christ, my family, my church, and my own soul, I will allow my brothers to come to my home (or office, if applicable) at anytime, unannounced (at reasonable hours, once a month), and inspect my computer for evidence of the vile sin of pornography. I also understand that this sin is so despicable and vile that I cannot continue to attend church and fellowship with the brethren if I will not repent of it and obey God in how to rid my life of it. Signed_____________.”

Note:
Let it be known to all Kingdom Alert subscribers, that I have declared the above before the men of my church. Will you do the same? Also, my e-mail program is Eudora Light, version 1.5.2. It does NOT automatically show any spam picture files. Any pornographic spam that gets through is immediately deleted, and I do not have to view any pictures automatically. If you have to view sensual pictures before you are able to delete them, get another E-mail program, or get a spam blocker or filter of some kind – or go back to writing letters the old-fashioned way. Send me your address and we will mail you the Kingdom Alert through the post office!

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THE ROD WILL GOD SPARE IT?
*******************************
The second printing is now available (ships within a day). Order online by credit or debit card at http://www.refugebaptist.org (or by Pay Pal). Or send check or money order to:

Refuge Baptist
700 Cordes Dr.
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Or reply to this email and we will send you and invoice with the book.

PRAYER REQUESTS
-Thank you for praying for my grandmother and family. She passed away with the family at her side praying. I was blessed to be able to preach her funeral in a little old Baptist church where she grew up in Ward, S.C.

-The court case for the young man is my church who contended against the Harry Potter movie on the streets o
f Forth Worth was dismissed. Praise God! I also received a citation (for supposedly standing in the road, blocking traffic – although I was never in the road at all), and when I went to schedule a jury trial, my case was dismissed. I asked for paper proof of the dismissal and was told I did not need any. Incredibly, I later received another summons to go to court again, as if I had never gone the first time. I appeared again, and was told that I must wait again for them to contact me in the mail for a jury trial.

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It is always good to know of a church ministry that places an emphasis on holiness in the family, obeying God’s order for the home, etc. Strong preaching in these areas is greatly lacking in this day and age. Visit http://www.godsaidministries.com/ to hear pastor W.N. Otwell’s daily radio preaching.
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IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH – by Dr. JG Williams (148 pages) – a doctrinal study of the Charismatic movement in workbook format. Over 800 relevant scriptures regarding every aspect of the modern Charismatic movement are examined. Comment by the author is kept to a minimum while the reader is required to look up the scriptures to see what God actually said – the workbook format makes it impossible to simply brush over cross-references. Excellent for self-study, discipleship, Sunday school quarterly study
(thirteen lessons) – designed as in-depth study of the doctrinal foundations of the Charismatic movement and suitable for anyone. In New Zealand where the author is a missionary, the Charismatic movement is a MAJOR issue and this book is used both to train believers and as a teaching tool for charismatics. For more information and sample pages, please see our website (Verity & Charity Publications) at www.veritycharity.com – online ordering!
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Now Available from Vance Publications: Classic Reprints No. 57 One of the most significant books ever written on Roman Catholicism! “The History of Romanism,” by John Dowling http://vancepublications.com/webdoc21.htm ===========================================

-THE COMING REBUILT TEMPLE: PREMILLENNIAL INTERPRETATION TO BE VINDICATED – AGAIN!
-Early Premillennialists Predict the Restoration of Israel and a Rebuilt Temple

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THE COMING REBUILT TEMPLE: PREMILLENNIAL INTERPRETATION TO BE VINDICATED – AGAIN!
“Over half of all Israeli Jews would like to see the building of a third temple, according to a survey commissioned by the Reform movement’s Israel Religious Action Center….According to the survey, conducted by the Dahaf Institute, a total of 53 percent of the 775 people queried said that they would like a third temple erected on the Temple Mount. These included some 87% of religious and haredi respondents and 64% of those who described themselves as traditional, but it also included 63% of respondents from the former Soviet Union, as well as most of those of Middle Eastern origin and those of Western origin aged 18 to 35. Only among older respondents of Western origin did a majority, 53%, not want to see the Temple rebuilt…” (Jerusalem Post, July 20, 2002)

Currently, in the latest edition of the Jerusalem Post, it reads: “A new poll found half of Israelis want the Third Temple to be built. Do you?” 81% responded with “Yes.” Rememer that religious Jews have long predicted that their temple would be literally rebuilt:

“Rabbi Levy, of Tresmont Temple, New York, says: – ‘The Temple at Jerusalem will be rebuilt, or possibly the Mosque of Omar which now stands upon that site, will simply be cleansed and rededicated to Jehovah; for according to the strictest Jewish Law, any place of worship may be transformed into a Jewish synagogue or Temple by removing all idols, and rededicating it to the God of Israel.’” (D.M. Panton, “The Dawn Magazine,” Aug. 15th, 1924)

“Rabbi L. J. Schwefel, lecturing in Denver a few weeks ago for the Jewish National Fund of America, said: ‘Eventually the TEMPLE of Solomon will be built in Palestine.” (D.M. Panton, “The Dawn Magazine,” 1935)

God will use the popular unbelief and rejection of Jesus among the Jews to fulfill His tribulation prophecies. The fact that over half of those polled long for a rebuilt temple reveals that the climate of opposition is changing.

Early adversaries of premillennialism scoffed at the doctrine of a restored nation of Israel, and especially of a rebuilt temple. But the future has already begun to laugh at these scoffers when in 1948, Israel was restored! These teachers sought to limit God’s plain, prophetic words to the figurative sense, in spite of the literal fulfillments of many Old Testament prophecies during the first coming of Christ. Will not the remaining prophecies be likewise fulfilled in a literal sense? The fact that many prophecies can also receive a figurative application (when justified by the New Testament) does not mean that they are LIMITED to a figurative fulfillment. Israel has been restored as a nation in unbelief, setting the stage for events in the future tribulation period, exactly as the Bible predicts (Revelation 11:8, Matthew 24:16, Ezekiel 37:12-14, Daniel 11:30-32, Daniel 9:27, etc.). And now, as we see the signs of a rebuilt temple on the horizon, we must not forget the scoffing words of those who have decried the premillennial interpretation. We must firmly learn a lesson, and use this lesson to help weaker brothers and sisters resist the modern attacks of preterism and postmillennialism upon God’s literal prophecies. As we see the stage being set to literally fulfill the temple prophecies, let us also remember the keen words of premillennialists of earlier times.

Early Premillennialists Predict the Restoration of Israel and a Rebuilt Temple

This list could seemingly go on endlessly. For now, the sample list will prove very enlightening and encouraging in our day, as we begin to see hope for the temple ignited in the Jews.

Irenaeus, in the 2nd century, writes:

“Besides he has pointed out, which in many ways I have shown, that the TEMPLE in Jerusalem was made by the direction of the true God. For the apostle himself, speaking in his own person, distinctly calls it the temple of God…in which temple the adversary shall sit, trying to show himself off as Christ.” (Contra Haeres, V. 25, 2, 4)

Cyril of Jerusalem in the 4th century, wrote:

“But this aforesaid Antichrist is to come when the times of the Roman empire shall have been fulfilled, and the end of the world is now drawing near….the Antichrist, who by his magical craft shall seize upon the Roman power….seateth himself in the temple of God.’ What temple then? He means, the TEMPLE of the Jews which has been destroyed. For God forbid that it should be the one in which we are!” (Lecture 15, paragraphs 9,12,15).

Theodoret of Cyprus, in the 5th century, wrote:

“The Antichrist will not only pronounce himself highest of the false gods, but will sit in the TEMPLE of God, as if he were God ….the Jews, who did not want to believe in the Lord, as though He were an adversary to God, will believe in the Antichrist who will pronounce himself to be the god of all.” (Commentary on 2 Thessalonians)

In the 1883, William Burgh wrote:

“….the Jewish people will be found re-embodied as a nation…the greater portion of the Jewish nation will return to their land in a state of unbelief; that they WILL REBUILD THEIR CITY AND THEIR TEMPLE, and that God will choose that time to consummate His judgments on them: – that He will bring an host of invading armies against them, who will besiege their city…” (Commentary on Rev. Ch. 7, “Apocalypse Unfulfilled”)

In the mid-1800′s, Robert Govett wrote:

“It is taken for granted that the Roman destruction of Jerusalem under Titus, did not fulfill the Savior’s prophecy on Olivet; that the Jews will shortly return to their land unbelief; that they will rebuild the TEMPLE and offer sacrifices…”
(“The Saints’ Rapture”)

In 1861, Robert Govett wrote:

“The temple in Jerusalem will be yet rebuilt by the Jews in unbelief, and be the scene of wickedness greater than has ever appeared…While then the temple had been destroyed at the date of the writing of the Revelation, it was hereby predicted that it would be rebuilt…Till the Jew is brought back to his own land, and the temple and its sacrifices are restored, the prophetic part of the Apocalypse does not begin.”
(“The Apocalypse: Expounded By Scripture”, pp.497, 501)

B.W. Savile, in 1858, wrote:

“There are passages in the Old Testament where a TEMPLE is alluded to, as existing at a time yet future, when the Jews are called upon to undergo that trial, which is described in the twelfth chapter of Daniel, and the fourteenth chapter of Zechariah, but previous to the Millennial Temple….It is reasonable to conclude that there must be a temple in which these things will occur….That such a temple will exist (it may be that the present Mosque of Omar, which stands on the site of Solomon’s Temple, will be used for this purpose, though not necessarily owned by God, upon the restoration of the Jews in unbelief, to the land of their fathers….they cannot attempt to offer sacrifices as long as they are excluded from Jerusalem….in this temple, built by the Jews in unbelief, there will be a similar attempt to pollute it by setting up an idol….”

Andrew Bonar wrote:

“With the restoration to their land is inseparably associated the rebuilding of the TEMPLE and renewal of sacrifices there. For this express purpose a subscription has been already begun among many of the wealthiest of them, particularly in America, to erect a building like ‘the holy and beautiful house’ of their fathers…”

Joseph Seiss in 1865 wrote:

“What, then, is the implication, but that when this period is once reached, Jerusalem will have been largely repopulated by the children of its ancient inhabitants, its TEMPLE rebuilt, and its ancient worship restored. God is not done with the Jews
as a distinct people. In their half-faith and ‘blindness in part,’ they will seek and find their way back to a revival of their ancient metropolis, TEMPLE, and ritual.” (“Lectures on the Apocalypse”, Vol.III)

David Lord (1792-1880) wrote:

“Those who assent to the true laws of language and symbols will no more deny or doubt that the prophecies teach that the Israelites are to be restored, than those who assent to the definitions and axioms of geometry will deny the demonstrations that are founded on them. There is not a proposition in the whole circle of human knowledge of more perfect certainty than that God has revealed the purpose of re-gathering that scattered nation, establishing them as his chosen people, and re-appointing a TEMPLE worship at Jerusalem that is to embrace some of their ancient rites.”

C.J. Goodhart, in 1879, wrote:

“The unbelieving Jews will have built themselves a TEMPLE, in which it is my full persuasion the idol infidel Antichrist will be set up and worshipped.”
(Mildmay Conference)

Baptist writer, James R. Graves in 1883, wrote:

“There will be a large number of Jews with a flourishing city and an organized government occupying Jerusalem before the Advent, with whom ‘the Antichrist’ will make an alliance….My proof is – Since it is admitted by all – because it has been demonstrated by fulfillment, that all the prophecies in the Scriptures, Old and New, which relate to the destruction of their city and TEMPLE and their dispersion among the nations, has been literally fulfilled, therefore all those Scriptures which relate to their Restoration must, likewise, be interpreted literally.” (“The Work of Christ Consummated in Seven Dispensations”)

In 1905 Ford C. Ottman wrote:

“Israel’s restoration involves, as we have already seen, the restoration of temple service.”
(“The Unfolding of the Ages,” p.264)

In 1914, Walter Scott wrote:

“The Jews as a nation are restored in unbelief…They then proceed to build their temple, and restore, so far as they can, the Mosaic ritual…”
(“Exposition of the Revelation of Jesus Christ,” p.228)

In 1919, Clarence Larkin wrote:

“The Temple that the Jews will build on their return to Jerusalem will probably be destroyed by the Earthquake…”
(“The Book of Revelation,” pp.84-85)

In 1932, English Baptist writer, D.M. Panton, wrote:

“It is not revealed (so far as we know) exactly when and how the TEMPLE will be restored; but an exceedingly suggestive proposal is advanced by Dr. Marium Ranson, director of the American Synagogue of New York. He forecasts the removal of the World Court from The Hague to Jerusalem, the erection of a new temple on the site of King Solomon’s ancient temple to house the World Court, and the development of a ‘higher Zionism’ by Jews, Christians and Mohammedans, as three steps in an international program for world peace. This (as we see at once) would change the hostility of Islam into co-operation, so solving the problem of the Mosque of Omar; procure the aid of the Masons of the world, who back peace for financial reasons, and whose whole system is steeped in apocryphal traditions of the Temple; create friendliness in the Christian Mandatory Power; and by centering in it the judicial and political power of the world, make the Palestinian Temple the goal of the ambitions of the Antichrist.” (“The Dawn Magazine,” January 15, 1932)

In another article in 1932, D.M. Panton wrote:

“Who exactly rebuilds the TEMPLE – whether it is reconstructed internationally, or by Zionists, or by the Masons of the world, or by the Mandatory Power – does not appear to be revealed, but since the sacrifices could be offered nowhere else, and Antichrist makes the sacrifices, which had been resumed, to cease (Dan.ix.27), the Temple must be again in being for the final drama, and it is the Temple of God. Our Lord regarded Herod’s Temple as ‘My Father’s House’ (John ii.16), though built by an actual forerunner of the Apostates (Ps.ii.2; Acts iv.25) who are to rebuild it again, and by a crucifier of the Messiah.”

In 1935, D.M. Panton wrote:

“Israel’s agelong apostasy can only ripen to its close. The vast resurgence of the Jew to Palestine which all the world is watching can…have but one certain goal – a rebuilt TEMPLE.” (“The Dawn,” Dec. 1935)

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THE ROD WILL GOD SPARE IT?
*******************************
The second printing is now available (ships within a day). Order online by credit or debit card at http://www.refugebaptist.org (or by Pay Pal). Or send check or money order to:

Refuge Baptist
700 Cordes Dr.
Venus, TX 76084

Or reply to this email and we will send you and invoice with the book.

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Send e-mail to: ebbye@eaze.net
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(7-21-02)

THE ROD: WILL GOD SPARE IT?
-Reviews and Foreword
-CHAPTER 1 [without footnotes]
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Reviews:
“Pastor Faust has scoured the entire Bible to answer a question seldom asked or faced. Will there be a judgment of believers at the Bema Seat of Christ as Paul points out in 2 Cor. Five. He has come to the conclusion there will be a judgment and some will be rewarded with millennial blessings. Others will be rejected. He has also scoured the works of many devout Bible scholars and found that they have come to the same conclusion and provided us with their names, works and actual quotations to substantiate their views. Many pastors will reject this book for they do not expect their ministries to be tried. They will not recommend the book, for so long they have pampered their members into continuing lethargy and laxity in Christian living. A few will awake and get ready for the Bema Seat.”
-Professor George W. Dollar, Ph.D., author of A History of Fundamentalism in America.

“In this day and age I see many people who claim to be born again, washed in the blood, and serving Jesus spending a great deal of their time living the way they want to because, after all, they are ‘once saved always saved’ etc. I know that in its simple form the Bible says born again, and you can not be unborn, therefore I know the Bible teaches the security of the believer. It just so happens that my Southern Baptist denomination believes in the security of the believer, and I am proud of them. I know at this point many of my brothers and sisters will feel I have left the bus, but I agree with the teaching that Brother Faust has brought to the surface, after it was left in the dust. His book brings together what has been in the history of the church for years. If this teaching is wrong, it could possibly bring some minor blips of argument. But if on the other hand it is right, and I believe it is, then those who will be under the Rod will wish that they had read this book more closely. n short, I believe if this truth is taught, God’s people will wake up and start living like Jesus wants them to live. I for one will do everything I can to apply this truth to my life, my ministry, and with anyone who will listen. I am reminded when the people of old in Scripture were building great buildings, the Word pointed out that the Word of God had been lost in the dust. Only after this truth comes forth will we see real Revival. Praise God for a young man like Brother Faust, who has brought us back to the roots of the true teachings of the Bible, even if it runs against ‘church’ tradition. Notice the little c, real ‘Church’ history is what this book is pointing out to each of us. My conclusion after searching the Bible with this book in hand is, God will not spare the Rod, and to do so would be contrary to His Holy nature.”
-Dr. Wiley S. Drake, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park, California; Author, Disney Boycott by Southern Baptist Convention; Vice President , Pastoral Congressional Prayer Conference; “A” Team leader, Presidential Prayer Team.

“In this day and age of ‘dumb dog’ preachers (Isaiah 56:10-11) who have avoided preaching the second coming and the Judgment Seat of Christ as though doing so would invite the Bubonic Plague, Joey Faust, who refuses to be snared by the ‘fear of man’ (Proverbs 29:25), is a lone voice crying in the wilderness, warning the people of God to repent for the Lord comes quickly bringing his reward with Him (Revelation 22:12). I wholeheartedly recommend this volume to anyone with the courage to read it. May God grant you a pure heart and an open mind as you read.”
-Edward R. DeVries, Th.D., President, School of Biblical & Theological Studies

“Joey Faust has done a remarkable job of researching a crucial doctrine for the church-rewards and their loss. Too many believ-ers have, unfortunately, never been taught that salvation is by grace, but that rewards are earned. In this well researched book Joey reminds us of this doctrine and the pastors and theologians who have challenged believers throughout the centuries with these truths. The truths of the judgment seat of Christ are often ignored, but in these pages we face the reality of rewards for winner believers and the loss for those who fail to live the Christian life.”
-Rev. Robert Dean, Jr., ThM. M.A., Dallas Theological Seminary

“The Rod: Will God Spare It? is not a fresh challenge to contem-porary liberal theology, but a historical and Biblical approach to doctrine that is too often ignored. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God has been torn from too many Bibles by Christians that refuse the truth. Yet the day is fast approaching Christians will come face to face with the terror of the Lord. Today’s Christianity tries to teach that all Christians will receive great reward just for the obedience of the cross. That reward be-longs to the one that was obedient, the Lord Jesus Christ. If we come to Christ but go no further, we will stand in judgment before Him at the judgment seat of Christ. It clearly states that the white raiment given to the bride of Christ is the righteousness of the saints – not the righteousness of Christ. Too many have been lured into complacency and even sleep by liberal theology and believe heresies that there is no coming judgment for the Christian. Yet judgment has always begun at the house of God. Pastor Faust has presented a viewpoint well researched historically and supported with Scripture to show there is a coming judgment for Christians. Each and every one that names the name of Christ would do well to take heed of what has been written in Pastor Faust’s book and make themselves ready.” -John Melancon, ThM, Missionary to Cortez, Colorado

“Time does not permit the amount of study that it would require to agree to all of the conclusions of the book The Rod: Will God Spare It? by Pastor Joey Faust. However this well written and meticulously researched book will no doubt become one of the most controversial works in this generation. If it does nothing else but to elevate the near forgotten doctrine of the Judgment Seat of Christ to a worldly church that has “no fear of God before their eyes,” then it no doubt will serve an important purpose.” -Dr. Greg Dixon, Pastor Emeritus Indianapolis Baptist Temple

“Joey Faust clearly lays out Biblical truths which are so vital for an overcoming Christian life but which are not being taught in churches today. As a result, people wrongly believe that these truths have never been taught in the church. Faust not only lets the Bible speak for itself, but through an incredible amount of research, he also substantiates that these truths have been held and taught throughout church history. The research in this book is without equal and an invaluable tool for setting the record straight so that Christians will not be walking blindly into the judgment seat of Christ.”
-Pastor Donald W. Gilmour III, ThM., Dallas Theological Seminary

FOREWORD

Before we get into the meat of this study, it is interesting to note that Charles H. Spurgeon had kind things to say about Robert Govett, whom Joey Faust often quotes. While not making any public defense of kingdom-accountability, he felt that Robert Govett’s teaching “will be more appreciated by future genera-tions than by this frivolous age.” It is hard to define the present age as being less frivolous than Victorian England but even in these days the Holy Spirit is moving among God’s people to have a serious re-think about some Bible warnings that have not been popular. The Rod: Will God Spare It? was not written to win a popularity contest. Absorbing the truths written will often cause a ripping away of old ideas which have become iron-clad interpretations of scripture. It is my prayer that a serious study of this book will help many Christians to fully understand that rewards for some means loss of rewards for others, and the result will be more o
vercoming Christian lives in this needy century. I trust there will be those who are spiritual enough to desire the truth, astute enough to grasp the truth and brave enough to pro-claim the truth. Teachers must be warned, however, that these truths require a great deal of foundational teaching to be done so that Christians will be able to understand what Pastor Faust is saying. One early criticism I received was that accountability teaching uses the same scriptures and tactics as do those who do not believe in eternal security. For this reason, I am glad that throughout the book, and especially in the early chapters, the truth of justification and eternal life based only on the merit of Jesus Christ is emphasized. Another brother thought the teaching sounded like Roman Catholic Purgatory, but Pastor Faust has dealt with this problem thoroughly. Almost every Christian has some idea of the fact that he will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive rewards. Few Christians realize that “wood, hay and stubble” Christians will not only lose a reward, they may lose the glorious inheritance of millennial reign with Christ. Pastor Faust introduces much scripture concerning this, and the book abounds in quotes from outstanding men of God. Many Fundamental Bible teachers of the nineteenth and early twentieth century taught this. It will no doubt be that some will shudder when they think of how dreadful the punishment might be because they have been taught that all the warning passages of the New Testament apply only to unbelievers. They have, for instance, thought that the ten talent servant and the five talent servant were both Christians, but the one talent servant must be an unbeliever because of his punishment. The Judgment Seat of Christ is coupled with “the terror of the Lord” in Second Corinthians 5, even though Scofield has helped us to classify the Hebrews 6 partakers (Gr: associates) of the Holy Ghost as unbelievers because “their end is to be burned.”
Few studies have been able to accept such a Biblically-mandated punishment and still maintain the essential doctrine of the security of the believer. Pastor Faust presents a solution which may not be popular or ear-tickling, but is thoroughly grounded in Bible truth. 21st century Christianity should be thankful that God has raised up a man to write of these things. You may not be able to grasp or believe all that is written, immediately, but you are asked to act like true Bereans, and search the scriptures to see if these things be so. Having heard these truths, you will be accosted by them at the Bema Judgment Seat (Luke 12:47). May we all be true overcomers and partake of the pure joy that will come to us and to our Savior when He says, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
-Dr. Bill Jackson, Founder and Director of Christians Evangelizing Catholics

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CHAPTER 1 – THE ACCOUNTABILITY AWAKENING
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“The native magnitude of this [kingdom-accountability] truth must speedily redeem it from all obscurity…This doctrine so potently contends against the selfishness and laxity of believers in this latter day, that no one who considers the matter can expect that its career will be otherwise than stormy…those who have the single eye will perceive its amplitude of evidence, and embrace it, in spite of the solemn awe of God which it produces, and the depth of our own personal responsibility which it discloses.”
-Robert Govett (1813-1902)

“…a host of living expositors of Scripture [are embracing kingdom-accountability truth], a host which is increasing all the time.”
-William P. Clark (1864-1953)

“We are glad to be counted amongst the rapidly growing number of writers who are doing pioneer work in teaching the Scriptural, searching message of a deeper Personal Responsibility…Forever suppressed these truths will not be – The Holy Ghost is pressing them even now upon believers everywhere.”
-W.F. Roadhouse (1875-1951)

“[Christians are] slowly waking to the immense importance of responsibility truth. It is tragic how many evangelicals abhor responsibility truth.…What will such evangelicals feel when they discover the truth at the Judgment Seat of Christ?”
-D.M. Panton (1870-1955)

The writers of the above quotes were premillennial fundamentalists who were strong defenders of eternal security. These men also preached that disobedient Christians (who do not repent before they die) will be briefly punished at the judgment seat and then excluded from Christ’s future one-thousand year kingdom. This book will document that multitudes of other fundamental Christian leaders throughout history embraced the same teaching. These men were glad to see the powerful, motivating fires of this accountability truth beginning to glow among the saints. Yet, these fires were later largely extinguished; the consequences have been devastating. This precious accountability truth must be restored!

Believers who lack the full truth concerning their promises and warnings are in constant danger of becoming spiritually anemic. The Bible teaches that Noah moved with fear when he heard the holy warning about the impending flood (Hebrews 11:7). Saints in this perilous age also need the Lord’s warnings to keep them running in holiness:

“The denial of these solemn truths paralyses and destroys some of the most powerful stimulants God has supplied…it empties of all horror the dread warnings to the backslider, and leaves him, if it does not put him, in a drugged sleep; and it drives privilege over the precipice of responsibility….”
-D.M. Panton (1870-1955)

The Bible exhorts Christians to race for the prize of reigning with Jesus in His future kingdom:

1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run…
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a CASTAWAY.

The context of this Bible passage is winning a crown at the judgment seat. What does it mean to be a “castaway” at the future judgment seat? Paul is certainly not worried about losing salvation in eternity. However, many advocates of the Biblical doctrine of eternal security do not interpret such warnings in their fullness. Paul is striving to have a place in the future kingdom of God. This millennial (i.e. 1000 year) kingdom is a prize for suffering against sin, the world and the Devil:

2 Timothy 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also REIGN with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the PRIZE of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

2 Thessalonians 1:5… that ye may be counted worthy of the KINGDOM of God, for which ye also suffer:

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the KINGDOM of God…

Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the INHERITANCE: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

Galatians 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not INHERIT the KINGDOM of God.

The above Scriptures reveal that the future millennial kingdom is a reward for faithfulness. All Christians will spend eternity with God. This is the inheritance that every child of God will enjoy. Yet, the millennial reign is a double portion. It is the inheritance that firstborn sons will receive (Deuteronomy 21:15-17, Romans 8:29, Hebrews 12:23). This privileged position is onl
y granted to those who suffer with Christ against sin and the world (Romans 8:17, Acts 14:22, 2 Thessalonians 1:5, etc.).

Christians who will not seek the prize of the kingdom will be held accountable for their negligence. While their brethren are enjoying a double portion of glory, the disobedient Christians will receive for the wrong which they have done (Colossians 3:25). Unfortunately, many modern Christians increasingly disparage the whole idea of such accountability. They have been seduced by the blind world of humanism through the influence of agnostics, liberals and psychologists that continually drink from the cesspool of unbelief. Einstein once stated that he could not understand how there could possibly be a God who would reward or punish his subjects! John S. Spong (a liberal Episcopal Bishop) likewise presumptuously mocks the teaching that God the Father will judge His saints. To Spong, the Biblical doctrine of God keeping records in order to reward or punish on a future judgment day is similar to “Santa Claus.”

God is not influenced by such humanism. In true love, He will certainly reward and punish His children according to their deserts:

Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth…

Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

This chapter is only an introduction to the accountability truth taught in the Bible. Many objections are answered in detail in future chapters. This truth runs deeper than many realize. Our rebellious emotions will clamor against it. To grow in understanding concerning this motivating truth, we must diligently thirst for everything that God has to teach us concerning it:

Proverbs 2:3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
5 THEN shalt thou understand THE FEAR OF THE LORD…

Many will not understand the deep truth concerning the fear of the Lord because they do not desire to know it! Instead of diligently seeking the sobering accountability truths abundantly revealed in Scripture, many Christians actually flee them. In the 1920’s, William Powell Clark (Resident Magistrate) identified one reason for this increasing rebellion among God’s children:

“The real reason underlying the refusal of some dear children of God to accept belief in the punishment of unfruitful believers – not eternal, but during the Millennial reign of Christ – is an inadequate sense of the Justice of God. Acceptance of the belief in the temporary punishment of such Christians during the Millennial reign safeguards the eternal merits of Christ’s atonement on the cross, and at the same time, preserves the absolute Justice of God.”

Awake in the Dark

“As for the black time to be expected.…God grant we may be of the number of those that suffer, that…we may be raised and reign with Christ at his coming.”
-William Twiss (1575-1649)

“God shake us up. When Revival comes we shall see this [kingdom-accountability] truth again!”
-W. F. Roadhouse (1875-1951)

Many Christians throughout history expected a revival of accountability truth in the last days. The world is growing increasingly hostile toward Biblical Christianity. Earlier writers knew that these accountability truths would be beneficial in helping a remnant of God’s seeking people to face the temptations that will surely increase as the days grow darker (2 Timothy 3:13):

“…the millennial crown and the first resurrection are a REWARD – the reward of suffering for and with Christ; as I have just said, a special glory and special hope over and above the redemption hope and glory, designed to comfort and support believers under persecution: a need and use which I have little doubt the church will before long be called on collectively to experience….”
-William Burgh (1800-1866)

“The throne for the overcomers! Is it possible? Are they to share the throne of the Son of God? We can see now why, as we pass through the closing days of the age, there must be such terrible conflict, and why the prince of darkness will challenge every child of God who wants to ‘overcome’.…What is in the balance, therefore, for every believer in the present warfare with Satan, which must intensify as the age closes, is the millennial crown and throne….”
-Jessie Penn-Lewis (1861-1927)

“Only now is this royal [accountability] truth emerging, and general coming persecution is likely to prove its powerful forcing-bed, for believers will see the Coming Age more clearly when they have lost this.”
-D.M. Panton (1870-1955)

“Now, I do believe, there never was a time that this doctrine (the connection between reigning and suffering) would bear less to be overlooked, or required more to be brought forward….”
-Theodosia Powerscourt (1800-1836)

“…The expectation of a Millennium may then be the belief to which they will fly for refuge against the violence of the storm which assails them; and which will serve as an anchor, sure and steadfast to buoy upon and confirm their souls. Whatsoever tends to weaken their confidence in this belief so far weakens and impairs the passive resources of the Church in the days of the great apostasy when she will want every resource that she can command.”
-Edward Greswell (1797-1869)

The truth concerning the future kingdom as a reward according to works will certainly revive in the tribulation period (Matthew 24:14). However, as we continue to see an increase in stage-setting and preliminary signs in these last days before the tribulation period, it is reasonable to expect that this kingdom-accountability truth will also begin to be revived before the rapture.

The renowned Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) also (though indirectly) predicted a revival of kingdom-accountability truth in latter times. Robert Govett (1813-1901) was one of the foremost defenders of this motivating, sobering truth in the days of Spurgeon. Govett stood boldly for the precious truth of eternal security; yet he refused to water-down the Biblical warnings to disobedient Christians. He publicly defended his views in books and periodical debates, causing quite a stir. In regard to Govett’s writings, C.H. Spurgeon predicted:

“We only express our heart when we say that we venerate and admire this author and preacher, whose works will be more appreciated by future generations than by this frivolous age.”

On another occasion, he predicted:

“The day will come when the idols of the hour will perish, and the writings of such a man as R. Govett will be prized as the much fine gold.”

Such a day has arrived! The accountability truths that Govett stood for (and so many other premillennial fundamentalists such as Pember, Panton, Craig, Tilney, Nee, etc.) are presently being revived in varying degrees throughout fundamentalist and conservative evangelical circles. The rotten fruit of rebellion (that fully manifested itself in the 1950’s and 60’s) has ironically triggered a refreshing counter-reaction among a remnant of God’s people! We desperately need to get back to the full teaching concerning the judgment seat of Christ.

The words of Ernest Baker are a fitting conclusion to this introductory chapter. Baker (b. 1869) is best known for his book, The Revivals of the Bible (1906). It is called the most comprehensive book ever written on the revivals in the Bible. Baker was a Baptist pastor in Cape Town, South Africa. He was the editor of The Midnight Cry and The South African Baptist. He writes:

“How does Revival come? It comes in many ways. But one way I want to especially emphasize: And that is, that it comes by Truth that is preached with freshness…whenever any new truth comes to light, or is recovered…it displaces no truth….What I want to get at is this: Is there any truth not yet grasped, but yet plainly
taught in God’s Word, that, if fearlessly and plainly preached, would bring quickening to the children of God, and set them on fire with a new zeal? I believe there is….The truth awaiting to be taught, and which will set God’s people on fire, is that the Prize of our High Calling is a Share in the Millennial Reign with the Lord Jesus….This new light broke on me some three and a half years ago. I began to preach it with both lip and pen. But I found that many very good people and good workers were not prepared to hear…that [our Lord] would for a time exclude a believer from a share in the Millennial glory, was something that should never be said. The opposition I encountered made me go quietly for a time. But I have been digging and digging into the Word, and I now know where I am, and am prayin

A FUNERAL SERMON IN MEMORY OF BROTHER GEORGE GEUEA

Our dear brother George, “Papa George” to so many, wrote the following words on a sheet of notebook paper: “Well let me say, I can remember just as well as if it were yesterday. It was Monday night…1958, when I was saved. I can remember them talking about being born again. But what I really remember best of all was being good, but could not go to Heaven. I didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, didn’t use foul language…But how then could I get in heaven? You must be saved; borned again.”

Let me continue where he left off, based on our conversations together: Norman Dollar was holding a revival meeting at a church in Albuquerque, NM. Dollar visited George’s wife and led her to place her faith in Christ and get saved. Shortly thereafter, George got saved. His words to me, so many times, were: “The evangelist asked me, ‘Have you been born again?’ But I’d never heard ye must be born again.” After becoming Christians, that Sunday night, George and his wife were baptized at the church in Albuquerque. George was later also licensed to preach by the Berean Baptist Church, in Albuquerque.

George moved to the Navajo Indian reservation and began leading people to the Lord. There was not a single Baptist church there at this time. George built five churches with the Navajos. He also worked with the famous Lester Roloff as a maintenance man, and was his right hand man. He put up one of the signs when Roloff’s homes were shut down. He was also a right hand man to brother Bill Dowl of Baptist Temple in Springfield Missouri, who was also president of the Bible college there. George was instrumental in helping their church building escape foreclosure.

You can see, that although George was saved late in life, he didn’t waste any time in being used by God. He would do anything; whatever was needed. One pastor told me that they believed George could solve any problem and fix anything. Another preacher I talked to on the phone, brother Yates, told me that George was responsible for getting him into Navajo missions. He is still there, serving today, thanks to George. He said George was responsible for many souls saved.

Not only was George saved, but he did not use his great age as an excuse to be lazy in his Christianity. When I think of George, I think of a rare breed of real men, of which there are not many left today. As far as his energy for God, when I think of George, I think of Anna in the Bible, who in her 80′s, “departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” I think of older, famous preachers, like John Wesley, who in his 80′s traveled for thousands of miles on horseback to serve God and, when tempted to stop, settle down, and enjoy the gardens, proclaimed: “Repose is not for me in this world.” No, George had a special gift for being a motivator. At age 95, he had adopted an old poem by Bill Carr:

“My body may age, but my mind will stay young. I’ve much left to do, many songs to be sung.
Many roads to be traveled, and much love to express. Many souls that need aid, who are now in distress. But I will do what I can, to help brighten your day. I will spread cheer and love, as I pass by your way. The world is my oyster, to have and to hold. That’s why I’m really too busy, To ever grow old.”

About this same time in life, his mid nineties, George passed by our way. And I must say, he lived out this poem to the fullest! The Bible says, be not weary in well doing. Even in his nineties, George did not let weariness stop him. He had another work to do for God. We were in a rut when George visited our church in Arlington. We wanted to get land, but it simply was not happening. George sat across from me at lunch one day, and told me in a way that put a holy fire in me: “You can’t finish what you don’t start.” Not long after those words were uttered, I found myself searching for land with George, walking property with him, purchasing land to build a church on, and getting a temporary building functioning on the property. We have pictures of George outside hooking up electricity in one of the hottest summers Texas has ever had. I don’t much care for heights, yet George had me more than half-way up a telephone pole before I knew it! And when I was too slow, he was down there in the sun, just a preaching to me! He wasn’t offensive; just motivating. I asked him what he used to do for a living, and he said he was a foreman! When he got saved, the Lord used this old foreman to get many pastors in gear. Out of all the pastors and evangelists George aided and helped (some very well known), I am grateful to have been included among them, by God’s grace. We worked so hard that summer with George, and got so much accomplished, that many were afraid we were overworking poor old George. They didn’t realize that HE was working us! We are not finished on our land; but we are finally ready and able, this past Sunday, to purchase the shell for our metal building. In so many ways, George shares in this accomplishment, and all that has been accomplished on our church land.

Let’s remember George for what he was known for. When speaking to pastor Yates on the phone a year or so ago, he asked me what George was doing these days. I told him that in his 90′s, he was being a great help to me as a pastor, and that he was a great motivator. This man said, “That’s George! I should have figured! He won’t let you stay still!”

On Tuesday, August 8th, year 2000, George himself told me the following words: “They say I get more out of people than anybody in the world. I work ‘em. But I don’t hurt nobody.”

If you don’t know where you will spend eternity, I know exactly what George would say to me. He would holler in his sweet, motivating way: “Tell ‘em they must be borned again.” The Bible, in Romans chapter 3, says all have sinned…There is no way you can be saved by being good. You must admit you cannot save yourself and you must trust in Jesus and let Him represent you as far as salvation goes. He lived a perfect life and died on a Cross for our sins. John 3:16 says if we believe on Him, we will live with God in eternity. That is you must believe the good news, and accept the free gift of salvation.

If you are already a Christian, are you serving God with all your might? Are you making excuses? I know George would holler: “Tell e’m to get busy for God. Tell ‘em they can’t finish for God what hey don’t start.” If George could do so much, so late in life, do we really have an excuse? Let his life remind you that God always has something else for you to do, if you will let Him show you!
And let George’s death remind us all, that life must one day come to an end for each of us. If you have been putting God off, keeping Him at a distance, let this sobering day motivate you to seek God. There is one thing I know for sure, and that is that George had a burden on his heart for all his loved ones and friends. Oh how he prayed so often that everyone he knew and loved would not only be born again, but would also live for Jesus to the fullest.

Let us bow our heads: “You can be saved by not trusting in your good deeds to justify you before God, but by trusting in the Blood of Jesus. If you
believe this good news for the first time today, pray with me: “Dear Lord, I do accept your free gift. I know I can’t save myself by being good. I
believe you have saved me, a sinner, by shedding your Blood. Thank you for the free gift of eternal life.” Dear Lord, I pray today for the Christians who are present, that we would indeed never forget the motivating lessons we have learned from the life of our brother George who has gone
before us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

-STAGESETTING FOR THE RISE OF BABYLONIAN AND PERSIAN KINGDOMS

-WHY I LEFT ISLAM FOR CHRIST, BY M.A. QAYYUM DASKAWIE (1931)

-AIDS TO STREET EVANGELISM – A MUSLIM OBJECTION ANSWERED

-THE ROD WILL GOD SPARE IT? BY J.D. FAUST
(ORDERING INFORMATION AND NEWS)

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STAGESETTING FOR THE RISE OF BABYLONIAN AND PERSIAN KINGDOMS
“Iraq ‘close to nuclear bomb goal’ – Senate hears dire warnings by dissidents – Saddam Hussein will have enough weapons-grade uranium for three nuclear bombs by 2005, a former Iraqi nuclear engineer told senators yesterday, as the US Congress held hearings on whether to go to war. Launching what it called a ‘national discussion’ amid frequent reports that the Bush administration is honing its plans for an assault on Iraq, the Senate foreign relations committee was also warned by an expert on the Iraqi military not to underestimate the strength of Saddam’s army and air defences and not to doubt that any invasion would require overwhelming force. A succession of expert witnesses at the high-profile hearings argued that the danger posed by Saddam to the US and the rest of the world was CONSTANTLY INCREASING as the Iraqi dictator attempted to build chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Khidir Hamza, who played a leading role in Iraq’s nuclear weapon programme before defecting in 1994, cited German intelligence in saying: ‘With more than 10 tonnes of uranium and one tonne of slightly enriched uranium…in its possession, Iraq has enough to generate the needed bomb-grade uranium for three nuclear weapons by 2005.’…His pessimistic assessment was echoed by other witnesses, including the former UN chief weapons inspector, Richard Butler….Anthony Cordesman, a senior analyst at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington and the author of a new assessment of Iraqi military strength, had bitter criticism for hawks in the administration who portrayed the 400,000-strong Iraqi army as an easy opponent. ‘Iraq might be a far easier opponent than its force strengths indicate,’ he said, ‘but it is also potentially a very serious military opponent indeed, and to be perfectly blunt, I think only fools would bet the lives of other men’s sons and daughters on their own arrogance and call this force a ‘cakewalk’ or a ‘speed-bump’.’ He said that though regular army units had less than 70% manning levels, Iraq still had 2,200 battle tanks, 3,700 other armoured vehicles and 2,400 major artillery weapons. He also warned that US warplanes attacking Iraqi cities would fly into a blizzard of anti-aircraft fire from ‘one of the most dense air defence networks around urban and populated areas in the world.’….” (Guardian Unlimited, August 1, 2002)

“Iran Stockpiles Weapons That ‘Blister’ and ‘Choke’ Humans – A senior White House foreign policy adviser Friday said Iran was manufacturing and stockpiling chemical weapons aimed to ‘blister’ and ‘choke’ their human targets. ‘Although Iran is a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, the government is developing the capability to produce chemical weapons. For example, it has manufactured and stockpiled blister, blood and choking agents and grown its pesticides production capability,’ Zalmay Khalilzad, the National Security Council’s director for the Near East, told analysts and reporters. The concern about Iran’s chemical weapons program comes as the Bush administration has stepped up diplomatic efforts with Russia to end its licit and illicit nuclear technical exchanges with Iran….” (NewsMax.com Wires, Aug. 3, 2002)

Comments: Pride certainly comes before a fall (Proverbs 11:2, 16:18, Daniel 4:37). Therefore, not only is it true that, “only fools would bet the lives of other men’s sons and daughters on their own arrogance and call this force a ‘cakewalk,’” but there are too more dangerous problems that need to be considered:

1. Immoral nations that do not repent of sin after merciful warnings, soon get severely judged by God (Genesis 19:24, Jonah 1:2, Matthew 11:21). History bears record that God is not asleep! He still works in the affairs of men and nations (Jeremiah 18:7-8). God’s people should therefore continue to sound the alarm!

