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Is God Mad?

2011-03-22T20:21:00.000-06:00

Our Newest Evangelistic Site is now live!
Visit us at http://www.isgodmad.com/

Click on the above graphic to see our newest evangelistic effort!

As Satan’s last days agenda come into place, the need to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ becomes more urgent day by day. Our focus on this site has been to leverage current events and relate them to the Word of God and the precious gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not a teaching site - it is an evangelistic site.

Here’s what you’ll find:

You will find a very compassionate, honest and forthright treatment of the questions which struggling people most often ask. As time passes, these topics will change. What will not change is the direct, forthright biblical response to issues which concern the lost.

The site presently deals with eight burning questions, each represented with a riveting graphic.

• Each question is associated with a thought-provoking graphic to draw attention to the issue.

• Each question contains a few brief paragraphs including thoughts to consider. Most importantly,

• Each question provides an opportunity for the visitor to read exactly what God has to say on the subject - in His own words!

Here’s why we created this site!

Here's the downside: We live in an increasingly privatized society where folks do not answer their doors, do not wish to chat with strangers, and even avoid casual eye contact. Our culture is increasingly conditioned to living in closed buildings, driving in closed steel cages, and working in non-political, non religious atmospheres where they feel safe.

Here's the upside! More and folks are within a few seconds' reach of the web. People are willing to take a peek at a web address because there is full anonymity and no threat.

Simple business cards, bumper stickers, decals or links from other websites can picque spiritual interest. The graphic on the top of this letter represents ONLY ONE of eight, designed to invite folks to visit the site.

Perhaps the most exciting thing about this site is that it provides A DIRECT PHONE NUMBER for folks to call who want to talk about coming to know Christ as Savior.

Here’s what you can do!

- Click on www.IsGodMad.com yourself and browse around a bit to get a feel for the site. (Please point out corrections and make suggestions as the site is brand new!)
- Link to our site whenever possible to help us increase our coverage.
- Encourage your pastor or Sunday School teacher to visit this site.
- Pray that the Lord will provide our site with great exposure and enable us promote this site soon!

PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU ARE WILLING TO:

1. Share some business cards designed to be left at restaurants, etc... (We hope to be able to supply some very soon.)

2. Place a decal or small bumper sticker on your vehicle. (We will help you pick out a suitable graphic for your tastes.)

3. **Sponsor a web, or printed ad. To see samples click here and bookmark our Outreach page for future reference.

We hope you'll take advantage of this non confrontational way to open evangelistic doors.

Thanks!

Jim

*P.S. Some recipients of this newsletter probably do not know Christ. If you are searching, we urge you to visit this new site now and give us your input!

** P.P.S.S Regular readers know that Jim has never solicited funds for himself or his ministry and has no plans to change that policy. Should you be inclined to sponsor some aspect of this outreach none of these funds would benefit Jim & Anne's personal ministry. Additionally, you would need to bring this up to us on your own. See samples here. (Bookmark the sample page to save for future reference.)

It's Happpening as We Write

2011-03-10T11:43:00.001-07:00

The Sad Truth About Evangelicals and Mormons

Thanks to an incoming email from my cousin, Pete Gardner, I was made aware of the special meetings going on today in Salt Lake City.

I've included a link below to Eric Barber's release:

Click here.

While I do not know Eric Barber, (and this is not a carte blanc recommendation of his site) it is clear by the full content of his article that he is standing on the biblical side of this issue. Please do take a few seconds of your time to view this and stay informed!

Thanks!

Jim

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=5so86bdab&v=0016MrkiGIOG-8etjumzg49ROCcqIJrE_4mZiYO_kdOItsPjaq9zNYTb94PszcpA8V-AiGhzdugzAJruDfCdSkDRicHlhzqJB3v6ocBiugmX0c%3D

The Charlie Sheen Tragedy

2011-03-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

The Sad Truth About Charlie Sheen

Many have not followed Charlie Sheen the actor but few have missed the network coverage of a talented man whose mind has gone ballistic. From his self-constructed delusional bubble, Sheen has managed to define himself in a genre without equal. In fact, he is a god. “The Winner,” has shed all inhibitions and rebuked all who have ever tried to enshroud him with the miss-fitting, chafing garments of repression. Thanks to the last seven grams of his favorite substance, he has liberated his superhuman reasoning and verbal skills. Or so he thinks. What presently represents ultimate freedom and power for Sheen appears to most of us to be the last strokes of his delusion and insanity.

Before the Sheen antics fade into distant memory as a result from what may be an inevitable nova, we may learn from Charlie and the spectrum of those who are participating in this event.

The Chilling Truth About the Media and Hollywood

The news vultures have already assembled for Sheen’s Armageddon, and have even written his obituary. Charlie Sheen is the novel focus of this instant in news time, that’s all. The media’s cold treatment of a man who needs compassion and prayer comes as no surprise because the media’s role is first to exploit. Neither the media nor Hollywood are in the business of accepting moral responsibility for anything.