2. The Bible clearly predicts that Iraq (and then Iran) will arise as POWERFUL world kingdoms at the start of the coming Tribulation period (Daniel chapters 2, 7, 8). But there is no reason why Iraq could not already be in power when the Tribulation begins (as is currently the case with Israel).

Based on the above facts, our leaders in America do not need to provoke the Lord Jesus Christ further by making public prayers to an Islamic god. They need to stand for religious liberty and use their power to contend against the immoral sins that are revealed in nature (conscience), which every nation on earth is responsible before God to hate and avoid (Romans 2). These sins are such things as infant murder (abortion), sodomy, adultery, fornication, stealing, etc. America is even more responsible, since the revealed light of the Gospel has been manifested so greatly. If America is not judged by God soon, in a greater manner, it will only be because there are so many RIGHTEOUS CHRISTIANS still within it, that are praying and preaching (Genesis 18:32). May the Lord continue to show us mercy and keep the doors of liberty open. But let us not presume upon the long-suffering of the Most High! Let all leaders (political and religious) get on their faces and confess their sins and ask for mercy concerning this land. Even so, come Lord Jesus!

WHY I LEFT ISLAM FOR CHRIST, BY M.A. QAYYUM DASKAWIE (1931)

“I was born a Moslem, but although I attended both a mission school and a Christian college my interest in Christianity did not begin until after I had decided not to continue my college work. Relieved of these studies I could devote myself to books on religion. My uncle is well known in North India as the compiler of dictionaries in Hindustani, Arabic, and Persian, and as the author of several books dealing with religious subjects. I was particularly interested in one book in my uncle’s library, written in Urdu (or Hindustani) verse called ‘The Prayer of a True Christian.’ Moslems claim to be heirs of all the prophets and the sacred writings that preceded the revelation to the Prophet of Arabia. ‘The Prayer of a True Christian’ was written by a Moslem to controvert Christian teaching and was designed to show how Islamic religion was ‘true Christianity’ from which the Christians had gone astray. There were numerous references in it to various passages in the Bible. I read the book and re-read it. A thought struck me! Though I could not verify the references to the Old Testament I decided to see how this book compared with the New Testament, a copy of which had been presented to my father about the year 1898 by the Punjab Branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society. I had seen the book lie on the shelf as long as I could recollect, but it had never been read. Beginning to read the Testament I found things in it that I could not understand and other things that I could not half understand. I began with the Gospel of Matthew, and when I came to the Sermon on the Mount, I said: ‘HERE IS SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I AM ACCUSTOMED TO HEARING. CAN THESE THINGS BE SO?’ There was nothing in the Koran that I could remember which spoke of such attitudes toward God and man. When I went over again some portions of the Koran I was more disconcerted than ever. When I came to the Gospel of John, I found an atmosphere altogether different from any I had ever breathed before. Here was God spoken of as loving sinful men. I had heard of God judging men on the last day, but never of God loving them in the present day. In fact, it had never occurred to me that God had anything so directly to do with men. It was strange! On the other hand, There were things in the New Testament that were extremely repugnant to a Moslem. I had, for instance, always imagined that th
e Christians worshipped three gods. Islam has laid great stress on the unity of God. ‘There is no god but God’ has been the creed of Islam throughout these centuries. It puzzled me that Christians could not see that there was only one God. I could not see how such a spiritual religion could go astray on the most fundamental question of all. ‘If there seems to be any truth in Christianity,’ I reasoned, ‘it is what is left to it of the original teachings of Jesus. Truly the Injil (Gospel) has been subverted by the Christians.’ There was another difficulty – the problem of the Cross. To an orthodox Moslem there is nothing more absurd than to believe that the Son of God was crucified for the sins of men. How can the righteous suffer for the unrighteous? How is it possible for one man to take away the sins of the whole race? To depend on fastings, endless prayers, penance and alms is understandable, but to think that mere faith is sufficient – why it is preposterous! Even disregarding other objections, a great gulf exists between Christians and Moslems. By common consent Christianity has been regarded among the people of India as the religion of the foreigner and outcastes. Consider the disgrace of accepting a religion of the outcastes! The term Christian is to us a synonym for a scavenger and a pariah. High-born men could not think much of Christianity! But I could not overlook the New Testament. I was rent between two types of teaching. I read other books on the subject, but for fear of arousing the suspicion of my parents I had to keep everything secret. I studied till late at night, long after everyone in the house had retired. I also sought out a Christian friend who had taught me in college, and had a long talk with him. At the end of the interview I was convinced of two things: first, that the Christians did not worship three gods, but only one; secondly, that sin is a far more serious affair than to be removed by fastings and alms. But I was more puzzled than ever. I tried to reason myself out of the situation and then tried to forget the whole matter. Anything true in Christianity I attributed to its primitive form, and its attraction for me I thought to be the suggestion of the devil. But I could not forget what I had discovered. I knew I was a sinner and that I needed a Saviour, but I thought that Christ could not have anything to do with this. Weeks of suspense and agony passed. I was seriously in doubt and decided to READ THE GOSPELS AGAIN to see what faults I could find in them. But I only discovered that Jesus had a far larger place in them than I was willing to admit. ‘God,’ said I, ‘if this is correct what shall I do? Can the New Testament be right after all?’ Another thought deterred me. If I should follow the way of the Gospel I could not stay with my loved ones. I dared not think of all that was involved in my turning away from the faith of my fathers. But I had to make a choice between God and man. Jesus had anticipated this difficulty and said that His followers must be ready to give up everything to follow Him and that sacrifices in this world were recompensed by rewards from the Father in heaven. Finally I decided to give up my home, my family, and my friends, and as a result suffered many hard experiences which I cannot recount. On the first of May, 1921, I was baptized and was received into the fellowship of Christ. Was this giving up of home and kindred and the other things of life worth while? During these ten years that I have tried to follow Christ I have never for a second regretted the step, but have felt that it was the wisest thing I have ever done. My reward in Christ has been far more than I had expected. Christ has shown me that in and over and behind this confusing universe is a Fatherly Heart of Love. This is a revelation no amount of money can buy and no one but Christ can substantiate. In Him was the Love of God manifested to us and in Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. He is the answer to the cry of the human heart through the centuries: ‘Oh that Thou wouldst rend the heavens’ and come down; that men may see face to face in the invisible God Whom they worship. To know Christ is to have life. It is to know the best that life has to offer for which to live and to strive. In Him life finds its deepest yearnings satisfied and life gains its highest worth. Apart from Him life is not worth living. Those who have not learned to know Him have not yet discovered the eternal fountain of life from which a man may drink his fill and never drain it. It is this which fills life full of joy and peace.”

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AIDS TO STREET EVANGELISM
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[Based on real sidewalk conversations]

A MUSLIM OBJECTION ANSWERED

MUSLIM: It does not matter that you quote me your New Testament. We believe that man has added errors to the original text!

CHRISTIAN: Do you believe your Koran has errors?

MUSLIM: Absolutely not. God is able to keep it pure.

CHRISTIAN: If you will grant that God “can” do this with a Koran, then why do you not grant that He could have done the same with the Christian New Testament?

MUSLIM: I have no answer. The Christian New Testament disagrees with our Koran.

CHRISTIAN: But if you admit that God CAN keep a text “error free” IN SPITE of man, then we must not start with the Koran since it was not first. Let’s assume that God DID keep the Christian Bible free from error over the centuries. In this Bible Jesus warns that many will come in His name and deceive many. He warns of false prophets. Therefore, we must first examine the claims of Mohammed and compare them to the warnings of Christ. When we do this, we see that he was a false prophet that Christ warned us about. All of mankind are sinners and we all need a Saviour to atone for ours sins. Mohammed denied that mankind needs the sacrifice of Jesus our Saviour.

MUSLIM: I believe this talk about a Saviour is a fable invented by man. Jesus was a good prophet, but that is all.

CHRISTIAN: Do you not think it is strange that you accept by blind faith that your Koran is not demonic and filled with error, yet you believe that the Christian Bible I am holding in my hand has errors? If you believe God can keep your Koran free from error, why do you not grant that the Christian Bible can be preserved free from error? I do not understand your logic.

MUSLIM: I have no answer to this. I will have to think about this.

CHRISTIAN: Okay. But please trust in Jesus Christ as your Saviour. We have all sinned and we cannot save ourselves by good deeds. Jesus is more than a prophet.

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THE ROD WILL GOD SPARE IT? BY J.D. FAUST
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-DARE WE FORGET! ROMANISM RUINS LIBERTY

-THE ROD: WILL GOD SPARE IT? (Ordering Info)

-BUTTERFLIES, BUNNIES AND BUTTERCUPS: THE LAODICEAN DOWNGRADE OF THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST AND THE TERROR OF THE LORD (FAUST RESPONDS TO HERB EVAN’S NEW BOOKLET ON THE JUDGMENT SEAT)

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DARE WE FORGET! ROMANISM RUINS LIBERTY

“An impression is extensively prevalent that the Popery of the present day is something entirely different from the Popery of the dark ages, when amidst the gloom and the superstition of the world’s midnight, it reigned Despot of the World. Yet while this change for the better is charitably believed by some lukewarm protestants, who are contented to lay down their weapons and forsake their watch-tower, it is absolutely and unequivocally denied by the most celebrated champions of Rome.”
(John Dowling, “History of Romanism,” 1881; reprinted by Vance Publications)

Increasingly, fundamental Christians are yoking with Romanists in the defense of liberty and justice for all. As governments grow to mammoth proportions, and personal freedoms are encroached, it is often easy to leave one gate unguarded as we watch and pray to secure another. But let us remember that Romanism is no friend to liberty! Wherever and whenever it gains any ascendancy, it breeds the ruin of freedom, prosperity and truth.

In the first few centuries after Christ, the Roman bishops labored hard to bring all other bishops under their control. The early Roman councils soon determined that Christians should be tortured or executed if the Roman bishop deemed they were “heretics.” It was Romanism that buried the West into the miry dark ages, blinded the people in fanatical superstition, and murdered innumerable Christians for centuries to come. Has this diabolical system, in our day, lost its lust for blood and power? Have its popes ever sincerely repented of their antichristian claims and deeds? Do not the Holy Scriptures themselves plainly predict the FUTURE rise of this papal, whorish persecutor, directly before the coming of Christ?:

Revelation 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

But how will such incredible things come to pass? Where does the land of liberty sink to with her wonderful Constitution? Who allows this totalitarian, Romanist Church-State to arise, and destroy again, in the name of tolerance and Christianity? Who forgets the clear lessons of history? Could it be that the watchmen on the wall should fall asleep in the land of liberty? Could it be that the smooth, siren songs of the television and movie theaters are rapidly deluding preachers into losing their hatred for sin and lies? Shall we applaud this diabolical system that is the most intolerant of all institutions and an enemy to liberty and truth? Bible believing Christians do not call for the persecution of Roman Catholics. We abhor the very thought. However, it is a sad, dangerous day for liberty and truth when toleration is proclaimed as meaning that no lie is to be exposed by Scripture and reason, and no corruption is to be publicly rebuked! Compromised preachers, daily soaking in the bluish glow of the world’s filth, do not even realize that they are losing their intensity and boldness. The dire prophecies of Scripture certainly must be fulfilled; but they do not have to come to pass because of our own culpability! Shall we not sound the alarm? If we do not, the responsibility for the future martyrdoms in Revelation 17 will rest partly upon our own heads for failing to warn people (Ezekiel 33:6). Are these words simply bigoted, alarmist propaganda? No! The following quotes and facts will prove that I am not mad, but that I am speaking forth the words of truth and soberness.

Early Romanism: An Enemy to Truth and Liberty

Today, too many people are unfamiliar with the arrogant rights that Romanism has granted to itself throughout history. These supposed rights to control the property, wealth, speech, and even the THOUGHTS of the world, by divine sanction, have never been given up and laid aside by Rome. John W. Robbins writes:

“In a letter to the archbishop of Ravenna (1198), Innocent III wrote: ‘Ecclesiastical liberty is nowhere better cared for than where the Roman church has full power in both temporal and spiritual affairs.’ That is the meaning of RELIGIOUS LIBERTY in the thought of the papacy down to the twentieth century: full power for the Roman Church-State in both temporal and spiritual affairs.” (John W. Robbins, “Ecclesiastical Megalomania,” 1999, p.120-121)

Robbins continues:

“In the sixteenth century, the Council of Trent declared that the pope has ‘all power on Earth….All temporal power is his; the dominion, jurisdiction, and government of the whole Earth is his by divine right. All rulers of the Earth are his subjects and must submit to him.’”(John W. Robbins, “Ecclesiastical Megalomania,” 1999, p.131)

Romanism in the 19th Century: Still an Enemy to Truth and Liberty

Romanism was not shy about decrying freedom of conscience, speech and of the press in the 19th century. It could not and would not conceal its diabolical hatred for America:

“On December 8, 1864, Pius IX issued the encyclical Quanta Cura, containing a ‘Syllabus of Errors,’ not Roman errors, of course, but a vitriolic condemnation of all modernity….Here are a few of Pius IX’s own words: 15. No man is free to embrace and profess that religion which he believes to be true, guided by the light of reason….24. The [Roman] Church has the power of employing force and of exercising direct and indirect temporal power….54. Kings and Princes are not only NOT exempt from jurisdiction of the [Roman] Church, but are subordinate to the Church in litigated questions of jurisdiction. 55. The [Roman] Church ought to be in union with the State, and the State with the [Roman] Church….77. It is necessary even in the present day that the [Roman] Catholic religion shall be held as the only religion of the State, to the exclusion of all other forms of worship.’ Six years later, after Pius IX had rigged the first Vatican Council so that it would officially declare him infallible, William Gladstone, Prime Minister of England, wrote a pamphlet titled, ‘The Vatican Decrees and Their Bearing on Civil Allegiance after 1870.’ In his pamphlet Gladstone wrote: ‘With this decree, the claims of Innocent III over mankind have BEEN RESURRECTED IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY – LIKE SOME MUMMY PICKED OUT OF ITS DUSTY SARCOPHAGUS.’” (John W. Robbins, “Ecclesiastical Megalomania,” 1999, p.144)

Again, Robbins writes:

“The Roman Church-State denounced equality before the law, for the simple reason that no other society on Earth is in fact its equal. Leo XII wrote: ‘The cause of all these evils lies principally in this: that men have despised and rejected the holy and august authority of the [Roman] Church….We declare THAT WE SHALL NEVER CEASE TO CONTEND FOR THE FULL OBEDIENCE TO OUR AUTHORITY, FOR THE REMOVAL OF ALL OBSTACLES PUT IN THE WAY OF OUR FULL EXERCISE OF OUR MINISTRY AND POWER, and for the RESTORATION to that condition of things in which the provident design of the Divine Wisdom HAD FORMERLY PLACED THE ROMAN PONTIFF…’ (Leo XIII, quoted by John W. Robbins, “Ecclesiastical Megalomania,” 1999, p.146)

Romanism continued to grow in mammoth proportions in 19th century America:

“The Roman Church-State is the oldest institution continually in existence, tracing its roots at least to the sixth century….though its fortunes fell after the Reformation in the sixteenth century, IT HAS MADE A REMARKABLE RESURGENCE IN THE PAST CENTURY….by the last third of the nineteenth century, the Roman Catholic Church had become the LARGEST religious organization in the United States.” (John W. Robbins, “Ecclesiastical Megalomania,” 1999, p.9, 81)

T
hese facts did not go unnoticed by some preachers and writers of the 19th century. There were many warnings given to Christians in those days, which clearly documented the fact that Romanism had NOT changed its designs, methods, claims, or intentions. These men proved from Roman Catholic writings themselves, that Romanism was an enemy to both Gospel truth and the American Constitution.

For example, in the 19th century, Baptist writer, John Dowling called attention to the incredible words of the Pope himself, as well as to strong statements found in many Catholic periodicals; he proved that Popery was not changed in its heart. He quotes an Encyclical from Pope Gregory XVI, in 1832, which states:

“From that polluted fountain of indifference flows that absurd and erroneous doctrine, or rather raving, in favor and in defense of ‘liberty of conscience,’ for which most pestilential error, the course is opened by that entire and wild liberty of opinion which is everywhere attempting the overthrow of civil and religious institutions….hence, in one word, that PEST OF ALL OTHERS most to be dreaded in a state, UNBRIDLED LIBERTY OF OPINION….Nor can we augur more consoling consequences to religion and to government, from the zeal of some to SEPARATE THE CHURCH FROM THE STATE, and to burst the bond which unites the priesthood of the empire. For it is clear that this union is dreaded by the PROFANE LOVERS OF LIBERTY, only because it has never failed to confer prosperity on both…..Hither tends that worst and never sufficiently to execrated and detested LIBERTY OF THE PRESS for the diffusion of all manner of writings, which some so loudly contend for and so actively promote.” (John Dowling, “History of Romanism,” 1881)

Dowling continues:

“A few extracts from Roman Catholic papers are here collected to show that the intolerant, and persecuting, and grasping spirit of popery remains unchanged….says the ‘Pittsburg Catholic Visitor’: “For our own part, we take this opportunity of explaining our hearty delight at the suppression of the protestant chapel in Rome. This may be thought intolerant; but when, we ask, DID WE EVER PROFESS TO BE INTOLERANT OF PROTESTANTISM, or to favor the doctrine that protestantism ought to be tolerated? On the contrary we HATE protestantism – we detest it with our whole heart and soul, and we pray our aversion to it may never decrease….we are sincerely glad the enemies of truth are no longer allowed to meet together in the capital of the Christian world.’ The ‘Shepherd of the Valley,’ published at St. Louis, says,’….When protestants ask Catholics to declare that they accept the foolish proposition that absolute toleration is the duty of all governments, they ask them to assent to a statement which is repugnant to faith, to sound reason, to the practice of all governments, Christian or pagan, Catholic or Protestant, and to the common sense of mankind….The right of preventing the introduction of protestantism into countries in which it has not appeared, is simply the right of repressing doctrines subversive of that social order which government is instituted to preserve….Liberty of conscience, in the sense in which protestants use the words…which frees conscience from the obligation of conforming to the truth, is NOT ADMITTED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. To say that a man is a Catholic, is to say that he rejects it: and THE SOONER OUR PROTESTANT FRIENDS UNDERSTAND THIS, THE BETTER….’….In another article….this same ‘Shepherd of the Valley’ says,…’We say that temporal punishment of heresy is a mere question of expediency; that protestants do not persecute us here, simply because they have not the power, and that where we abstain from persecuting them, they are well aware THAT IT IS MERELY BECAUSE WE CAN NOT DO SO, OR THINK THAT, BY DOING SO, WE SHOULD INJURE THE CAUSE WE WISH TO SERVE.’ ‘The Rambler,’ another Roman Catholic paper, says, ‘You ask if he (the pope) were lord in the land, and you were in a minority, if not in numbers, yet in power, what would he do to you? That, we say, would entirely depend upon circumstances. If it would benefit the cause of Catholicism, he would tolerate you; if expedient, he would imprison you, banish you, fine you – possibly he might even hang you – but be assured of one thing: he would never tolerate you for the sake of ‘glorious principles’ of civil and religious liberty.’ In another number, the same paper says, ‘Religious liberty, in the sense of a liberty possessed by every man to choose his religion, is one of the most wicked delusions ever foisted upon this age by the father of all deceit…No! Catholicism is the most intolerant of creeds. IT IS INTOLERANCE ITSELF, for it is truth itself.’….A recent number of the ‘Paris Univers,’ a Roman Catholic paper published in France, says, ‘A heretic, examined and convicted by the church, used to be delivered over to the secular power, and punished with death. NOTHING HAS EVER APPEARED TO US MORE NECESSARY….As for myself, what I regret, I frankly confess, is, that they did not burn John Huss sooner, and that they did not also burn Luther. This happened because there was not found some prince sufficiently politic to stir up a crusade against the protestants.’ The ‘Catholic Review’ says, ‘Protestantism of every form has not, and NEVER CAN HAVE, any right where catholicity is triumphant…’….In relation to the designs of papists to take and to control the government of these United States, Father Hecker, in a recent lecture in the city of New York, said, ‘The Catholic Church numbers one third of the American population, and if its membership shall increase for the next thirty years, as it has for the thirty years past, in 1900 Rome will have a majority, and be bound to take this country and keep it.’ All of the above quotations are from Romish authorities.” (John Dowling, “History of Romanism,” 1881, p.618-621, 886-890)

A few years later, Isaac J. Lansing provided similar documentation. He writes:

“In the Encyclical and the Syllabus of 1864, the Pope denounces some of the dearest rights of man, because they are opposed to Romish absolutism….With fearful epithets the Pope denounces those who insist that governments should not inflict penalties upon such as violate the Catholic religion…[He] then proceeds to visit with his fiercest malediction, first, THOSE WHO MAINTAIN THE LIBERTY OF THE PRESS; second, or the LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE and of worship; third, or the liberty of speech….seventh, those who declare that the church may not employ force….sixteenth, or that any other religion than the Roman religion may be established by the state; seventeenth, or that in countries called Catholic, the free exercise of other religions may be laudably allowed….Do you not see, that almost everything we hold dear is here assailed? You are accursed of Rome who maintain liberty of conscience and free worship, as do all Protestants of whom I have knowledge….this is the authority which all Romanists are bound to obey under penalty of being denounced as heretics….Cardinal McCloskey, who as Cardinal of Rome is a foreign prince exercising authority in the United States, contrary to the Constitution and the laws, says: ‘The Catholics of the United States are as strongly devoted to the sustenance and maintenance of the temporal power of the Holy Father as Catholics in any part of the world, and if it should be necessary to prove it by acts, they are ready to do so.’….Father Hecker says, that ere long there is to be a state religion in this country [U.S.], and that state religion is to be Roman Catholic.’ The Boston ‘Pilot’ says: ‘The man today is living who will see the majority of the people of the American continent Roman Catholics.’”
(Rev. Isaac J. Lansing, “Romanism and the Republic,” 1890)

The above writers sounded the alarm! They proved that Romanism had not changed and that it should not be cuddled and pampered. Interestingly, these men considered it highly unlikely that Rome would ever gain its foul intentions in America. They were simply pointing out that it was her GOAL t
o destroy American liberties and turn America into a Catholic nation. They were hopeful and confident that most Americans would awake and stop the menace of Romanism in their land of liberty. On the other hand, there were other men that understood that the Bible plainly warns that Romanism will rise again in its entire hellish monstrosity, directly before the second coming of Christ. They therefore had little confidence in the vigilance and resolve of American Christians and political leaders.

It is a fact that Christians largely ignored ALL of these warnings. The facts of history, reason and Scripture were set aside for the theater, the radio, and vain novels. This helped to create the environment we have today in our churches. Evangelical Christians in our age largely believe that Catholicism is simply a ‘difference of opinion,’ and that Roman Catholics are wonderful friends to liberty and truth.

Catholicism in the 20th Century: Still an Enemy to Truth and Liberty

After reading these warnings from over a century ago, it would be interesting to notice, from our standpoint, whether Catholicism ever accomplished its goals in the 20th century; and if not, how close is it to realizing them today, in 2002? Modern author, John W. Robbins, reveals that 20th century Catholicism DID NOT change its opinions in regard to the American Constitution and liberty of conscience. Instead, the Harlot is quickly climbing back into the saddle, to grasp the reins of the State. Notice the following excellent excerpts from John W. Robbins:

“The recent Council [Vatican II] reminded us…’…as all men follow justice and unite in charity, created goods should abound for them on a reasonable basis. ALL OTHER RIGHTS WHATSOEVER, including those of property and of free commerce, are to be subordinated to this principle.’” (Paul VI, ‘Populorum Progressio, On the Progress of Peoples,’ 1967; quoted by John W. Robbins)

“….it is the right of public authority to prevent anyone from misusing his private property to the detriment of the common good.”
(The Second Vatican Council, “Gaudium et Spes,” 1965; quoted by John W. Robbins)

When a person is forced to share, it is no longer “sharing,” but STEALING! Romanism has always increased its own riches by stealing from others. Wherever its doctrines prevail, poverty reigns. Robbins continues to document that much of the increasing loss of American liberty in the present is due to a Roman Catholic influence on American politics:

“Pius XI told us that the encyclical ‘Rerum Novarum’ was instrumental in ending ‘laissez-faire’ capitalism in the twentieth century by ushering in the era of ‘effective interference by the government.’….Pius XI’s claims, though they need no confirmation, are corroborated by a column Joe Klein wrote for ‘Newsweek,’ February 19, 1996, titled ‘A Lurch Toward Love.’ Telling us that Pat Buchanan, who at that time was running for President, ‘has got religion,’ Kein explained: ‘The religion is Roman Catholicism, the most significant in American politics, the ultimate swing vote. Catholics were the heart of the New Deal coalition. They were the Daley machine in Chicago, the Curley machine in Boston, Tammany Hall in New York, Jimmy Carter was the last Democrat to win a Catholic majority. Clinton got 43 percent of their support in 1992 (Perot had 20) [that leaves 37 percent for Bush], but Catholics voted overwhelmingly, 57 percent for Democratic Congressional candidates.’ Much of the INTERFERENCE by federal, state, and local governments in the affairs of citizens, both Jo Klein and the papacy have told us, is due to Roman Catholic influence in American politics….In other nations in which Roman Catholic influence was greater, governments became even more socialist than they did in the United States….In a capitalist system, government does not own or control the means of production, subsidize churches or other institutions, provide or pay for education, retirement benefits, health insurance, recreation, or any of the other innumerable goods and services provided by governments at the end of the twentieth century.” (John W. Robbins, “Ecclesiastical Megalomania,” 1999)

Let us preach the Gospel to Roman Catholics. And let us never cease to proclaim the truth, and expose the lies of Romanism. This is the very thing Romanism fears the most. It has worked hard to silence the preachers and coax them away from sounding the alarm. It does not want its plans stagnated in the U.S.

[J.D. Faust, Kingdom Alert #172, August 18, 2002]

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THE ROD: WILL GOD SPARE IT?
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BUTTERFLIES, BUNNIES AND BUTTERCUPS: THE LAODICEAN DOWNGRADE OF THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST AND THE TERROR OF THE LORD (FAUST RESPONDS TO HERB EVAN’S NEW BOOKLET ON THE JUDGMENT SEAT)
=============================================

This response is about 50 pages. It is largely unnecessary since the booklet I am responding to does not even attempt to refute the ANSWERS already provided in my book. The basic objections it provides were already foreseen and dealt with in detail in the very book it is attempting to refute. I suppose that since my Objections and Questions Answered chapter is close to the end, modern detractors rarely make it that far in a 440 page book. Nevertheless, for those who may be unable, or for some reason, unwilling to order my $20 book, we offer this detailed response for free to anyone who requests it. Simply E-mail pastor@refugebaptist.org and request, Butterflies, Bunnies and Buttercups. Or better yet, request it AND order my book!

-RIGHTLY DIVIDING BIBLE WORDS: HEAVEN, WINE, AND SALVATION

-NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINES: A LETTER FROM ITALY CONCERNING THE CONSEQUENCES OF ROMANISM =================================================

RIGHTLY DIVIDING BIBLE WORDS: HEAVEN, WINE, AND SALVATION

The need to properly define Bible words is great in this shallow age. There are multiple examples that could be cited in this article. I have chosen three words that will serve as an example of how we must be careful not to ignore revealed variations in meanings. A good set of English dictionaries, a Bible concordance, some hard work, and prayer, will solve most any interpretation problem. I recommend Webster’s Dictionary (1828), Oxford’s English Dictionary, and Funk and Wagnall’s, 1895, Standard Dictionary of the English Language, and Webster’s, 1956, New Twentieth Century Dictionary (unabridged). There are others, but these will serve as a foundation, and will meet most any need, debate, or controversy concerning the English language. Older “Bible” dictionaries and encyclopedias can also be helpful. Even the older ones tend to be liberal and modernistic in some places. But they can at times be of much help.

Notice the following two Scriptures:

Deuteronomy 11:11 But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of HEAVEN:

2 Corinthians 5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from HEAVEN:

It is clear to most observers that the word “heaven” is each of the preceding verses refers to something different. The first “heaven” refers to the sky above earth. The second verse refers to the third Heaven, where God’s throne presently abides:

2 Corinthians 12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the THIRD HEAVEN.

This teaches us that we must be careful concerning Bible words. We must study variations in meanings, the rest of Scripture, and the context:

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

It might be argued that no one would get confused concerning the word “heaven.” No one would try imagine that earthly fowls fly around, or that rain falls from clouds, in God’s Heaven. But there are other places where people do get confused. And the consequences are much greater concerning these words.

The Word “Wine”

For example, many people get confused over the word “wine” in the Bible. They see that this word is used as something good and proper in some places, and they therefore are forced (through not understanding that there is more than one type of wine) to ignore the clear warnings against alcohol. The Bible does not command us to drink alcohol moderately. It commands us to avoid it to such a degree that we do not LOOK at it:

Proverbs 23:31 LOOK NOT THOU UPON THE WINE when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I WILL SEEK IT YET AGAIN.

This is not some Mosaic ceremonial law. This is a moral law for all ages. Alcohol is addicting and destructive. We are therefore commanded not to make provision for addiction. So-called “moderate drinkers” must sin against this clear, moral command of the Holy Ghost in Proverbs.

But what about the Bible verses that describe “wine” as something good? Notice the following two verses:

Proverbs 3:10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy PRESSES shall burst out with new WINE.

Isaiah 65:8 Thus saith the LORD, As the new WINE is found in the CLUSTER, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all.

Ripe GRAPES are PRESSED. Ripe GRAPES are found in the CLUSTER. Therefore, “wine,” in many passages, refers to fresh GRAPE JUICE. One might ask, “But why are Christians warned to drink grape juice moderately?” If we will ask this question, we might as well also ask why we are told to EAT HONEY moderately:

Proverbs 25:16 Hast thou found honey? eat so much AS IS SUFFICIENT FOR THEE, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
27 It is not good to eat MUCH honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.

There is not much difference between “honey” and rich grape juice. It is sucrose. We are warned to flee over-eating and over-drinking. The warning is not just against alcohol. It goes further:

Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

“Surfeiting” is over-eating. “Drunkenness” need not be limited to the effects of alcohol on the brain. We should let our moderation in all things be known unto all men (Phil.4). Being gluttonous in food or drink is immoderate and wrong. Aged women, aged men, pastors and deacons should all set a holy, moderate example for younger Christians in regard to food and drink. Such temperance goes beyond abstaining from alcohol:

Temperate: “1. Moderate in the indulgence of the appetites and passions; as temperate in eating and drinking; temperate in pleasures; temperate in speech.” (Web.1828)

The Bible does not command us to drink alcohol “moderately.” It commands us to avoid it to such a degree that we dont even LOOK at it.

Perhaps some would have trouble imagining how it could be a bad example for the older Christians, pastors and deacons to abuse grape juice. But this only because our society has gone so far beyond this that drinking grape juice all day would appear moderate! We may, I am sure, apply this to the constant abuse of tea, coffee, coke, soda pop, diet soft drinks, etc. by the majority of Christians today. I use to a coffee drinker and was quite addicted to it. This was a bad example to Christians. When I counseled one young man to forsake his cigarettes, he retorted that I was addicted to coffee! He was correct. I drink mainly water now, and for the past few years it has been a blessing to be free from addiction to colas and coffee. There is much money wasted in these unhealthy luxuries, and mature Christians (who are called to be examples) must eat and drink in moderation.

The Word “Saved”

Acts 27:31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be SAVED.

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he SAVED us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye SAVED through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith SAVE him?
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

It should be obvious to all that the word “saved” in Acts 27:31 does not refer to being saved from eternal torment. It means to be saved from the physical death of drowning. However, it is equally obvious that the word “saved” in Ephesians 2:8 and Titus 3:5 DOES refer to being saved from eternal torment. This “salvation” is said to be by grace through faith alone, not of works. But James teaches that we are “saved” through faith and works. Luther attempted to solve the problem by doubting that this epistle of James was inspired. Others simply turn faith into works and end up with “faith-works.” These people never reason that if the word
“saved” can be used for the deliverance of a person from a stormy sea, then certainly it can be used to describe the deliverance from God’s disapproval at the Judgment Seat of Christ! James is writing to Christians (see 2:1). These saints are guilty of despising the poor. James uses the example of Abraham’s justification in Genesis 22. But this was years AFTER Genesis 15, where Paul said he was justified apart from works (Romans 4). James is therefore discussing how a CHRISTIAN gains approval from his Lord as an obedient son. It is not through faith alone. It is through faith and works that we will stand approved and accepted in our daily walk and at the Judgment Seat of Christ:

Hebrews 6:11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through FAITH AND PATIENCE inherit the promises.
13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

In the above Scripture, Paul uses the same example of Abraham in Genesis 22, which occurred years AFTER his justification through faith alone. It is a double blessing that we gain through obedience (i.e. Surely blessing, I will BLESS thee). This blessing of being found worthy and approved at the Judgment Seat of Christ (for Millennial inheritance) is not granted through faith alone (like eternity). It is only granted through striving, working, enduring, continuing, racing and reaching by faith!:

2 Corinthians 5:9 Wherefore WE LABOUR, that, whether present or absent, we may be ACCEPTED of him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINES: A LETTER FROM ITALY CONCERNING THE CONSEQUENCES OF ROMANISM

Dear Brother Faust, I just finished reading KA #172 and found it very interesting and if I may, I would like to share a few additional points of interest that you may or may not be aware of. First allow me to say that this is not a diatribe against the Italian people, but are merely my/our observations and conclusions. The things I share are daily happenings that prove that a society without the Gospel is out of order and develops at a much slower pace than places where the Bible has had an opportunity to touch the hearts and lives of its citizens. The things we share are prevalent here in southern Italy, the region of Basilicata, but apply to most of the southern part of the nation. Ariel and I have been here in Italy for a little over 16 years and we are very aware of what havoc the Roman Church had unleashed on this (and many other) nations. May I first point out that there are many folks both in our church and in the villages that we minister in, that DO NOT KNOW HOW TO READ OR WRITE! In this year of 2002, 33 years after the first men walked on the moon, there are still people who are completely illiterate. True, most of them are older folks, but even at that, there are many in their 30′s and 40′s who read on a very low level. My brother, it is almost impossible for me to put into words, the effect that Romanism has had on this culture. I have much difficulty with preaching and teaching as the comprehension level with MOST of our saints is probably at or around a 4th or 5th grade level. Since they read so poorly, the people do not read, thus, ignorance is the result and all that logically follows. It is nearly impossible to reason with these folks, either about “religion” or about common things such as science or world events. All of this is, I am sure, a result of the Roman Church’s concerted effort to keep the people ignorant and poor. As opposed to the Puritans and Luther who encouraged the founding of schools and universities with the direct goal of enabling the masses to be able to read the word of God, the Roman Church chose to keep the people in the dark (dark ages?). Not much has changed.

I will try to share the lack of public liberty that exists, due to centuries of Roman influence and dominance. It is so difficult during Bible studies to get personal opinions or ideas from the people. After one shares his thoughts, the rest will automatically agree. Here in the south, everyone goes to the same places on vacation, wears the same basic kinds of clothing and are very aware of the searching eyes of all as they walk through the village. If you dont play the social game, surely someone will call you up on it….

As you well know, Italy has never had a national revival of Biblical Christianity in the 2000 years since the Gospel arrived on these shores. No wonder that the fabric and foundation of this land is such a mess. There is corruption in every corner and dishonesty reigns. We must always be on our guard for some type of dishonest action whenever we purchase anything. The sense of honesty and integrity, in these villages where we live, is unknown. The lack of Biblical influence in Italy is obvious to all who have lived under the guidelines and customs rightly established by God fearing ancestors and founders. Even in secular America, England and Canada, one sees the awesome cultural mindset that prevails in so many aspects of our great nations. Principles set down in the Word of God, that at one time, were in the hearts of the people. These principals may not be in Americas heart as at one time, but they are sewn into the fabric of our democracy and culture.

As one drives on the roads of Italy, you will notice a total void of kindness and highway courtesy. It is truly “Every man for himself.” American military leaders who try and help servicemen and women and their families to become accustomed to the Italian driving habit say; “Most Italians believe that the autostrada (interstate) was built for them and for them alone.” Words cannot describe what it is like to drive on Italian roads, rural or interstate. Our son in law who recently returned from his first visit to America was overwhelmed by two things apart from the beauty and grandeur of our nation. He loved driving on our roads as everybody was kind and courteous, giving precedence to others, stopping for others and being careful in built up areas. The other factor was how orderly our society is, especially being noticed in the banks and post offices – no pushing and shoving, cutting in line and arguing with each other (also the efficiency of the folks behind the counters and desks). He loved the Twin Towers, Statue of Liberty and Washington D.C., but he greatly appreciated the “kindness, orderliness and general honesty of our culture,” which has a strong foundation in God’s Word. He said, “Dad, America is great because God is great.” His principals, even if followed by pagans will improve any society and cause it to function at a much higher level.

As I stated above, there is no such thing as courtesy in banks, post offices, stores or other public services. The workers behind the counters are generally impolite and harsh (this tends to be the rule and not the exception). In the public sector and in government offices, not only are the workers rude, but also very inept and lazy. How often we have gone to the municipal building for some document (the Italian bureaucracy demands an ocean of documents even for the smallest operation), we are told to come back tomorrow because they either do not know how to do it, or just don’t want to. The elderly and illiterate are especially abused in this manner.

Then there is the sense of honesty, integrity and fair play. If a mechanic fixes your car and you have a problem that he caused, often he will charge you to fix what he caused. We have found this with our newsletters. We took them to the stationary store to have copies made, they made a mistake which necessi
tated redoing over half of them (about 100 copies) and they charged us to right their wrong. There is no discussing this as the entire society functions at this level. My brother, it is a result of not having the powerful influence of the Word of God at work in society; it is totally absent. In addition to this, is the practice of not paying workers, sometimes for weeks, months and sometimes not at all. This is not rare at all, but something you can count on in many areas of employment, especially private work, but also in smaller factories. The same is true of customers charging food in the many small Mom and Pop stores and allowing the tab to run into the hundreds and even up to a thousand euros (dollars). Since these shop owners depend on local folks that live within walking distance of their small shops, they extend the credit out of the need for business. I must say in all honesty that this system is most prevalent in the poorer southern part of Italy.

The Roman Church still extends a tremendous influence over society, even if it is not the “State” church any more. She rules social life from processions and large outdoor masses to the constant ringing of church bells announcing the mass, funerals, marriages and religious festivals. They march through our small (6-8 feet wide) streets with band blaring and carrying banners and statues. When you consider 3 priests and 5 or 6 nuns in constant movement in a small village of 8000 people, you can imagine their constant presence reminding folks of the influence of the church. All babies are baptized, all people are married and buried in the church. When our grandson was born, an old women asked our son Josh if they were going to baptize him. Josh said, No, we do not baptize babies. The woman informed him that they had to. Josh asked why, and the women said, “to please the village.” Not playing the religion game here is a grave social crime and is punishable by great family pressure, anger and often even shunning. This is the main reason that it is so hard, not to convince people of their need of Jesus, but for them to become members of the church. Fear and intimidation are the mightiest weapons the Roman church ever had in her arsenal. This soulish behavior rules southern Italian society.

As one looks at history, we see the Italian people excelling in the arts. One reason is because this is the only area the church allowed them to excel in. Mathematics and science often contradicted church teaching so the popes kept those folks under their watchful eyes….In fact, we do not see many great men and women excelling outside of the arts in Italian history. Only those who left the confines of the popes found fertile ground to allow their creativity and skills to flourish. This oppression still exists today as a lumbering bureaucratic dinosaur that merits extinction, still crushes all in its path through the culture and social system that IT created over so many centuries.

Let me conclude with a word about the oppression of the people. The church has taught for centuries basically that God really loves the poor and is sympathetic towards them. So the natural inclination was and is to give much to the coffers of Rome and we have a very poor society here in southern Italy (compared with the rest of western Europe)…

I do know that there is sin in every nation, but I must say, that my wife and I have not seen such gross sin in such a small village. Alcoholism, drug use, prostitution and adultery are rampant. Husbands beat their wives and children in such a way that would cause you to gasp for air. When women clean houses for people, in many cases it is expected that they will also provide other service for the master of the house. Blasphemy and bad language are as prevalent with the women as with the men, not to mention the children. They curse not only the Lord, but their saints and Mary as well.

We were raised in Washington, NJ, a town of 8000, and we did not see such things. The difference is that Rome never has had the opportunity to rule and ruin as it has in Italy and the other nations that have been governed by the popes or their lieges. I do not share these things with you to cut down the people of Italy or their culture, but only to share with you what Romanism has done to a people that were directly under her control. Even in the evangelical church there is no unity or love between the churches, be they Baptist, Salvation Army or Pentecostal. There are only about 500,000 evangelicals, 0.05% of the Italian population. The spirit of Rome rules and dominates even today and let us not, as you said, believe that she has changed. I often tell our people and even during street preaching, that if the Roman Church should again rule Italy, I, as an evangelical pastor, would quickly be executed. I truly believe that. She merely tolerates us, but in reality despises both the Bible believing churches, not to mention democracy, as do the Moslems.

Thank you my dear brother for allowing me to share these things with you. Perhaps it will serve only to reinforce what you already know to be true. May the Lord bless and keep and guide you in all your ways.

Your brother and sister in S. Italy,
Chuck and Ariel R., (senisemission@inwind.it)

-HOLINESS: A MAIN PURPOSE FOR PROPHECY

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THE COMING OF THE BABYLONIAN LION AND THE PERSIAN BEAR (DANIEL 7)

“Saddam Hussein not only has weapons of mass destruction in development, he probably has some crude chemical, biological and nuclear bombs already in his arsenal. The threat this maniac poses is only going to get worse in the next 12 months as his mad scientists work overtime on plans to kill Americans, Jews, Europeans and Israelis….we must clean Iraq’s clock now or the situation will get even worse in the next 12 to 24 months as Hussein develops deadlier weapons and the ability to deliver them more effectively and accurately.” (WND, Commentary, “We are Going To War,” 9-4-02)

“Israel and Iran: Covert friends? 2 nations possibly cooperating in opposition to Iraq – Recent allegations that an Israeli company was caught shipping military parts to Iran have raised several questions about shadowy ties between the two countries, which share a common enemy in Iraq, reports Stratfor, the global intelligence company. On Aug. 28, German officials seized a ship carrying rubber parts which, interestingly, are used primarily to make tracks for the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier, an older, U.S.-made vehicle that many countries use. What made it even more interesting was that the parts were being shipped by an Israeli company called PAD. And what made it absolutely fascinating was that the final destination for the parts was the Islamic Republic of Iran, which, like Israel, uses the M113….Israel and Iran engaged in intense intelligence and military cooperation during the shah’s rule. The fall of the shah and the rise of an Islamic regime shattered any formal ties between the two countries, but it did not obliterate their shared geopolitical interests….ideology aside, geopolitical interest kept the channels between Israel and Iran open. That channel has never completely closed, although the level of activity has varied. Israel and Iran remain enemies of Iraq….”(WND, 9-4-02)

Comments: For the past few years, the Kingdom Alert has maintained that all four kingdoms in Daniel 2, 7, and 8 will be revived (Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome), and that the idea that ONLY the Roman kingdom will be resurrected is without support. Let me review this evidence:

1. Daniel 2:44 says that “in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed…” “Kings” is plural. The next part of the same verse reads, “but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms…” It appears that we are dealing with double application prophecy. The historic fulfillment of the four kingdoms was much like John the Baptist fulfilling Malachi 4:5. John did not exhaust this prophecy. Jesus predicted the coming again of the future, literal Elijah, AFTER John was already beheaded (Matthew 17:11). Therefore, in the same manner, we look for all four kingdoms to be resurrected to fulfill the prophecies of Daniel completely.

2. Daniel 7:17 says that these four kings (Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome), are four kings “which SHALL arise out of the earth.” The historic rise of Babylon (7:1), obviously did not completely fulfill the prophecy of the first king. The angel did not say that THREE kings shall arise, but that FOUR shall arise.

3. Daniel 7:12 refers to the kings of Babylon, Persia and Greece, and says, “As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.” This appears to state that they are in existence in the tribulation period, before the Second Coming of Christ.

4. Daniel 8 absolutely teaches that Persia and Greece (2nd and 3rd) are kingdoms in the final days, in the LAST end of the tribulation period (before Rome comes to power). It reads:

Daniel 8:17…Understand, O son of man: for at THE TIME OF THE END shall be the vision.
19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the LAST END of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.
20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of MEDIA AND PERSIA.
21 And the rough goat is the king of GRECIA: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

This prophecy does not just teach that these kingdoms will be PRESENT in the tribulation period. It teaches that they will reign in dominance, consecutively.

5. Scriptures such as Isaiah 13, when read plainly and literally, teach a future revival of the Babylonian kingdom in the midst of the tribulation age.

These are the main reasons why I look for Iraq (the modern Babylonian kingdom) to arise and go forth to conquer at the start of the tribulation. This kingdom will greatly persecute the Jews. Following the historical pattern, Iran (modern Persia) must afterwards arise and defeat Iraq (Isaiah 13:17, etc.) and allow the Jews a period of restoration, when they will restore their temple. This will be followed by a Grecian persecution, which will in turn be followed by the rise of Rome, which will bring the final Antichrist and the worst persecution and bloodshed in all of history.

Is it not amazing that, at the same time that we see so many other stage-setting signs coming into focus, we also see the rise of Iraq? Isn’t it also amazing that Iran is a foe of this kingdom? And isn’t it amazing that there is even speculation that Iran (Persia) and Israel could be working together in some capacity?

I do not know what will occur concerning Iraq. I have maintained in the Kingdom Alert that there are at least four possible scenarios:

1. The rapture occurs very soon and Iraq attacks Israel and gains temporary power in the midst of world chaos and confusion in the west.

2. The U.S. is unable to gain enough support for a war, and Iraq is allowed to continue to grow in power, until the rapture.

3. The U.S. is judged for falling headlong into the sins of Sodom and Nineveh, even when it had so much more light. Its leaders do not repent of such national sins as praying to Allah, allowing the killing of babies, and endorsing sexual perversion (which destroys the family and society as a whole). Therefore, God does not give the nation the ability to break Iraq’s rise to power.

4. The world community decides to endorse the removal of Saddam. But the removal only allows the Babylonian kingdom to prosper and become the world center which Bible prophecy foretells.

The Lord, in His longsuffering and mercy, can hold back the forces of evil and His own earthly judgments. But we must not presume that He will do so. We must watch and pray and, if need be, repent.

HOLINESS: A MAIN PURPOSE FOR PROPHECY

There are a growing number of Christians who despise the study of Bible prophecy. Some of these maintain that the pursuit of holiness is the most important thing, and that it is somehow “carnal” to be concerned with lions and bears, beasts and dragons. But why then is so much of the Bible concerned with prophecy? Such Christians who reason this way, may have the right goal at heart, but they do not understand God’s means.

Noah was forewarned about the flood. Did he ignore this prophecy? No! Notice what the Scripture tells us:

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, BEING WARNED OF GOD of things not seen as yet, MOVED WITH FEAR, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Noah believed God about the future, and this caused him to MOVE with fear in the present. But what about the rest of mankind in his day?:

Matthew 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And KNEW NOT until the flood came, and to
ok them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

They lived their lives in total ignorance of God’s prophecies. They were busy. But they were not obedient.

There are some people who raise up an objection by pointing to supposed times in history when zealous prophecy advocates dressed in white and sat their lives away on a mountain looking for Jesus. Perhaps these saints were right about the watching, but wrong about the MOVING which is to be the result of the watching (as we see in Noah). Noah would not have been obedient if he would have dug a hole and stuck his head in it to keep it dry from the coming rain. But it is also true that his work might have been greatly hindered if he would have reasoned in the following manner:

“I do not need to believe God about the future. Enoch also prophesied, but he was speaking about the coming of the Lord thousands of years from now. God’s judgment may be centuries away. Or, perhaps God is speaking figuratively. A ‘flood of waters’ may refer to some future wars or something of that nature. This is all very cryptic. Who can understand these things? We do not want to be guilty of newspaper exegesis. We must keep up our appearance of ‘intelligence’ before this grand community we live in. And we must remember that mankind has been given dominion. I have so much to do for society. I cannot let myself get too distracted with apocalyptic theories of impending doom.”

Therefore, we are called to use prophecy to excite ourselves to MOVE. The watching and believing is for the purpose of moving in obedience and holiness. The Bible teaches that Christians must constantly be reminded and animated. We naturally tend toward slothful sedimentation. The Holy Spirit uses His prophetic Word (which includes promises and warnings) to excite us and stir us to move for Him.

As we discuss one of the main purposes of prophecy, notice the purpose of the Scriptures in general:

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 THAT THE MAN OF GOD MAY BE perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

This is not surprising since the Lord also states that HOLINESS is one of the main purposes of our salvation:

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, CREATED in Christ Jesus UNTO GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 TEACHING US that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, THAT he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of GOOD WORKS.

These Scriptures are clear! We are too look for the coming of Christ, and we are to understand that Jesus gave Himself for us to make us HOLY! To teach that God is only interested in holiness in the next life, at the resurrection, is to border on blasphemy!

Now notice how this present life of holiness is in many ways connected to and ignited by the study of prophecy:

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 SEEING THEN that all these things shall be dissolved, WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 LOOKING FOR and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14 Wherefore, beloved, SEEING that ye look for such things, BE DILIGENT that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
17 Ye therefore, beloved, SEEING ye know these things before, BEWARE lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Prophecy is connected with MOVING in the above Scripture. This is true to such an extent that Jesus taught that any teaching that tempts disciples to believe that His coming may be postponed for a long time has the potential to WORK SIN in them:

Matthew 24:48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord DELAYETH HIS COMING;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he LOOKETH NOT FOR HIM, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Bible teaches that many Christians will not be walking in holiness in the last days (2 Timothy 4). I believe there are there reasons why this will occur:

1. Prophecy will be taught WITHOUT its accompanying conditional promises and warnings (see my article on “Emasculated Watching”).

2. Prophecy will be taught as entertainment and ear scratching WITHOUT using it to make a final appeal to obey God’s commandments (see much of the “sound doctrine” Christians will not “endure” in the last days explained in Titus 2).

3. There is, and will continue to be, a great movement away from the study of Bible prophecy, especially in a literal, premillennial fashion. The result will be apathy. Dead, compromised “machinery” will replace Spirit-filled, sin-hating, purifying, zealous work for God.

I believe we must get back to preaching and teaching God’s commandments. We must use prophecy (with its warnings and promises) to stir up the minds of saints to action. This is not “legalism.” It is the PURPOSE for which God has created us in Christ, the purpose for which He has given His Scriptures to His people, and the purpose for which He foretells us the future. Let us be mindful of these things and the days grow darker.

MORE AGAINST ADHD

“ADD ‘not a real condition’ – The legitimacy of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder as a medical condition is questioned in a new report. The report, commissioned by the Youth Affairs Network of Queensland, has called for a moratorium on and inquiry into the use of the amphetamine-based drugs Ritalin and Dexamphetamine to treat ADHD – diagnosed in thousands of Australian children….The report author, psychologist Dr Bob Jacobs, said non-medical treatment of children with behavioural problems and learning difficulties, such as improved parenting and teaching techniques, was being ignored in favour of a ‘quick-fix pill.’ Dexamphetamine sulphate and Ritalin, or methylphenidate, are in the same family as the illicit methamphetamine, and have been used since the 1930s….’Professionals in many parts of the world have begun to question whether the ‘disorder’ really exists, or if it is just a label we give to children who are misbehaving.’
Commissioner for Children and Young People Robin Sullivan, a former deputy director-general of Education Queensland, supported the call for further research…” (The Courier-Mail)

“(AgapePress) – A Christian educator says the National Education Association has teamed up the psychiatrists and pharmaceutical companies to promote the sale of 25 different psychotropic drugs to children. Twenty percent of America’s 50 million public school students have been declared mentally ill and are on prescription drugs like Ritalin, Adderrall, and Prozac. Dr. Richard Simonds is president of the National Asso
ciation of Christian Educators….He says children are being placed on addicting and life-threatening drugs equal to cocaine, opium, or LSD because they have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – or ADHD. According to Simonds, ADHD was concocted by the American Psychiatric Association in conjunction with pharmaceutical companies in order to sell drugs….Simonds points out that 25 Schedule II drugs are being provided to children diagnosed with ADHD. A Schedule II drug is defined as a substance that has a high potential for abuse with severe liability to cause psychic or physical dependence. ‘It’s a very serious thing not only because it’s harming children and frying their brains permanently, but making them permanently addicted and allowing them to feel better in class,’ he says. ‘If a kid is too hyper, naturally when they give him a drug he’s going to calm down.’ In fact, Simonds says, the child is drugged – ‘and they call that a cure,’ he says. Simonds notes that schools receive a minimum of $1,300 a year for each student who is designated with ADHD.”
(Aug.30, 2002, AgapePress, quoted from “Dr. Johnson’s Healthy Living Newsletter,” Dr. Scott Johnson, av1611@ix.netcom.com)

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THE ROD: WILL GOD SPARE IT?
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CONFRONTING LAODICEA WITH THE TERROR OF THE LORD!
440 pages of Biblical and rare historic documentation on the Judgment Seat of Christ. You have heard that all the warnings to believers are to “false professors.” You have heard the idea that Christians can lose salvation. You have heard of Rome’s purgatory, where salvation is purchased through sufferings in a mythological place. But there is another alternative that has rich Biblical and historical support. See for yourself!

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Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

REPENT AMERICA: LEST A WORSE THING COME UNTO THEE

It is amazing how different modern America is from the America of just 100 years ago. Today multitudes of women look and act like men and many men look and act like women. Our modern nation, by and large, even condones blatant sin against the laws of conscience, which are clearly written in the heart of every man. But one change is significant in light of the anniversary of 9-11-01. Only a century ago, any national calamity was immediately seen as a reason for national humiliation, confession of sin, repentance, and prayer to the God of the Holy Bible. However, today, a national calamity is a time to offer a pitiful, self-centered, lazy, fast-food, “moment of silence” to nothing. Prayer to the God of the Christian Bible is now seen as bigoted and narrow-minded. And to preach that any national calamity is a NATIONAL JUDGMENT is to commit the unpardonable sin. But the Christians of America, and throughout the world, need to ignore these politically correct, emotion-driven “standards.” The preachers of this country have had too many “moments of silence.” It is time to cry out and call every man to repentance.

1. God uses calamities to punish cities, nations, and kingdoms that get lifted up in selfishness and sin:

Jonah 1:2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for THEIR WICKEDNESS is come up before me.
3:4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

Matthew 11:20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not…

When Rome continued to ignore the light of conscience and fall into debauchery, God sent BARBARIANS to TERRORIZE their kingdom. These attacks by the Goths continued until proud Rome fell. Does not this serve as a warning to proud, gluttonous America?:

“The Pagan historians of Rome have branded and immortalized the vices and crimes of the Caesars: the misanthropy, cruelty, and voluptuousness of
Tiberius; the ferocious madness of Caius Caligula, who had men tortured, beheaded, or sawed in pieces for his amusement, who seriously meditated the butchery of the whole senate, raised his horse to the dignity of consul and priest, and crawled under the bed in a storm; the bottomless vileness of Nero, ‘the inventor of crime,’ who poisoned or murdered his preceptors Burrhus and Seneca, his half-brother and brother-in-law Britannicus, his mother Agrippina, his wife Octavia, his mistress Poppaea, who in sheer wantonness set fire to Rome, and then burnt innocent Christians for it as torches in his gardens, figuring himself as charioteer in the infernal spectacle; the swinish gluttony of Vitellins, who consumed millions of money in mere eating; the refined wickedness of Domitian, who, more a cat than a tiger, amused himself most with the torments of the dying and with catching flies; the shameless revelry of Commodus with his hundreds of concubines, and ferocious passion for butchering men and beasts on the arena; the mad villainy of Heliogabalus, who raised the lowest men to the highest dignities, dressed himself in
women’s clothes, married a dissolute boy like himself, in short, inverted all the laws of nature and of decency, until at last he was butchered with his mother by the soldiers, and thrown into the muddy Tiber. And to fill
the measure of impiety and wickedness, such imperial monsters were received, after their death, by a formal decree of the Senate, into the
number of divinities and their abandoned memory was celebrated by festivals, temples, and colleges of priests!….The wives and mistresses
of the emperors were not much better. They revelled in luxury and vice, swept through the streets in chariots drawn by silver-shod mules, wasted fortunes on a single dress, delighted in wicked intrigues, aided their husbands in dark crimes and shared at last in their tragic fate…From the higher regions the corruption descended into the masses of the people, who
by this time had no sense for anything but [circuses] and, in the enjoyment of these, looked with morbid curiosity and interest upon the
most flagrant vices of their masters…No wonder that Tacitus, who with terse eloquence and old Roman severity exposes the monstrous character of
Nero and other emperors…foreboded the fearful vengeance of the gods, and even the speedy destruction of the empire. And certainly nothing could save it from final doom, whose approach was announced with ever-growing distinctness by wars, insurrections, inundations, earthquakes, pestilence, famine, IRRUPTION OF BARBARIANS, and prophetic calamities of every kind.”
(Schaff, “History of the Christian Church,” chapter VIII)

Even pagans philosophers, with only the light of conscience, could see God’s JUDGMENT in national calamities. There was certainly a time when
practically every God-fearing Christian used every destructive “act of God” to call the world to repentance. For example, D.M. Panton, in the
1920′s, provided a BIBLICAL response to the great earthquake in Japan:

“In comparably the greatest visible act of God since the War has been the earthquake in Japan (Sept. 1, 1923), another ominous thunder – an
earthquake among the greatest recorded in the history of the world….The number of deaths at the lowest is estimated (“Times,” Sept. 14, 1923) at 165,000….a million and a half people were rendered homeless…It is tragic to listen to the Church assuring Science that the world has nothing
to fear… ‘On the third day,’ an eye witness writes, ‘a heavy storm visited the capital, and millions of refugees had no shelter, nor
food…It is right that we should not shrink from seeing what God intends all the world to see – its horror…. ‘Tokio,’ says one eye-witness, ‘was
a living hell,’…’Many thousands,’ says yet another eye-witness, ‘were roasted alive.’…The reasons of any earthquake can be fully apparent only to God….Nevertheless probably no great earthquake has been without its moral clues….Japan, which, in the exhaustion of Europe and the chaos of China, threatened a possible world-dominance, has been reduced for
decades, by this act of God, to a second rate, harmless power…Two or three months before [this earthquake in Japan], Dr. Chas. Inwood said:
‘While I was in Tokio one of the leading journals of the city declared, in reference to the reading books in the hands of the people: ‘Most of the
books being read by the people, men and women, are so obscene that they could not be translated into English.’ Dr. D.S. Spencer, a missionary of
forty years’ standing in Japan, says: ‘Japan alone among the leading nations publicly licenses prostitution. Social vice fostered by the
government is undermining the family…endangering the church, destroying
the life of young manhood and womanhood, and eating out the heart of Japan.’…As the home of idolatry, India, with its 350,000,000 gods is
also the house of famine, so the home of emperor-worship for two thousand years, Japan, is also the home of earthquake and convulsion. In the last
fifteen centuries Japan has had an earthquake every ten years; in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, she has one every five years. A
Japanese gentlemen in London, not a Christian, exclaimed: ‘This has come from Heaven! Japan was sunk in materialism, and something had to happen!’”
(D.M. Panton, “The Panton Papers,” 1928)

How far we have strayed from this type of preaching! Today, most preachers in the public eye are puppets. They are paid and praised to make men feel comfortable as they rest in only a form of godliness (2 Timothy 3). When calamity strikes, they are immediately brought forth to com
fort a whole nation in its sins.

2. Often, the specific judgment is in the form of human enemies the Lord raises up to terrorize and afflict the nation under judgment:

Judges 6:1 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

Judges 13:1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

2 Chronicles 21:16 Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians:

1 Kings 11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
14 And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king’s seed in Edom.

Isaiah 10:1 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;
5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the
prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.
15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should
shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.

3. The proper response to these attacks is self-examination, confession, repentance, and forsaking of the national sins – even though specific individuals who are harmed in a national calamity may or may not be culpable:

Luke 13:1 There were present at that season some that TOLD HIM of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

The Lord did not watch the murders on TV, again and again! They came and told Him. I have never seen a plane crash into the buildings. I have not
seen video images of the destruction. But today, we have millions of people who can’t wait to get home to turn on the Roman Circus in their
living rooms. If God has not provided them with images of a suicide or some other live destruction, they will turn over to HBO and watch a “simulated” version. With modern technology, it appears real enough to momentarily satisfy their lust for blood. These images, repeatedly
replayed as entertainment, or to satisfy carnal curiosity (Acts 17:21), only cause people to become increasingly desensitized to the horrors of
violence.

But Jesus answered these people. He was aware of the horrible tragedy:

Luke 13:2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered
such things?
3 I tell you, Nay: but, EXCEPT YE REPENT, YE SHALL ALL LIKEWISE PERISH.
4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Therefore, we are to realize that individuals who perish in national tragedies are not necessarily worse sinners than those who escape them. We
must not make the mistake of Job’s friends. However, what is important here is that Jesus USED the horrible tragedies to PREACH REPENTANCE! The “Jesus” of many of these modern preachers, in the public eye, would never have used such horrible tragedies as a sermon-text to preach repentance and the fear of God! Yet these modern preachers are not only out of touch with Jesus 2000 years ago, they are out of touch with their OWN COUNTRY JUST OVER A CENTURY AGO!

In the 19th century, families in the U.S. were devastated by the Civil War. How did the government leaders respond to the national tragedy? Did they offer up a pathetic moment of silence? Did they pretend to salute Allah or Buddha? Did they pray to God for comfort without repentance or confession of sin? No! On March 2, 1863, Senator James Harlan introduced the following Resolution in the Senate. The Resolution beseeched President Lincoln to proclaim a national day of prayer and fasting. It was adopted on March 3, and signed by Lincoln on March 30. Read the words of this Resolution and see how different they are from the politically correct, hypocritical, smooth-talking dribble of our nations leaders today. Remember, the following Resolution was signed by the President:

“Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and HUMILIATION. And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their
dependence upon the overruling power of God, to CONFESS THEIR SINS and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine
REPENTANCE will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that
those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord. And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are SUBJECTED TO PUNISHMENTS and chastisements in this world, MAY WE NOT JUSTLY FEAR THAT THE AWFUL CALAMITY OF CIVIL WAR, which now desolates the land, MAY BE BUT A PUNISHMENT, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful
end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and
multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced
by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become TOO SELF-SUFFICIENT to feel the necessity of
redeeming and preserving grace, TOO PROUD to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to
confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness. Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of April, 1863, as a day of national
humiliation, fasting and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion. All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on
high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the City of Washington, this thirtieth day of March, in
the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty seventh. – By the
President: Abraham Lincoln, William H. Seward, Secretary of State.” (“The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln,” Roy P. Basler)

4. Obedient Christians must lead the nations and help them to u
nderstand the ways of God:

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and TEACH ALL NATIONS, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Matthew 5:14 Ye are THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

5. Spreading false assurances of comfort and safety, regardless of any true confession and repentance, is sin; it is not the role of God’s people to give messages of false hope and comfort:

Jeremiah 8:11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

Isaiah 57:21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
58:1 CRY ALOUD, SPARE NOT, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, AS A NATION THAT DID RIGHTEOUSNESS, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.

Many of the leaders of America are using God’s name in public speeches (“God bless America,” etc.), and offering up token prayers, while in the
next conversation they take His holy name in vain. They act as if we are a nation that does not DESERVE to be destroyed! But how can this be? We are a nation that has embraced sodomy and perfumed the killing of infants in the womb. The entertainment of the deluded masses is perverted and debased. Shall we pretend to offer up prayers to God with no confession of sin, no repentance, no humbling of ourselves as a nation?

6. In the past, God has used the king of Babylon to punish the proud, rebellious nations of the earth for their sins. He will do so again in the
last days:

Jeremiah 25:5 They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath
given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:
8 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words,
9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the KING OF BABYLON, MY SERVANT, and will bring
them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and AGAINST ALL THESE NATIONS round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.
12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for
their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.
15 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to
drink it.
31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
32 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.

Jeremiah 27:8 And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will
not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
9 Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:

Jeremiah 37:8 And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.
9 Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.
10 For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should
they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.

Habakkuk 1:6 For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that BITTER AND HASTY NATION, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the
dwellingplaces that are not theirs.
9 They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.
10 And they shall SCOFF AT KINGS, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and
take it.

These Scriptures are double prophecies. They speak of the old king of Babylon AND the king of Babylon in the last days. Saddam Hussein may, or
may not, be the last days’ king of Babylon (which is distinct from the final Antichrist of Revelation 13). Yet, he is certainly in the spirit of this ancient, bitter and hasty king!

7. The four Kingdoms of Daniels prophecy will be restored again in the last days. The first Kingdom God uses to judge the world in the
tribulation period will again be Babylon:

Daniel 7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4 The FIRST was like a lion…
17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which SHALL ARISE out of the earth.

Daniel 2:38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath
made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
44 And IN THE DAYS OF THESE KINGS shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left
to other people, but it shall break in pieces and CONSUME ALL THESE KINGDOMS…

Many of the prophecies of Daniel are dual. Iraq will once again be used to PUNISH the world. How far this goes in the present, depends, to some
degree, upon how mankind responds to God’s warnings.

8. God has specifically promised judgment upon every nation that turns from the light of truth:

Psalms 2:10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and YE PERISH from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust
in him.

9. God will often show mercy to a condemned city or nation in response to mass repentance, and will postpone its final overthrow:

Jonah 3:8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and CRY MIGHTILY unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and
from the VIOLENCE that is in their hands.
9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

Jeremiah 18:7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;
8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
9 And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
10 If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

America has been warned. One day, perhaps tomorrow, the tribulation period will begin. Iraq will once again be used as God’s hammer. Will you not seek God for His mercy upon our nation? It is a nation with bloody hands.

It is time to be an example to the lost and get on our faces before the Lord and repent. Church-going Christians can begin by repenting of their
gluttony, lack of prayer for national leaders, gluttony, lack of discipline and sacrifice in tithes and offerings, friendship of t
he world,
indulgence in worldly TV and movies, railing, sowing discord, gluttony, sending the mother out of the home to work, lack of standards, gluttony,
lack of Biblical separation, immodest and perverted clothing, disobedience or disrespect to husbands, fathers, bosses, pastors and other leaders, sharpness toward wives and children, gluttony, adultery, fornication, lack
of deep Bible study for the purpose of growing in personal holiness, lack of regular soul winning, lack of regular family devotions, etc.

Perhaps this article has made you mad because you have poison that needs to come out of your heart (see 2 Timothy 4:3 and Titus 2:1-15). This kind
can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting!
***********************************************
Change Must Begin at the House of God! And it must begin with the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom. Order The Rod: and see!

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THE ROD: WILL GOD SPARE IT?
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440 pages of Biblical and rare historic documentation on the Judgment Seat of Christ.

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PART II:
“GOD, THE BELLY, OR THE CREDIT CARD?: AN EXAMINATION OF TITHING IN RELATION TO MODERN CHRISTIANS”
-THE OBLIGATION TO TITHE IS NOT ABOLISHED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
-THE NEW TESTAMENT AFFIRMS TITHING AS A MORAL DUTY
-EARLY CHRISTIANS ADVOCATED TITHING AS A MINIMUM
-TITHING BRINGS FINANCIAL SUFFICIENCY
-SHOULD WE TITHE IF WE ARE IN DEBT?
-CONCLUSION

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GOD, THE BELLY, OR THE CREDIT CARD?: AN EXAMINATION OF TITHING IN RELATION TO MODERN CHRISTIANS (PART I)
*******************************************
“….the vast majority of those individuals attend churches that teach a biblical responsibility to tithe. The fact that fewer than one out of every ten born again believers does so suggests that financial stewardship is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges facing the Christian Church in America today.” (George Barna, Barna.org)

“The younger a person is, the less likely they are to donate any money at all, to donate to a church, and the less money they donate when they do give. In terms of generations, Baby Busters (adults in the 18 to 35 age bracket) were the least generous on every count…” (Barna.org, April 9, 2002)

Should modern Christians tithe (i.e. give at least ten percent of their income to their local church)? Should they tithe while they are in debt? To fully answer such questions, we must first notice the unholy spirit of this age that is driving multitudes toward a spirit of reckless, casual religion (though we also see the smoke of ungodly formalism and superstition on the horizon). Everywhere we turn in this age, we see an attack upon ordained authority and ordained order. This movement is a fulfillment of the following Scriptures (2 Timothy 4:3, 3:1-3, 2 Peter 2:1-3, 10-14, Jude 1:4, 8). Today, supposed “Laodicean rights” (“I want to do my own thing, be comfortable, and love myself”) are held to be more dear than the commandments of the Almighty God. While the ordained rule of the husband and father in the home is despised, the ordained order of the church is likewise under attack (1 Corinthians 14:40, 1 Timothy 3:1, 4-5, 10). In an effort to avoid the sin of Nicolaitanism (i.e. Romanism), many are going too far into religious anarchy and antinomianism. And as everyone should know, totalitarianism, in whatever realm, always follows upon the heels of anarchy. It is for this reason that the principle of tithing must be defended. There are spiritual enemies who seek to undermine the support of God’s full-time workers (pastors, missionaries, etc.), and grind to a haphazard halt the work of the churches (sending out the Gospel, helping the poor, etc.). Some, in a zeal for liberty, are unwittingly being used by these spiritual enemies to usher in the very Nicolaitanism they are striving so hard to avoid. It is therefore hoped that this information and research will be a blessing to many churches today.

TITHING ACKNOWLEDGES GOD AS BENEFACTOR AND OWNER

“He also required the firstfruits of the fields and firstlings of the flock for the same purpose – honest acknowledgement that God is the owner of all things.”
(Ralph S. Cushman, 1879-1960, “Will A Man Rob God?”)

To begin the study of this subject, we will first deal with some broad, but true principles. We will then argue from direct New Testament Scriptures that the obligation of tithing is still binding today.

One of the first reasons that giving unto God the firstfruits of our increase is an obligation for ALL AGES is found in Proverbs 3:

Proverbs 3:9 HONOUR the LORD with thy substance, and with the FIRSTFRUITS of all thine increase:

By systematically giving God our “firstfruits” (not what may or may not be left over through chance), we HONOR God. God is worthy of this honor in all ages, especially those with the most light (NT):

Malachi 1:6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, WHERE IS MINE HONOUR? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

The Lord was not looking for only warm feelings from Israel. He was looking for a manifestation of their regard for Him through the sacrificial giving of their firstfruits unto Him (Malachi 3:8). The Lord has no less right to ask modern Christians where His honor is today than He had in the days of Malachi!:

“One cannot satisfy his landlord by praising his property, or sending him gifts on birthdays, anniversaries or at Christmas. Neither does one satisfy God, the Owner of all things, by complimenting Him…and giving Him the left over change from the previous week’s spending. God expects recognition of His ownership…The tithe is the minimum rate of return God expects for the financing of His work on earth.”
(A.J. Wall, “Financing the Lord’s Church,” Baptist Sunday School Committee of the American Baptist Association, 1963)

SYSTEMATIC TITHING IS BETTER THAN HAPHAZARD GIVING

“Those who give without system, keep no accounts and part with as little as they please, sometimes fancy themselves fairly liberal, whereas if they would only put on paper the amount of their charity, they would be, in many cases, on comparing it with income, thoroughly ashamed of how little they actually part with, and as a consequence, of how much they rob the Almighty.” (Henry Lansdell, “The Sacred Tenth,” 1906)

The above statement by Lansdell was true when he wrote it; it is certainly true today! Notice the following survey reports for the past few years:

“One out of every six born again Christians (16%) gave no money to his/her church during 1999. The proportion who tithed to their church was just 8%…In general, the more money a person makes the less likely he/she is to tithe.”
(Barna.org, April 5, 2000)

“The latest report on the tithing habits of America’s churchgoers is in. The survey by an Illinois group called Empty Tomb indicates the trend of people giving less to their churches is continuing….Others note that despite a booming economy which has raised salaries to all-time highs, people have also become more selfish and self-sufficient and feel less of a burden to obey God’s Word.”
(PCANews.com, Jan. 17, 2001) ü

“While many Christian churches teach the biblical principle of tithing – that is, giving 10% of ones income to the church – relatively few people follow the practice. One out of every six adults (17%) claims to tithe, but a comparison of the amount that people gave to churches and their household income revealed that just 6% actually donated one-tenth of their income (pre-tax or post-tax) to churches. The level of misreporting among born again Christians was just as prolific: 32% reported tithing, yet only 12% actually did so in 2000. Even so, born again Christians were about four times more likely than were non-born again adults to tithe (12% vs. 3%, respectively)…Assessing the outcomes of the annual giving survey, George Barna, president of the company that conducts the study, noted several significant challenges facing churches. ‘Two major trends are in force. First, the Baby Bust generation, which includes adults in their twenties through mid-thirties, barely gives to churches or religious causes. Second, their predecessors, the Baby Boomers, who are in their mid-thirties to mid-fifties, are generous donors but simply do not assume that they ought to give to churches….As these two generations become more prolific within churches, their tendency to give less to churches will challenge ministries.’”
(Barna.org, June 5, 2001)

“In t
otal, one out of every 12 adults (8%) had given away at least 10% of their income last year. That was marginally above the 6% registered in 2000.”
(Barna.org, April 9, 2002)

“The Hoge study found that planned giving means greater giving. Not surprisingly, tithers give the most.”
(thelutheran.org)

Two things are apparent based upon the above reports. First, as the lawless, Laodicean spirit (that will not endure the “sound doctrine” of Titus 2, etc.) continues to invade homes and churches, an increasing number of younger, professing saints are growing up with no knowledge of their responsibilities toward the local church. For many of these, throwing a ball with two friends in a park on Sunday is “having church”; and buying their sister a birthday card is “supporting God’s work with their money.” Secondly, it is clear that good intentions and warm fuzzy feelings cannot support God’s work in the same manner as the Biblical principle of systematic giving. It leaves churches dependent upon extra-Biblical methods:

“In many places no attempt has ever been made to train the people to give in some systematic manner, and the teaching of God’s Word on this subject is entirely neglected. What money is given, is given in a careless, thoughtless manner…Nothing is more damaging to the spirit of true liberty than this neglect of proper Scripture training, while the very life and love of the Christian are sapped and destroyed by these times of extra pressure, and periodical spurts at raising money. Under such circumstances, it cannot be expected that the offerings of the people will come in any other way than in dribbles. And that is just how they do come in…And so in churches where systematic giving in any form is unknown, Christian people become more and more enfeebled and weak, and less inclined to give at all.”
(“Charles A. Cook, Systematic Giving,” American Baptist Publication Society, 1888)

If tithing is supposedly legalistic (and giving God whatever we feel like giving Him from time to time is supposedly the manner in which God has ordained under grace), then why is it that the “legalistic” giving almost always out-gives the so-called “grace” giving? Certainly, the reason is that when people grow increasingly selfish (2 Timothy 3:1-2), it becomes easier to soothe the conscience with the slightest sacrifices:

“According to some, man must merely ease his own conscience in his giving. One may ease his conscience by giving a small amount while another cannot ease his conscience until he gives more.”
(A.J. Wall, “Financing the Lord’s Church,” Baptist Sunday School Committee of the American Baptist Association, 1963)

The Biblical principle of tithing is obviously a MINIMAL standard by which we can systematically gauge our giving. This orderly manner of giving, with the right motives, will result in blessing for the churches:

“God meant, in giving His tithing system to His church, that religious things should be managed systematically, decently, and in order.”
(Babbs, “The Law of the Tithes,” 1912)

“Of all the subjects we present…none will help your churches more than this.”
(J. Wilbur Chapman, “The Tithe,” 1908)

TITHING IS FOUND IN ALMOST ALL NATIONS IN HISTORY

Romans 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts…

The principle of giving unto God the firstfruits of our increase is written in our hearts. It is not a part of the ceremonial law. It is a lasting, moral obligation for all ages. The fact that so many nations have decided upon a tenth (tithe) as the portion to set aside for God, argues for a patriarchal revelation given to ancient man, when all the world was united. Notice how widespread this principle of tithing had become in ancient times:

“Arabians required every merchant to offer a tenth of his frank incense to the priest for their God….Xenophan, after his Retreat of the Ten Thousand from Asia Minor, together with his captains, consecrated the tithe of his gains to Apollo and to Diana, and built a temple supported by tithes….The duty of tithing is frequently mentioned in the Egyptian documents….China accepted the law of the tithe very early….The same may be said of India….So general, therefore, is the testimony of the antiquity of tithing, that we are constrained to adopt the statement of Monacutius:…’in the annals of all times none are found who did not pay tithes.’”
(Babbs, “The Law of the Tithe,” 1912)

“The [Babylonian] temple and priests were supported by the contributions of the people – partly obligatory and partly voluntary. The most important among them were the ‘tithes’ paid upon all produce.”
(Dr. Sayce, Professor of Assyriology at Oxford, quoted by Lansdell, 1906)

“In the case of the ancient Romans also, we are able to trace the practice of tithe-paying to their earliest or legendary history…We have traced the practice of tithe-paying into almost every known country of importance in the ancient world.”
(Henry Lansdell, “The Sacred Tenth,” 1906)

The picture-writings of Egypt, the cuneiform tablets of Babylonia, and early writers of Greece and Rome inform us that before the Bible was written, and apart there from, it was an almost universal practice among civilized nations for people to pay tithes to their gods; but none tell us when, or where, the practice began, or who issued the law for its observance….How should it be that so many peoples have hit upon a tenth for God’s portion, rather than a fifth…or any other?
(Henry Lansdell, The Sacred Tenth, 1908)

“The payment of tithe is a practice both ancient and widespread, being found among many peoples, Semitic and non-Semitic.”
(Hastings Dictionary of the Bible, 1909)

“….there are collected examples of the custom [tithe] among the southern Arabians, the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, the Lydians…the Greeks, and the different nations of Italy….there is something that may be said for it as a practice favored by the light of nature, as well as by the usage of those who enjoyed the light of revelation.”
(“Imperial Bible Dictionary”)

This information certainly argues that the principle of tithing is an obligation for all times. It is the DUTY of man. As with all holy duties, it should be performed in hope, with joy.

TITHING WAS PRACTICED BY PATRIARCHS BEFORE THE MOSAIC LAW

Tithing was practiced before Moses was born. It is no more rendered void by grace than praying is abolished by grace:

“There are some duties which the Bible seems to recognize as understood from the beginning…The duty of tithe-giving – of giving one-tenth of one’s income to the Lord – is one of these duties which seem to have needed the record of no original announcement or injunction. Like prayer, tithe-giving was practiced by the patriarchs long before the proclamation of the Mosaic Law. While, as in the case of prayer, it finds no specific mention in the Decalogue….The duty of tithe-giving certainly seems to stand out in the Bible as a duty of equal obligation with prayer.”
(“The Sunday School Times”)

Abraham, before the Mosaic Law, paid tithes:

Genesis 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him TITHES of all.

Hebrews 7:9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, PAYED TITHES in Abraham.

Jacob, before the Mosaic law, also gave tithes:

Genesis 28:22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the TENTH unto thee.

We are never told that these are the ONLY times these patriarchs tithed. And the fact that it is recorded that they did so is certainly provided for a reason. When this fact is coupled with the history of all ancient nations, we understand that the principle of tithing was included in the Mosaic
law for the same reason that all moral obligations were included in the law. These moral obligations do not cease with the passing away of the ceremonial letter. They are to be fulfilled in them that walk according to the Spirit:

“…the tithe which was holy before the law, and during the law, was not made less holy by the passing of the law.”
(George W. Brown, “Gems of Thought on Tithing,” 1911)

Moses did not institute the tithe; its origin dates from antiquity. However, he did add a second and third tithe…that passed away when Jesus came….The first tithe, which is the Lord’s, was not added by Moses and did not pass away with Christ. The first tithe has existed since time began and will continue until time shall be no more.
(A. Edwin Wilson, “Selected Writings”)

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IN THIS ISSUE
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-BELIEVERS WHO WILL BE RAPTURED BEFORE THE TRIBULATION:

THE VERY GOOD AND THE VERY BAD – BUT WHAT ABOUT THE LUKEWARM?

-I WILL BE PREACHING AT FAITH BAPTIST OF CHATTANOOGA THIS WEEK.

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BELIEVERS WHO WILL BE RAPTURED BEFORE THE TRIBULATION:
THE VERY GOOD AND THE VERY BAD – BUT WHAT ABOUT THE LUKEWARM?
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“A wise man by investigation sometimes changes his opinion, but a fool, never.”
(J.R. Graves)

INTRODUCTION

In my book “The Rod: Will God Spare It?,” I deal only with the warnings to believers in relation to the Millennial Kingdom. The subjects of the rapture, and the Tribulation Period are only briefly touched upon. In this article I put forth some views that I have been pondering in the Scriptures in relation to the rapture. The various views of the rapture are:

1. Pretrib-total (all believers, faithful and unfaithful, are caught up before the Tribulation).

2. Pretrib-partial (only faithful believers are caught up before the Tribulation).

3. Mid-trib (also pre-wrath).

4. Post-trib (all believers are caught up at the end of the Tribulation).

I suggest in this article a combination of views 1 and 2. I suggest the possibility that both the faithful overcomers, AND the unfaithful believers (those who commit things worthy of death and have pleasure in them that do them) will be caught up before the Tribulation Period. The faithful will be rewarded and crowned to reign in the Millennial Kingdom, with varying degrees of authority based on their service to their Lord. The unfaithful believers, who have lived in open rebellion to the Lord, will be also caught up to the Judgment Seat of Christ with the faithful saints. Yet, they will be chastised and barred from reigning in the Millennial Kingdom. This leaves only one group of believers to be temporarily left behind: the lukewarm, who are neither hot nor cold.

To follow after every wind of doctrine is a sin. But it is also a sin to remain stagnant due to laziness, and refuse to search the Scriptures in our own days. The man of God is to be apt to teach. And Paul commanded Timothy to give attendance to reading. We are called to “study” to show ourselves approved unto God, as “a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Early men of God were called every name imaginable for teaching simple premillennialism (this was considered new light in the 17th century, even though it was the oldest view). Diligent, literal Bible scholars of the next generation were also ridiculed by other men (even some otherwise good men) for teaching a literal, future Tribulation Period (considered new light at the time). Many of the conservative men of the day felt that it was a trick by Roman Catholics to take the attention off of Rome being the Great Whore of Revelation 17; yet most of the futurists were strongly anti-Catholic, and saw Revelation 17 as the future rise of Rome over the world.

I gratefully welcome any comments or questions upon this article, as I prayerfully, with fear and trembling, study the Scriptures in these last days.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE RAPTURE DOCTRINE

I have shown in detail in other articles on the rapture, that in the 17th and 18th centuries, premillennialists began to make a distinction between two major stages of the Lord’s coming. These premillennialists were historicists. They were literal in regard to the Millennium, but they were not literal in regard to the Tribulation Period. They did not see the Antichrist as one man; and the various numbers in the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation (1260 days, etc.), were interpreted as prophetic years. However, they had begun to lay the foundation in their studies of Scripture for two stages of the Second Coming.