It also goes without debate that both the media and Hollywood have helped shape the man into the person he is. Nor is he alone in his industry; his Roman candle just happens to be more noticeable in the night sky of a world which loves to make gods and then dethrone them, tossing them off like candy wrappers on the crowded streets of “Celebrityville”. We will seek to make as much money on the Lohans, the Spears, and the rest on their way down as we did following their rise. It is our way with them all.

The Real Facts Behind the Issue

But, there is a more poignant lesson which showcases a much deeper spiritual issue. The observant Christian should not bypass this striking parallel.

The Word of God associates substance abuse with sorcery and witchcraft. We may rightfully conclude that one “under the influence” of any substance is also more open to the influence of the demon world.
The doctrines of demons, antichrist, and Satan himself have never varied. When freebased down to their hallucinogenic essence, they all claim the same thing Charlie is claiming. We are all gods, we can all discover our godhood and our only hindrance to this free self-expression is the repression of those around us who are bound in their moral webs.

We do not accuse Oprah, Shirley McClain, or a myriad adherents to the god-within gospel of using narcotics, but they are, none-the-less, infected with the same contagion. Sheen’s self-aggrandizement is merely accentuated. These dear souls are heading for a similar nova and extreme disillusionment. They are headed for tragedy even as they lead millions of others down their yellow brick path.

“Ye shall be as gods.” The lie is as old as Eve and forms a common thread throughout our history. Charlie Sheen is no equal to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Tyre, or other lessors who followed this path. God told the prince of Tyre “Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee ‘I am a god’? (Ezekiel 28:2,9).

The Truth About Yourself

Millions of folks are no less delusional than Charlie Sheen. You are not a messiah. You will never become a messiah. You are not the son of God. You are not a god. You are not becoming a god. You will be humiliated and defeated by death.

That is what salvation is about. That is why Jesus Christ came. He came to save you from the delusional fantasy that you are divine in any way. He came to bring you face to face with the stark reality of your sin and how it will destroy you utterly and eternally. Read John’s gospel, chapter three. He came to save you, and to give you new life in Christ. He came to make you a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17).

The spirit of antichrist has infected our culture. You are either among those who have embraced the truth or one who is being conditioned to believe the lie of antichrist. Your clarity may soon succumb to Satan’s delusion. This is your day to surrender to the authority of Jesus Christ, the one who shed His blood, died, and was raised again to give you the free gift of eternal life. Contact us. We’d love to tell you more!

For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

2 Thess 2:7-12 KJV

Biblical Dispensationalism Site Now Live!

2011-02-10T10:27:00.001-07:00

Learn about our newest teaching effort!

Our Biblical Dispensationalism site is now re-purposed and is live once again!

For Satan’s last days agenda to come into place, Dispensationalism must go. While we love and respect our brothers in Christ everywhere, the facts remain: ONLY in Dispensationalism is the plan and program of Christ explained and defended. ONLY in Dispensationalism is ISRAEL protected! ONLY in Dispensationalism are believers protected from the legalistic teaching, charismatic error, and an array of Reformed prophetic schemes which have neutralized Christ’s body.

In spite of what is at stake, few are receiving more than superficial Dispensational teaching! Where God’s people should be most articulate, they are the most complacent!

Here’s what you’ll find at http://www.biblicaldispensationalism.com/!

You will find a complete DNA OF DISPENSATIONALISM INTENSIVE in its entirety. This includes eight videos – with multiple chapters in each video! (This includes over 15 gigabytes of graphics intensive videos.)

- Four and half hours of lower resolution video segments which almost every PC can access through our use of *Vimeo! Note: These videos are mobile friendly!

- Four and a half hours of high resolution videos broken into chapter segments to facilitate use in your adult Sunday School! If your equipment is not capable of downloading these high-bandwidth videos we will gladly send you a file transfer link for downloading one video at a time!

- Advanced documents in PDF format for students who need an even deeper look at the issues.

- Media – more media and PowerPoint materials will soon be posted.

Here’s why you’ll find it!

We are convinced that the average adult Sunday school teacher, pastor, and Bible study leader CAN and MUST teach Dispensationalism at a deeper level than what occurs in most churches. We must feed the lambs, but we must also feed the sheep!

Many pastors, for example, will find this material useful for midweek Bible studies, or even a Sunday evening series. They are free to supplement these materials and even disagree when they feel so led. The goal is to get us all into the Word!

By breaking these videos down into manageable segments instructors can easily lead this series, promote discussion, and teach their own students how to handle God’s Word properly.

Here’s what you can do!

- Click on www.BiblicalDispensationalism.com yourself and browse around a bit.

- Link to our site whenever possible to help us increase our coverage.

- Encourage your pastor or Sunday School teacher to visit this site.

Pray that the Lord will enable so that we will be able to get our DVD and supplemental notes into production soon!

Remember, we are always willing to come and do an INTENSIVE in your church!

Thanks!

Jim

*Some Vimeo videos will be delayed for a week or so due to upload limits, but about half are already online.

A Tale of Two Worshippers

2011-01-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

2011 The Year of the Goat - The Judas Goat

2011-01-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

Special plea for tolerance: Each time I finish a round of meetings I return rejoicing in the goodness and blessing of God. However, I also return more disturbed than ever concerning the present state of the body of Christ. I would rather nourish than rebuke, but I am forced back to this theme. Please understand. Though truly motivated by love, what follows is an urgent plea for Christians. If you do not know Christ personally, this newsletter will carry little meaning for you, but you do need to settle that issue, so contact me right away for some more biblical encouragement!