In the first part of the 19th century, this new understanding of the two parts of the Second Coming shined brighter. Before long many began to understand that the Book of Revelation (chapters 6-22) was a prophecy of events still future. They understood the inconsistency of interpreting the 1000 years as a literal number (i.e. Revelation 20), while interpreting the other numbers (i.e. 1260 days) in a “prophetic” sense. Robert Govett soon published his commentary, “The Apocalypse: Literal and Future.” And many Christians began to wed the two stages of the Lord’s coming with the literal, future Tribulation Period.

For many decades, the majority of these early men held that being “caught up” in the first stage of the Lord’s coming (before the Tribulation) was not an unconditional promise for every believer. Hundreds of premillennial, dispensational, futurist prophecy teachers understood what became known as the “partial rapture.” Many of these same men also understood the truth of the partial reign (conditional entrance in the Millennium). They proclaimed that missing the pretribulational rapture would be God’s merciful warning to many (in the last generation of saints) that He had not found their works perfect before God; if they responded to the discipline of the Tribulation Period, and repented, they could still be found worthy of entrance into the 1000-year Kingdom. Men in the 19th century such as Robert Govett, George N.H. Peters (author of “The Theocratic Kingdom”), G.H. Pember, W. Fuller Gooch, G.D. Hooper (the two latter men signed the doctrinal confession with Spurgeon during the Downgrade Controversy), D.N. Lord, Bickersteth, H.W. Fry, R.C. Chapman, J.A. Seiss, Hudson Taylor, John Wilkinson (author of “Israel My Glory”), and many, many others began to warn the believers of their day that the pretribulational rapture will be a gracious “reward,” and that lukewarmness in their walk could cause them to be “left behind” to suffer tribulation (just as some fruit needs extra sunshine to ripen it).

There is something in the flesh of every believer that naturally recoils from accountability. We see this in Jeremiah 7:4 when many were using the fact that they had the privileges of the temple as an objection to Jeremiah’s warning about being cast out of the land. They certainly already had God’s clear statements that possession of the land had some conditional elements to it. Yet, over the years, they had grown to ignore these written warnings. Samuel Wilkinson (the son of John Wilkinson, the famed author of “Israel My Glory”), later in life confessed that it had been his pride that had caused him to reject his father’s teaching on the conditional rapture.

Along this same line, James R. Graves, the famous leader of the Southern Baptists (who was largely responsible for the dispensational leanings of many Baptists in later times), later received and confessed the partial rapture and partial reign teaching. After being bedridden for a time, he had much time to slow down, and study the Scriptures. In “Dispensational Expositions of the Parables and Prophecies of Christ” (1887), J.R. Graves writes:

“These expositions are eminently providential. Had this author not been stricken down by a severe and protracted affliction, they doubtless would never had been written….He can truly say these years were spent in Beulah, in almost unalloyed spiritual enjoyment…The author, after more than three years of patient study of the prophetic Scriptures since writing ‘The Seven Dispensations,’ has modified his views set forth in that work…It has been said, ‘A wise man by investigation sometimes changes his opinion, but a fool, never.’”

What are some of the changes that Graves made? He writes:

“I call [these] Eschatological parables, because they find their interpretations in events connected with the last times of this dispensation, and the Second Coming of Christ, which grand event will prepare the way for, and introduce the Millennium…only those servants will receive the chief honors and highest rewards who are ready, watchful, and in earnest, prayerful expectancy of His coming: OTHERWISE THEY WILL BE LEFT TO LIVE ON AND SUFFER THE TERRIBLE ILLS AND TRIBULATIONS THAT AWAIT ALL WHO REMAIN ON THE EARTH until the close of this dispensation…

How few ministers can brook the least persecution for the truth’s sake! WILL SUCH EVER ENTER THE KINGDOM OR WEAR A CROWN?…All Christians are loved by Christ, and will be saved and rewarded according to what they have done and suffered for Him, but all will not…be enthroned and crowned to reign with Him. Not to all Christians can He say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servants, etc….the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN is NOT NOW, and never has been, but it is only at some future time, to be likened unto ten virgins….I cannot believe [the ready virgins] found sweet pleasures in the ballroom, the opera, and the theater….those Christians who are ‘left’ because accounted unworthy to escape the chastening trials and sufferings of the ‘great tribulation’ will pass through them…and will finally come safely out…some receiving a few and other many stripes, and still others saved yet so as by fire…”

BIBLE VERSES WHICH TEACH A PARTIAL RAPTURE

The following Bible verses were understood by these great men to teach a partial rapture before the Tribulation Period. There are many ways to squeeze out from under Bible verses. But we should realize that the PRE-TRIB rapture teaching was re-birthed in modern times, primarily on the basis of the Scriptures which reveal a time element. Scriptures such as 1 Thessalonians 4:17, etc., have no time element. They are equally claimed by pre-tribbers and post-tribbers. But the following Scriptures reveal timing. This is why the majority of early pre-tribbers believed in a partial rapture:

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

In Luke 21, the disciples are addressed. They are commanded to watch and pray to be accounted worthy to escape ALL these things that shall come to pass. This implies a possible escape (like Enoch) for those who live and preach like Enoch:

Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Many who believe that the pretribulatonal rapture is entirely unconditional are unable to teach their churches to watch and pray to escape the Tribulation Period explained by the Lord in Luke 21.

Notice another Bible verse:

Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Notice this church had already won the crown, and they were called to hold it fast. If the coming of the Lord had occurred in their day, they would have been caught up like Enoch. They would have been kept from the hour of temptation (the Tribulation Period). All who live like the Philadelphian church will escape the Tribulation Period. Looking at it from the other direction, notice the closing words in the Book of Revelation:

Revelation 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things IN THE CHURCHES. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
18 For I testify unto EVERY MAN that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If ANY MAN shall ADD unto these things, GOD SHALL ADD UNTO HIM THE PLAGUES THAT ARE WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK:

The Philadelphia church kept the Word, and they are promised an escape from the plagues written in the Book of Revelation. In Revelation 22:18, Jesus warns “every man” and “any man” that if they add to the words of God, they will receive the Tribulation Plagues. They have to be in the Tribulation Period to receive them!

Other Scriptures include Hebrews 9:28 (which conditions the rapture on those who LOOK for Him), as well as 2 Thessalonians 2:7:

2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed…

The “he that now letteth [i.e. he that resists evil in the world]” refers to any Christian who is living as salt, exposing the darkness, and keeping himself separated from the world by the Holy Spirit (Paul speaks like this elsewhere: Gal.6:8). These saints will be taken out of the way before the Antichrist is revealed.

There are other Scriptures, but these should suffice to demonstrate the ground upon which so many skilled and holy men received and taught the doctrine of the partial rapture. They answered the Scriptures “so shall we ever be with the Lord” and “God hath not appointed us to wrath” by pointing out that these Scriptures are addressed to the holy Thessalonians. Secondly, they simply describe God’s will and design for every believer. Their purpose is meant to comfort saints who are already shining their light and suffering persecution patiently. They do not grant all saints a right to ignore conditions and warnings written elsewhere. The promise that the Lord had appointed the Jews the Promised Land and would “give” it to them did not mean that He would not slay almost a whole generation in the wilderness for rebellion! The promise that, “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them,” does not mean that we do not have to take heed to the conditions mentioned elsewhere (Mark 11:24, 1 John 3:22).

TAKING THE TRUTH ON BOTH SIDES

We must not forget that there were some holy men of God who were skilled in the Scriptures who embraced the post-trib position. Men such as B.W. Newton and George Muller (the great man of prayer) adopted the post-trib position. The partial rapture position takes the truth on both sides of the rapture question. The doctrine of Kingdom-Exclusion does the same thing in the Arminian/Calvinist debate concerning other warning passages, such as Hebrews 6, 10, etc. In fact, the doctrine of Kingdom Exclusion actually opens up another door of mediation between the pre-trib total position and the pre-trib partial position. In other words, the partial rapture may not be as partial as some older partial rapturists have maintained. The doctrine of Kingdom exclusion allows us to see the imminent coming of Christ (before the Trib) as not only a reward for faithful believers, but also as an IMMEDIATE, fiery danger for the extremely unfaithful believers. This leaves only the moderately unfaithful behind to go through the Tribulation Period to ripen to maturity, or be excluded at the final stage of the coming of the Lord.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE IMMINENT COMING

Pretribbers have long taught that the doctrine of the imminent return is a key to understanding their position. If the Lord can come at any moment, like a thief, then it follows that there are no intermediate signs or prophecies that must come to pass before He can appear to believers. This doctrine of the imminent, any moment coming of the Lord appears in the inspired Scriptures, as well as in the earliest post-apostolic writings.

in 1904, I.M. Haldeman (the fiery, premillennial pastor of First Baptist of New York city) writes:

“This teaching [of the imminent coming] is a part of the faith ‘once delivered to the saints.’ It WAS delivered by our Lord to his disciples before the crucifixion….He taught that after he had ascended they were to wait and watch, and be ready for his return in an ‘unknown’ hour. Listen to his own words in Mark 13:32-37:

Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch…

What he says in Mark he emphasizes in Matthew…He warns them that the servant who teaches that the Lord for any cause delayeth ‘his Coming’ is an ‘evil’ servant; not because he smites his fellow-servants in ‘authority’ and drinks with the drunken…but because he FIRST says that the Lord is not at hand…He warns that kind of teachers that they shall be ‘cut off.’ If this language was not an exhortation to those living disciples to be ready and watching for the Lord in their day, then language is a juggle…”
(“The Imminent Coming of Christ”)

COMING LIKE A THIEF!

Haldeman (in the above excerpt, and elsewhere) was able to understand that the “any moment” coming of the Lord in the rapture involves more than just rewarding the faithful believers! It also involves rewarding the unfaithful, who are eating and drinking with the drunken, smiting their fellow servants, etc. This understanding reveals that many pre-tribbers (who deny any chastisement at the Judgment Seat) will have trouble reconciling their doctrine of the imminent coming with the actual Scriptures which reveal it. If the Lord is not describing His imminent coming to His disciples, then language means nothing. However, the imminent coming that Christ describes is said to be as a THIEF:

Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I WILL COME ON THEE AS A THIEF, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

If the church of Sardis does not watch, they are in danger of the Lord coming upon them as a thief. This is meant to be WARNING, not a comforting promise! What do thieves do, if you are not watching for them?:

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…

There will be some believers who will have the Lord come upon them at the pretrib rapture like a thief! It is a warning that they will be chastised with great afflictions at the Judgment Seat of Christ when they are caught up alive:

1 Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh AS A THIEF in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day SHOULD OVERTAKE YOU AS A THIEF.

Verse 1 shows that these Thessalonians had no need (like other churches). They were not asleep (like some believers and churches). If they stayed awake and ready, the Lord would not meet them in the rapture as a thief. When they are caught up to the Judgment Seat of Christ, they will not meet with destruction, for they will not be meeting the Lord in the air as a thief. But what about other believers? What about other churches who are in darkness? What about the churches who have preachers who are teaching “peace and safety,” even in the midst of rebellion and sin! What about those Christian leaders who are teaching their churches that at the coming of Christ they will be praised and blessed regardless of how they are walking as believers? The day of the Lord’s coming will overtake them as a thief! The Lord will come upon them like a thief:

Luke 12:39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the THIEF would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

If the believer will not watch for Jesus to come at any moment in the rapture, and be ready for this coming in holiness, he will begin to walk in sin, and he will be caught up to meet Jesus as a THIEF:

Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch THE THIEF would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant SHALL COME in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And SHALL CUT HIM ASUNDER, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Do we not plainly see that the imminent coming of the Lord in the rapture will not be a picnic for some believers who are drunken in this world and asleep? The faithful and wise servant is called to feed the household. Preachers are called to awaken the churches and get them ready for the rapture in FEAR and trembling. The rapture will be a comfort to many; but many more will find it a time of shock and destruction:

James 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for THE COMING of the Lord draweth nigh.
9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest YE BE CONDEMNED: behold, THE JUDGE STANDETH BEFORE THE DOOR.

The Lord can come at any moment to rapture His people. Those who are living like the evil servant who thought His Lord will delay His coming, and will smite his brothers and sisters, and as James says, GRUDGE against them, WILL BE CONDEMNED when they are caught up to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ at the pre-trib rapture. They meet there the TERROR OF THE LORD (2 Corinthians 5:9-11). They will find that the Lord has come upon them as a thief, and He will cut them asunder. The same Lord that often chastises His children with death in this age of His patience (see 1 Corinthians 11:30), can certainly chastise His servants at the rapture, when He comes upon them and punishes them for their failure to watch and ready themselves:

Revelation 2:16 Repent; or else I WILL COME UNTO THEE QUICKLY, and WILL FIGHT against them with the sword of my mouth.

Revelation 2:16 is addressed to the church. The coming must be the “any moment” coming at the pretribulational rapture. The church is to be ready at any moment for the Lord to appear. But notice, that unlike many modern teachers of the pretribulational rapture, the Lord teaches that at the rapture He may come upon them with HIS SWORD (a sword of fire). This is not a nice, figurative expression. It implies that eternally secure believers can, nevertheless, meet with great destruction and terror at the Judgment Seat, when they are raptured to stand before His throne!

REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE!

Lot’s wife made it out of Sodom, however she was then judged in the Lord’s anger:

Luke 17:32 Remember Lot’s wife.
33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

Many who will be raptured will, like Lot’s wife, go out, only to be judged by the terror of the Lord at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Every detail of types is not meant to apply to future prophecy (otherwise we would have to teach that only FOUR people will be raptured!). However, there are some main themes that do apply. I think that when the Lord tells us to remember Lot’s wife, we better remember the history. I do not think it is safe to say, “That does not apply to us.” Lot’s wife was “raptured out of Sodom” (so to speak), yet she was soon slain for her rebellion. He that hath an ear, let him hear.

THE LUKEWARM LEFT BEHIND AT THE RAPTURE

Thus far, we have only dealt with two classes of Christians. We have seen the good and faithful servant, and then the evil servant. Both of these types of believers will be raptured before the Tribulation Period. One class will be ready and waiting, and they will be caught up to the Judgment Seat to be praised and rewarded with Kingdom entrance and authority (to be enjoyed when the Lord comes to earth to reign at the end of the Tribulation Period). The second class will meet the Lord in the air, and sudden destruction will come upon them! Just as the flood came and shocked many, so will the Lord’s coming be a shock to many believers who are caught up to the clouds, to immediately meet with His sword of judgment.

However, at the pretribulational rapture, the Lord only mentions two classes of believers. He refers to the extremely faithful and to the extremely disobedient. But there is another class who are made up of believers who are neither cold nor hot. The coming of the Lord will be a shock to them, but not in the same manner that it will shock the extremely unfaithful saint. The lukewarm will find that they have been left behind. They are not rotten; yet nor have they ripened early. They are still green. They are left behind to either ripen to holiness by the Lord’s chastisements, or to be further hardened by the Tribulation afflictions:

Matthew 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

This implies that some disciples (the context) will be left behind. Yet, our Lord goes on to say that the disciples who are “taken” (raptured) will be in two classes. There will be the good servant, who is praised and rewarded, and there will be the evil servant who is cut asunder. The third class of servants is left behind. They are not accounted worthy of immediate destruction and banishment at the rapture. Yet, they are also not worthy of escaping “all these things that shall come to pass” (Luke 21:36). Their hearts have been overcharged with cares and surfeiting, and they have lost the gravity of holiness.

Notice another Scripture:

Revelation 2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I HAVE SOMEWHAT AGAINST THEE, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; OR ELSE I WILL COME UNTO THEE QUICKLY, and will REMOVE THY CANDLESTICK out of his place, except thou repent.

These words are directed to the angel (i.e. messenger) or pastor of the Church of Ephesus. This pastor has not been a rebel. He has taken a strong, fundamental stand against false doctrine. He has not allowed railings, insults, and troubles to get him down or tempt him to water-down the truth. Nevertheless, he has some charges against him. The fervency of his devotion has cooled. His spirit has been quenched. His obedience is not as diligent as it used to be. He has become lukewarm.

But do not miss the warning to this pastor:

Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will REMOVE THY CANDLESTICK out of his place, except thou repent.

The candlestick is the church that this man leads:

Revelation 1:20 …and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Many have realized that this preacher is threatened with losing his church. However, if we begin to interpret the Lord’s warnings concerning His coming as only a “providential coming” (and not His coming at the rapture), we will open the door for amillennialism, postmillennialism, pretersim and the whole bag of figurative interpretation:

Revelation 2:5 …I will COME UNTO THEE QUICKLY, and will remove thy candlestick…

Therefore, the coming MUST be the Second Coming. It is imminent. It must be the rapture. However, the warning is that this pastor will be left behind, while his church is taken. The taking of his church may refer to the fact that they will not be held to as high a standard as this pastor:

James 3:1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

They may be accounted worthy to escape, while he will remain behind, losing his church to the rapture, and having to endure the Tribulation Period. Or, it may mean that his lukewarm example has caused many in the church to flirt with sin in such a way that they will surely be taken out of the way in judgment when the Lord comes upon them as a thief. Regardless, it would appear strange for this warning to mean much to a pastor who will also be raptured with his church. This man is neither very good nor very evil. It therefore appears that he is left behind for the way he handled his ministry.

OLD TESTAMENT TYPES

The Lord often uses the imagery of a thief, or a carcass surrounded by carnivorous eagles, etc. to describe His coming. These pictures do not mean that the Lord is evil or in any way sinful. They are only pictures. I believe that Nebuchadnezzar is a picture of the Antichrist. However, some of the details surrounding the manner of his coming into the land of Israel provides a type for the coming of the Lord. There were three main classes of Israelites at the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s coming to judge the land:

Jeremiah 27:6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

First, there were people who were ready for him. They had believed Jeremiah, and in the will of God, they submitted to his authority. These were preserved from his wrath, and many of these made up a special class of advisors (such as Daniel and his three friends). These were represented in the parable of the figs:

Jeremiah 24:3 Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, VERY GOOD; and the evil, VERY EVIL, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
4 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
5 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.

Notice these two classes. There were the VERY GOOD and the VERY EVIL. The very good people obeyed the Lord and they went forth out of the land (a type of rapture). They were preserved and protected. They are allowed to return to the land (a picture of those who are raptured returning to reign on earth during the Millennium):

Jeremiah 24:6 For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.

The “very evil” class (a picture of the evil servant who says his Lord will delay His coming), will be destroyed by the king:

Jeremiah 24:8 And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD…
10 And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.

Yet, there was still one more class that was not made up of open rebels. And these were left behind. They were not taken as special jewels for the king’s cabinet of counselors. Yet, neither were they punished, like Zedekiah, who lost his eyes and was bound “with fetters of brass.” They were simply left behind in the land of tribulation:

Jeremiah 39:10 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard LEFT of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

Many of the lukewarm, who will be found spiritually poor at the coming of the Lord, will likewise be left behind They are not accounted worthy to escape. They are mercifully left behind to suffer further chastisements in the Tribulation Period. They will not be kept from the hour of temptation. They will have “added unto them” the plagues of the Book of Revelation. Yet, to the degree they are faithful, they may find the Lord’s protection, even in the midst of temptations, and by the Blood of the Lamb they can wash their garments white, as they love not their lives to the death.

CONCLUSION

Scriptures such as Hebrews 9:28, 11:5; Revelation 3:10, 22:18; Luke 21:36, Matthew 24:40, etc. have not been adequately explained by most modern pretribbers. By not applying many of them to believers in this age, they ignore some of the strongest proof-texts for the pretribulational escape. This has, in turn, hindered the truth of the position.

With this view, the only major question between the pretrib total position, and the pretrib partial position that I have advocated herein, is whether or not Jesus Christ will mercifully allow the Tribulation Period to serve as a warning to a class of Christians that are not open rebels, but yet do need an awakening if they will reign with the Lord in high honors. I believe the fact that many of the “lukewarm” in these last days will be left behind is a warning. This warning is seen in the Lord’s words to Laodicea:

Revelation 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Let us get ready for the Lord’s coming at any moment. Let us not teach that it will be delayed. We know the stage of His coming to set up His Kingdom on earth will not arrive before the Antichrist is revealed and is destroyed (2 Thessalonians 2:2-3). However, the stage of His coming to judge His people (“judgment must begin at the house of God”) maybe today. It can occur at any moment. Let us take His warnings concerning His coming, and the judgments He has promised if we are unfaithful, very seriously. Let no man deceive you by any means:

Revelation 2:16 Repent; or else I WILL COME unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Matthew 24:50 The lord of that servant SHALL COME in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder…

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I WILL BE PREACHING AT FAITH BAPTIST OF CHATTANOOGA
THIS WEEK
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I will be preaching at Faith Baptist on Tuesday and Wednesday (Oct.11-12th). For a schedule of other speakers, or for directions, visit: http://www.fbcchatt.org

Or call: (423) 344-9712

Faith Baptist, Pastor T. Daniels
8834 North Hickory Valley Road
Chattanooga, Tenn. 37412

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THE ROD: WILL GOD SPARE IT
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More books have been printed. If you would like to order a copy of this book, visit:

http://www.fundamentalbooks.com or call: 469-658-6046

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KINGDOM BAPTIST CHURCH
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All articles are by Joey Faust unless otherwise stated. The Kingdom Alert Update is a ministry of Kingdom Baptist Church. Please tell your friends about this newsletter, and please pray that the Lord would use it for His glory.

READ PAST ISSUES OF THE KINGDOM ALERT:
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Pastor Joey Faust
Kingdom Baptist Church
700 Cordes Dr., Venus, Texas, 76084
pastor@kingdombaptist.org
Cell: 469-658-6046

THE OBLIGATION TO TITHE IS NOT ABOLISHED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

“Moral obligation, ‘oughtness,’ is the grown man that still lives: Hebrew ritual is the infant departed.”
(Babbs, “The Law of the Tithes,” 1912)

The New Testament never once abolishes the tithe. We can, however, argue that the principle has been modified:

Hebrews 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a CHANGE also of the law.

We can argue that under grace we are to go beyond this minimum:

Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall EXCEED the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, WHAT DO YE MORE THAN OTHERS? do not even the publicans so?

“Evidently Jesus expected His disciples not to let down the Hebrew standards but to lift them higher.”
(Ralph S. Cushman, 1879-1960, “Will A Man Rob God?”)

Unlike sabbath days, new moons, circumcision, animal sacrifices, dietary laws, holydays (Col.2:16) etc., we are NEVER told that TITHING is part of the ceremonial letter that has been totally abolished:

“The tithe is in no sense a part of the ceremonial law of the Jews. It was not among the shadows that passed away….it is in a class apart from the ceremonial law and did not share the fate of that law.”
(Z.T. Cody)

In the NT, there are no direct verses affirming the laws against astrology, star-gazing, bestiality, necromancy, etc. Yet all Bible-believing Christians understand that these moral laws are still in force as a rule of conduct. Why is it that giving unto God our firstfruits is not likewise seen to be our moral duty today? Some may argue that the previous perversions are condemned under general headings in the New Testament. Yet, we might equally argue that withholding the tithe is similarly condemned under the general heading of COVETOUSNESS in the New Testament (Colossians 3:5, 1 Corinthians 5:10, 6:10, Ephesians 5:5). At the very least, it is being “slothful in business” (Romans 12:11) to not tithe to the local church:

“Leviticus calls new machinery into existence, but it affirms the old principle of a proportion for God. The New Testament modifies the machinery, but it does not abrogate the principle. Now we plead for this systematic giving, albeit it is disliked by the covetous, who deem all lost that is given away; by the heretics, who think we may do what we will with our own; by the lazy, who dislike the trouble of examining and deciding; by the double-minded who wish to have a byway by which to escape duty…” (Dr. John Hall)

THE NEW TESTAMENT AFFIRMS TITHING AS A MORAL DUTY

In Matthew 23, Jesus commended the Pharisees for giving God their firstfruits (right down to the very cent). Yet, He also rebuked them for neglecting the weightier matters of the moral law:

Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye PAY TITHE of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: THESE YE OUGHT TO HAVE DONE, and NOT to leave the other undone.

Jesus does not rebuke their tithe paying. He affirms the duty. He later tells His disciples to teach these words to the Gentiles (Matthew 28:19-20). Paul warns believers to flee from those who would deny that the Lord’s moral teachings are binding upon saints (1 Timothy 6:3). This moral teaching of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 23:23 is never modified or abolished by the Epistles. It therefore still stands.

Some argue that the Lord is teaching Pharisees, and that therefore we should ignore the moral teaching to them. But the sermon to Nicodemus on the NEW BIRTH was to a Pharisee, and it was spoken BEFORE Jesus taught the Pharisees in Matthew 23:23.

Furthermore, if we will do away with TITHING in Matthew 23:23, we must certainly do away with the WEIGHTIER matters of the Law mentioned in the same verse! But who would say that a New Testament believer is not called to exercise judgment, mercy and faith? Some will say that these weightier matters are affirmed elsewhere in the Epistles. But tithing is likewise affirmed by the Epistles:

1 Corinthians 9:6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not THE LAW THE SAME ALSO?
9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
12 If OTHERS BE PARTAKERS OF THIS POWER OVER YOU, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
14 EVEN SO HATH THE LORD ORDAINED that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

This passage of Scripture teaches that ministers of the Gospel (pastors, missionaries, etc.) are to be supported in the same manner as the ministers of the temple in the Old Testament (compare Numbers 18:6, 21 with Ephesians 4:8, 11-12). Therefore, local churches are called to TITHE, since this is how these men were supported under the Law. In the OT, the first tithe was called “the Lord’s.” It was given to support the Levites, who then paid a tithe on what they were given. The phrase “even so hath the Lord ordained” in 1 Corinthians 9 would make no sense if giving was left up to individual whim and fancy. The Lord would not be “ordaining” anything:

“It should be used for the support of God’s ministers. So it was used before the law (Heb.7:1-10); so it was used during the law (Numb. 18:21-24), and ‘even so’ it has been ordained for the support of the ministry under the Gospel (1 Cor. 9:7-14).”
(George W. Brown, “Gems of Thought on Tithing,” 1911)

Paul, as an apostolic missionary, did not use this power over the Corinthians. Yet, he later confessed that he was supported by other churches to keep from charging them:

2 Corinthians 11:8 I robbed other churches, taking WAGES of them, to do you service.
9 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.

Tithing is also implied in Hebrews. Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedec. Again, we see tithes used for the support of God’s ministers:

Hebrews 7:8 And here men that die receive TITHES; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that HE LIVETH.
15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an ENDLESS LIFE.
8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty IN THE HEAVENS;

Jesus Christ, since He is a priest after the order of Melchisedec, is worthy of our tithes today!

If we do away with the principle of tithing because it was in the law, then we will also have to do away with FREEWILL OFFERINGS, for they were also a part of the law (Leviticus 23:38). But people reply that New Testame
nt giving is to always be performed cheerfully. They conclude that the tithe, since it was a moral duty, could not be performed cheerfully. Yet, the law taught that all giving (tithes, offerings, service) should be performed with gladness and joy:

Deuteronomy 28:47 Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with GLADNESS of heart, for the abundance of all things;

Furthermore, if we will do away with tithing because it is found in the law, we must also do away with all PROPORTIONATE GIVING, since it is likewise found in the law:

Deuteronomy 16:17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.

“The idea that ‘proportionate giving’ is a Christian (New Testament) suggestion, and abrogates tithing, is unwarranted. In Deuteronomy the Jew is told, ‘Every man shall give as he is able…’ If the tithe is not paid because it is Jewish, the proportionate giving is equally Jewish, and should not be followed.”
(Liet. Col. E. W. Halford)

EARLY CHRISTIANS ADVOCATED TITHING AS A MINIMUM

The majority of the early “fathers” in the first three centuries after Christ, believed that Cain’s offering was rejected because it was not a true tithe. We also find that the early teachers in this age called saints beyond the tithe. For example, Irenaeus (A.D. 120-202) wrote:

“…instead of, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not be angry; instead of, Thou shalt pay tithes, Sell all and give to the poor, which are not dissolving of the law, but ENLARGING it.”

Other early writings actually affirm tithing for Christians:

“So also a true teacher is himself worthy of his support. Every first fruit, therefore of the products of the winepress and threshing floor, of oxen and of sheep, thou shalt take and give to the prophets, for they are your high priests.”
(“Teaching of the Apostles,” A.D. 120)

A little later, Cyprian (200-258) wrote to rebuke the covetousness among Christians in his day:

“Then [in Acts] they were selling houses and estates, but now from our patrimony we give not even tithes; and when the Lord bids us sell, we are rather buying and increasing.” (“De Unitate,” 23)

“Of the first fruits and tithes, and after what manner the bishop is himself to partake of them, or distribute them to others…As, therefore, you bear the weight, so have you a right to partake of the fruits before others, and to impart to those who want…for those who attend upon the church ought to be maintained by the church.”
(“Apostolic Constitutions,” A.D. 300)

“The gifts of tithes and first-fruits which are given in accordance with the command of God, let the bishop, as a man of God, expend.”
(“Apostolic Constitutions”)

“‘Why such a one give tithes.’ What a load of disgrace does this expression imply, since what was not a matter of wonder with the Jews has come to be so in the case of Christians? If there was a danger then in omitting tithes, think how great it must be now.”
(Chrysostom, 347-407)

“The handicraftsman, for instance…or any other artificer, when he sells any articles of his trade, let him give the firstfruits of its price unto God…”
(Chrysostom)

In the next centuries, Catholic councils begin to punish all non-tithers. However, the evil abuse and perversion of a principle does not abolish it as a moral obligation. It is, therefore, somewhat misleading to ask the question, “Does a Christian HAVE to tithe?”, since we are not defining what we mean by “have to.” In the first few centuries there is no record that people were disfellowshipped for not tithing, anymore than they would be disfellowshipped for not praying or not reading their Bible. The paying of tithes and offerings was considered to be voluntary. But “voluntary” did not mean immune from Divine blessings and curses! It did not mean free from moral obligation. It meant that the individual should not be disfellowshipped, and that it was his own choice whether or not he would respond to God in faith and obedience, and be blessed or cursed. Even in the OLD Testament, tithing was:

“…enforced not by legal punishments, but by religious appeals.”
(P.E. Burroughs, “The Grace of Giving,” 1934)

The Imperial Bible Dictionary states:

“It would be difficult to show that there existed any machinery for enforcing the payment of tithes….if a man chose to rob God in tithes and offerings, there would be no outward hindrance to his doing so.”
(“Imperial Bible Dictionary”)

Therefore, the abuse of tithing is found in enforcing it contrary to Scripture, NOT in preaching it as a morally binding principle.

TITHING BRINGS FINANCIAL SUFFICIENCY

The OT is certainly clear on the fact that tithes and offerings, in the right spirit (without hypocrisy and neglect in weightier matters), will bring financial blessing; irresponsibility in this area can bring temporal curses:

Malachi 3:9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have ROBBED ME me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and PROVE ME NOW herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Proverbs 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 SO SHALL thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

But is there now no promise of blessing and cursing concerning our money in the NT age? Indeed there is:

2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all SUFFICIENCY IN ALL THINGS, may abound to every good work:
10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister BREAD FOR YOUR FOOD, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

Does God not promise physical as well as spiritual provision based on the giving of our money? God promises to provide for our needs when we honor Him with tithes and offerings (unless there is a special need for us to be in heaviness through manifold temptations). They that sow sparingly, will reap sparingly in regard to His provisions.

The testimonies concerning God’s blessings upon tithing are abundant and incredible! Only a few are mentioned here. These wonderful testimonies are found long before the modern, devilish, TV prosperity movement, with all its evil manipulations:

“Our ancestors used to abound in wealth of every kind for this very reason that they used to give tithes, and pay the tax to Caesar.”
(Augustine, 354-430, quoted by George W. Brown, “Gems of Thought on Tithing,” 1911)

“We cannot expect to prosper if we are dishonest to the Lord. He can easily enough measure back to us as we measure out to Him. Hence, happy are they who, being saved by grace, bring Him all their tithes, for peace and prosperity shall be their portion.”
(C.H. Spurgeon, – Spurgeon, from a youth paid a tenth to God, but later began to give a fifth.)

“It has been so thoroughly demonstrated in all history and by thousands of living examples, that observance of the tithe in the right spirit conduces prosperity, that it is not a matter of theory.” (Dr. C.F. Yoder, Former President Ashland College)

“….Mr. Thomas Kane, of Chicago…began paying his tithe in 1870, and continued that proportion for more than ten years, in the course of which he noticed a decided change for the better in his business successes. About 1875, he commenced making personal inquiries regarding the comparative temporal prosperity of others who practiced this rule, and the testimony was so uniform that he published a little t
ract on the subject. A copy of this tract was sent to at least three-fourths of all evangelical ministers of the United States, and with the tract went a circular, saying, ‘My belief is that God blesses in temporal as well as spiritual things, the man who honors Him by setting apart a stated portion of his income to His service. I have never known an exception – have you?’ To this inquiry, thousands of corroborative replies have been received, but not a single authentic exception. After this, Mr. Kane wrote: ‘Scarcely a day has passed during the last ten [later information says twenty-eight] years that I have not received more or less of such testimony, and during that time I have sent out more than five millions of tracts and pamphlets on this subject.”
(Quoted in Henry Lansdell’s, “The Sacred Tenth,” 1906)

SHOULD WE TITHE IF WE ARE IN DEBT?

The question of whether or not we should tithe in debt has been answered unanimously by those who have given serious thought to the issue:

“What if one is in debt? Our debt to God takes precedence of our debt to man.”
(J. Willis Baer, “Facts About the Tenth Legion.”)

“…Are all your creditors to be preferred above the Lord? Is there any justice in your ignoring His fair claim upon you?…If you refuse to pay over the first tenth of your income to the Lord as a preferred creditor, you do a meaner thing than the man who dishonestly swindles his endorser. The tithe of one’s income to the Lord is not a charity; it is one’s first and most pressing debt – a debt of honor.”
(H. Clay Trumbull, “Sunday School Times”)

“Should the steward wait until all his debts are paid before tithing his income? No. The tithe is the Lord’s in all circumstances. If debts supersede the Lord’s claim, then all a man need to do to avoid tithing and still fulfill ‘righteousness’ would be to keep in debt.” (Ralph S. Cushman, “…Studies in Stewardship,” 1919)

“If there are debts to pay, remember that the debt to God is not less sacred than others, and that by paying it, there will be a blessing from Him that will make it easier to be free from all other debts. If you feel that you cannot afford it, remember that you cannot afford not to do it.”
(Dr. C.F. Yoder, Former President Ashland College)

“Another question likely to be asked is, Is this tithe to be paid if we are in debt? To which it may be replied, In debt to whom? We have been all along considering God’s claim to the tithe as a debt.”
(Henry Lansdell, “The Sacred Tenth,” 1906)

“Shall the Christian, therefore pay ten percent? Yes, he should begin there as a minimum. But that is not where he should stop….The only safe and sure way is to set aside the 10 per cent before any other bill is paid. Another man asks: ‘Do you mean that this 10 per cent should be paid to the Lord after the individual gets out of debt?’ No, that is not meant. The man owes God His share whether or not he is in debt or not.”
(Bert Wilson, “The Christian and His Money Problems,” 1923)

“Tithing is for many the first toddler’s step of stewardship. It is the training wheels on the bicycle of true giving. It may not be a home run, but it gets you on base – which is a lot further than the majority of church members ever get. Two reasons commonly given for not tithing are: ‘I can see it’s right to tithe, but I must pay off my debts first.’ Why am I in debt in the first place? Is God responsible for my unwise or self-serving decisions that may have put me there? And even if I have come into debt legitimately, isn’t my first debt to God? If we obey God and make good our obligations to Him, He will help us as we seek to pay off our debts to others…”
(Randy Alcorn, “Money, Possessions and Eternity”)

“Should a person tithe if he is in debt? Yes, Matthew 6:33 ‘But seek ye first the kingdom…’ Debt may be the result of not tithing! That is, He has withheld his protection and/or blessing.”
(Quinton Rogers, “Stewardship of Money: Choose to Serve God Rather than Money”)

“It is true that under grace, we should not stop at the tithe. But the tithe is a good starting place….You could get along far better on 9/10ths with God than on 10/10ths without God. When In Debt, TITHE! was the name of one of the first articles I read after I surrendered my life to the Lord. Things are tight for many people now…But this is all the more reason why people should not drop God or neglect their church….[People] buy the other things they need. Why shouldn’t they contribute to the greatest cause in the world….?”
(Hugh F. Pyle, “What Every Preacher Should Know,” 1981)

“You know, when I get down to the end of a month and I’m $20 short of being able to meet my bills, I give God another $30 and say, ‘Okay God, I’m $50 short. Now it’s your responsibility.’ And God provides….Tithing always works when we are faithful.”
(Malcolm MacGregor, “Your Money Matters”)

“You get out of debt little by little over time, and the major requirement is discipline….it almost always requires a change in life-style and a reordering of priorities….Do not decrease giving….God should be the first priority use of money…”
(Ron Blue, “The Debt Squeeze”)

CONCLUSION

Those who object to tithing as a minimum will almost always also reject the teaching that God’s full-time workers should receive full-time support (1 Corinthians 9). It is likely that they understand that if Christians have no moral obligation to give at least a tithe, and they may give whenever they please, and to whatever purpose they please, no ministers would be able to support a large family and serve their church full-time. Therefore, to do away with tithing, teachers must do away with the teaching of full-time support for full-time workers.

The practice of tithing is found among the early patriarchs before the law. It is found in almost every ancient nation for the support of the priests and temple. It was reaffirmed and approved by the law of Moses. Jesus never abolished the principle, but enlarged it. The apostle Paul affirmed it as the means of support for God’s workers. Almost 2000 years of Christian testimonies affirm it as something God blesses (when it is freed from Nicolaitan and legalistic abuses). God calls us to likewise “prove” Him in this area. Let us (pastors included) begin there, and strive to go beyond it in our weekly giving to the local church!

-SHOULD WE ALWAYS WITNESS SOFTLY?: MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF SINNER

-TELEVISION: WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN UNSAVED “STARS” HAVE GREATER STANDARDS THAN MANY MODERN FUNDAMENTALISTS?

-ADS
=========================

DOES GOD LOVE EVERY PERSON?

Does God love every person in the world? This subject, believe it or not, is often debated among fundamentalists. The reason is that there are two seemingly opposing sets of Scriptures. As is usually the case in such circumstances, the answer to the question is therefore “yes” AND “no.” Instead of jumping to one side and then trying to “argue out” of the Scriptures on the other side, we should simply notice that there is more than one definition or usage of the word “love” in Scripture (as in the English language in general). Therefore, God hates proud sinners. Yet, He also loves them.

Notice, it is clear that God hates open sinners. To deny this fact is to close our eyes to multitudes of Scriptures.

Psalms 11:5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul HATETH.

Psalms 5:5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou HATEST all workers of iniquity.

Psalms 10:3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD ABHORRETH.

Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the LORD HATE: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
19 A false WITNESS that speaketh lies, and HE that soweth discord among brethren.

Leviticus 20:23 And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I ABHORRED THEM.

Psalms 78:59 When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

It is equally clear that God loves sinners:

John 3:16 For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8 But God COMMENDETH his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Titus 3:4 But after that the kindness and LOVE of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

Luke 6:32 For if ye LOVE them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
35 But LOVE ye your ENEMIES, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be THE CHILDREN OF THE HIGHEST: FOR he IS KIND unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also IS merciful.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, NOT WILLING that ANY should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

God does not have good feelings of delight, pleasure and approval in His soul when He beholds proud sinners (saved or unsaved). He only delights in obedience:

Hebrews 10:38 ….if any man draw back, my SOUL shall have no pleasure in him.

Psalms 11:5 …the wicked and him that loveth violence his SOUL HATETH.

However, God does “love” all sinners in the sense that He gave His Son for the whole world (1 John 2:2), desires all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), and daily shows kindness, benevolence, patience and mercy to His enemies (Matthew 5:44-45). Finney (1792-1875) writes:

“God loves all men with the love of benevolence, but He does not feel the love of complacency toward any but those who live holy. Christians love each other with the love of complacency [pleasure, satisfaction, gratification], only in proportion to their holiness. If Christian love is the love of the image of Christ in His people, then it can be exercised only where that image really or apparently exists. A person must reflect the image of Christ, and show the spirit of Christ before other Christians can love him with the love of complacency. It is in vain to call on Christians to love one another with the love of complacency, as Christians, when they are sunk down in stupidity. They see nothing in each other to produce this love. It is next to impossible that they should feel otherwise toward each other than they do toward sinners.” (“Revival Lectures”)

Webster understands these differing aspects of love when he writes:

“…the Christian loves God with the love of complacency in his attributes, the love of benevolence towards the interest of his kingdom, and the love of gratitude for favors received.” (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, “Love”)

Let us hold fast the form of sound words in this shallow age.

SHOULD WE ALWAYS WITNESS SOFTLY?: MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF SINNER

One of the greatest delusions of this modern age is that “love” means that sin is to be ignored, lies are to tolerated, and sinners are to be unconditionally accepted in all situations, at all times. This is the “love” that is preached by Hollywood. First of all, notice what the Bible says concerning “love”:

Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your LOVE may abound yet more and more in KNOWLEDGE and in all JUDGMENT;
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ…

People often object to street preaching by calling attention to the fact that Jesus was gentle and nice toward sinners. Yet, they fail to notice that these sinners were already BROKEN. Their hearts were open to God. They knew that they were sinners and they needed to hear the good news of mercy and truth. They had not rejected the strong preparatory preaching of John the Baptist:

Matthew 21:32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the PUBLICANS AND THE HARLOTS BELIEVED HIM…

Certainly, Jesus would not upbraid these tender hearts that were already open to Him:

Isaiah 42:3 A bruised reed shall he not break…

However, when Jesus went street preaching to whole cities that had rejected light, His manner was entirely different:

Matthew 11:20 Then began he to UPBRAID the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

And notice how Jesus dealt with the proud Pharisees:

Matthew 12:34 O generation of VIPERS, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Matthew 23:33 Ye SERPENTS, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Jesus did not break a bruised reed. Yet, it is also clear that Jesus did not quench a rebellious, smoking flax by pampering it with smooth words. He upbraided whole cities. He obeyed the following Proverb:

Proverbs 28:4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

Sinners must know that they have sinned. And they need to know the penalties for sin. Many people, especially in America, are hardened to the Gospel. They do not need soothing words. They need to agree with God concerning the nature of sin and its penalty. And many Christians have become hardened to their own warnings in the same manner that unbelievers have become hardened to their own. We therefore need more street pr
eachers to contend with the wicked.

It is true that Christians must be guided by reason and the Holy Spirit when discerning what method of preaching to apply to individual sinners (saved or unsaved). But this is exactly the way the Bible commands us to witness! We are not called to witness only ONE way. This is the what the fluffy, emotional spirit (that has neutralized much of Christendom) obviously believes. No, we are called to discern WHO we are dealing with, and apply the APPROPRIATE degree of severity:

Titus 1:13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them SHARPLY, that they may be sound in the faith…

Jude 1:22 And OF SOME have compassion, making a difference:
23 And OTHERS save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

The spirit of the world (that has largely entered the churches) does not understand Jude 1:22. It pretends that it reads “of ALL have compassion.” This is because the Devil has taught Christians that it is “legalistic and mean” to NAME sins and preach that God HATES them. Thus we see that Christianity is largely neutralized in its power. It is through the foolishness of PREACHING that God chooses to work (1 Corinthians 1:21, 2 Timothy 4:2). And the majority of preaching (whether in the pulpit or on the street) is overly soft and anemic today. May the Lord help us to repent of this and be bold to preach His truth. And may we equally be sure to use compassion and gentleness where it is proper to do so.

TELEVISION: WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN UNSAVED “STARS” HAVE GREATER STANDARDS THAN MANY MODERN FUNDAMENTALISTS?

In 1946, there were only 7000 television sets in America. In 1949, the U.S. Department of Commerce reported:

“Television’s combination of moving pictures, sound and immediacy produces an IMPACT that extends television as an advertising medium into the realm of PERSONAL sales solicitation.”

Satan, knowing the truth of this report, was quick to take advantage of the new medium. Yet, in 1952, many were momentarily awakened to the spiritual dangers of television. Their protests moved a House subcommittee to “investigate” the immorality and offensive influence of television. Nevertheless, in this same year, there were already over 15 million television sets in the homes of Americans. In 1987, 50% of homes would also be wired for cable. A year later, 60% would have a VCR. By 1993, 98% of the homes in the U.S. would possess a television! 64% would have at least two televisions. Satan has therefore successfully compromised a majority of the churches in America through worldly television and movies. These mediums have brought nothing but temptation, destruction and ruin:

1 Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Ironically, there are quite a few worldly “stars” who have enough light to at least know that television leads to the corruption of morals and the dulling of the intellect and conscience. This is sad. God does not like it when His own people, who name the name of Christ, have standards below the average non-Christian. He has called us to a standard of living far higher than the average sinner:

2 Timothy 2:19 ….Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Matthew 5:46 ….what reward have ye? do not even the PUBLICANS the same?

Luke 6:32 ….what thank have ye? for SINNERS also love those that love them.

1 Corinthians 3:3 ….are ye not carnal, and walk AS MEN?

The Lord is especially displeased when His people live BELOW the standards of the average lost person. This brings reproach and blasphemy upon His Holy Word:

1 Timothy 6:1 ….that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.

Titus 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that THE WORD OF GOD BE NOT BLASPHEMED.

1 Timothy 5:14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, GIVE NONE OCCASION TO THE ADVERSARY TO SPEAK REPROACHFULLY.

When unsaved people, who do not have the Spirit of God, are able to discern impurity, danger, and error, better than many fundamental Christians, it certainly means that the preaching in many of our churches has been compromised. It is a grave day when heathens, on the basis of their consciences alone, have more light than many Christians!:

Romans 2:24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

Television, in many ways, has become an idol in the churches:

2 Timothy 3:4 …lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God…

People may ask, “When will you quit preaching on television and movies?” I will quit when so many fundamentalists quit justifying the sin of viewing this depraved, sick, worldly, bloody, sensuous, violent, corrupt, blasphemous dung for entertainment. Is this offensive language? It is too bad that so many modern Christians are more offended at strong Bible preaching than they are at that vile sin that pours forth from the one-eyed devil in their living rooms every evening. If preachers will not take a stand by word and personal example to totally remove this ungodly idol from the home, individual Christians will feel justified in their sin. Many modern fundamental preachers, deacons and mature church members often publicly applaud and justify their favorite worldly television programs or movies. They allow their children to feed upon the bluish filth. Meanwhile, we hear reports that the unholy “singer” who calls herself “Madonna” does not let her children watch TV! And notice the following recent news report:

“Cruise and Spielberg keep their kids away from TV – Berlin (Reuters) – Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg, two of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities, said on Thursday that they strictly limit how much television their children watch and emphasise reading rather than viewing. ‘My kids, I really don’t like them to watch that much television,’ actor Tom Cruise said…’I can actually see the difference when they watch too much television in terms of their education when they’re reading, in terms of their attention span, their behaviour,’ he said. Spielberg, who directed Cruise in “Minority Report” and spoke at a joint news conference ahead of its Berlin premiere, is as twice as permissive as Cruise when it comes to television….Spielberg, whose films ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and ‘Schindler’s List’ chronicled dark episodes of World War Two, said he also keeps his children away from contemporary television news. ‘I don’t let them watch the news because the news is much more uncensored than it was when I was growing up….’…”

If worldly celebrities go this far in protecting their own children from immorality and stupidity, how much further should fundamental Christians go in protecting their families? They should remove the idol from the home, or at least unhook the worldly programming from the television. Don’t worry. You will not really miss anything:

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Psalms 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

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THE ROD: WILL GOD SPARE IT? BY J.D. Faust
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See http://www.kingdombaptist.org for ordering information, specials, etc.

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HOW MUCH FREEDOM DO INCORPORATED CHURCHES POSSESS TODAY?

This past Wednesday, October 2, the House of Representatives defeated a bill that attempted to remove “some” of the restraints the IRS has placed upon 501c(3), non profit organizations (specifically incorporated churches). Walter Jones (a Republican congressman from North Carolina), is a Roman Catholic who authored the bill (Houses of Worship Political Speech). Many conservatives were very hopeful that this bill would not be defeated. However, the real issue is the fact that so many Christian pastors (and their churches) have technically agreed to be silent on crucial moral issues (that are often political issues) in the first place! Jesus Christ commissions the God-called pastor, not a government bureaucracy. Even so, this issue of the Kingdom Alert mainly addresses the question concerning how much freedom (to speak politically) “incorporated” churches currently possess. It will be seen that NO pastor or church really knows the answer to this question.

John the Baptist and Jesus openly addressed the MORAL CHARACTER of an official in public office (Matthew 14:4, Luke 13:32). When Paul preached against idolatry in Ephesus, he threatened the economy.

Acts 19:25 Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.

Therefore, it is obvious that in all ages “politics” and religion are often mingled together in many ways. This means that there are often financial, emotional, and/or physical consequences for publicizing certain truths. Christians are warned by Jesus Christ not to hide His words (ANY of them), or refuse to confess His truth for any reason (Mark 8:38, Matthew 10:27-28, John 12:42). Martin Luther once eloquently stated this truth (in words that are certainly more popular to quote than they are to actually obey and apply):

“If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all battle fields besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flenches at that point.”

In a future article, I will apply this quote to the subject of the fear of God (which is the whole beginning of the edifice of wisdom). Yet, the point at hand is that it is obvious that Jesus has called Christians to publicly confess every word of His truth. But are many churches hiding some of the Lord’s light today?

Many believe that incorporated, registered churches have been practically muzzled since 1954 based on the vagueness in the wording of the law. These churches were restricted from lobbying in 1934. They were restricted from “endorsing” (vague word) a “candidate” (vague word) in 1954. Since no one knows for sure what the law really means, many choose to be silent in certain areas rather than risk a loss of their tax exempt status. This has, no doubt, certainly contributed to the moral decline in our nation in the second half of the 20th century.

Is it not absurd that a free nation that was birthed by a revolution spread from many fiery pulpits, would one day grow to silence pulpits “politically” (whatever “politically” means)? It is true that pastors are called to preach “the Word,” not politics. However, as we have seen, “the Word” is often very political, since GOD desires His will to be obeyed in every area of our lives.

There have been two movements among Christians in the U.S. to attempt to remedy the problem of IRS restrictions on churches. For many years, fiery, fundamental Baptist pastor, Dr. Greg Dixon, has called churches to become totally unregistered (http://www.indianapolisbaptisttemple.com). Others, such as Dr. D. James Kennedy, have worked to remove some of the restrictions on 501c(3) church-organizations without changing their corporate or tax exempt status. Aside from the opposition of liberals and pagans, some critics of this latter movement have argued that the removal of these restrictions might ironically create more IRS oversight and involvement (reporting regulations, etc.) for churches. I am certainly always skeptical of anything Catholics are involved in. Yet, liberals and pagans have their own reasons for objecting to this movement. On the surface it appears to free churches (at least a little more than they are already). These groups do not want conservative churches involved in the election process anymore than they already are. The following information will be related to this movement, focusing primarily on the latest defeat of the Jones bill:

“House Defeats Politics-from-the-Pulpit Bill – (CNSNews.com) – Much to the dismay of conservatives, the House of Representatives Wednesday defeated a bill that would have allowed churches, synagogues and other religious organizations to preach politics from the pulpit, without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status. An IRS rule imposed in 1954 banned partisan political activity at religious institutions, including endorsements of candidates. Conservatives mourned over the bill’s defeat while liberals celebrated….Colby May, a senior counsel with the ACLJ, said it’s unfortunate that ‘it remains difficult and risky for religious leaders to speak out on the moral and political issues of the day from the pulpit because of the unfair and unconstitutional restrictions of the Internal Revenue Service.’….In 1999, the IRS revoked the tax-exempt status of the Christian Coalition because it distributed voter guides in churches….Michael Schwartz, vice president for government relations for Concerned Women for America, agreed that the battle must continue to be fought. ‘Congress was wrong 50 years ago when it empowered the IRS to censor sermons, and it was wrong again today.’…” (CNSNews.com, October 02, 2002)

“Consequently, the government may not censor churches’ speech on moral issues of the day without running afoul of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. The Internal Revenue Code, however, has circumscribed the rights of 501(c)(3) organizations to engage in political speech. Thus, the First Amendment notwithstanding, churches who desire to retain their status as tax-exempt organizations under I.R.C. 501 (c)(3) must adhere to IRS restrictions on political speech….In exchange for receipt of tax-exempt status, I.R.C. 501(c)(3) absolutely prohibits churches and other tax-exempt organizations from campaigning for or against a candidate for public office: ‘Corporations, and any community chest, fund, or foundation, organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes …no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided in subsection (h)), and which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.’….Moreover, an organization’s motive for engaging in campaign activity is irrelevant in determining whether the campaigning ban has
been violated. The IRS has stated that the campaigning ban ‘does not refer only to participation or intervention with a partisan motive, but to any participation or intervention which affects voter acceptance or rejection of a candidate.’ – Revenue Ruling 78-160, 1978-1 C.B. 154….Neither the I.R.C. nor IRS regulations define the term ‘candidate.’….under IRS guidelines, churches are free to discuss the moral issues of the day and also register persons to vote as long, as they do not support or oppose a particular candidate or political party. Again, whether the IRS’ restrictions are truly constitutional is, in our view, highly doubtful.”
(Jay Sekulow, ACLJ, http://www.aclj.org/Info/Irs501.Asp#I.)

“Rep. Walter Jones (R.-N.C.) has offered a bill that would repeal the law that now prevents churches from engaging in any political activity without losing their tax exempt status. The ‘Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act,’ HR 2357, would remove from the Internal Revenue (IRS) Code a 47-year-old law that has prompted some churches to avoid distributing voter guides or even taking positions on moral issues such as abortion that may be debated in political campaigns. ‘This legislation removes the threatening hand of the IRS and extends the freedoms of the 1st Amendment to all houses of worship in America – as was the case in this country from its founding until 1954,’ Jones told Human Events. ‘All too many churches have been so chilled by the present language of the 501c(3) portion of the IRS code that they refuse to make important moral, ethical or scriptural statements that may touch on current political campaigns, or from permitting others to do so from their premises and their pulpits.’…Jones says that houses of worship engaging in political activity ceased to be ‘part of the American tradition’ because of Lyndon B. Johnson. As Senate Democratic leader in 1954, Johnson added an amendment to the IRS code banning ‘nonprofit’ groups from participating in ‘any political campaign on behalf of any candidate.’ ‘This was done with a floor amendment, and there were no hearings or any congressional debate on the merits or reasons for this ban,’ said Jones….In 1995, for example, the IRS stripped the tax exemption of the Church at Pierce Creek in Vestal, N. Y. for running full-page ads in USA Today and the Washington Times saying: ‘Bill Clinton is promoting policies that are in rebellion of Gods law…How then can we vote for Bill Clinton?’…Interestingly, this element of the IRS code has not been aggressively enforced against liberal church leaders who shamelessly permit Democratic office-seekers to address their congregations from the pulpit. According to research by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), the IRS compiled more than 562 examples of Democratic candidates appearing in African-American churches between 1987 and 1994. But not one lost its tax-exempt status…”
(humaneventsonline.com, 10-29-01)

DR. D. JAMES KENNEDY’S TESTIMONY BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTE ON OVERSIGHT OF THE HOUSE COMMITTE ON WAYS AND MEANS – HEARING ON REVIEW OF INTERNAL REVENUE CODE SECTION 501 (c) (3) REQUIREMENTS FOR RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS:

“Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for the opportunity to be here. On behalf of the thousands of people who have signed petitions asking Congress to pass the Houses of Worship Political Speech Protections Act – some of which you see stacked on the table before me – I am pleased to have this opportunity to address the subcommittee….on July 2, 1954, as the Senate considered a major tax code revision, Johnson offered a floor amendment to ban all nonprofit 501(C)(3) groups from engaging in political activity. Without hearings or public debate, his amendment passed the Senate on a voice vote…That will change if ‘The Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act,’ introduced by Rep. Walter Jones, and cosponsored by 114 other Members, becomes law. Jones’ bill will reverse Johnson’s ban and return the protection of the First Amendment to America’s churches, synagogues, and mosques. Today, the hearing that never took place 48 years ago is convening as the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee considers this bill….The unequal enforcement of the existing law is just one of several reasons why scrapping the political activity ban altogether is a good idea. The political activity restriction is a blatant violation of the First Amendment, is vague and burdensome, and marginalizes churches at a time when America most needs a moral compass. The First Amendment states that ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech&.’ Yet that is exactly what the Congress has done by silencing churches. Nor is the political activity ban easy to obey. Not just endorsements, but voter education activities, such as voter guides that compare office-seekers on issues, may violate the ban if they are perceived as partisan. Even addressing moral concerns, such as abortion, from the pulpit during an election campaign may violate the IRS rule if abortion, for example, is under debate in the campaign. With so much uncertainty and so much at risk, silence is, regrettably, the only option for the minister who wants to ensure that the IRS does not open a file on his church. But when Caesar’s demand for silence confronts the message of God’s Word, ministers are forced into hard choices. That’s what happened in Nazi Germany a generation ago. Many pastors submitted, and were silent. Others were not, and paid the price….” (reclaimamerica.org)

STATEMENT OF STEVEN T. MILLER, DIRECTOR, EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2002. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS, SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT, WASHINGTON, DC:

MR. MILLER: “Like any other section 501 (c)(3) organization, a church not only jeopardizes its tax-exempt status for participating in a political campaign, it also becomes subject to excise tax under section 4955 on its political expenditures. This excise tax may be imposed in addition to or in lieu of revocation.”

“Mr. Miller, is there a statutory or regulatory definition of the word ‘substantial’ as it relates to the amount of activity a religious organization may engage in?

MR. MILLER: I don’t believe there is a – and Bruce can correct me if I am wrong on this. I don’t believe there is a statutory rule and probably not in the regulations either. There are revenue rulings, and there is some case law out there. Some of these do not involve religious organizations. Because the substantiality test applies across the board to all section 501 (c)(3) organizations, you can look to those cases as well. There is some guidance out there.

Mr. CRANE: Well, since this term remains undefined, are religious organizations simply supposed to wait until some enforcement action is taken by the IRS to find that line?

Mr. MILLER: Again, if we are talking about lobbying and the substantiality rules, we have not done a lot of enforcement in that area. We do not have information that would indicate that we should be more involved in this area.

Mr. CRANE: Well, could it be that there are so few enforcement actions that – because churches totally refrain from political activity because they are afraid of running afoul of the IRS?

Mr. MILLER: I am not sure how to answer that one. Again, substantiality applies only in the lobbying context, and there is an absolute bar in the political context. So the definition of substantiality would not flow over into political intervention unless your bill became law.

Mr. CRANE: What is the average cost for defending against an IRS enforcement action in court?

Mr. MILLER: That I do not have.

Mr. CRANE: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.

Mr. LEWIS:…But if you have a minister speaking from the pulpit on Sunday morning, maybe a rabbi from the synagogue or the temple, saying that he had been told by God about somebody, that somebody should be e
lected, somebody should be defeated, is that political activity?

Mr. MILLER. That would constitute political activity. Again, most of these are based on facts and circumstances. It would be difficult for me to find circumstances in which that wouldn’t be found to be a political campaign intervention. But, again, whether we would know about that would really depend on who was in the audience.

Mr. LEWIS: So you wait for someone to file a complaint against the institution or against the minister or against the rabbi or whoever?

Mr. MILLER. Again, as I mentioned, obviously, we do not have reporting from churches, and under section 7611 we cannot go out and survey churches. We cannot do audits unless we have a reasonable belief that there is an exemption or other tax issue out there. So there are some limitations.

Mr. MILLER. We certainly do outreach to whoever comes to us, and we do have a network of individuals from the religious community that we talk to. One person on our advisory committee is, in fact, a representative of the religious community. We do have an outside advisory committee that speaks to us, and we bounce things off of and -

Mr. WELLER: Who is that?

Mr. MILLER: That is Deirdre Dessingue of the Catholic Conference.

…Mr. WELLER: And can the minister say the following from the pulpit and not be in violation of the tax status, that candidate X is pro-life or candidate Y is pro-choice?

Mr. MILLER: That becomes more problematic, Congressman. The pastor, the minister, the rabbi can speak to issues of the day, but to the extent they start tying it to particular candidates and to a particular election, it begins to look more and more like either opposition to a particular candidate or favoring a particular candidate.

STATEMENT OF COLBY M. MAY, DIRECTOR, AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW & JUSTICE, ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

Mr. MAY: …Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for extending to me the invitation to be here today. I am and was Legal Counsel for the Church at Pierce Creek in Binghamton, New York, which in 1992 had its exemption revoked for a single violation of this portion of the Tax Code. Until 1954, all houses of worship were afforded the full and clear opportunity to act and speak as their conscience and leadership may direct, even in the political area. Today, houses of worship do not, however, enjoy that freedom because of the Johnson amendment which was inserted into the Tax Code in 1954 without a debate or a hearing. Then-Senator Johnson was angry because two Texas charitable organizations had taken a position contrary to him during his then-current primary bid. The law under the Johnson amendment now provides that churches and exempt organizations may engage in an insubstantial amount of lobbying activities, as you have heard from the IRS panel, but they are banned from doing anything that may be regarded as participating or intervening in a political campaign. Now the law is so intrusive and incomprehensible that the IRS has actually taken the position – and I was curious to note that they did not mention this during their testimony, but they have taken the position that there is coded language that may be used which would violate the political prohibition. In its publication, Election Year Issues, the IRS explains that the concerns that an exempt organization may support or oppose a particular candidate without specifically naming the candidate by using code words to substitute for the candidate’s name and its message – code words such as conservative or liberal, pro-life or pro-choice or anti-choice, or even Republican or Democrat. Now, making matters worse, the IRS doesn’t know whether the intent behind the message matters. Did the organization intend to actually endorse or not? Adding further inscrutability, the IRS has also said the same message can be both permissible for an exempt organization to make if it is an educational or religious message, but it may nevertheless violate the political intervention ban. Now, what a Catch-22. Code language violates the ban, but maybe it doesn’t. Intent matters, but it doesn’t. And the same message is okay, but it isn’t….Since the beginning of the Tax Code, churches and houses of worship have been exempt from income taxes because they provide services and promote the general welfare, saving those costs to the government. That fundamental relationship will not change if you abandon the absolute political intervention ban and replace it with a no substantial part test as you currently have in the lobbying area….Now, I conclude my introductory remarks by simply noting that, whatever this standard is, it certainly isn’t applied in a very consistent or even-handed manner….

STATEMENT OF REVEREND BARRY W. LYNN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AMERICANS UNITED FOR SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

Reverend LYNN: Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, my name is Barry Lynn. I serve as the Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. I am also an ordained Minister in the United Church of Christ, and an attorney, and I have had a long interest in the issues that we are discussing here today….The bills before you would scrap a time-tested system and substitute a reckless experiment in mixing religion with partisan politics. Make no mistake, these bills are not about free speech; instead, they would promote the corruption of the church and the corruption of the political process….Pastors are not gagged, churches are not shuttered by the fear of the IRS. This is a nonsensical caricature by those who are trying to scare religious leaders by misrepresenting current law….So if these proposals are not about free speech, and America’s religious leaders already enjoy the right to speak out on the moral issues of the day, then what precisely are these bills about? Let me be blunt. I believe it is simple. There are television preachers and special interest groups who would like to turn America’s churches into a powerful political machine. They would also like to undermine the principles of separation of church and State. Lawyers for Pat Robertson are out here, including on this panel, pushing this legislation. Dr. D. James Kennedy, also here today to express support for the bill, has repeatedly said that he believes church-State separation is, in his words, a lie, and that he wants to reclaim America for Christ. If these activists are politically successful, in part by passing these bills, the consequences would be devastating for the Nation’s tradition of religious pluralism and genuine religious freedom….

STATEMENT OF D. JAMES KENNEDY, PH.D., PRESIDENT, CORAL RIDGE MINISTRIES, FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA

Reverend KENNEDY: Thank you. Mr. Chairman, and ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure for me to be here to have an opportunity to speak to you, especially after what I have just been listening to. I hardly recognized the Nation that we are talking about in a previous discussion. It is certainly nothing that I would be in favor of. May we simply remind ourselves of the history of this matter. Up until July 2, 1954, when this Nation and its churches had been active for 334 years with the kind of freedom that this bill would grant, it did not create the kind of monstrosity that we just heard about, nor do I believe it would in the future. What is new and what is radical is this bill, which, as you know, was introduced on the floor on July 2 as Members were leaving for summer by LBJ, by Lyndon Baines Johnson, who was very upset that a couple of anti-Communist groups in Texas had been giving him a very difficult time in the election, and he decided to do what often has been decided to be done by people in power that did not like the things that had been said about them. He decided to silence them, so he added on the floor, without debate, the amendment that took away from churches and ministers what they had enjoyed for 334 years; that is, the right to say whatever they felt their consciences and the Scriptures were teac
hing them, and that they did not need to be afraid of what the government would do if they said certain things that the government disallowed. I have traveled all through this Nation. I have talked to thousands, over 100,000 ministers on this subject. I have noticed several things. One of them, if you ask any 100 of them what this says, we probably would get almost 100 different answers. It is very confusing. I think that was seen when we heard the experts talk about it earlier today. It is not something that is easily understood, and I have talked to many ministers who would not say anything on any moral issue or any other issue that might be perceived as being unacceptable because they were afraid that the IRS would come down upon them, open a new file on their church, and that they would experience repercussions because of that. Therefore, they have abstained from saying anything. Most people in America today believe that anything that is legal is right, and anything that is illegal by definition is wrong. Therefore, they feel that it is wrong to speak on these issues today, especially if there is any kind of election that is forthcoming in the near future, because they believe that this is illegal. They are not sure what it is that is illegal, because it is, indeed, confusing and obscure, in many aspects. And when you question them about that, it is very clear that they do not know exactly what is or what is not legal for them to say and when they can say it….And, therefore, I think that this unfair and ill-understood concept needs to be abandoned, and we should go back not to some advanced radical new view that somebody might come up with now, but rather we should go back to what the founders of this country and Americans in general for over 300 years believed was the proper thing to do.

STATEMENT OF BRENDA GIRTON-MITCHELL, ASSOCIATE GENERAL SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC POLICY, AND DIRECTOR, WASHINGTON OFFICE, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN THE USA

Ms. GIRTON-MITCHELL:….We welcomed Dr. Martin Luther King as our keynote speaker to the council in 1957. We sent a youth director by the name of Andrew Young to work with Dr. King, and he later became a Member of this body. We and our members have preached, written, marched, applauded, protested, and even prayed for Congress and for legislation, and have found that this current legal system serves us well….It is against this backdrop of a proud heritage and with a continuing concern for religious liberty that I come to you today to say that while H.R. 2357 and H.R. 2931 are purported to protect the political speech of churches, they are, in fact, unnecessary, they are unwise, and they are unwanted by our member communions of the National Council of Churches and many other faith groups that have been represented today.
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ORDER THE ROD: WILL GOD SPARE IT? and find out what is wrong with our churches today. This book deals, not with secondary issues and problems. It cuts to the heart and examines a corrupt foundation. The problem today is that the fear of God (the beginning of wisdom) is no longer taught in most churches. This book seeks to change this fact, to whatever degree the Lord will be pleased to use it. Order this book online at our new web site at:

http://www.kingdombaptist.org

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-ORDERING INFO FOR THE ROD: WILL GOD SPARE IT?

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HOW MUCH FREEDOM DO INCORPORATED CHURCHES POSSESS TODAY?

This past Wednesday, October 2, the House of Representatives defeated a bill that attempted to remove “some” of the restraints the IRS has placed upon 501c(3), non profit organizations (specifically incorporated churches). Walter Jones (a Republican congressman from North Carolina), is a Roman Catholic who authored the bill (Houses of Worship Political Speech). Many conservatives were very hopeful that this bill would not be defeated. However, the real issue is the fact that so many Christian pastors (and their churches) have technically agreed to be silent on crucial moral issues (that are often political issues) in the first place! Jesus Christ commissions the God-called pastor, not a government bureaucracy. Even so, this issue of the Kingdom Alert mainly addresses the question concerning how much freedom (to speak politically) “incorporated” churches currently possess. It will be seen that NO pastor or church really knows the answer to this question.

John the Baptist and Jesus openly addressed the MORAL CHARACTER of an official in public office (Matthew 14:4, Luke 13:32). When Paul preached against idolatry in Ephesus, he threatened the economy.

Acts 19:25 Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.

Therefore, it is obvious that in all ages “politics” and religion are often mingled together in many ways. This means that there are often financial, emotional, and/or physical consequences for publicizing certain truths. Christians are warned by Jesus Christ not to hide His words (ANY of them), or refuse to confess His truth for any reason (Mark 8:38, Matthew 10:27-28, John 12:42). Martin Luther once eloquently stated this truth (in words that are certainly more popular to quote than they are to actually obey and apply):

“If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all battle fields besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flenches at that point.”

In a future article, I will apply this quote to the subject of the fear of God (which is the whole beginning of the edifice of wisdom). Yet, the point at hand is that it is obvious that Jesus has called Christians to publicly confess every word of His truth. But are many churches hiding some of the Lord’s light today?

Many believe that incorporated, registered churches have been practically muzzled since 1954 based on the vagueness in the wording of the law. These churches were restricted from lobbying in 1934. They were restricted from “endorsing” (vague word) a “candidate” (vague word) in 1954. Since no one knows for sure what the law really means, many choose to be silent in certain areas rather than risk a loss of their tax exempt status. This has, no doubt, certainly contributed to the moral decline in our nation in the second half of the 20th century.

Is it not absurd that a free nation that was birthed by a revolution spread from many fiery pulpits, would one day grow to silence pulpits “politically” (whatever “politically” means)? It is true that pastors are called to preach “the Word,” not politics. However, as we have seen, “the Word” is often very political, since GOD desires His will to be obeyed in every area of our lives.

There have been two movements among Christians in the U.S. to attempt to remedy the problem of IRS restrictions on churches. For many years, fiery, fundamental Baptist pastor, Dr. Greg Dixon, has called churches to become totally unregistered (http://www.indianapolisbaptisttemple.com). Others, such as Dr. D. James Kennedy, have worked to remove some of the restrictions on 501c(3) church-organizations without changing their corporate or tax exempt status. Aside from the opposition of liberals and pagans, some critics of this latter movement have argued that the removal of these restrictions might ironically create more IRS oversight and involvement (reporting regulations, etc.) for churches. I am certainly always skeptical of anything Catholics are involved in. Yet, liberals and pagans have their own reasons for objecting to this movement. On the surface it appears to free churches (at least a little more than they are already). These groups do not want conservative churches involved in the election process anymore than they already are. The following information will be related to this movement, focusing primarily on the latest defeat of the Jones bill:

“House Defeats Politics-from-the-Pulpit Bill – (CNSNews.com) – Much to the dismay of conservatives, the House of Representatives Wednesday defeated a bill that would have allowed churches, synagogues and other religious organizations to preach politics from the pulpit, without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status. An IRS rule imposed in 1954 banned partisan political activity at religious institutions, including endorsements of candidates. Conservatives mourned over the bill’s defeat while liberals celebrated….Colby May, a senior counsel with the ACLJ, said it’s unfortunate that ‘it remains difficult and risky for religious leaders to speak out on the moral and political issues of the day from the pulpit because of the unfair and unconstitutional restrictions of the Internal Revenue Service.’….In 1999, the IRS revoked the tax-exempt status of the Christian Coalition because it distributed voter guides in churches….Michael Schwartz, vice president for government relations for Concerned Women for America, agreed that the battle must continue to be fought. ‘Congress was wrong 50 years ago when it empowered the IRS to censor sermons, and it was wrong again today.’…” (CNSNews.com, October 02, 2002)

“Consequently, the government may not censor churches’ speech on moral issues of the day without running afoul of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. The Internal Revenue Code, however, has circumscribed the rights of 501(c)(3) organizations to engage in political speech. Thus, the First Amendment notwithstanding, churches who desire to retain their status as tax-exempt organizations under I.R.C. 501 (c)(3) must adhere to IRS restrictions on political speech….In exchange for receipt of tax-exempt status, I.R.C. 501(c)(3) absolutely prohibits churches and other tax-exempt organizations from campaigning for or against a candidate for public office: ‘Corporations, and any community chest, fund, or foundation, organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes …no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided in subsection (h)), and which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.’….Moreover, an organization’s motive for engaging in campaign activity is irrelevant in determining whether the campaigning ban has
been violated. The IRS has stated that the campaigning ban ‘does not refer only to participation or intervention with a partisan motive, but to any participation or intervention which affects voter acceptance or rejection of a candidate.’ – Revenue Ruling 78-160, 1978-1 C.B. 154….Neither the I.R.C. nor IRS regulations define the term ‘candidate.’….under IRS guidelines, churches are free to discuss the moral issues of the day and also register persons to vote as long, as they do not support or oppose a particular candidate or political party. Again, whether the IRS’ restrictions are truly constitutional is, in our view, highly doubtful.”
(Jay Sekulow, ACLJ, http://www.aclj.org/Info/Irs501.Asp#I.)

“Rep. Walter Jones (R.-N.C.) has offered a bill that would repeal the law that now prevents churches from engaging in any political activity without losing their tax exempt status. The ‘Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act,’ HR 2357, would remove from the Internal Revenue (IRS) Code a 47-year-old law that has prompted some churches to avoid distributing voter guides or even taking positions on moral issues such as abortion that may be debated in political campaigns. ‘This legislation removes the threatening hand of the IRS and extends the freedoms of the 1st Amendment to all houses of worship in America – as was the case in this country from its founding until 1954,’ Jones told Human Events. ‘All too many churches have been so chilled by the present language of the 501c(3) portion of the IRS code that they refuse to make important moral, ethical or scriptural statements that may touch on current political campaigns, or from permitting others to do so from their premises and their pulpits.’…Jones says that houses of worship engaging in political activity ceased to be ‘part of the American tradition’ because of Lyndon B. Johnson. As Senate Democratic leader in 1954, Johnson added an amendment to the IRS code banning ‘nonprofit’ groups from participating in ‘any political campaign on behalf of any candidate.’ ‘This was done with a floor amendment, and there were no hearings or any congressional debate on the merits or reasons for this ban,’ said Jones….In 1995, for example, the IRS stripped the tax exemption of the Church at Pierce Creek in Vestal, N. Y. for running full-page ads in USA Today and the Washington Times saying: ‘Bill Clinton is promoting policies that are in rebellion of Gods law…How then can we vote for Bill Clinton?’…Interestingly, this element of the IRS code has not been aggressively enforced against liberal church leaders who shamelessly permit Democratic office-seekers to address their congregations from the pulpit. According to research by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), the IRS compiled more than 562 examples of Democratic candidates appearing in African-American churches between 1987 and 1994. But not one lost its tax-exempt status…”
(humaneventsonline.com, 10-29-01)

DR. D. JAMES KENNEDY’S TESTIMONY BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTE ON OVERSIGHT OF THE HOUSE COMMITTE ON WAYS AND MEANS – HEARING ON REVIEW OF INTERNAL REVENUE CODE SECTION 501 (c) (3) REQUIREMENTS FOR RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS:

“Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for the opportunity to be here. On behalf of the thousands of people who have signed petitions asking Congress to pass the Houses of Worship Political Speech Protections Act – some of which you see stacked on the table before me – I am pleased to have this opportunity to address the subcommittee….on July 2, 1954, as the Senate considered a major tax code revision, Johnson offered a floor amendment to ban all nonprofit 501(C)(3) groups from engaging in political activity. Without hearings or public debate, his amendment passed the Senate on a voice vote…That will change if ‘The Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act,’ introduced by Rep. Walter Jones, and cosponsored by 114 other Members, becomes law. Jones’ bill will reverse Johnson’s ban and return the protection of the First Amendment to America’s churches, synagogues, and mosques. Today, the hearing that never took place 48 years ago is convening as the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee considers this bill….The unequal enforcement of the existing law is just one of several reasons why scrapping the political activity ban altogether is a good idea. The political activity restriction is a blatant violation of the First Amendment, is vague and burdensome, and marginalizes churches at a time when America most needs a moral compass. The First Amendment states that ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech&.’ Yet that is exactly what the Congress has done by silencing churches. Nor is the political activity ban easy to obey. Not just endorsements, but voter education activities, such as voter guides that compare office-seekers on issues, may violate the ban if they are perceived as partisan. Even addressing moral concerns, such as abortion, from the pulpit during an election campaign may violate the IRS rule if abortion, for example, is under debate in the campaign. With so much uncertainty and so much at risk, silence is, regrettably, the only option for the minister who wants to ensure that the IRS does not open a file on his church. But when Caesar’s demand for silence confronts the message of God’s Word, ministers are forced into hard choices. That’s what happened in Nazi Germany a generation ago. Many pastors submitted, and were silent. Others were not, and paid the price….” (reclaimamerica.org)

STATEMENT OF STEVEN T. MILLER, DIRECTOR, EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2002. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS, SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT, WASHINGTON, DC:

MR. MILLER: “Like any other section 501 (c)(3) organization, a church not only jeopardizes its tax-exempt status for participating in a political campaign, it also becomes subject to excise tax under section 4955 on its political expenditures. This excise tax may be imposed in addition to or in lieu of revocation.”

“Mr. Miller, is there a statutory or regulatory definition of the word ‘substantial’ as it relates to the amount of activity a religious organization may engage in?

MR. MILLER: I don’t believe there is a – and Bruce can correct me if I am wrong on this. I don’t believe there is a statutory rule and probably not in the regulations either. There are revenue rulings, and there is some case law out there. Some of these do not involve religious organizations. Because the substantiality test applies across the board to all section 501 (c)(3) organizations, you can look to those cases as well. There is some guidance out there.

Mr. CRANE: Well, since this term remains undefined, are religious organizations simply supposed to wait until some enforcement action is taken by the IRS to find that line?

Mr. MILLER: Again, if we are talking about lobbying and the substantiality rules, we have not done a lot of enforcement in that area. We do not have information that would indicate that we should be more involved in this area.

Mr. CRANE: Well, could it be that there are so few enforcement actions that – because churches totally refrain from political activity because they are afraid of running afoul of the IRS?

Mr. MILLER: I am not sure how to answer that one. Again, substantiality applies only in the lobbying context, and there is an absolute bar in the political context. So the definition of substantiality would not flow over into political intervention unless your bill became law.

Mr. CRANE: What is the average cost for defending against an IRS enforcement action in court?

Mr. MILLER: That I do not have.

Mr. CRANE: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.

Mr. LEWIS:…But if you have a minister speaking from the pulpit on Sunday morning, maybe a rabbi from the synagogue or the temple, saying that he had been told by God about somebody, that somebody should be e
lected, somebody should be defeated, is that political activity?

Mr. MILLER. That would constitute political activity. Again, most of these are based on facts and circumstances. It would be difficult for me to find circumstances in which that wouldn’t be found to be a political campaign intervention. But, again, whether we would know about that would really depend on who was in the audience.

Mr. LEWIS: So you wait for someone to file a complaint against the institution or against the minister or against the rabbi or whoever?

Mr. MILLER. Again, as I mentioned, obviously, we do not have reporting from churches, and under section 7611 we cannot go out and survey churches. We cannot do audits unless we have a reasonable belief that there is an exemption or other tax issue out there. So there are some limitations.

Mr. MILLER. We certainly do outreach to whoever comes to us, and we do have a network of individuals from the religious community that we talk to. One person on our advisory committee is, in fact, a representative of the religious community. We do have an outside advisory committee that speaks to us, and we bounce things off of and -

Mr. WELLER: Who is that?

Mr. MILLER: That is Deirdre Dessingue of the Catholic Conference.

…Mr. WELLER: And can the minister say the following from the pulpit and not be in violation of the tax status, that candidate X is pro-life or candidate Y is pro-choice?

Mr. MILLER: That becomes more problematic, Congressman. The pastor, the minister, the rabbi can speak to issues of the day, but to the extent they start tying it to particular candidates and to a particular election, it begins to look more and more like either opposition to a particular candidate or favoring a particular candidate.

STATEMENT OF COLBY M. MAY, DIRECTOR, AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW & JUSTICE, ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

Mr. MAY: …Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for extending to me the invitation to be here today. I am and was Legal Counsel for the Church at Pierce Creek in Binghamton, New York, which in 1992 had its exemption revoked for a single violation of this portion of the Tax Code. Until 1954, all houses of worship were afforded the full and clear opportunity to act and speak as their conscience and leadership may direct, even in the political area. Today, houses of worship do not, however, enjoy that freedom because of the Johnson amendment which was inserted into the Tax Code in 1954 without a debate or a hearing. Then-Senator Johnson was angry because two Texas charitable organizations had taken a position contrary to him during his then-current primary bid. The law under the Johnson amendment now provides that churches and exempt organizations may engage in an insubstantial amount of lobbying activities, as you have heard from the IRS panel, but they are banned from doing anything that may be regarded as participating or intervening in a political campaign. Now the law is so intrusive and incomprehensible that the IRS has actually taken the position – and I was curious to note that they did not mention this during their testimony, but they have taken the position that there is coded language that may be used which would violate the political prohibition. In its publication, Election Year Issues, the IRS explains that the concerns that an exempt organization may support or oppose a particular candidate without specifically naming the candidate by using code words to substitute for the candidate’s name and its message – code words such as conservative or liberal, pro-life or pro-choice or anti-choice, or even Republican or Democrat. Now, making matters worse, the IRS doesn’t know whether the intent behind the message matters. Did the organization intend to actually endorse or not? Adding further inscrutability, the IRS has also said the same message can be both permissible for an exempt organization to make if it is an educational or religious message, but it may nevertheless violate the political intervention ban. Now, what a Catch-22. Code language violates the ban, but maybe it doesn’t. Intent matters, but it doesn’t. And the same message is okay, but it isn’t….Since the beginning of the Tax Code, churches and houses of worship have been exempt from income taxes because they provide services and promote the general welfare, saving those costs to the government. That fundamental relationship will not change if you abandon the absolute political intervention ban and replace it with a no substantial part test as you currently have in the lobbying area….Now, I conclude my introductory remarks by simply noting that, whatever this standard is, it certainly isn’t applied in a very consistent or even-handed manner….

STATEMENT OF REVEREND BARRY W. LYNN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AMERICANS UNITED FOR SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

Reverend LYNN: Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, my name is Barry Lynn. I serve as the Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. I am also an ordained Minister in the United Church of Christ, and an attorney, and I have had a long interest in the issues that we are discussing here today….The bills before you would scrap a time-tested system and substitute a reckless experiment in mixing religion with partisan politics. Make no mistake, these bills are not about free speech; instead, they would promote the corruption of the church and the corruption of the political process….Pastors are not gagged, churches are not shuttered by the fear of the IRS. This is a nonsensical caricature by those who are trying to scare religious leaders by misrepresenting current law….So if these proposals are not about free speech, and America’s religious leaders already enjoy the right to speak out on the moral issues of the day, then what precisely are these bills about? Let me be blunt. I believe it is simple. There are television preachers and special interest groups who would like to turn America’s churches into a powerful political machine. They would also like to undermine the principles of separation of church and State. Lawyers for Pat Robertson are out here, including on this panel, pushing this legislation. Dr. D. James Kennedy, also here today to express support for the bill, has repeatedly said that he believes church-State separation is, in his words, a lie, and that he wants to reclaim America for Christ. If these activists are politically successful, in part by passing these bills, the consequences would be devastating for the Nation’s tradition of religious pluralism and genuine religious freedom….

STATEMENT OF D. JAMES KENNEDY, PH.D., PRESIDENT, CORAL RIDGE MINISTRIES, FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA

Reverend KENNEDY: Thank you. Mr. Chairman, and ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure for me to be here to have an opportunity to speak to you, especially after what I have just been listening to. I hardly recognized the Nation that we are talking about in a previous discussion. It is certainly nothing that I would be in favor of. May we simply remind ourselves of the history of this matter. Up until July 2, 1954, when this Nation and its churches had been active for 334 years with the kind of freedom that this bill would grant, it did not create the kind of monstrosity that we just heard about, nor do I believe it would in the future. What is new and what is radical is this bill, which, as you know, was introduced on the floor on July 2 as Members were leaving for summer by LBJ, by Lyndon Baines Johnson, who was very upset that a couple of anti-Communist groups in Texas had been giving him a very difficult time in the election, and he decided to do what often has been decided to be done by people in power that did not like the things that had been said about them. He decided to silence them, so he added on the floor, without debate, the amendment that took away from churches and ministers what they had enjoyed for 334 years; that is, the right to say whatever they felt their consciences and the Scriptures were teac
hing them, and that they did not need to be afraid of what the government would do if they said certain things that the government disallowed. I have traveled all through this Nation. I have talked to thousands, over 100,000 ministers on this subject. I have noticed several things. One of them, if you ask any 100 of them what this says, we probably would get almost 100 different answers. It is very confusing. I think that was seen when we heard the experts talk about it earlier today. It is not something that is easily understood, and I have talked to many ministers who would not say anything on any moral issue or any other issue that might be perceived as being unacceptable because they were afraid that the IRS would come down upon them, open a new file on their church, and that they would experience repercussions because of that. Therefore, they have abstained from saying anything. Most people in America today believe that anything that is legal is right, and anything that is illegal by definition is wrong. Therefore, they feel that it is wrong to speak on these issues today, especially if there is any kind of election that is forthcoming in the near future, because they believe that this is illegal. They are not sure what it is that is illegal, because it is, indeed, confusing and obscure, in many aspects. And when you question them about that, it is very clear that they do not know exactly what is or what is not legal for them to say and when they can say it….And, therefore, I think that this unfair and ill-understood concept needs to be abandoned, and we should go back not to some advanced radical new view that somebody might come up with now, but rather we should go back to what the founders of this country and Americans in general for over 300 years believed was the proper thing to do.

STATEMENT OF BRENDA GIRTON-MITCHELL, ASSOCIATE GENERAL SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC POLICY, AND DIRECTOR, WASHINGTON OFFICE, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN THE USA

Ms. GIRTON-MITCHELL:….We welcomed Dr. Martin Luther King as our keynote speaker to the council in 1957. We sent a youth director by the name of Andrew Young to work with Dr. King, and he later became a Member of this body. We and our members have preached, written, marched, applauded, protested, and even prayed for Congress and for legislation, and have found that this current legal system serves us well….It is against this backdrop of a proud heritage and with a continuing concern for religious liberty that I come to you today to say that while H.R. 2357 and H.R. 2931 are purported to protect the political speech of churches, they are, in fact, unnecessary, they are unwise, and they are unwanted by our member communions of the National Council of Churches and many other faith groups that have been represented today.
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-HALLOWEEN: A CELBRATION FOR SATANISTS, WITCHES AND CATHOLICS – NOT FUNDAMENTAL CHRISTIANS!

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NOW WHY WOULD A ROMAN CATHOLIC BE SKEPTICAL OF A 1ST CENTURY ARTIFACT?: THE HERESY OF MARY’S PERPETUAL VIRGINITY

By now, most Christians have heard about the 1st century artifact that has been discovered:

“An inscription has been found on an ancient bone box, called an ossuary, that reads ‘James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.’…The container is one of very few ancient artifacts mentioning New Testament figures. One such object is the ossuary of Caiaphas, the high priest who turned Jesus over to the Romans, according to the Biblical account. Caiaphass tomb was uncovered in 1990. Also, some 40 years ago, archaeologists discovered an inscription on a monument that mentions Pontius Pilate.” (www.bib-arch.org)

“Jesus’ name found on burial box that may be his brother’s – Washington – …Writing in the new issue of Shanks’ Biblical Archaeology Review, Andre Lemaire, a specialist in ancient inscriptions at France’s Practical School of Higher Studies, says it is ‘very probable’ the find is an authentic reference to Jesus of Nazareth and he dates it to A.D. 63 just three decades after the crucifixion…The inscription, in the Aramaic language, appears on an empty ossuary, or limestone burial box for bones. It reads: ‘James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.’ Lemaire says the writing style, and the fact that Jews practiced ossuary burials only between 20 B.C. and A.D. 70, puts the inscription squarely in the time of Jesus and James, who led the early church in Jerusalem…Moreover, naming the brother as well as the father on an ossuary was ‘very unusual,’ Lemaire says. There’s only one other known example in Aramaic. Thus, this particular Jesus must have had some unusual role or fame – and Jesus of Nazareth certainly qualified, Lemaire concludes….The archaeology magazine says two scientists with the Israeli government’s Geological Survey conducted a detailed microscopic examination of the surface patina and the inscription. They reported last month that there is ‘no evidence that might detract from the authenticity.’…The first century Jewish historian Josephus recorded that ‘the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ, James by name,’ was stoned to death as a Jewish heretic in A.D. 62. If his bones were placed in an ossuary that would have occurred the following year, dating the inscription around A.D. 63. The Rev. Joseph Fitzmyer, a Bible professor at Catholic University who studied photos of the box, agrees with Lemaire that the writing style ‘fits perfectly’ with other first century examples and admits the joint appearance of these three famous names is ‘striking.’ ‘But the big problem is, you have to show me the Jesus in this text is Jesus of Nazareth, and nobody can show that,’ Fitzmyer says…” (WashingtonPost.com, Oct.21, 2002)

Is it really possible that a Roman Catholic would demand absolute PROOF that an artifact inscribed with the names of Jesus, James and Joseph actually refers to the Jesus Christ, James and Joseph of the New Testament? Roman Catholics have always been known for incredible gullibility in regard to artifacts, relics and apocryphal writings. John Dowling, the 19th century Baptist author, in “The History of Romanism,” documents some early examples of this fanatical superstition of Roman Catholics throughout history:

“The same necessity of relics to be deposited in the altar of Romish churches, in order to their due consecration, is contended for down to the present day. No matter how minute the particle of supposed holy dust of the saint…a tooth, a toe-nail, a hair, a drop of blood, or a preserved tear from the eye; anything will do, so that it is christened or declared genuine by his infallible holiness, the pope…Some buried the bones of dead men in certain places and then affirmed that they were divinely admonished in a dream, that the body of some friend of God lay there. Many, especially of the monks, traveled through the different provinces, and not only sold, with the most frontless impudence, their ficticious relics, but also deceived the eyes of the multitude with ludicrous combats with evil spirits…”

Why, after so many centuries of this most incredible, despicable superstition and gullibility (and fraud), are Roman Catholics suddenly skeptical of one of the few, possibly AUTHENTIC artifacts in all of history? Why are they suddenly straining at a gnat, when they have been swallowing camels for centuries?

There is a very simple explanation. It is because THIS artifact happens to be inscribed with the following words: “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” In other words, this artifact refutes the unbiblical, Roman Catholic fantasy that James was the COUSIN of Jesus! In other words, THIS artifact agrees with the New Testament (also Josephus, “Antiquities,” 20. 9-1, pp. 200-201), and sufficiently refutes the Roman Catholic tradition that Mary was a perpetual virgin (i.e. never had any other children than our Saviour).

Notice the following words from the online “Catholic Enycyclopedia” at NewAdvent.org:

“Some ancient heretics, like Helvidius and the antidicomarianites maintained that the ‘brethren’ of Jesus were His uterine brothers the sons of Joseph and Mary. This opinion has been revived in modern times, and is now adopted by most of the Protestant exegetes….James, Joseph, and Jude are undoubtedly His cousins.”

This encyclopedia writes as if the teaching that Mary was a perpetual virgin was rooted in the New Testament and found unanimously in the writings of the earliest of Christians immediately after the Apostles! But John Dowling (“The History of Romanism”) shows that this view did not really arise in popularity until the middle of the fourth century:

“About the middle of the fourth century, as appears from certain expressions in Epiphanius, Gregory Nyssen, and Augustine, an opinion arose that there were in the temple at Jerusalem, virgins consecrated to God, among whom Mary grew up in vows of perpetual virginity…The opinion was strenuously maintained by them, and most of their contemporaries, that Mary continued a virgin till her death. Others, however, adopting a more natural interpretation of Matt.1:25 and 13:55,56 contended that she had afterward lived in a state of honorable matrimony with her husband, and that she had borne other children. Those who held this opinion, were enumerated among the heretics, and were called Anti-dico-marianites, or opposers of the purity of Mary.” (P.81)

Jerome (345-420), in attempting to refute Helvidius, disowns Tertullian (160-220), since Tertullian (a premillennial, Baptistic writer), in reproving the fables of the Gnostics, denied the perpetual virginity of Mary:

“[Helvidius] produces Tertullian as a witness and quotes Victorinus, bishop of Petavium. Of Tertullian, I say no more than that he did not belong to the Church. But as regards Victorinus, I assert what has already been proven from the gospel – that he spoke of the brethren of the Lord not as being sons of Mary but brethren in the sense I have explained, that is to say, brethren in point of kinship, not by nature.” (Against Helvidius: The Perpetual Virginity of Mary 19 [A.D. 383]“).

John Paul II, like Jerome of old, uses a slippery, convenient, Roman Catholic definition of “church,” in order to claim that the doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity has “always” been professed:

“The Church has always professed her belief in the perpetual virginity of Mary…The expression ‘ever virgin’ was taken up by the Second Council of Constantinople (553), which affirms: the Word of God, ‘incarnate of the holy and glorious Mother of God and ever virgin Mary, was born of her’ (DS 422). This doctrine is confir
med by two other Ecumenical Councils, the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) (DS 801) and the Second Council of Lyons (1274) (DS 852), and by the text of the definition of the dogma of the Assumption (1950) (DS 3903) in which Mary’s perpetual virginity is adopted as one of the reasons why she was taken up in body and soul to heavenly glory.”
(Pope John Paul II, General Audience, August 28, 1996; reported by Catholic Information Network)

Why all the debate? Why do some strict Catholics work so hard to defend the supposed doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity? It is primarily because paganism worships the “mother goddess,” and Catholicism, for power, historically merged Christianity with ancient paganism. They desire to worship Mary and give her as much honor as the pagan goddess originally possessed. They believe that by worshipping and exalting Mary, SHE will soon bruise the head of the serpent (i.e. Genesis 3:15 in the Latin Vulgate), and dispose of all heresies and heretics (i.e. Baptists, Protestants, etc.). In fulfillment of 1 Timothy 4:3, and contrary to Hebrews 13:4, Catholics have exalted virginity far above the marriage state. Therefore, in their view, in order to exalt Mary, her purity must not be tainted by the marriage bed:

“If any one saith, that the marriage state is to be placed above the state of virginity, or of celibacy, and that it is not better and more blessed to remain in virginity, or in celibacy, than to be united in matrimony; let him be anathema.”
(Council of Trent, Session 24, Canon 10).

Bible Verses Proving That Mary Was Not A Perpetual Virgin, But Had Other Children:

Matthew 12:47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and THY BRETHREN stand without, desiring to speak with thee.

Matthew 13:55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and HIS BRETHREN, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
56 And HIS SISTERS, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in HIS OWN HOUSE.

John 2:12 After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and HIS BRETHREN, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.

Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

1 Corinthians 9:5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the BRETHREN of the Lord, and Cephas?

Galatians 1:19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s BROTHER.

Catholics say that there is another “Mary” who is the mother of the “brethren” of our Lord. They say that words such as “brethren” mean “cousins.” But the New Testament knows the word “cousin”(Luke 1:36, 58). Furthermore, the words “till” and “firstborn” in Matthew 1:24, prove that we are dealing with physical children of Mary, not cousins:

Matthew 1:24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25 And knew her not TILL she had brought forth her FIRSTBORN son: and he called his name JESUS.

Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her FIRSTBORN son…

Furthermore, an Old Testament prophecy of Christ (see John 2:17) reveals that Mary had other children:

Psalms 69:8 I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto MY MOTHER’S CHIDREN.
9 For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

Verse 8 of this Psalm was fulfilled in the following Scripture:

John 7:5 For neither did HIS BRETHREN believe in him.

It will be interesting to continue to observe how Catholics will respond to this new artifact! Watching Roman Catholics appear skeptical of one of the few possibly authentic artifacts in history is incredibly humorous, to say the least.

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HALLOWEEN: A CELEBRATION FOR SATANISTS, WITCHES, AND CATHOLICS – NOT FUNDAMENTAL CHRISTIANS!

A Roman Catholic website briefly describes the meaning of Halloween to modern Catholics:

“Halloween (the ‘e’en’ or evening before ‘All Hallow’s,’ or all the ‘Holy Ones,’ the saints) is the vigil of two feast days. All Saints Day is November 1, and All Souls Day is November 2….On All Saints we celebrate the lives of the saints, especially those in heaven. On All Souls Day we remember those who have died, especially in our immediate family….Skeletons and skulls are naturally symbols at Halloween because of All Souls Day, ‘the Day of the Dead,’ as some countries call it. It doesn’t hurt us to think about death once a year. We’re all going to die someday. Skeletons and skulls remind us of this. Figures of devils and witches can also remind us of the ever-present temptation to be like God. Halloween is not ‘of the devil,’ as some FUNDAMENTALISTS say. Many denominations don’t teach about the COMMUNION OF SAINTS, so naturally they don’t celebrate All Saints Day or All Souls Day. All they have left of Halloween is pre-Christian superstition about the dead.” (Americancatholic.org)

The same website also describes the ORIGINS of Halloween:

“The true origins of Halloween lie with the ancient Celtic tribes who lived in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. For the Celts, November 1 marked the beginning of a new year and the coming of winter. The night before the new year, they celebrated the festival of Samhain, Lord of the Dead. During this festival, Celts believed the souls of the dead -including ghosts, goblins and witches – returned to mingle with the living. In order to scare away the evil spirits, people would wear masks and light bonfires. When the Romans conquered the Celts, they added their own touches to the Samhain festival, such as making centerpieces out of apples and nuts for Pomona, the Roman goddess of the orchards. The Romans also bobbed for apples and drank cider – traditions which may sound familiar to you. But where does the Christian aspect of the holiday come into play? In 835, Pope Gregory IV moved the celebration for all the martyrs (later all saints) from May 13 to November 1. The night before became known as All Hallows Even or ‘holy evening.’ Eventually the name was shortened to the current Halloween. On November 2, the Church celebrates All Souls Day. The purpose of these feasts is to remember those who have died, whether they are officially recognized by the Church as saints or not. It is a celebration of the ‘communion of saints,’ which reminds us that the Church is not bound by space or time. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that through the communion of saints ‘a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. Between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things.’ (#1475).” (AmericanCatholic.org)

Finally, this same website also reveals Halloween’s relatively recent birth in the U.S.:

“…the current custom of going door-to-door to collect treats actually started in Ireland hundreds of years ago…When an influx of Irish Catholic immigrants came to the United States in the 1800s, the custom of trick-or-treating came with them. Does your family carve a pumpkin to place on your porch for Halloween? If so, then you can once again thank the Irish for the tradition. Actually, the custom began with a turnip. People would hollow out the turnips and place lighted candles inside to scare off the evil spirits. When the Irish came to America, they discovered the pumpkin as a larger substitute for the turnip. And so, we now carve pumpkins instead of turnips for Halloween.” (AmericanCatholic.org)

Indeed, Halloween was not popular in the U.S. until the 20th century, when it spread from the Irish Catholic settlements, and was later re-energized by the Wiccans. There is much commo
n ground between Catholics and pagans, especially concerning the dead. As America grows increasingly Catholic and pagan (with the aid of the federal government through public education, etc.), it is no wonder that Halloween is increasingly growing in popularity. Paganism went mainstream in America in 1979 when two books (i.e. ‘The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess’ by Starhawk, and ‘Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today’ by Margot Adler) were both released on Halloween. The Harry Potter movement is insuring that the children are not left out of this “new age.”

While Catholics are busy praying for, and TO, dead people, and the pagans are likewise communing with their dead ancestors (not to mention the modern, Druid sacrifices of some serious Satanic groups), Halloween is obviously a night when the devils will run wild! One pagan witch describes the importance of Halloween for communicating with the dead (i.e. “the communion of saints”):

“‘There is a recognition of our close ties with our ancestors and a recognition that the veils between the worlds are thin at this time of year.” (Chapin-Bishop, WiccaNet.org)

On Halloween, Pagans will usually prepare a meal and set plates for dead relatives. The favorite foods of deceased relatives are prepared. The meal is usually consumed in total silence. After the meal, the food that was set out for the deceased is poured out in the woods as an offering to spirits. Another Wiccan high priestess, Marsha Smith, likewise describes the importance of Halloween for “communion” with departed spirits:

“‘It’s a time to celebrate our ancestors and to communicate with the other side through meditation (or) tarot cards or by inviting the spirits to possess us,’ she said. ‘We believe souls are reincarnated and our loved ones come back to be with us again.’” (Holly Edwards Staff Writer, Los Angeles Daily News)

While Halloween may be important for Catholics and pagans, fundamental Christians should avoid any association with or celebration of the day. The Bible teaches that sorcery will be revived in the last days, and that this would move God to bring the Tribulation curses upon mankind:

Revelation 9:21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their SORCERIES, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

The Bible also teaches that Rome will continue to “whitewash” pagan divination, until she becomes accepted as the center of world religion:

Revelation 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

There is NOTHING “cute” about witches and devils. Christians are losing the minds of their children by foolishly opening the gates to the enemy (through TV, movies, public education, pagan/Catholic holidays such as Halloween, etc.). Witchcraft is no longer cute and funny; it never was, but it especially is not cute in this late day, as thousands of teenagers are taking it seriously. Paul warns Christians that those who flirt with witchcraft will be excluded from the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5:20).

The ancient Druids were the “priests” of the Celtic religion. The Druid priests practiced horrible, mass human sacrifices on Halloween (although some modern pagans attempt to deny this fact, at least in public). Tacitus (the Roman historian) confirms this fact. The feast of Samhain (pronounced “sow-win”) was the feast of the dead. At this time, as we have seen, it was believed that the veil between the living and the dead (i.e. spirit world) was at its thinnest. I do believe the veil between the spirit world and the living is indeed at its thinnest at this time – not just on Halloween, but during this whole final age. However, it is not DEAD people, but DEVILS who are close at hand, ready for “communion” (1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Timothy 3:8). How long will it be before these devils once AGAIN (as with the Druids of old) begin to move mankind to practice the human sacrifices the Bible predicts will intoxicate Rome (Revelation 17:6)?

I personally do not think Christians should hold similar “alternatives” on Halloween. I think they should hit the streets and confront the world with strong preaching, or they should gather together for fervent prayer. Should such a night be an evening for fun, games, and “mock” divination for discerning Christians? Is there not a cause? Can we not rejoice in Christ in fellowship, spiritual songs, soul winning, and prayer, or must we imitate the joy of pagans and Catholics? What does it teach children when we train them that they must always have a “Christian” imitation of pagan fun? Will not many children soon realize that the world can “out-do” the Christian on pagan ground? I am certainly not against holy fun and recreation for children. I am against attempting to “Christianize” divination. I know there are many who teach that there is merit in attracting children to churches, away from a dangerous environment. Yet, many churches are having to become increasingly pagan and grotesque every year to attract the kids (who have been raised on horror movies with millions of dollars of special effects). “Hell houses” with rape, murder, suicide, blood and violence, acted out, etc. are sadly, becoming increasingly common in churches on Halloween.

But my main point is that Halloween is a pagan and Roman Catholic festival. Fundamental Christians should not have witches and skeletons on their doors.

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-NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS

-THE BIBLE PREDICTS THE RISE OF IRAQ AS THE HAMMER OF GOD

-Prophecy Writers Who Looked for the Rise of Literal Babylon

-Can America Remove Saddam Without God?

-Is Saddam Destined to be a Modern Nebuchadnezzar?

-JOHN HINTON’S BIBLE RESTORATION MINISTRY ==================================================

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THE BIBLE PREDICTS THE RISE OF IRAQ AS THE HAMMER OF GOD

“From Nebuchadnezzar to Saddam Hussein, Babylon rises anew on the path of construction and glorious jehad.” (http://www.babylon-festival.net/bablyonintfestivalenglish.html)

According to the Bible, the future prophetic curtain of the tribulation period will open with Israel restored as nation, and Iraq as a menacing power ready to temporarily conquer the Middle East, if not the world (Habakkuk 1:6, Jeremiah 25:9, 50:23). The stage is largely already set today. It may be that God will not allow the West (drunken with such sins as abortion, homosexuality, and pride) to totally uproot Saddam. Or it may be that the removal of Saddam will, ironically, allow Babylon to continue to flourish under the U.N. Whichever scenario God uses, I believe that one thing is for certain: Iraq will go forth to conquer immediately before or immediately after the tribulation period begins. Perhaps if there is enough true repentance in our land, God will temporarily hold back His judgments, and keep Iraq at bay. Yet, we must not provoke Him by presuming upon His patience. He has many reasons to be angry with our land. There is a Biblical principle that states that the more light an individual or nation possesses, the more he or it will be held accountable (Luke 12:47-48, James 3:1). America is not modern Israel, even though the light of God’s Scriptures has shown brightly in this land. However, since ancient Israel was a nation with more light than any other nation, and it was severely judged by the kingdom of Babylon when it grew stubborn, America (and the West) would do well to fear God and seek His mercy; especially in light of current events.

The great image described in Daniel 2 refers to the four consecutive, ancient kingdoms that ruled Israel and most of the world directly before the time of Christ (i.e. Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome). These same four kingdoms are repeated in Daniel 7. The first kingdom in Daniel 7 (i.e. Babylon) is pictured as a lion (Daniel 7:4, Jeremiah 4:7, 50:17). This speaks of both the ancient and a future Babylon. Many prophecies have a DOUBLE fulfillment such as this. We can see an example of double-application prophecy in 2 Samuel 7:12-16. Solomon is the near, historic fulfillment of the prophecy. Yet, Jesus is the future fulfillment of the same promise (Hebrews 1:5, Luke 1:32-33). Other examples of double-application may be noted by comparing Joel 2:28-32 with Acts 2:16-21, and Malachi 4:5 with Matthew 17:11-13. Notice the double-application revealed to us by the wording in Daniel 7:17:

Daniel 7:17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which SHALL ARISE out of the earth.

18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

Daniel sees this vision in the final days of the first kingdom of Babylon (Daniel 7:1). Yet, God tells Daniel that Babylon (as well as the other three kingdoms) will yet ARISE in the future; He then links this rise to power to the time directly before the return of Christ to establish His kingdom. There are similar double-application prophecies concerning Babylon found in Jeremiah. After God uses the kingdom of Babylon as a hammer to punish the rebellious nations (Jeremiah 50:23), He then punishes that kingdom with utter desolation for its own transgressions:

Jeremiah 50:13 Because of the wrath of the LORD it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be WHOLLY DESOLATE: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues.

This desolation did not occur in strict detail in ancient history. The city of Babylon was still flourishing in 331 B.C. when Alexander the Great entered it. There was even a church at Babylon in New Testament times (1 Peter 5:13). Saddam has been rebuilding the actual city of Babylon for years (see http://www.babylon-festival.net). Modern Iraq is certainly not “wholly desolate.”

There is another double-application prophecy concerning Babylon in Isaiah 13:

Isaiah 13:13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

19 And BABYLON, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

20 It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.

Prophecy Writers Who Looked for the Rise of Literal Babylon

Prophecy writer, W. E. Blackstone, in 1915, took a tour of Babylonia and personally proved that Isaiah 13:20 was not yet fulfilled in his day. This prophecy must still find its complete fulfillment in the future tribulation period. It is at that time that the heavens will be shaken and the earth will remove out of her place (Revelation 6:13-14). In the face of any threat of war, there should be national prayer and humility before God. But how much more should we seek God in repentance when our enemy at hand is a nation that God has already used in past ages (and promises to use again) to punish proud nations?

In conclusion, the following prophecy scholars likewise looked for a future rise of Iraq as a threat to the world in the last days. There words read like the modern newspaper:

“There are TWO DESTRUCTIONS OF BABYLON: one of Babylon mystic….and one of Babylon literal…Babylon the city of old time reappears.” (Robert Govett, “Govett on Revelation,” 1861; reprinted by Schoettle, 1981)

“I conclude, then, that such a great commercial city, different from all that now exist, will yet be, and that it will be old Babylon rebuilt.” (Joseph A. Seiss, “Lectures on the Apocalypse,” 1865)

“We conclude, then, that the case of Babylon will be similar to [that] of Jerusalem…It seems, therefore, on every account likely that we may presently hear of projects to restore Babylon…” (G.H. Pember, “The Antichrist, Babylon, and the Coming Kingdom,” 1888)

“In the year 500 A.D., or 1,100 years after Cyrus, the celebrated Jewish Babylonian Talmud was issued, showing that it was still a seat of learning….this great city must once more be rebuilt.” (H.W. Fry, “God’s Plan in the Bible,” 1880′s)

“…the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah cannot be fulfilled unless there is to be a future Babylon that shall be thus destroyed.” (Clarence Larkin, “The Book of Revelation,” 1919)

“The Babylon of the past had great glories. called in modern times Irak-Arabi…Hillah, on the site of ancient Babylon, has thousands of inhabitants…the shepherd still watches thousands of sheep there. Before the Great War, Sir William Wilcocks, whose wonderful system of irrigation we have seen in Egypt, was in Mesopotamia about 1910 or earlier. He then predicted: ‘It seems that the time has come for this land, long wasted with misery, to rise from the very desert and take her place be
side her ancient rival, the land of Egypt.’…It was the belief of Sir William that Babylon would be ‘the capital of the world, the finest city that man ever built.’ Alexander the Great, had chosen this city to be the capital of his projected world-empire….Who will…build again, on an unprecedented scale, this coming, imperial world city? Who will do it?” (William F. Roadhouse, “Seeing the Revelation,” 1932) ”

Herodotus, Book III, 159…states distinctly that when Cyrus took the city he neither destroyed the wall nor tore down the gates…Therefore the prediction of complete and everlasting solitude still awaits fulfillment….Nearly 150 years ago that satanically far-seeing man, Napolean Bonaparte, as is reported, said whoever held Babylon held the key to India and the world.” (G.H. Lang, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ,” 1945)

Can America Remove Saddam Without God?

I do pray that there are enough holy, praying Christians in the U.S., who have seen the writing on the wall (9-11-01), for God to shine His grace and mercy upon us. Perhaps in His longsuffering, since He is not willing that any should perish, He will allow us to enjoy liberty and peace. But proud America better get on her knees before God forces us there. With the war in Afghanistan, some military advisers have warned president Bush that the U.S. military needs more time, and that without the U.N., our military would be too taxed. Commentators like Walter Cronkite have recently stated that if the U.S. attacks Iraq without the U.N., our only ally would be Great Britain. And he believes that such an attack would usher in World War III. But is it reasonable to have other nations such as Russia as an ally against terrorists? We see what that former head of the KGB thinks about his own people. He just gassed a multitude of them to death in a hostage crisis, and boasted because he saved the rest. In totalitarian nations, people become numbers. And what about China? A recent letter from a pastor in China reveals the terrible persecution against Christians that is taking place in that nation (persecution.com). And certainly anyone can see the absurdity of allying with Muslim nations (who hate Israel), and may be financing and protecting terrorists themselves. The “ally” a nation needs in any war is the LORD OF SABAOTH. More time spent seeking Him, and less time spent gathering at the tower of Babel would benefit the whole world greatly.

Is Saddam Destined to be a Modern Nebuchadnezzar?

Habakkuk 1:6 For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that BITTER and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.

7 They are TERRIBLE and DREADFUL: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.

It may be Saddam who is the modern Nebuchanezzar; it may be one of his sons. Or it may be a new power that will soon occupy that ancient land of Shinar. Regardless, a great conqueror will arise from that land to persecute Israel at the start of the Tribulation period. He will not be the final ROMAN Antichrist. Yet, he will go forth to conquer with terror and bitterness. Historians tell us that the ancient Babylonians were so dreadful that they would put hooks in the mouths of captured enemy soldiers and lead them around like dogs. They would burn out the eyes of their captives (Jeremiah 52:10-11). We have certainly seen such fierce hatred in modern Islamic suicide bombers and terrorists. This same spirit also appears to be found in the modern leader of Iraq. His hatred for Israel and his cruelty are commonly reported. Is Saddam a descendant of Nebuchadnezzar? In one sense, it would not matter. The Bible teaches that whoever controls the land becomes the “king of Babylon”:

Ezra 5:13 But in the first year of CYRUS the king of BABYLON the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God. Cyrus was the king of Persia.

Yet, he had conquered Babylon. Therefore, Saddam Hussein, according to Scripture, is just as much the literal king of Babylon today as anyone has ever been. But it is interesting that he reportedly claims to also be a physical descendant of Nebuchadnezzar! Whether or not this is true, the last day’s prophecies concerning the Babylonian kingdom will be fulfilled by whoever has control and is possessing that land. Notice that Saddam certainly possesses the SPIRIT of Nebuchadnezzar:

“But Iraqis are angry over another indignity inflicted on one of the greatest sites of classical antiquity. Babylon’s Gate of Ishtar and hundreds of other treasures were looted a century ago and now grace the museums of Paris and Berlin. Apart from the lifting of economic sanctions, Iraq has another demand on the West, the return of these masterpieces to Babylon….Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem in 587 BC and tore down the first Jewish temple. He built the hanging gardens and brought the city to the peak of its glory. Saddam Hussein makes no secret of his desire to seize the mantle of these achievements.” (smh.com.au, May, 2002, London Telegraph)

“Saddam’s campaign to enroll the past in the service of future glory is obsessive. He has embarked on a giant project to reconstruct a version of ancient Babylon …Saddam is widely portrayed as a latter-day Nebuchadnezzar, the 6th Century B.C. Babylonian ruler, whose memory the Old Testament has preserved as a conqueror of Jerusalem, the leader who carried the Hebrews into captivity.” (Judith Miller and Laurie Mylroie, “Saddam Hussein and the Crisis in the Gulf,” 1990)

“As a civil engineer who worked on several Saddam residences told NEWSWEEK last week, there’s a lot of Saddam in every one of those buildings. ‘Saddam was very much obsessed with his palaces,’ said Entifad Qanbar, now exiled in the United States. Saddam likes to identify himself with the ancient King Nebuchadnezzar, not only because he built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, but because Nebuchadnezzar, as Saddam likes to say, ‘was the one who brought the bound Jewish slaves from Palestine.’ In Babylonian palaces, many of the bricks were stamped with the ancient king’s sign. Now those in Saddam’s palaces are stamped in similar fashion, with a drawing of the dictator, or an eight-pointed star, and the motto: BUILT IN THE ERA OF SADDAM HUSSEIN….Yusuf, a former bodyguard of Saddam’s, spent 10 years serving in 20 of his residences before escaping in 1999 to Jordan. An unlettered soldier, Yusuf has difficulty describing the opulence he saw. ‘Whatever there is in the whole world, these palaces have it.’ He recalls as many as 5,000 security staff actively guarding the tyrant’s mansions.” (The Bulletin with Newsweek, bulletin.ninemsn.com.au, Oct. 9, 2002)

“He has been an international bugbear since 1990, when he burst onto the world stage with his invasion of Kuwait. And despite his removal from the emirate by Allied forces, tales still abound of Saddam’s arsenal of weaponry, his links with the al-Qaeda network and his insatiable hunger to topple the West. One of his most senior military defectors, Abu Zeiinab al-Qurairy, watched the September attacks on television from his hiding place in the Lebanon, and reportedly commented, ‘That’s one of ours.’…In the subsequent ground assault, thousands of his soldiers were killed or wounded. The Shiites of southern Iraq revolted, but Saddam was somehow able to restore his grip, while in the north he attacked the rebellious Kurds. It was left to Western powers to create safe havens in both areas, and attempt to force the defeated leader to eliminate all his weapons. Even in this humiliated state, Saddam remained defiant. His continual refusal to submit to UN inspections of his national arsenal led to more Anglo-American attacks on Iraqi targets in 1998. Tony Blair explained, ‘Just because we can’t get into the cage, doesn’t mean we should leave the cage untouched.’…His two sons-in-law attempted to leave the country, and were executed on their return. Meanwhile, his son Uday is being groome
d for power, and continues to wield the axe of fear handed him by his father…His features and monuments are all over Iraq. He has even had Nebuchadnezzar’s palace rebuilt, with his own name printed on every brick. The West may continue to call for his overthrow, but Saddam Hussein goes on, as defiant and brutal as ever.” (BBC.co.uk, Profile, Oct. 30, 2002)

The above reports are from secular sources, not Bible prophecy web sites! Exactly how close we are to the fulfillment of Bible prophecy concerning Babylon, we cannot say. But the stage-setting signs are so ripe and abundant, that we should tremble in repentance and anticipation as we watch for the coming Saviour.

==================================================== THE ROD: WILL GOD SPARE IT? BY J.D. Faust – We are in between printings. Please pray for this book, and keep watching for the next printing. =================================================

JOHN HINTON’S BIBLE RESTORATION MINISTRY

John Hinton c/o 1737 Grace Lane Columbus, Ohio [43220] 740-226-3222 614-451-7043 jhinton@post.harvard.edu A linguistic-based ministry devoted to the reprinting of the King James Bible and Textus-Receptus-Equivalent Bibles throughout the world and to presenting a challenge to the efforts of publishers and apostate Bible Societies to pervert and distort the Word of God.

My Credentials:

-I am a born again, unregistered, independent Baptist and a strict, uncompromising, unapologetic, relentless, feisty and fierce defender of the King James Bible as the true, living and inerrant Word of God as it stands now, with no concessions having to do with nonexistent original autographs.

-A scholar of Hebrew and Greek, who does not use his scholarship to “correct” the Bible, but only to defend it.

-I am proficient in or knowledgeable of virtually every language relevant to early biblical translation (Aramaic, Syriac, Samaritan, Coptic, Armenian, Georgian, Giothic, Latin and Old English, as well as French, Italian, Spanish, German and I possess elementary knowledge of several other European languages.

-A professional translator and desktop publisher of Arabic, Persian (Farsi), Hindi, Urdu and other languages for translation companies, attorneys and corporations.

-A former Ph.D. student in the Near Eastern Languages and Civilization Department of Harvard University.

-A holder of an M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School in Near Eastern and South Asian studies and a thorn in the side to the school’s liberal radicals.

-A holder of a B.A. in Arabic, Summa cum laude with Honors and Distinction, 2nd Major in South Asian Studies, Minor in Persian, International Studies Certificate from the Ohio State University.

-I completed a “Year in India Program” in Benaris, India, where I studied Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit and Arabic.

-Completed the Summer Intensive program in Hindi and Urdu at the University of Wisconsin. -Completed a Summer Arabic program at Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan.

-I traveled extensively in India, Nepal and many other countries.

-I am fast and proficient typist in several languages, including those of India and Arabic.

I will be glad to discuss the issue of King James Onlyism with any sincere Christians who are confused on the issue and are uninformed as to the true differences between Wescott-Hort “Bibles” and the King James Bible. However, I will not waste my time with apostates and hypocrites who know the facts but have rejected the truth due to rebelliousness or disbelief in the inerrancy of the Bible. My First Goals Hindi is spoken by well over 300 million people. It is one of the top five most-spoken languages of the world. It is spoken mostly by Hindus who follow one of the world’s most demonic religions. The 19th century Bibles were quite good except for a few easy-to-fix flaws (such as changing only son” to “only begotten son”), but they are out of print and next to impossible to find used. I want to reproduce this Bible first. Urdu is spoken by over 150 million people in India and Pakistan. It is mostly spoken by Muslims. It took me 20 years to even find an Urdu Bible that I could purchase and it is perverted. The out-of-print 19th century translation is excellent and it is the second Bible that I plan to restore to print. Other languages that used to have good Bibles before the societies attacked God’s word in them include Pashto and Bengali…Other possibilities include Gujarati…and Punjabi…. This is a full-time job and I will need missionary support to be able to do it. Hundreds of millions of people have no access to true Bibles and these people matter to the Lord, and they should matter to us.

Comments: Why not contact this brother, ask him questions, support him, and schedule him to do a translation seminar in your church? We should praise God for the rare man who can separate the facts from the marketing while getting an education in languages.

-WORLDLY DISTRACTIONS: TESTIMONY FROM A CHRISTIAN COLLEGE STUDENT

-VISIT http://www.kingdombaptist.org .
==============================================

WHEN PREACHERS BURY HELL: THE ATTACK UPON LITERAL JUDGMENT FIRE AFTER DEATH

“Three in ten adults (31%) see hell as an actual location: ‘a place of physical torment where people may be sent.’ (1996)” (Barna Research)

In the late 19th century, the radical feminists (Elizabeth Cady Stanton, etc.), the Unitarians (William Henry Channing, etc.), the Theosophists (P. Blavatsky, etc.), the Psychologists (William James, etc.), the New Thought preachers (Ursula Gestefeld, etc.), the Spiritualists (Arthur Conan Doyle), the Infidels (Colonel Robert Ingersoll, etc.), the Higher Critics, the Universalists, the Annihilationists, and the so-called Scientists (following after Darwin) ALL launched a vigorous attack upon the fear of God, Hell, the eternal Lake of Fire, and every trace of doctrine which proclaimed a LITERAL, fiery punishment for anyone after death. As men such as Govett and Pember were restoring premillennial, literal interpretation to new heights among Baptists, Plymouth Brethren, etc., (teaching that not only would the wicked suffer eternally in literal fire, but that many unrepentant Christians themselves may temporarily come into contact with the literal, consuming fire of God’s anger at the Judgment Seat of Christ), it was only natural that the Devil would THEN strategically choose to launch his neutralizing attack upon the whole foundation of God’s literal, judgment fires. As premillennial, literal interpretation concerning the Judgment Seat of Christ then began to abundantly blossom in the early 20th century (see the historical documentation in my book, “The Rod: Will God Spare It?”), the clamorous cries of the Devil’s mob strived to convince the majority of people in the world that, “All is well, there is no Hell.” Many preachers began to believe the lie that Hell-fire preaching would “psychologically” damage people. The noble cry among early 20th century accountability preachers (Panton, Craig, Neighbour, Tilney, Poynder, Nee, etc.) was obviously too feeble. Christian preachers ignored or mocked their own warnings, and watered-down Hell to be seen of men as “educated” and “progressive.” Since they were too afraid to openly proclaim the doctrine that LOST SINNERS would meet with literal fire, they were not about to bear the harder yoke of preaching temporary, literal judgment to Christians. Therefore, the 20th century would be known as the century when Christian preachers BURIED HELL! They would not preach it to lost sinners. And those who did preach it often NEUTRALIZED it by teaching that the judgment fire is FIGURATIVE and parabolic.

If Christians may neutralize their own warnings by pretending that they are only FIGURATIVE, they will obviously then have a difficult time convincing people that the warnings to lost sinners must be interpreted LITERALLY. But let us put aside this debate (at least in this article) concerning the severity of judgment that Christians may temporarily experience after death. I want to deal with the foundational argument of whether or not the judgment fires of Hell and the Lake of Fire are literal or figurative for sinners. When a lost sinner dies, does he go to a figurative Hell, or a literal one? Is he then tormented in figurative fire, or literal fire? In spite of the consensus reached by even the “conservative scholars” today, I must once again go against the pack concerning Hell-fire. I assure the reader, on the authority of the Word of God, that Hell and its fires are LITERAL; they are not metaphorical in any sense.

Let us take a closer look at this historical attack upon literal Hell-fire (at least in modern ages). About the time that the King James Bible was being translated, Christopher Marlow (an atheist and epicure) wrote a play based upon his interpretation of the Faust legend. In this play, he hinted at the fact that Hell is figurative:

“Faustus: Where are you damned?
Mephistopheles: In hell
Faustus: How comes it then that thou art out of hell?
Mephistopheles: Why THIS IS HELL, nor am I out of it. Think’st thou that I, who saw the face of God, And tasted the eternal joys of heaven, Am not tormented with ten thousand hells, In being deprived of everlasting bliss?”
(Christopher Marlow, “The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus,” 1604, the play)

This interpretation of Hell would later serve as the main device to neutralize God’s warnings. Infidels (for obvious reasons) rebelled against the whole doctrine of Hell. Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) wrote:

“There is one serious defect to my mind in Christ’s moral character, and that is that He believed in hell…..I really do not think that a person with a proper degree of kindliness in his nature would have put fears and terrors of that sort into the world…I must say that I think all this doctrine, that hell-fire is a punishment for sin, is a doctrine of cruelty.” (Russell, “Why I am Not a Christian”)

The (so-called) Jehovah’s Witness cult would arise out of the late 19th century, Satanically inspired assault on the fear of God. They would ride the new wave of figurative interpretation concerning Hell:

“The fire of the parable, by which the punishment (destruction) is to be accomplished, will not be literal fire…Fire here, as elsewhere, symbolizes destruction…” (“Zion’s Watchtower,” January, 1910)

Before long, almost every denomination and popular preacher would likewise SPIRITUALIZE Hell and the Lake of Fire to one degree or another. A literal judgment fire was no longer fashionable to a world raised on jazz music, rock music, evolution, feminism, spare-the-rod-pop-psychology, secular-humanistic-public-education, and higher criticism:

Church of England:
“…hell is a state of nothingness, the church said. The church said it was concerned that people were terrified into becoming believers and consequently suffered ‘searing psychological scars’…Those who fail the test are annihilated. Hell is described as the final ‘choosing of that which is opposed to God so completely and so absolutely that the only end is nonbeing.’” (National & International Religion Report, Jan. 22, 1996)

Roman Catholicism:
“Hell ‘is not a ‘place’ but a ‘state,’ a person’s ‘state of being,’ in which a person suffers from the deprivation of God,” declared La Civilta Cattolica, an influential Jesuit magazine based in Rome and closely tied to the Vatican, in a long editorial in July…Within days of the editorial’s publication, Pope John Paul II struck a similar note, telling visiting pilgrims that ‘more than a physical place, Hell is the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy.’…That the subject has been out of view reflects the cultural change within the church since the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960′s and new biblical research by Catholic scholars. After the council, fire and brimstone preaching declined as a new emphasis was placed on God’s love rather than God’s wrath, said Sister Elizabeth Johnson, a professor of theology at Fordham…The HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism, a large 1995 publication edited by several theologians under the direction of the Rev. Richard P. McBrien of Notre Dame, defines Hell as ‘the eternal loss of God’ and bluntly warns that biblical images of infernal torments are not to be taken literally but instead symbolize suffering ‘inherent in the state of sin.’…Among mainline Protestants, talk of Hell is as rare these days as it is among Catholics…”
(“New York Times,” September 18th, 1999, Gustav Niebuhr)

Martin Luther King, Jr.:
“I do not believe in hell as a place of a literal burning fire.”
(“Ebony Magazine,” January 1961)

Billy Graham:
“I think that hell essentially is separation fr
om God forever. And that is the worst hell that I can think of….I think the fire that is mentioned in the Bible is a burning thirst for God that can never be quenched…” (“Orlando Sentinel,” April 10, 1983)

Robert Schuller:
“‘Sin is any act or thought that robs myself or another human being of his or her self-esteem.’ And what is ‘hell’? It is the loss of pride that naturally follows separation from God the ultimate and unfailing source of our soul’s sense of self-respect….A person is in hell when he has lost his self-esteem. can you imagine any condition more tragic…?”
(Robert Schuller, “Self-Esteem: The New Reformation,” Key-Word Books, 1982)

To understand how confusing and deceptive things have now progressed in regard to thris subject, one only has to read the modern books that are published in order to supposedly DEFEND the traditional view of Hell! The seeking student walks into a Christian bookstore or seminary library in search of resources that contend against the modern attack upon Hell and its fires. The most popular, modern books, written to supposedly contend against the apostasy concerning Hell-fire, after scores of pages and material, end up actually being the PRIME PROMOTERS of the FIGURATIVE view of Hell!:

John Blanchard:
“There are places in Scripture where a literal fire seems possible, but others where a symbolic meaning seems to be the only true one. The right approach must be to interpret the first in the light of the second….Virtually every interpreter agrees that when Jesus spoke of hell’s ‘worm’ he was using a metaphor; it would be strange if in the same breath he should speak of ‘fire’ and not be doing the same thing.”
(John Blanchard, “Whatever Happened to Hell,” Foreword by J.I. Packer, 1993)

Blanchard errs on this point, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. Furthermore, this is certainly a very weak argument due to recent “worm” discoveries:

“Mysterious Ice Worms Discovered… – Scientists diving by submarine amid the oil fields of the Gulf of Mexico have discovered vast colonies of previously unknown worms burrowing into a great mound of methane-rich ice erupting from the sea floor….From scalding hot springs to rocks deep underground, evidence has emerged in recent years that living organisms can flourish almost anywhere on Earth….”
(“San Francisco Chronicle,” July 30, 1997)

These scientists do not know how true their statement really is. Living organisms (i.e. worms!) are also deep WITHIN the earth. If there are worms that can live in ice and organisms that can live it HOT springs, you better believe (especially when Jesus confirms it) that there are “worms” that can live in HELL! Notice again:

“Lurking around the steaming chimneys that form in the deep-sea hydrothermal vents off the west coast of Mexico are small tube worms that may be the most heat-tolerant species on Earth. Craig Cary, UD marine biologist, is collecting and characterizing these 4-inch-long Pompeii worms, whose very tolerance to hot and cold extremes may make them valuable to the chemical and pharmaceutical industries…In addition, the Pompeii worm lives within the broadest temperature range-from 10 degrees to 80 degrees C-of any organism on the planet, Cary says. (On the Celsius temperature scale, 0 degrees C represents the freezing point of water and 100 degrees C is the boiling point.).”
(University of Delaware Office of Public Relations, “The Messenger,” Vol. 5, No. 2/1996, “Where the warm worms are.”)

O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken (Luke 24:25)!

Notice some other, modern “defenses” of the Biblical doctrine of Hell, that are really only propaganda for the FIGURATIVE VIEW:

Robert A. Peterson:
“The New Testament also uses fire IMAGERY to depict hell….What does hell-fire SIGNIFY?…the fire signifies terrible pain…The use of fire imagery in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus confirms our conclusion….Plainly, fire here speaks of the ‘agony’….Should we understand the fires of hell as literal flames? The answer is no….I stand with the majority of contemporary conservative scholars in understanding the biblical imagery of hell metaphorically rather than literally….See the impressive list compiled by William V. Crockett.”
(Robert A. Peterson, “Hell On Trial,” Foreword by John Macarthur, 1995)

William V. Crockett:
“The Bible does not support a literal view of a burning abyss. Hellfire and brimstone are not literal depictions of Hells furnishings, but figurative expressions warning the wicked of impending doom.” (William Crockett, “Four Views on Hell,” 1992)

The cults are quick to applaud the figurative view of modern “conservative” scholarship:

Seventh-Day Adventists:
“Credit must be given to the proponents of the metaphorical view of hell for pointing out that the images used in the Bible to describe hell, such as fire, darkness, voracious maggots, sulphur, and gnashing of teeth are metaphors and not actual descriptions of fact.” (Seventh-Day Adventist, Samuele Bacchiocchi, “Immortality or Resurrection”)

There is nothing in Luke 16 that states that the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus is a PARABLE. The notes of the Authorized Version do not list it as a parable. Jesus can just as easily use true, historical events as He can use parables. Furthermore, the parabolic language that Jesus teaches with NEVER uses anything for a symbol or figure of something else that does not have an existence in nature or reality:

Parable: “A fable or allegorical relation or representation of something REAL in life or nature, from which a moral is drawn for instruction.” (Web. 1828)

Based on the language of the Gospels, this definition, at least in regard to the parabolic language Jesus uses, is absolutely correct. In any and every parable that the Lord uses, everything really exists in reality and nature, exactly as described. Vineyards exist, husbandmen exist, fig trees exist, sheep exist, shepherds exist, doors exist, gates exist, coins exist, candles exist, brooms exist, women exist, barns exist, seeds exist, thorns exist, the sun exists, rocks exist, the blind exist, ditches exist, wine exists, leaves exist, towers exist, winepresses exist, pennies exist, fields exist, fish exist, pearls exist, the sea exists, and rich men exist, beggars exist, angels exist, Abraham exists, and HELL EXISTS AND HELL-FIRE EXISTS! Therefore, even if it could be proven that the story in Luke 16 is a parable (it is not), it would only then prove that Hell really exists, exactly as stated. Notice how the J.W.’s attempt to argue contrary to this fact:

“The great difficulty with many in reading this Scripture [Luke 16] is that, though they regard it as a parable, they reason on it and draw conclusions from it as though it were a literal statement….In a parable the thing said is never the thing meant….When he said ‘wheat,’ he meant ‘children of the kingdom.’” (“The Bible On Hell,” International Bible Students Association, 1921)

The J.W.’s and their mystical interpretation is refuted. Not only can they NOT prove that Luke 16 is a parable, but even if it is, Jesus only uses real things as symbols. Hell is therefore real.

In Matthew 13, Jesus teaches the key to all future interpretation of His parables. In each of these parables, whatever the JUDGMENT is in the parable, it remains in the interpretation. “Burning” means “burning,” “casting” means “casting,” and “fire” means “fire.” This is how Jesus interprets these parables for us. Furthermore, it is absurd to take the LITERAL INTERPRETATION of a symbol or figure, and then turn that interpretation into another figure! People often do this in the Book of Revelation. In Revelation 17, the “woman” is the “figure.” A “city” (17:18) is the interpretation of the figure. Why then would anyone then wonder what the CITY stands for? To do so is rebellion against the angel (and ultimately the Holy Ghost) who gives the interpretation. Jesus speaks of Hell many times
in non-parabolic contexts. However, even in parables, Matthew 13 shows that the actual judgments in the figures are carried over into the literal interpretation. And finally, when Jesus gives the interpretation, to then make the interpretation a figure is to rebel against Scripture and reason.

But people argue, “How can a non-physical spirit or a soul burn in a literal fire? Isn’t this figurative?” No, the flame is literal and real. Fire obviously has even more power and greater properties deep in hell than it has on the surface of earth. And the fire on earth can burn hot! Some lava cores of volcanoes can melt hardened steel in ten seconds. Many scholars today are not arguing logically. Because something may be more hotter and more powerful in Hell than it is on the surface of earth does not mean that the fire is metaphorical! By what logic does possessing greater properties make something figurative? A baby cannot perform the work of a grown man. Does this mean that a grown man is only the figure of a child?

Finally, these “conservative scholars,” if anything, are arguing backwards. If something is figurative, it is not the fires of Hell and the future Lake of Fire. It is the fires of earth which are only “patterns” (Hebrews 9:23-24) of the TRUE consuming fires which pour forth from God’s mouth and breath and light Tophet!

And who said that a soul cannot be burned with super-hot fire? God can make it burn. The soul of the rich man was being tormented in fire. He was not simply burning with desire. While he may have felt the pain of remorse, and the pain of the absence of God, and the pain of worry about his family members, he also felt the pain of LITERAL FIRE. And although he had multiple unfulfilled desires – one, main, literal, unfulfilled desire was for some water on his tongue! So we must avoid getting overly philosophical and sophisticated with the God’s warnings. The Sadducees denied a literal resurrection. And they had many absurd hypothetical arguments they used to mock the resurrection. Jesus answered them:

Matthew 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

That is how we answer. If God says a soul burns with Hell fire, we should say, “Yes Lord.” We should not start cutting up Hell and teaching that God does not mean literal fire, or that He ONLY means burning with desire, etc.

WORLDLY DISTRACTIONS: TESTIMONY FROM A CHRISTIAN COLLEGE STUDENT

“Hi, my name is David and I am presently a first year student in Religion & Theology. I live on campus with a number of other guys and wanted to address an issue that has troubled me ever since I have been here. But first, I’ll just give a brief testimony of where I stand in my lifestyle for Christ and why. How often has Joey F. brought up the subject of worldly living among Christians? Yes, I am speaking of TV and movies in particular. Regularly, Joey reminds us of the effects of TV and movies on our lives. I am one of the few who have abandoned the entertainment industry of TV and movies for the sake of Christ. I did not abandon it because I thought it was corrupting me, but merely because it was a hindrance to my Bible reading and prayer time. I found that every time I wanted to read my Bible or pray, I had to limit my time in order to watch my TV shows. Therefore, with this out of the way, I had more time on my hands for God. However, at this time, I began to realize the influence that the media had previously had on me. When I abandoned TV and movies, I found that my relationship with Christ drastically grew. What I had come to realize is how powerful the allurement of TV and movies had been in my life . . . and, well, their undeniable corrupting effects on me as a Christian. People often do not realize the effect something has on their lives until they abandon it. Here are a few facts I have received from a theologian who specializes in pop-culture. The statistics can be found at Barna Research Online:

-Born-again adults spend an average of seven times more hours each week watching television than they do participating in spiritual pursuits such as Bible reading, prayer, and worship
-Born-again adults spend roughly twice as much money on entertainment as they donate to their church
-Born-again adults spend more time surfing the Net than thy do conversing with God in prayer
-There is no significant statistical difference between Christians and society as a whole [on these matters?]

But, I do not need to belabor this point any further; instead, I want to bring up another issue concerning the entertainment industry that has struck me hard ever since I have moved to campus life; it is the stimulating joy of violent video games played among the young men. To watch these Christians play their 3-D, first-person, realistic shoot ‘n’ kill games vexes my spirit. It’s violent, and it bears no good fruit. But the common reply that I hear is ‘Don’t worry, I can discern those things that could affect my faith,’ or ‘It’s just a game . . . it’s only for fun.’ Just about anything is said to preserve the indulgence. Ninety-five per cent of rooms here contain either an Xbox, or Playstation, or Nintendo. If not, then the students still have their computers. But when they’re tired of their games, they go back to movies and TV. The other day, we had Songs of Praise (chapel) here in college, but to my surprise, two-thirds of the chapel was empty because no one wanted to miss the next episode of ‘Survivor.’ Some common things that I’ve noticed among most Christians here are these: they all play video games, watch TV and movies, stay up until 2 a.m., listen to ‘Christian’ heavy metalpunk music, like to prank people at night, listen to secular music over Christian music, seek to be popular and known among their brethren, but avoid-gently and subtly-the low-class. I relate these as easily observable facts, not as a way to feel good about myself by bashing others. I love these people and wish for them to be good witness’s of Christ. One thing I must say is that I am distraught by this emerging generation.

Colossians 3:2: ‘Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.’”

(David, monium2@hotmail.com)
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-MAIL RESPONSES: BIBLE METHODISTS STAND AGAINST TV

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PART II:
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-EZEKIEL’S CRY: THE MISUSE AND ABUSE OF FIGURATIVE INTERPRETATION
-The Bible Teaches the System of Literal Interpretation
-The Biblical Principles of Literal, Prophetic Interpretation
-Interpreting Symbols in Literal Interpretation
-Conclusion
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THE VANITY OF ABSTINENCE FROM PUBLIC EDUCATION WITHOUT ABSTINENCE FROM THE UNGODLY ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

Luke 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

“A loose coalition of educators, politicians, textbook publishers, and researchers is devaluing traditional sexuality morality through their public support of homosexual relationships. In reaction, American Christians, observant Jews, Muslims, and others are joining Dobson in endorsing an exodus from public schools.”
(Christianity Today, Editorial – September 9, 2002)

“In a riveting speech at the National Religious Broadcasters annual convention earlier this year, Focus on the Family’s Dr. James Dobson asked the crowd of 3,500 people a provocative question about children: ‘Do you understand what a stem cell is?…Do you understand that children are the stem cells for the culture? The environment that you put them in is what they grow up to be. And if you can control what they hear, if you could control what they’re told, if you have access to their minds & you can make them into just about whatever you want them to be.’….homosexual proselytizing has become so rampant and audacious in government schools that major cultural icons like Dr. Dobson and talk radio’s Dr. Laura Schlessenger have publicly urged parents to simply remove their children from public schools….” (Commentary by David Kupelian, WorldNetDaily, November 12, 2002)

It is certainly good advice to call Christians to separate from public education. Too many people wrongly confuse “education” with “government controlled education.” They are not the same. I am thankful that many Christians are awakening to the dangers of public schools. It is too bad that it took school shootings to stir many from their lethargy. However, fundamentalist Christians have been preaching FOR YEARS that the Biblical commands and warnings concerning separation should be enough to move parents to forsake public education for Christian schools or home-schooling. In response, the fundamentalists were often ignored by mainstream, evangelical Christians, and called names by liberals and unbelievers. For example, the fundamentalists in the 1970′s who decried public education and labored for the deregulation of non-public schools in N.C. were sneeringly labeled “narrow-minded rednecks” by their opponents (see “Greensboro Record” in its lead editorial entitled “Deregulating The Schools,” April 2, 1979). Yet, it is obvious today that the fundamentalists were right all along. The really sad thing is that a whole generation of children have been corrupted since the fundamentalists first sounded the alarm and were ignored by the liberals and the majority of Christians. The same pattern is being repeated today in regard to other crucial issues.

Fundamentalists are once again being ignored today in regard to Harry Potter, worldly television, and worldly movies in general. I often read or hear conservative Christian commentary wherein worldly movies (with bloody violence for entertainment, and/or unlawful sex, nakedness, blasphemy, cuss words, taking God’s name in vain, etc.) are praised as long as they happen to have a “noble” theme, etc. The sad truth is, there are many Christians that are simply addicted to worldly movies. To them, only “fanatics” entirely forsake the world’s theaters and television programs. As with public education a generation ago, they mock the fundamentalist call to totally separate from the world’s vile entertainments and protect the precious children.

Thirty years from now, if the Lord tarries, will there be a mass call by popular talk-show conservatives to totally forsake the worldly movies? If so, it will again be thirty years too late for a whole generation of children. All that conservative leaders have written or spoken concerning public education applies in a greater degree to worldly movies. The same justifications are used with worldly movies as with public education: “There are some good teachers. There are some noble lessons on character, etc. We can change it from within. Grab some popcorn and let’s see some violence. It will be good for the children to face reality. We can share the Gospel with the movie stars on the screen.”

Today, in America, a person can drive for many hours up into the mountains (any mountain range, it makes no difference) and stop to eat in a small restaurant three hours from the nearest Wal-Mart, only to be served by an immodest young girl with purple hair and an ear-ring in her nose! How can this be? On the roof of almost every mountain house or cabin in communities where hundreds are probably home-schooled (or at least have Christian school teachers) there is attached a satellite dish that pumps in the world’s television filth right into the living room. In practically every hidden community, the mom and pop corner store advertises VCR’s and video rentals for movies wherein perverts, fornicators, blasphemers and sodomites are the “stars.” It is vain to call for an exodus from public schools without calling for an exodus from the world’s entertainment industry. What a blessing it would be if some Christian leaders today would not wait thirty years to finally agree with the fundamentalists! A great number of children would be saved from Hollywood’s ungodly agenda.

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MAIL RESPONSES
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BIBLE METHODISTS STAND AGAINST TV

“Bro. Faust, I am a 20 yr old college student, currently in my third year of ministerial studies. I wish to respond to the statements of the young man, David, who addressed the worldly influence of today’s entertainment industry through television and movies. In his letter, he made the following statement: “I am one of the few who have abandoned the entertainment industry of TV and movies for the sake of Christ.” I, for one, applaud his Christ-honoring stand! However, I would also like to encourage him in the fact that he is not “one” of “few.” There are many like-minded fundamentalist Christians who have taken the same stand. While we are not a Baptist, we are solidly within the realm of fundamentalism. I, as a Bible Methodist, have never had the influence of a television within my home. The Bible Methodist Connection of Independent Churches have long taken a stand against TV and theaters. All of the 50+ churches in our Alabama conferences are in support of the long-standing ban on television. Our other conferences, including Ohio and the Great Lakes Conference, support the same stand. The college that I am now attending does not permit television on campus, or in any of their staff housing. Other large fellowships of churches, such as the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection, the Bible Missionary Union and the Tennessee Bible Methodist Connection all have taken a strong stand against television and the theater. Our annual IHC convention, which is held in Dayton, OH, draws crowds of over 8,000. This convention, from its very beginning, has taken a position against TV that is maintained to this day. It encourages me to see our independent Baptist brethren raising the standard on this issue.
In closing, I would like to pose this question: If our fundamentalist churches can take positions on dress and other such lifestyle issues…why are many preachers afraid to touch issues
such as entertainment? May the Lord bless you and your ministry! Yours for the cause of Christ.”
(Ben C., benc39@juno.com)

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THE ROD: WILL GOD SPARE IT?
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This book is again available for ordering! Visit http://www.FundamentalBooks.com
call 817 453-5542, or e-mail pastor@kingdombaptist.org

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VISIT the ALL NEW http://www.KINGDOMBAPTIST.org
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Kingdom Baptist Church is located at 700 Cordes Dr. in Venus, Texas, 76084. We are 10 miles south of I-20 (in Arlington) off highway 287. Please visit when you can!

-EZEKIEL’S CRY: THE MISUSE AND ABUSE OF FIGURATIVE INTERPRETATION
-The Bible Teaches the System of Literal Interpretation
-The Biblical Principles of Literal, Prophetic Interpretation
-Interpreting Symbols in Literal Interpretation
-Conclusion
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EZEKIEL’S CRY: THE MISUSE AND ABUSE OF FIGURATIVE INTERPRETATION

Ezekiel 20:49 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak PARABLES?

2 Timothy 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto FABLES.

The word “fables” means “fiction.” It is one thing to enjoy holy, profitable allegory, such as in “The Pilgrim’s Progress.” It is another thing to stubbornly turn from the truth and believe make-believe! There are numerous ways that this is occurring in these last days. Some examples include adding apocryphal or non-canonical books to the Bible, embracing the Book of Mormon, replacing inspired Scriptural principles with the fictitious ramblings of atheists disguised as science, etc. Another application of this prophecy in 2 Timothy 4 would be the modern, unhealthy practice of indulging in novels and fantasy in an intemperate fashion, while neglecting inspired Scripture, doctrinal books, and life-changing biographies. However, there is another way that many Christians are abusing fiction. It is through the wrong use of figurative interpretation.

The tendency among a majority of modern interpreters of the Bible is to spiritualize everything away from its most simple, common meaning. To them, nothing is literal today. Everything is an allegory. We are to believe that Hell-fire is figurative, the Kingdom of God is symbolic, the Bible is figurative, etc. Nothing is tangible and practical. This enables people to embrace ear-tickling doctrines and escape responsibility. This is nothing new. Philo and Origen adopted the practice of extreme allegorical interpretation in the first few centuries of the Christian era. How often I have heard, “Oh that is JUST a parable,” as if the warnings in parables are not literal, or as if the revealed INTERPRETATION of a parable is parabolic still! The cry of the prophet Ezekiel therefore applies to much of modern Christianity. Many are heaping to themselves smooth-talking teachers in order to escape the fear of God, accountability, and doctrinal commands:

Ezekiel 20:48 And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.
49 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?

Bible prophecy is not limited to dragons, beasts and earthquakes. It includes anything and everything that God says He will do in the future. Therefore, the Judgment Seat of Christ, rewards, accountability, or in short, God’s promises and warnings, are all a part of Bible prophecy. If our system or manner of interpretation is wrong in regard to prophecy, it will be wrong in regard to interpretation in general. If the “thousand years” in Revelation 20 are allegorical, why not Hell or the commands for women to submit? This is not as large a jump as one might imagine. Anyone who has done much street witnessing knows that a common justification for sin is, “The Bible is not supposed to be interpreted LITERALLY.”

For example, the Theosophists were heavily involved in 19th century feminism (Besant, etc.). To these feminists, the Bible was filled with nothing but epigrams, enigmas, symbols and allegory. They rebelliously “explained away” all Bible commands that are against their agenda by teaching that they are only misunderstood “allegories.” The Unitarians and liberals used the same technique. It is used today by cults, liberals and infidels of every stripe and color. Therefore, denying the system of literal interpretation has serious ramifications and consequences. We must therefore be a witness against this rebellious interpretation of Scripture. But we must not continue to wait for the numerous twigs and branches to spring forth. We must cut down this system at its root. This is why the figurative interpretation of Bible prophecy must be reproved. It leads to the figurative interpretation of all of God’s commandments!

The Bible Teaches the System of Literal Interpretation

What is often called “literal interpretation,” is derived from noticing how Scripture interprets its own prophecies. Notice the following prophecy:

Jeremiah 29:10 For thus saith the LORD, That after SEVENTY YEARS be accomplished at BABYLON I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

In this prophecy, “seventy” meant seventy, “years” meant years, and “Babylon” meant Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:21)! Also, the numerous fulfillments of Old testament prophecy noted by the Holy Ghost in the Gospels also reveal to us that prophecies are meant to be understood literally. Notice just a couple of these:

Micah 5:2 But thou, BETHLEHEM Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Matthew 2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In BETHLEHEM of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

In the above prophecy “Bethlehem” meant Bethlehem! It was not a symbol or a figure.

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding UPON AS ASS, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Matthew 21:2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find AN ASS tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

In the above prophecy, “riding” meant riding, “ass” meant ass, and “colt” meant colt!

Certainly, these examples alone should cause advocates of “figurative interpretation” to abandon ship. Yet, sadly, the Bible predicts that the majority of people will turn aside in the last days and embrace fables (fiction) instead of sound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:4). When literal truths are replaced by the figurative fancies of men, the interpretations become “fabulous.” Yet, literal interpretation, while at first it might appear incredible, is always vindicated by time! Robert Govett’s commentary on the Book of Revelation (“The Revelation of St. John Literal and Future”) in 1843 is an example. His interpretations of various prophecies are no longer incredible. Israel has been restored as a nation, there is talk of rebuilding the temple, and Babylon is currently being rebuilt!

This does not mean that those who embrace the system of literal interpretation will be entirely free from the danger of error. Many people at the time of Christ (influenced by the Pharisees and scribes) interpreted the Scriptures literally. Yet, they erred by not fully investigating the life of Jesus:

John 7:41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
43 So there was a division among the people because of him.
52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

It was obviously pride that caused these people to refrain from further research into the matter. Although people may still err with literal interpretation, it is nevertheles
s the correct system. Our Lord Himself, though He rebuked the hypocrisy, inconsistencies, and added traditions among the Pharisees, nevertheless approved of their literal interpretation over the figurative system of the Sadducees (Matthew 23:1-3). There is much misunderstanding concerning “literal interpretation.” It is therefore necessary to list the following principles. While it may not be totally complete, it will nevertheless serve as a guide in explaining literal interpretation, and helping people to understand the Bible’s prophecies.

The Biblical Principles of Literal Prophetic Interpretation

1. Often prophecies have only ONE LITERAL fulfillment, with no other figurative or literal applications. We may glean devotional applications from any prophecy or Scripture. But this should not be confused with a fulfillment of prophecy. Sometimes there is only one literal fulfillment of a prophecy.

2. Often prophecies have TWO LITERAL fulfillments: one near and contemporary, and the other in the far future. In this type of prophecy, sometimes some details literally find fulfillment in the near future, or the far future, but not in both. Yet, the general prophecy is nevertheless fulfilled literally in both events. An example of this is found in the prophecy of the destruction of the Jewish temple in Mathew 24. It did have a partial LITERAL fulfillment in 70 A.D. Yet, many details remain to be LITERALLY fulfilled. There will therefore be a future literal fulfillment. Current events are setting the stage for this final fulfillment. Another example (that has already been fully fulfilled literally in BOTH parts) is found in Isaiah 7:

Isaiah 7:4 And say unto him [Ahaz], Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
7 Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
22 And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.

This had a partial, literal fulfillment in Isaiah 8:3-4. A literal woman (not a woman representing a city, etc.) brought forth a son:

Isaiah 8:3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.
4 For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.

However, it also had a FINAL LITERAL fulfillment concerning the words “virgin” and “Immanuel” in Matthew 1:22-23. A true, literal virgin brought forth the Messiah! Neither fulfillment (near or future) was symbolic. However, some details only applied to the final literal fulfillment, and not to the near fulfillment. Notice another example of this type of duo-literal prophecy:

2 Samuel 7:12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:

This prophecy was literally fulfilled in the near future by Solomon. It will be fulfilled in the Millennium by Jesus, who was born of the seed of David. Some details of the prophecy (verse 14) do not apply to Jesus since He was sinless. Yet, both Solomon and Jesus are of the seed of David and did or will build the temple. But it will only be through Christ that His kingdom and throne are established for ever. It is my belief that this type of duo-literal prophecy has been greatly neglected by interpreters, especially in the Book of Daniel.

3. Sometimes prophecies have at least THREE fulfillments. They have a literal fulfillment in the near future, a figurative fulfillment in the far future, and a final literal fulfillment (exhausting all details) in the far future. An example of this is found in the destruction of Babylon in Isaiah 13, etc. It had a near LITERAL fulfillment. It will have a future figurative fulfillment in Rome (Revelation 17). And it will again have a final, future LITERAL fulfillment (Revelation 18, etc.).

4. Often prophecies have a FIGURATIVE fulfillment in the near future, and a LITERAL fulfillment in the far future. One example of this is found in the prophecy concerning the coming of Elijah in Malachi 4:5. John the Baptist was a secondary, spiritual fulfillment of this prophecy (Luke 1:17, Matthew 17:12). However, Jesus stated (after John was beheaded) that Elijah would still come in the future (Matthew 17:1). Notice another example of this type of prophecy:

Matthew 4:13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

Isaiah 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a GREAT LIGHT: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

This prophecy was fulfilled in the FIGURATIVE light that Jesus Christ (as the light of the world) brought to these people whose understanding was darkened through sin (Ephesians 4:18). Yet, there will be a literal fulfillment at the Second Coming and the resurrection, when Jesus will shine with LITERAL light (Revelation 1:16, etc.) and rule the nations of the earth, throughout the Millennium and eternity (Revelation 21:23).

Out of all the prophecies of the Old Testament that the Bible specifically STATES were fulfilled at the first coming of Jesus (for example see Matthew 1:22-23, 2:4-5, 15, 8:16-17, 21:2-5, 27:9, 35, John 13:18, 19:28, 36), Matthew 4:16 is the only one with even a slight figurative fulfillment! The virgin conceiving, the son out of Egypt, the healing of infirmities, the Messiah riding upon an ass, the parting of the Messiah’s garments and casting of lots, the thirty pieces of silver, etc. All of these had a LITERAL fulfillment! The prophecy in Matthew 4:16 is one of the only prophecies with a figurative fulfillment, and there is no proof that it will not ALSO contain a final, literal fulfillment at the end of the age.

Interpreting Symbols in Literal Interpretation

Many prophecies indeed often utilize symbols (“women” representing “cities” in Revelation chapters 12, 17, 21, etc.). But the interpretation of these symbols will always be literal. Here is where many go wrong! The revealed interpretation of a parable or vision cannot be symbolic! Furthermore, many things in prophecies which would at first “seem” (Proverbs 14:12) to be obviously symbolic, are later interpreted by the Holy Ghost to be literal (see the many examples in the Gospels). This teaches us that much caution should be used before interpreting things in prophecies as symbols. There should be a contextual reason to take something as a symbol (such as an interpretation of the symbol provided by an angel). Also, if it is ABSURD to take something in a prophecy as literal, then we may see it as a symbol. (The Roman Catholics, in their masses, may pretend that they take the words of Jesus literally when He said the bread was His
body. Yet, this is only while the bread has not been chewed, swallowed, digested and purged!) However, even here caution must be exercised. Isaac Newton was sure it would be absurd to think that all men around the world could literally see the dead bodies of the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11 lying in the streets of Jerusalem. Yet, with the invention of satellite television it is no longer absurd! Therefore, as advocates of literal interpretation, we admit the use of symbols and figurative language. We decry the abuse and misuse of symbolism:

“The Literalist (so called) is not one who denies that figurative language, that symbols, are used in prophecy, nor does he deny that great spiritual truths are set forth therein; his position is, simply, that the prophecies are to be normally interpreted (i.e. according to the received laws of language) as any other utterances are interpreted – that which is manifestly literal being regarded as literal, and that which is manifestly figurative being so regarded…. The terms properly expressive of the schools are normal and mystical.”
-E.R. Craven (1824-1908)

In the Gospels, the prophecies said to be LITERALLY fulfilled by the Holy Ghost far out-number any figurative fulfillments. Furthermore, figurative, partial fulfillments, when they can be proven to exist, do not prohibit a future, literal fulfillment. Based on this evidence, the prophetic principle discovered by hundreds of prophetic interpreters in history, if anything, is not stated strong enough:

“In all interpretations of Scripture the literal sense is to be preserved and chosen, unless there is evident cause to the contrary.”
-Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667)

“Literal wherever possible.”
-Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)

“Literal unless absurd.”
-Robert Govett (1813-1901)

“‘If the literal sense of a passage gives simple common sense, seek no other sense. Take each word in its original, common, simple sense, unless plain facts from the context demand another sense.’ Neglect of this law leads to uncertainty, confusion, and arbitrariness. But if this law be observed and rightly applied God’s Word unfolds itself as a harmonious and connected whole.”
-Erich Sauer (1898-1959)

Conclusion

1. The first step is to always attempt to hold everything as literal. If it seems absurd, is it still absurd when God’s POWER and time is added to the equation (Matthew 12:24)?

2. If there are obvious contextual reasons to interpret something in a prophecy as a symbol, we must look in the book where the prophecy is found for the interpretation of the symbol, and then take that interpretation literally.

3. If the interpretation is not found in the same book, we must look in another book of the Bible. But we are never permitted to invent our own private interpretation.

MOTHERS: BLESSED, OPPRESSED OR DEPRESSED?

[A Mother's Day Sermon, May 11, 2008, Kingdom Baptist Church, Pastor Joey Faust.]

* TEXT: Proverbs 31:30. . .Her children arise up, and call her BLESSED. . .

There are some modern, so-called “progressive” ideas about what a mother is. These new, perverted ideas are in contrast to what God has ordained a mother to be, and what much of mankind has understood a mother to be throughout history:

* THE BANNED MOTHER:

Huxley’s “Brave New World” predicted a time to come when “mother” would be seen as a bad word. Today, there is pressure on schools, around the world, by sodomite activists, to get rid of words like “mother.” The Australians just rejected the change, for the time being. But others are not resisting the foolishness:

“Homosexual activists around the world are using language as a major front for their agenda…Following passage of same-sex ‘marriage’ legislation in Spain, the government ordered that ‘mother’ and ‘father’ were to be replaced in the State Civil Registries Family Book with Parent (progenitor) A and Parent (progenitor) B…This February nurses in Scotland were told …they must avoid using the terms ‘mother’ and ‘father’…the province of Ontario banned ‘mother’ and ‘father’. . . from all Ontario statutes.”
(“United Press International”)

California’s schools are all now, officially and openly, homosexual indoctrination centers, since Gov. Arnold signed bill 777; it bans words like “Mama”! It mandates that schools teach that gender is relative!

This shows that you can “work out” your body, but still have the spiritual backbone of a tulip!

Satan, through this world system, is working to not only ban the “word” mother. He wants women that may otherwise be called to marriage, to ruin their lives, and futures, by living for pleasure, and despising “motherhood.” There are people that want the world’s population to be drastically decreased – especially in the West.

Therefore, silly women are being manipulated into using the beauty of their youth, not to build a family, but to exploit it and waste it on men who do not care. It is a terrible trick of the Devil.

Communist, Betty Friedan, (“The Feminine Mystique,” 1963; founder of NOW) convinced a whole generation of women that homemaking was a “concentration camp.”

Millions believed that true happiness and liberty were to be found in allowing their beauty to be exploited and wasted! It taught women that motherhood, in a traditional family, was “oppression”!

But the real captivity was when these women left traditional motherhood to become enslaved objects of evil men’s lusts. They were servants of evil men, when they could have been winning a good man’s love, and raising a family:

2 Peter 2:19 While they promise them LIBERTY, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

2 Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the LAST DAYS perilous times shall come.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead CAPTIVE silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

Did this “Satanic liberty” bring happier women? No, they soon found that their “new master” was the real oppressor. Their beauty, worshipped and used by the world, only lasts for a brief moment. And then this world system will spit them out as worthless:

Proverbs 31:30…beauty is vain…

1 Peter 1:24 For all flesh is as grass…The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

For centuries, mankind has known that women are happiest when they are selfless; pouring themselves into their families:

“To feel, to love, to suffer, to devote herself, will always be the text of the life of woman.”
(“The Royal Path of Life,” 1882)

But what happens when women are led astray from being women? Will they find happiness?

Betty Friedan lost her marriage. Her ex-husband, describes her life. It was filled with amphetamines and alcohol; and mixed with her feminist mind-set, this led to insanity:

“She’d explode unexpectedly. . .She was the most violent person I have ever known. I’ve seen women frightened by her. Men, too.”
(Carl Friedan, “Living With Insanity,” chapter)

She would bloody him up, and gouge him. The accounts are demonic! It does not appear that feminism leads to happiness!

You don’t hear much about it, but the greatest amount of domestic violence, statistically, is found in women who have “left the natural use,” and have joined together in a household! In their perverted escape from so-called “male oppression,” they begin to oppress one another.

In contrast, the women who are the happiest, are the ones who don’t compete or fear male strength. They blossom as women in their trust for God and His ways. They are not afraid with amazement (1 Peter 3), and this sets them free to be women, according to God’s design.

Even the world is forced to admit some of these self-evident truths. Research studies from Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania, reveal that women are not as happy as they were before the feminist movement!:

“Men Are Now Happier Than Women. . .Two new research papers arrive at this conclusion. One tracked traditional happiness data by asking people how satisfied they are with their lives. It found that women, who in the early 1970s reported being slightly happier than men, are now slightly less happy. . .The other [study] analyzed time-use studies over the past four decades. . .women have replaced housework with paid work. . . and as a result are spending more time doing things they don’t enjoy. . .both men and women seemed to dread their jobs. . .Both would much rather cook or do laundry. . .”
(www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/26)

“[Friedan's] book helped spark the sexual revolution of the 1970s and fueled the notion that that [wives who pursued careers out of the home would become] happier. Last week, two sociologists at the University of Virginia published an exhaustive study of marital happiness among women that challenges this assumption. Stay-at-home wives, according to the authors, are more content than their working counterparts. . .the most interesting data may be that the women who strongly identify as progressive – the 15 percent who agree most with feminist ideals – have a harder time being happy than their peers. . . Feminist ideals, not domestic duties, seem to be what make wives morose. . .”
(www.slate.com)

Obviously, Satan’s rebellious and perverse ways will always, ultimately, lead to destruction – even in this life. God told Cain that his countenance would be lifted if he obeyed what is right (Genesis 4). Instead, Cain went his own way; the way of the world.

* THE DISTRACTED MOTHER:

If Satan cannot ban motherhood, he must pervert it. The “distracted mother” is set forth as his ideal. She must not be selfless and truly feminine. She must seek a career, or go after some “cause” in a manner that abandons her children’s care and discipline to others.

But what is the fruit of this feminism?:

Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his MOTHER TO SHAME.

Proverbs 31:27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise up, and CALL HER BLESSED; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Satan is trying to cheat mothers out of the blessing of verse 28! He wants mothers to end up with shame and regret, and alienation from their children. This can be seen in a recent news headline about another feminist leader who left a path of destruction behind her:

“The day feminist icon Alice Walker resigned as my mother – In the mid-1980s, The New York Times ran a profile of the American writer and activist Alice Walker. Her novel, “The Color Purple,” had won the Pulitzer prize and was being turned into a film by Steven Spielberg. The article was illustrated by a photograph of Walker sitting on her teenaged daughter’s knee. It was meant to be a ‘fun’ picture; but, in retrospect, according to Rebecca Walker, the photographer unwittingly portrayed the true nature of her relationship with her mother. . .Walker’s success as a campaigner was to her detriment as a mother. Like Dickens’s Mrs Jellyby, who neglects her home and her children as she directs her energy towards the poor of Africa, so America’s icon often went to feminist meetings and rallies and left Rebecca to fend for herself. Her daughter experimented with drugs and became pregnant at 14. . .mother and daughter are estranged with little hope of reconciliation. . .[According to Rebecca:] ‘To have a daughter who was questioning feminism – it was seen as a threat’. . .’You’ve got young women saying, ‘That didn’t really work for me’ and the older ones saying, ‘Tough, because that’s how it should be’. . .’I think sometimes of. . .feminism as being close to a cult. . .’”
(“Times Online,” May 4, 2008)

Did this child rise up and call her blessed? No. She had left the cult, and she must be despised and shunned.

Many children are growing up and leaving “the feminist cult,” to various degrees. Some only want the choice, and they resent being persecuted if they decide to raise their home in a traditional way; they have seen the destruction of radical feminism (divorce, bitterness, unhappiness, unstable children, etc.). Others rightfully see that the whole agenda is demonically inspired, through evil men, for the purpose of population control and remaking society so that the state replaces the family. To whatever degree, this return to homemaking, modesty, home-schooling, submission, etc., is shocking to many. But it is not a rejection of the former generation; it is a rejection of the conspiring men and devils that deceived the former generation. The only choices in this final “falling away” are to go the other direction, or keep falling. What is next? After cross-dressing and immodesty came the sexual revolution and homosexuality. Does anyone with eyes want to stick around to see what the next generation will rebel against? Will they be cannibals with unmentionable perversions? It is obviously better that they rebel against the wrong choices of the former generation (as painful as that can be, if taken personally), than continue the fall into hell and tyranny!

* THE BLESSED MOTHER:

The false view of motherhood is based upon a lie! Somehow, Satan was able to convince Eve that she was oppressed in paradise! How could it be? Satan convinced her that one commandment was oppression! He promised her liberty into godhood, if she would take control of her home and defy God’s ways. He seduced her into changing God’s ways. Adam obeyed her, and God killed him!

Almost 6000 years later, Satan again convinced almost a whole generation of women that children are worthless! Who needs to be home with them? Certainly, telephones and computers are more important than little souls. Right?

What a lie! A century ago, women thought leaving the cradle for politics was a demotion! They felt they had the most influence in shaping the values of the next generation!

Is a human soul worthless? What will a man give in exchange for his soul?:

Psalms 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

Motherhood is a high calling!:

Proverbs 27:18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.

If being a diligent servant has its own blessings, then how blessed must be the woman who is faithful to her husband and children? What honor will she receive, from her family, and God? What fruit will she receive?:

Proverbs 29:17 Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

When we do things God’s way, His blessings are released!

Satan has somehow convinced women that homemaking is to be despised:

1 Timothy 5:14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, GUIDE the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

But in God’s eyes, it is a high calling. Will we believe God or Satan? We have seen the fruit of Satan’s ways. It is abortion – baby murder. That is where it ends. The so-called sexual liberation movement ends in a Satanic sacrament. Babies must be sacrificed; burned in the fires (salt solution), or neglected. Paganism has come full circle. What shall be our revenge on such ungodly deception? Shall we wear the badges of Baal and show forth allegiance to the feminist and sexual revolution? Or shall we renounce all that is associated with this Satanic movement that has cost the lives of millions of infants? Women left what Friedan said was the “concentration camp” of homemaking, to literally burn millions of infants in “abortion ovens.” This is just one of the “fruits” of following Satan.

In the face of such horror, let us encourage women to renounce the unfruitful works of darkness. Let us encourage them to be modest, submissive, stay-at-home mothers, who are happy with their feminine garments and calling.

One dear brother in our church, in prayer, said that he had grieved his mother by his sin, and now, he is grown and she is dead. He cannot make it up to her, but he can warn the next generation! The former generation cannot undo the destruction. The babies have been slain. Marriages and families have been ripped asunder. But one thing that can be done, is people can encourage the next generation to abandon the Satanic bait. They can expose it as a lie and exhort young folks to seek the old paths (see Titus 2 and the command for aged women).

Perhaps you received a sweet email that has been sent around. I don’t think I have ever read one of these from the pulpit since e-mail was invented. But I will read some excerpts from this one:

“A woman, renewing her driver’s license at the County Clerk ‘s office, was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.  ‘What I mean is, ‘ explained the recorder,  ‘do you have a job or are you just a …?’ ‘Of course I have a job,’ snapped the woman. ‘I’m a Mom’. . .I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation…The Clerk was obviously a career woman. . .’What is your occupation?’ she probed. What made me say it?  I do not know.   The words simply popped out. ‘I’m a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.’ The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair. . . I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire. ‘Might I ask,’ said the clerk with new interest, ‘just what you do in your field?’ Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, ‘I have a continuing program of research, (what mother doesn’t) In the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out). . .Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day. . .But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.’ There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door. As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants – ages 13, 7, and 3.
Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program. . .I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy!”

This reminds me of a recent news report about the worth of a stay-at-home mother:

“If a stay-at-home mom could be compensated in dollars rather than personal satisfaction and unconditional love, she’d rake in a nifty sum of nearly US$117,000 a year. That’s according to a pre-Mother’s Day study released Thursday by Salary.com, a…Mass. based firm that studies workplace compensation. The eighth annual survey calculated a mom’s market value by studying pay levels for 10 job titles with duties that a typical mom performs, ranging from housekeeper and day care centre teacher to van driver, psychologist and chief executive officer. . .One stay-at-home mom said the six-figure salary sounds a little low. ‘I think a lot of people think we sit and home and have a lot of fun and don’t do a lot of work,’ said Samantha Russell, a Fremont, N.H., mother who left her job as pastry chef to raise two boys, ages two and four. ‘But they should try cleaning their house with little kids running around and messing it up right after them…Russell agreed her job as a stay-at-home mom is more than full-time. But she said her ‘job’ brings intangible benefits she wouldn’t enjoy in the workplace. ‘The rewards aren’t monetary, but it’s a reward knowing that they’re safe and happy,’ Russell said of her sons. ‘It’s worth it all.’” (AP, May 8, 2008)

* THE BEST GIFT FOR MOTHER:

One of the best gifts children can give their mother, is their obedience:

Proverbs 10:1. . .a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

Proverbs 23:19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise. . .
25. . .and she that bare thee shall rejoice.

Let husbands also praise a godly wife who is dedicated to the family. As men, we do not need another man in the house. Let us therefore not despise the differences in a dedicated wife. If her heart is toward her family, let us exalt her and honor her. And, as she has placed herself under our protection, in obedience to the Lord, let us cherish her and defend her unto death.

-UPDATE AND NEWS

-A RECENT ARTICLE BY EVANGELIST DON BOYS

-STATEMENT BY DR. GREG DIXON ON KINGDOM EXCLUSION

UPDATE

Our 2008 Kingdom Conference was a great blessing. We enjoyed meeting some new friends, and hearing some great sermons and testimonies. Our goal was to celebrate and hold firm the “rejoicing of the hope” (Hebrews 3:6). The flip side of kingdom “exclusion” is kingdom “inclusion,” and these two things together move us to “rejoice with trembling” (Psalms 2:11)! We were blessed with visitors and preachers from around the world, and we praise God for all of you who sacrificed with offerings, attendance, or prayers to make it a special, encouraging time in the Lord.

[Special thanks to Brother Ramon (Illinois) for coming down to help us with some construction!]

CONFERENCE MESSAGES ARE NOW ONLINE

The 2008 Conference messages (audio sermons) are now on our web site (http://www.kingdombaptist.org). You can listen to these messages online for free, along with all of our regular sermons at Kingdom Baptist.

If you would like the whole set of CD’s or DVD’s mailed to you, please send an email to: Sophek@gmail.com with your request.

A suggested offering of $15 for the CD set, and $25 for the DVD set will help us with equipment and expenses. You can use Pay Pal at: orders@fundamentalbooks.com

Or send a check, marked for “Conference Sermons” to:

Kingdom Baptist Church
700 Cordes Dr.
Venus, Texas, 76084

IT’S A BOY!

We have a new little one that is due to be born in the Faust household on June 5th. We just found out it is a boy! My four girls are so excited – of course, we all are. Please pray for a healthy, safe delivery.

A RECENT ARTICLE BY DON BOYS

Evangelist Don Boys (http://www.cstnews.com) has written columns in USA Today, etc., and has appeared on many radio and television programs (i.e. Crossfire; Sally Jessy Raphael; the Jerry Springer Show; the Morton Downey, Jr. Show; NBC Nightly News, etc.). He recently published an article in his “Preacher Helps,” #99, titled, “Kingdom Exclusion, Don Boys, the Dixons, and Herb Evans!” It is a well-written, fair-minded article dealing with the issue of Kingdom Exclusion. For example, Boys writes:

“Christ said, ‘And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ We know that parables teach one basic truth and the truth here is to be ready when the Lord returns. If not, the unprofitable servant will be cast into ‘outer darkness.’ As to that location, I am not prepared to say, but it is obviously not a reward!…I think it is very possible that some lazy, worldly, uncommitted Christians might be excluded from the Kingdom. I am not sure where God would put them but since I don’t preach this subject, I don’t have to have all the answers…I believe that there is no doubt that carnal Christians will not prosper in the Kingdom and may even be excluded. Where to? Don’t know…”

In this article, he steers clear of the Millennial exclusion of some believers to the underworld (see Mark 9:38-47; Matthew 5:1, 14, 21-23, 29; 10:28; 18:1,8-9; Luke 12:4-5, etc.). Yet, he is not a slave to what others determine is “tradition.” He makes mention of the vast “tradition” that Kingdom Exclusion equally claims on its side.

The Lord would not have provided severe warnings to His people if we did not need them. The popular minimization of these warnings brings rotten consequences to our churches. Preachers have swept the mess caused by their own neglect of the Lord’s warnings under the “false professor rug” for too long. It is high time for believers to be held accountable by faithful preachers – not only with the Biblical warnings related to this life – but also with the warnings concerning the world to come. I am therefore thankful for this article by Don Boys. You may request the whole article from him at: DBoysphd@aol.com

STATEMENT BY DR. GREG DIXON ON KINGDOM EXCLUSION

[To truly understand "the fear of the Lord," we must seek the Lord's truth over material possessions (Proverbs 2:3-7). Often it is not more evidence that is needed to arrive at Biblical understanding concerning various issues - it is courage and backbone. No one can rationally accuse Dr. Dixon of being unwilling to pay the price for his convictions. I consider him a dear friend, and a deep theological thinker. The following is his statement on the doctrine of Kingdom Exclusion. -Joey Faust]

Kingdom Exclusion – Some Thoughts

By Dr. Greg Dixon

Dear Bro. Don Boys, you have asked me to give you my thoughts on the doctrine of Kingdom Exclusion. Other than one other preacher I can’t remember anyone asking me my position on this subject, but I have read a number of e-mails purporting to give my position in an unkind, unchristian, and unbiblical manner. I appreciate the Christian spirit in which you have approached me on this issue. It would be impossible to give this subject the amount of space needed to adequately explain my position without writing a book on the subject which I do not have the time to do at this stage of my life. I will however write a brief statement that will probably elicit more questions than answers. However if someone is truly interested in studying the subject in a broader sense they certainly are free to contact me. However I will not argue or fight with anyone over the subject but I will be happy to discuss particular scriptures from sincere inquirers. I will say, however, it seems to me that KE is the Biblical balance between the extremes of Arminianism on the one hand and Calvinism on the other.

I was nearly 70 years old before I ever heard the term Kingdom Exclusion. I was quite contented in my doctrinal cocoon so to speak; although I knew that there were some Scripture passages that I was not satisfied with what I had been taught and had in turn taught others in certain areas. Primarily they would include the parables of Jesus in Matthew Chapter 13, certain passages in Hebrews such as Chapter 2, 6, 10, 12; the “over comer” passages in Rev. Chapter 2 & 3, just to mention a few. None of these problems involved the cardinal doctrines of our faith.

My journey in this area really started with a search for material on the parables that would be consistent with my eschatological position of pre-mil, a literal 1,000 year reign, etc. In spite of this I still couldn’t find what I believed to be the key to understanding the parables even after I read J.R. Graves little book on the subject and several others. However Graves book on John’s Baptism began to put things in perspective for me. I believe when someone “hungers and thirsts after righteousness” that they will be “filled.”

Approximately six or seven years ago I attended a fellowship meeting in a Baptist church in Hockley, Texas. A young preacher, named Joey Faust, from Venus, Texas spoke on the subject of KE and said that he had written a book on the subject. Afterwards, thinking that someone needed to head him off before he got too far out on a limb, I asked him if I could critique the manuscript before he sent it to the publishers and he agreed and mailed it to me. I read it, made exhaustive notes, and was shocked when I could not refute his arguments and was impressed with his scholarship and meticulous research, although I have not come to a final decision about all of his conclusions. His book is titled, “The Rod – Will God Spare it?”

I was also shocked to find out that not only did men who lived shortly after the first century believe in KE but that great numbers of the most imminent fundamentalists, mostly Baptists, in the past, as well as through the centuries and up into the twentieth century believed in KE as well. These men, though not all inclusive, were Polycarp, Barnabas, Tertullian, Govett, Pember, Panton, I.M. Haldeman, R.E. Neighbor, Mauro, Lang, Craig, Peters, Watchman Nee, Oswald T. Smith, Robert Ketcham, Tozer, George Dollar and many others too numerous to mention. I had gone through Bible College and preached for fifty years and had never heard some of these men’s names even mentioned before.

I have wondered why as Paul wrote that “there is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rm. 3:18) among many believers of our generation. And then when men like the late Evangelist Vance Havner says that he believes 90% of the people in the Southern Baptist churches in which he ministered are not saved, and a Baptist Evangelist just said to me today that he questions whether 50% of those he preaches to in fundamental Baptist churches are truly saved, then what is there about our message that has missed the mark?

After a great deal of thought, prayer and study, I believe it is the Scofield/ Larkin position on the Judgment Seat of Christ that is the problem. I was taught the Scofield/Larkin position at Baptist Bible College in 1950 by some of the greatest men of God who ever walked on this earth, but they were still men. John Ross, my Life of Christ professor, said on many occasions that the Judgment Seat was the Bema seat, in other words a glorified awards ceremony like the Olympics where the believer would either lose or receive five categories of crowns, etc. This is what my pastor that I grew up under taught until the day of his death. These men taught that the “loss” at the Judgment of believers will be merely a “loss of rewards,” etc.

After going back over the entire New Testament, especially the teachings of the Lord Jesus and the Epistles, I am convinced that the Judgment Seat of Christ will be a Judgment that will involve the loss and gain of rewards, but more than that for many. If believers do not want to be judged for their sins at that Judgment, then God has made provision through His precious blood based on I John Chapter one and two for forgiveness and continual cleansing to maintain fellowship (sanctification). It is an ongoing, daily responsibility of the believer through the Word of God and the Spirit of God to maintain this continual cleansing. The Apostle Peter says, “Being born again” by the “renewing of your mind,” etc. And even the consequences of sins that have been forgiven will no doubt involve the loss of rewards.

This is not Justification. Justification is by faith in the shed blood of Christ alone separate from any work. It is once and for all and gains the believer, positionally, forgiveness of sins and eternal life now, and in the future, a home in the New Jerusalem. But the Kingdom is a joint heirship with Christ to those who suffer in obedience (Rom 8:17). Even the Lord Jesus, as the Son of Man “learned obedience” (Heb. 5:8) and by that receives the Kingdom from His Father. Paul the Apostle makes it very clear in I Cor. 6, Ga. 5 and Eph. 5 that there are 21 specific sins that will disqualify a believer from the Kingdom of God, but not the New Jerusalem in Eternity. But the disqualification would only come if the individual does not appropriate his redemption right of forgiveness and cleansing through the blood of Christ.

We as pastors, evangelists and missionaries better start putting the teeth back into the word judgment when we preach and that it is a “fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God.” (Heb. 10:31) Also as Paul said, “knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men,” speaking of the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10,11). What if we told a criminal that when he goes to court that only his works will be judged but that he won’t be judged personally. They would put someone who had thoughts like that in the “funny farm.”

God has provided His precious blood, not only for justification but for sanctification. If the believer doesn’t appropriate the provision that He is supplying through His present High Priestly work (I John 2:1,2), then “there remains no more sacrifice for sins.” (Heb. 10:26) If God can chastise physically here, he certainly can at the Judgment for those whose sins “go before to judgment” (I Tim. 5:24). Those who want to argue over where they go and what kind of judgment it will be should not be concerned over that; they should be concerned over maintaining their fellowship with the Lord Jesus, and fellow believers, then they won’t have to worry about the severity of judgment at the Judgment Seat of Christ any more than an obedient child would have to worry about punishment from his parents.

One of the greatest tests of sound doctrine outside of the scriptures is what the teaching does in the area of holiness in one’s personal life, and then as to how it produces holiness in the churches as a whole. I can say that the doctrine of KE has a profound record in that area, not only in what it has done in my own life but what I have seen in the lives of others that have embraced these precepts. But in the final end the goal for all believers should be to follow our Lord in such a manner that he receives all of the glory and that we will have rewards to cast at His feet as we say with that great throng that has been redeemed by His blood, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Rev. 4:10, 11).

These are some thoughts, though not exhaustive, after around seven years of intensive research on this subject which has involved restudying the New Testament and reading approximately 15 books on the subject. Now if I am to be considered a heretic because of what I believe God has led me to understand from His word, then so be it. As our Lord has admonished, I will not fear what man can do to me. As Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. said when he quoted the poem, The Bridge Builder, at the Indianapolis Baptist Temple in 1956, “Young men are following me and I want to make sure that I am a faithful bridge builder for them.”

E-mail address – drgregdixon@earthlink.net

TO ORDER: “THE ROD:WILL GOD SPARE IT?

Online: http://www.fundamentalbooks.com

Or send $15 to:

Fundmental Books
700 Cordes Dr.
Venus, TX 76084

**********************
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
**********************

CONFERENCE:

Our March conference at Kingdom Baptist Church is drawing near! You may find details concerning this Judgment Seat of Christ Conference at: http://www.kingdombaptist.org

You can view our “video promo” for the conference at:

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=5dd869e06da4e931660d

We have some homes available if you would like a place to stay. Meals are provided for all who attend. Hotel listings with “conference specials” are on our web site.

Some have asked how they can help: Please pray, and please help spread the promotion link above to as many people as you can. Also, we are making some improvements to our building – we need a foyer area, and some kitchen supplies, etc. If the Lord leads you to help financially, it will be a blessing. We have been told that the work can be completed in two days if we raise the funds. The donation information is at the bottom of this newsletter.

Please pray for our work, ministries and coming conference. I mean this sincerely, since I know that the Lord has chosen to work in power, through the prayers of others:

Hebrews 13:18 Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.

FIRE:

Two sisters in our church (a young widow with a daughter, Miss Kristi and Kayla, and one of our S.S. teachers, Miss Debra) have had a fire in their apartment building, in Arlington. Thankfully, they got the news that their apartment was burning, directly after church (so no one was hurt). They lost almost everything. Please pray for them. And if you would like to help them financially, you may send a gift to our church with a note to whom the funds are for. Or, you may email me for their postal address.

RECENT SERMONS:

The Prophecy Watch (New Years’ Eve) sermon is online (http:www.kingdombaptist.org). I examine the latest stage-settings signs that occurred in 2007. I also show how “Catholic prophecies” (through “Mary,” etc.), are deceiving the world, teaching that the comings of Jesus and the Antichrist are centuries away! We end with an examination of recent developments concerning the European Union.

Some other recent sermons are “The Ultimate Purpose” (an examination of how Warrenism’s and his “Purpose Driven” movement, compared to what the Bible reveals is our ultimate purpose). The latest sermons in the Book of Ephesians and the Book of Proverbs are also online. Thank you for listening! Pray the Lord will use these teachings to His glory.

(Sermons are also found at SermonAudio.com).

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WHAT IS THE LORD’S KINGDOM?
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(A RESPONSE TO THOMAS WILLIAMSON, BY JOEY FAUST)

In the “Northern Landmark Missionary Baptist” (January, 2008), Thomas Williams (Illinois) has greatly erred concerning our Lord’s Kingdom. In his article “Christ Sets Up His Everlasting Dominion – Daniel 7,” Mr. Williams writes on Daniel 7:13-14:

“These verses predict that the Messiah will come and set up a Kingdom and a dominion that is everlasting. . .It is very important for us to know just when this event tales place. If Christ set up His everlasting dominion at His first advent, then we are in that kingdom now. . .This great kingdom represented as a mountain that will fill the whole earth and never be destroyed, will be set up ‘in the days of these kings.’ Which kings?. . .If God did not keep that promise during the time of the Roman Empire, then it is too late for the prophecy to be fulfilled, because the Roman Empire is completely dead and gone. . .We are now in that kingdom which was promised in Daniel 2:34-35 and 7:13-14′”

Certainly, the Lord’s “kingdom,” in one sense, is presently in Heaven; God is presently ruling in the affairs of men (Ps. 103:19). Therefore, Mr. Williams has simply restated the Lord’s sovereignty which has been exercised from before the foundation of the world. Nebuchadnezzar discovered this eternal sovereignty the hard way:

Daniel 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High RULETH IN THE KINGDOM OF MEN, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, WHOSE DOMINION IS AN EVERLASTING DOMINION, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

Jesus Christ has ascended to this heavenly throne (Rev. 3:21). But is the heavenly sovereignty of the Lord all that Daniel has predicted? The ascension of the Lord Jesus to the right hand of the Father was certainly a necessary precursor; however, it was not the fulfillment of the great stone that will fill the whole earth!Â

Williams wonders how the prophecy of the kingdom could now be fulfilled since the Roman Empire has ceased to exist. He forgets that his fellows in doctrine used to wonder how the “kingdom of Israel” could literally be established with Israel out of the promised land! But upon the return of many Jews to the land (in unbelief), they should have learned a great lesson! God’s sovereignty is able to resurrect whatever is needed for the fulfillment of a promise or prophecy!

For example, Jesus once promised that not one hair of His saints would perish:

Luke 21:16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. . .

18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish.

How could such a thing be true? While we know the Lord protects us in the midst of our trials (unless He calls us to martyrdom, etc.), the promise is literally and fully true in resurrection!

Therefore, the same God that raised up Jesus from the dead to fulfill prophecy is the same God that can raise up His people; raise up Israel; and raise up the Roman Empire again!

The arguments of Mr. Williams may have had an appearance of plausibility in the old days before Napoleon. But so much has happened since that time, that it should be obvious to any unbiased observer that the Roman Empire is being restored today in the European Union. Israel is in their land in unbelief, and the stage is set for the European Union to grow in power.

The “beast” is said to be both the coming leader and the coming kingdom itself (Daniel 7:23). The “kingdom” must, therefore, rise again:

Revelation 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a BEAST RISE UP out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns. . .

Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit. . .

Williams has missed the fact that Daniel sees TWO stages of the Fourth Kingdom (Rome):

Daniel 2:32 This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

Notice, four kingdoms are symbolized by the body of the image:

1. Head.

2. Breast and arms.

3. Belly and thighs.

4. Legs and feet.

We learn that the Fourth Kingdom will be smitten upon its final FEET (not legs):

Daniel 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon HIS FEET. . .

42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.

44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed. . .

Has the Roman Empire ever, yet, existed in its feet (ten toes) stage? The Apostle John tells us (long after Christ has ascended) that in his day the FEET STAGE of the Roman Kingdom was not yet in power:

Revelation 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, WHICH HAVE RECEIVED NO KINGDOM AS YET; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and THE LAMB SHALL OVERCOME THEM: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Therefore, the STONE (the Lamb!) has not yet “overcome” the FEET (ten toes or kings), because these kings have not yet arisen to make war with Jesus! They were not yet in power at the time John wrote the Book of Revelation. The Lord’s Kingdom (in this since), has not yet arisen.

Joseph of Arimathaea was still waiting for the STONE OF THE KINGDOM to be established after the Lord was crucified:

Mark 15:43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which ALSO WAITED FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

The Apostles were still waiting for the Kingdom after the Lord’s resurrection:

Acts 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou AT THIS TIME restore again THE KINGDOM to Israel?

7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

This question came after Jesus had been teaching them throughout a period of forty days about this subject of the kingdom!:

Acts 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the KINGDOM of God:

Therefore, the “kingdom” is not Jesus reigning in Heaven over the universe. It is Jesus reigning in Jerusalem in the restored Davidic Kingdom. Jesus did not tell His disciples that this kingdom would never arise, or that they were wrong about the nature of the kingdom. He told them that it was not given unto them to know the times or seasons, and that they would be empowered to witness.

These Apostles did not think that the kingdom had already been set up in their day. They were still WAITING for God’s will to be done on EARTH as it is done in HEAVEN:

2 Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

The kingdom is said to be established when the Lord appears. It will be the time of resurrection or translation for the saints who shall inherit it:

1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the KINGDOM of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

The kingdom arises on earth only when certain future signs have come to pass:

Luke 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

31. . .when ye SEE THESE THINGS come to pass, know ye that THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NIGH AT HAND.

If the STONE was supposedly established in the earth at the first advent, then why did Jesus say the kingdom would be nigh at hand only when Israel was trodden down of the Gentiles, and the signs in the heavens culminated in the coming of Jesus? Even the erroneous, Preterist interpretation has the kingdom established in 70 A.D. But this is long after Jesus ascended. But Williams appears to be laboring to show that the kingdom was established when the Lord’s churches were established (years before 70 A.D).

There is another problem for the interpretation advocated by Mr. Williams. The kingdoms in Daniel 2 were each literally conquered. Babylon was conquered by Media/Persia, and its government was totally dismantled. Greece overthrew the Persians, and Rome conquered Greece. If the Lord’s kingdom has already been established, then why are the wicked still abundant in the earth? Why are they still empowered?

SOME OBJECTIONS ANSWERED

Mr. Williams makes mention of a few apparent proof-texts, most of which have been answered in my book, “The Rod: Will God Spare It?” in the chapter, “Millennial Counterfeits.” But we will take another look at them here:

The first proof-text that Williams uses is in Matthew 28:

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

This does not mean that the Lord is presently exercising this power in the exact way that He will exercise it at His appearing. In this day, it is the time of the Lord’s patience, where He causes the wrath of man to praise Him. Jesus has been given the title-deed to the coming Kingdom. We can presently pray in His name for anything we need to fulfill our responsibilities until His appearing. But He is not yet seated upon David’s throne, with all of his enemies destroyed.

The second text that Williams uses is Matthew 13:

Matthew 13:31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

With Norris, Riley and others, I believe that these verses do not represent “apostate Christendom” (though the Bible does teach there will be an apostate Christianity in these last days). The mustard plant actually often grows to become the greatest among “herbs.” Birds have actually been seen in the branches of this wonderful herb.

The parables of the mustard seed, and the three measures of meal, teach us that the kingdom will first be preached in word-form (Matthew 13:11,19), with power; it will be hidden in the hearts of men, and in the work of the Lord’s churches, until the time when the signs of its manifestation appear. The spreading of the leaven does not represent the gradual growth of a Christianized earth, but the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom in all the world. The growing tree, etc. represents the fulfillment of prophecies in relation to the Kingdom (as described by the Lord in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21). After the rapture, the Tribulational signs will increase until the sign of the Son of Man appears in the sky.

The third text provided by Williams is John 18:36:

John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

This is a sad proof-text for a Baptist to use in this manner. Does Mr. Williams believe that John’s baptism was IN heaven?:

Matthew 21:25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?. . .

It was obviously on earth, but it was “of” heaven. The Lord’s coming kingdom is not “of” this world. It is in the coming, Millennial age, and it will not gradually arise in the kingdoms of men; it will arise from Heaven, and destroy the kingdoms of this world:

Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD are become the KINGDOMS OF OUR LORD, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

The fourth objection is based on the fact that the Millennium is temporal, and the STONE kingdom is said to be an everlasting kingdom. However, the Millennium is part of the eternal kingdom that will be established by Jesus. What Daniel sees in a general sense, as one kingdom, John sees in two parts, the Millennial age, and the Eternal age. The eternal throne is merged with the Millennial throne when the Lord appears. Although the Millennial Kingdom is temporal, Jesus will reign on earth on the throne of David, forever. He sits on this throne at the start of the Millennial Kingdom. And He continues to rule from this throne when the new heaven and earth arise for all eternity.

The fifth objection that Williams raises in based on Colossians 1:13:

Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Williams argues that the kingdom is said to be already present. Govett and others argue that the kingdom first arises in mystery form, and then, later, in its manifestation. Indeed, we did see John the Baptist arise as a spiritual Elijah; yet Jesus assures us, after John had died,  that Elijah will literally appear in the future (Matthew 17:11). Therefore, the pattern is first a typical fulfillment, followed by the literal fulfillment of prophecy. (We see this pattern in Joel’s prophecy fulfilled partially and typically at Pentecost in Acts 2. Yet, Joel will also be literally fulfilled in the coming Tribulation age).

George N.H. Peters argues in regard to Colossians 1:13, that the Bible is simply calling those things that be not yet, as though they already were. This is common in Scripture (Romans 4:17, Genesis 20:3, Proverbs 5:5, etc.).

Along this line, we should notice that Paul says that believers are presently seated with Jesus in Heaven (Ephesians 2:6). In this sense, we are translated into His kingdom, since we are identified with Him, as His body. But since Jesus does not stay in Heaven, His Kingdom comes to this earth, and His will shall be done on earth as presently it is done in Heaven.

Regardless of which of the above interpretations we follow, the one thing that is not true is that Jesus is presently reigning on the throne of David in final fulfillment of Daniel 2, 7, etc.!

Lastly, Williams argues that Jesus is presently seated upon the throne of David. He writes:

“As a result of Christ rising, ascending to the Father and being seated on David’s throne at God’s right hand (Acts 2:29-36). . .”

The verses he references in Acts are as follows:

Acts 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. . .

These verses only state that Jesus is “raised up.” They do not teach that He is presently sitting on David’s throne. David’s throne was on earth, in Jerusalem. That is where the Antichrist will sit in order to counterfeit and blaspheme Jesus (2 Thess. 2). Jesus has been raised up for the purpose of possessing David’s throne and kingdom in fulfillment of prophecy. This purpose will not be thwarted. Jesus will return, and will literally reign in Jerusalem, on the throne of David. Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God the Father. He is presently on the Father’s eternal throne. This eternal authority will be moved to earth at the appearing of Jesus, where it will remain throughout the Millennium, and the eternal Kingdom. When the Lord appears, He will also reign in His own Millennial glory:

Luke 9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come IN HIS OWN GLORY, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.
The same Lord who suffered on this earth, will return in glory, and sit upon the throne of David.

How amazing it is that spiritualizers would arise when the stage is being set as never before for the fulfillment of literal prophecy. But the Bible predicted this strange set of circumstances:

2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

Let us look for the Lord’s appearing at any moment!

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Kingdom Baptist Church

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-RELIGIOUS HUMANISM: THE MIDDLE ROAD TO HELL

-EXTREMIST, RADICAL FUNDAMENTALISTS

-ANNOUNCEMENTS

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RELIGIOUS HUMANISM: THE MIDDLE ROAD TO HELL

Luke 23:12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.

Fundamental atheism and fundamental Christianity are diametrically opposed. But the new religion of the last days will be a combination of these two worldviews. The churches are becoming worldly and secularized; at the same time, materialistic, naturalistic atheism is becoming mystical and religious. This leaves the MIDDLE ROAD between the two to be the new religion of the last days that will prepare the world for the Antichrist. The unpardonable sin in this new religious humanism (which is neither fundamental Christianity or die-hard atheism but an amalgamation of the two) is doctrinal conviction based on God’s written revelation in the Holy Bible. Doctrine is seen as ignorant superstition. Literal interpretation of Scripture is viewed as a symptom of mental illness. All absolutes, even absolute atheism, are frowned upon. The only absolute that is tolerated is the dogmatic teaching that it is mental illness and superstition to hold to any absolutes not approved by the religious humanists.

Americans have been indoctrinated into this new religion through public education (primarily through the social study departments) since the 1940′s. This is the reason that so many churches now feel they must avoid fundamental Bible doctrine and instead focus on THIS LIFE in order to “relate” to the religious humanists. Even “conservative” talk radio must market its ideas with rock music or death metal music (the opposite of all they profess to stand for). Although there are many flavors, the religious humanists often approve of church attendance (as long as the church focuses on the “here and now” and is not “dogmatic” concerning literal interpretation, etc.). Instead of surrendering to this “new” religion for the sake of numbers, fundamental Christians must join together to oppose it head-on.

The Devil obviously understands the principles of Ju Jitsu wherein the force and speed of an opponent’s assault is used against him. The Devil raised up militant, materialistic atheism as the great enemy in the middle of the 19th century (and again shortly in the 1960′s and 70′s), only to quickly change directions and meet in the middle (where he wanted the Christians in the first place). But our Lord Jesus Christ is no more pleased with a secularized Christianity than He is with a “Christianized” humanism:

Revelation 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods…

It is not necessary to document in detail the fact that much of Christianity is becoming secularized. It is obvious. The following excerpts from an article on the front page of the “Los Angeles Times” says it all:

“Hold the Fire and Brimstone; Mention of hell from pulpits is at an all-time low. The downplaying of damnation shows the influence of secularism on Christian theology – Bill Faris believes in hell…But you’d never know it listening to him preach at his south Orange County evangelical church. He never mentions the topic; his flock shows little interest in it. ‘It isn’t sexy enough anymore,’ said Faris, pastor of Crown Valley Vineyard Christian Fellowship. In churches across America, hell is being frozen out…’There has been a shift in religion from focusing on what happens in the next life to asking, ‘What is the quality of this life we’re leading now?’ said Harvey Cox Jr….professor at the Harvard Divinity School. Hell’s fall from fashion indicates how key portions of Christian theology have been influenced by a secular society…The rise of psychology, the philosophy of existentialism and the consumer culture have all dumped buckets of water on hell….’It’s just too negative,’ said Bruce Shelley, a senior professor of church history at the Denver Theological Seminary….Where once hell was viewed as a literal, geographic location, it is more often seen now as a state of the soul….Perhaps more than any other pastor, the Rev. Robert H. Schuller is credited with inspiring the movement to supplant hell with feel- good messages…”
(“The Los Angeles Times”; June 19, 2002)

This mixture of secular, humanistic rebellion with Christianity is not new. It is only more common today. The seeds have become trees. When the fable of evolution was promoted in 1859, it brought with it a new breed of secular-humanized Christians:

“….celebrity freethinkers as Mark Twain and Robert G. Ingersoll brought elements of humanist philosophy even to mainline Christian churches, which became more concerned with this world, less with the next…”
(Council For Secular Humanism, Secularhumanism.org)

19th century occultists taught that the 20th century would be the birth of their new era. In 1902, psychologist William James praised the new breed of Christianity (i.e. religious humanism) that was gaining ground:

“The advance of liberalism, so-called, in Christianity, during the past fifty years, may fairly be called a victory of HEALTHY-MINDEDNESS within the church over the morbidness with which the old hell-fire theology was more harmoniously related. We have now whole congregations whose preachers, far from magnifying our consciousness of sin, seem rather devoted to making little of it. They ignore, or even deny, eternal punishment, and insist on the dignity rather than on the depravity of man. They look at the continual preoccupation of the old-fashioned Christian with the salvation of his soul as something sickly…The persons to whom I refer have still retained for the most part their nominal connection with Christianity…”
(William James, “The Varieties of Religious Experience,” p.87-88)

And we wonder what is wrong today in 2002! In 1901, the basic beliefs of fundamental Christianity were already being called “old-fashioned.” But as the churches were surrendering and moving toward the middle of the road (to Hell), the Devil also had a plan for militant atheism.

The father of the prodigal son came running out to meet him on his return (Luke 15:20). In the same manner, if we draw nigh unto God, He will draw nigh unto us (James 4:8). However, the same thing is also true of the Devil! Satan will always meet us half-way when we move in his direction (Proverbs 7:10,13). As much of Christendom was becoming secularized at the turn of the 20th century, secularism was rapidly becoming RELIGIOUS (there was already only a minor gap to bridge between many of the materialists who “investigated” the “supernatural” and the occult spiritists who religiously embraced it).

For example, John Dewey (1859-1952) was a Socialist. He is called the father of modern American Education. He founded the Progressive Education Association in 1919. Its aim was to reform the whole school system. He penned the Humanist Manifesto in 1933. The same year, he also became president of the National Education Association. The next year (1934), he published “A Common Faith.” He is responsible for the radical change in textbooks, and the “Social Study” departments in public schools. In “A Common Faith” (notice the title!), Dewey wrote:

“Never before in history has mankind been so much divided into two camps, as it is today. Religions have traditionally been allied with ideas of the supernatural…The opposed group consists of those who think the advance of culture and science has completely discredited the supernatural and with it all religions….I shall develop ANOTHER CONCEPTION of the nature of the RELIGIOUS phase of experience, one that separates it from the supernatural….
It goes contrary to the traditional religions….[While] from the other side [militant atheism], the position I am taking seems like a timid halfway position….It demands that in imagination we wipe the slate clean and start afresh by asking what would be the idea of the unseen…if whatever is basically religious in experience had the opportunity to express itself free from all historic encumbrances [i.e. fundamental Christian doctrine]…faith in the possibilities of continued and rigorous inquiry [i.e. Dewey's new religion] does not limit access to truth….There is such a thing as faith in intelligence [Dewey's new religion] becoming religious in quality…The opposition between religious values as I conceive them [Dewey's new secular religion] and religions [true, fundamental Christianity] is not to be bridged…their identification [Dewey's RELIGIOUS values] with the creeds and cults of religions must be dissolved….Militant atheism is…affected by lack of natural piety…A religious attitude, however, needs the sense of a connection of man…with the enveloping world that the imagination feels is a universe…The ‘divine’ is thus a term of human choice and aspiration.”

In the above excerpt you have the new religion that has been taught in public schools since the 1940′s. It is not opposed to “religion.” That is just a smokescreen. It is opposed to FUNDAMENTALISM! When two adversaries come to an agreement, they compromise in the middle. Do we desire radical, materialistic atheism to be taught in schools? No. But the Devil is happy to settle for Christian children bowing their heads in prayer, as they sit under a constant indoctrination against FUNDAMENTALISM (while on psychiatric drugs). The new religious humanists wanted a religion that was more in touch with nature than materialistic, naturalistic atheism. In this new secularized Christianity (or Christianized humanism), the child is taught to worship a continual “rigorous inquiry,” which ABHORS any absolutes based on a literal interpretation of the Bible.

Since the 1940′s, religious humanists have largely succeeded in converting an entire nation! How did they do it? First, it is EASY to tempt people to live by sight and walk in the flesh. John Lennon (the blasphemous Beatle) recognized this when he summed up the philosophy of the new age:

“Imagine there’s no Heaven. IT’S EASY IF YOU TRY. No Hell below us. Above us only sky. Imagine all the people, Living for today….You, you may say I am a dreamer. But I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us. And the world will be as one.”

How did they convert a whole nation? Christians surrendered their children to be indoctrinated in the public schools controlled by religious humanists. They felt that as long as PRAYER was said in school, that the children would not be harmed. They did not realize that the humanist educators and psychologists (Fromm, etc.) “approved” of “religion”! They were not against “religion,” or even “Christianity.” The men who took over public education were steeped in liberal UNITARIAN thought. They were against FUNDAMENTALISM! They were against the teaching that Jesus is the only way to salvation, that all men are sinners, that the penalty for sin is eternal torment, that the Bible is the inspired and only Word of God, that Genesis is to be interpreted literally, that there are God-given distinctions and roles between the sexes, that every other religion except true, fundamental Christianity is false and Satanic, that values and morality are to be derived from interpreting the Bible literally, and that Jesus is soon to come again to judge the world and reign on earth. To the religious humanists, the above beliefs are a symptom of mental illness and superstition and they think it is their DUTY to save the children from parents who teach these beliefs to their children. Notice the words of a modern humanist:

“I think that the most important factor moving us toward a secular society has been the educational factor. Our schools may not teach Johnny to read properly, but the fact that Johnny is in school until he is sixteen tends to lead toward the elimination of religious SUPERSTITION.”
(Paul Blanshard, “Three Cheers for Our Secular State,” “The Humanist,” 1976)

It is not the removal of “religion” or even nominal Christianity that is the TRUE goal. It is the eradication of “superstition,” which is a word humanists have used since the 19th century to describe what is now known as Christian fundamentalism!

There is certainly more to all of this. But this should be enough to document that the goal of the Devil is not to rid the world of “Christianity.” He is striving to rid the world of FUNDAMENTALISM! And sadly, his chief weapon has been the passivity and sleepy drunkenness of fundamental Christians. They gave the Devil their children for OVER HALF A CENTURY through public education and the entertainment industry:

1 Thessalonians 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be SOBER…

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be VIGILANT; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Let us repent. Let us confess our sins. Let us forsake our sins. And let us protect our children and attack and abhor religious humanism with all our might, by the grace of our Lord Jesus:

Proverbs 28:4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.
5 Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.

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EXTREMIST, RADICAL FUNDAMENTALISTS

“What is truly ironic is that some EXTREMIST FUNDAMENTALISTS think that the Church since Vatican II has been engaged in a ‘diabolical plot’ to seduce Protestants into the Church.”
(“Detection and Overthrow of the ‘Traditionalist Catholics’ Falsely So-Called: Refutation of Appendix 1,” written by I.Shawn McElhinney)

“This is the one question that nobody but the most EXTREMIST FUNDAMENTALISTS (such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson) will certainly ask themselves.”
(Cliff Walker, Positive Atheism Magazine)

“…Osama bin Laden does not represent Islam. Instead, he represents a type of movement which is present in virtually every major religious tradition on earth today. In the academic study of religion we call them RADICAL FUNDAMENTALISTS. And whether they are Islamic, Christian, Jewish, or otherwise, radical fundamentalist groups all have some typical characteristics in common. They interpret scripture literally, they isolate themselves from the world, and they harshly condemn anyone who disagrees.”
(Dr. Byron McCane, Associate Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Converse College, “Spartanburg Herald Journal,” October 14, 2001)

The words “extremist fundamentalist” are somewhat redundant. The word “fundamental” is usually used to distinguish a person, group or belief from those that are liberal or compromised within the same field or religion. In Islam, for example, those that interpret the Koran literally (and therefore kill for their religion) should be seen as “fundamental Muslims.” Those that interpret the Koran allegorically should be called “liberal Muslims.” There is no need for the word “extremist.” The words fundamental, moderate and liberal are sufficient.

In Christianity, the New Testament teaches that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:4). Therefore, “fundamental” Christians (those who interpret the Bible using normal or literal interpretation) believe that we are to contend for the faith with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). The most “extreme” fundamentalists (if we define “extreme” as that which is utmost) believe this teaching.

If we define “extremist” in a more modern sense, as a person who goes beyond what is proper, we must ask why the word “fundamentalist” is attached to it. The man who was accused and executed
for the Oklahoma Bombing professed to be a backslidden CATHOLIC and an agnostic humanist! He was not a Christian fundamentalist in any sense. Why then do we continue to see and hear fundamental Christianity linked with fundamental Islam in the news? The implication is that LITERAL INTERPRETATION is dangerous and violent. But this is ludicrous! If fundamental Christians should be likened unto Islamic terrorists simply because they hold to the fundamentals of their religion, then we could make the same claim about those who hold to the “fundamentals” of humanism, liberalism or any other world view. They believe that they are right and that those who disagree are wrong. They will reply that people have used the name of Christianity, like Islam, to kill and silence those who disagree and that therefore the analogy is justified. We reply that people have also used the names of atheism and humanism to kill and silence people and that therefore we are likewise justified in likening “fundamental” humanism or atheism to the Taliban!

Whether or not “fundamentalism” or literal interpretation is dangerous depends upon WHAT is being interpreted. The New Testament LITERALLY condemns murder. It literally condemns the lack of natural affection. Therefore, it is not the FUNDAMENTALIST interpretation of the Bible that is killing thousands of babies in the womb; it is the LIBERAL’S interpretation of Scripture that is used to justify abortion.

We will therefore hold fast the form of sound words. It is obvious that if ordinary conservatives in politics (who are often LIBERAL Christians or even agnostics) are being painted as dangerous and hateful, then fundamental Christians are certainly being vilified! Political conservatives are attempting to defend themselves by loudly proclaiming that they are not “extremist fundamentalists.” This phrase (or one similar, such as “radical fundamentalists”) is being increasingly used to brand good Christians who interpret the Bible literally and hold to the fundamentals of the faith. It is even being used to describe moderate Christians.

In early Rome, it was widely (though erroneously) believed that Christians were cannibals who ate babies, and were therefore worthy of persecution and death. The same climate is developing with regard to Christian fundamentalists today. The inspired command of Peter is very applicable to us in this mad, modern world:

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, AS OF EVILDOERS, they may be ashamed that FALSELY ACCUSE your good conversation in Christ.

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THE ROD: WILL GOD SPARE IT?
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This book is again available for ordering! Visit

http://www.FundamentalBooks.com

call 817 453-5542, or e-mail pastor@kingdombaptist.org

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VISIT http://www.KINGDOMBAPTIST.org
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817 453-5542 – Kingdom Baptist Church is located at 700 Cordes Dr. in Venus, Texas,
76084. We are 10 miles south of I-20 (in Arlington) off highway 287.
Please visit when you can!

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NEW YEARS’ EVE ANNUAL PROPHECY WATCH
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If the Lord doesn’t come first, you are invited to JOIN US on New Years’ Eve at Kingdom Baptist. We will have testimonies, food, prayer, and lots of revival music. We will also review the current events of the year and see how they are setting the stage for the Tribulation Period. We will also take a look at what we can expect for the new year.