The Judas Goat

Those who have been following our ministry have endured many warnings regarding the “Bridgers." Bridgers are folks in our own circles who are selling off our assets of sound doctrinal teaching and definitive biblical practices in order to “win” the masses.

I was predictably pleased and blessed by a recent posting in the [i]Crosstalk Blog warning us regarding the increasing presence of Judas goats among God’s people.

According to Wikipedia, “A Judas goat is a trained goat used at a slaughterhouse and in general animal herding. The Judas goat is trained to associate with sheep or cattle, leading them to a specific destination. In stockyards, a Judas goat will lead sheep to slaughter, while its own life is spared. Judas goats are also used to lead other animals to specific pens and on to trucks.

In the words of Crosstalk’s Ingrid Schlueter, “The role of the Bridger is that of the Judas Goat, famed for attracting sheep to slaughter. The Judas Goat is not the actual instrument of death. It attracts the sheep to the place where it will be slaughtered.”

Notwithstanding the intentions or motives on the part of our leaders, it is time to acknowledge that 2010 was a banner year for Judas Goats. Bridger goats will remain as long as the souls of believers are not being nourished and fed the true and living Word of God. Because these Bridger goats will not go away in 2011, we would like to remind you of just a few to watch out for.

Consider the familiar [ii]Emergent Goat.

In order to attract the non-suspecting Catholic or Lutheran into his service, he blithely asserts: [iii]“Here at ____________, we take communion every weekend. You may know this as the Lord’s Supper, or Mass.” This pastor is not ignorant regarding his statements. After commending the younger generation for its return to liturgical worship, he declares: [iv]“The entertainment-driven 80's and 90's have left believers thirsty for deep, soul-ish nourishment. Maybe we can learn something from the Roman Catholic tradition, without getting metaphysical about it: maybe the idea of a daily communion is not a bad idea. I, for one, would welcome the opportunity. “[Underline mine]

Christian friend, you are already enjoying the presence of Christ within you and you will not find it in the Mass, the Eucharist, or even, the Lord’s Table. While the Lord’s Table is a wonderful ordinance designed to re-center us all on what matters, you will not find His mystical presence there because He already dwells within you. A liturgical, sacramental celebration of the Lord’s Table will not nourish your soul. Further, the Mass is a table of idols, a table of demons. It has lead untold millions directly to a Christless eternity. We admonish our brother to cast out the leaven at his own table. (1 Cor. 5:7).

The disobedient pastor cited above is not alone. An army of Judas goats are echoing his sentiments. Expect more in 2011.

Consider the ever present Community Worship Goat.

Fabulously synchronized worship music and videos do not a worship service make. Nor does worship synced to the local community or culture (Currently: the New Silent Generation or Generation Z). While community focused worship may gratify the emotions for a short period, it never nourishes the soul. Such [v]“redemptive worship” is now so watered down and tepid, that it offers the listener little more than pop psychology mixed with a thin sprinkling of the gospel

Redemptive Worship is disobedient worship. Worship done any other way than God’s way is disobedient. Much of today’s worship shares far more in the tenor of Cain’s worship than Abel’s. (2 Cor. 6:17)
Redemptive Worship implies that all men of all persuasions may worship God together.
Redemptive Worship satisfies the worship tendency in all men and most often leads to a false hope. Unbelieving men want to believe that they have pleased God through their worship and we contribute to that false assumption by pandering to them. It is more important to the unbeliever that he worships than who he worships!
Redemptive worship is neither edifying nor soul nourishing. It is an emotive placebo.

And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. Ezek. 33:31-32 KJV

Consider the newer Contemplative Goat.

When we saw folks beginning to weary of entertainment based, seeker sensitive ministries, we dared to hope that folks would return to churches which offered balanced biblically based teaching and evangelistic ministries. It was not to be

Instead, we are seeing pastors and churches move in droves toward the new spirituality. We have begun looking within for a more lasting spiritual reality than we found in group worship. On the surface, this seems desirable, but in reality, it results in the pursuit of a false (self-focused) worship experience which is not truly on things above (Col. 3:1-3). New (yet very old) worship techniques are being retrieved from spiritual aliens (Eph. 2:2-3, 12), from pre-modern apostate circles, from eastern religions and from Rome. They are being imported on a mass scale into evangelical Christianity. [vi]The list of evangelicals who are involved (from toe dipping to full immersion) reads like the Yellow Pages.

The Spiritual Formation and Contemplative Prayer movement uses all the right language and appeals to the starving, thirsting soul, who has never learned the simplicity of an abiding walk with Christ. Confronted with their own failure and emptiness they seek new plateaus of spiritual awareness and enlightenment using all the failed methods apostates and religionists have used for years. Don’t go there (Eph. 4:18). You will be swimming in polluted waters and you will become infected.

Christian friend, don’t fall prey to this movement. It will not nourish your soul. It will not edify you. It will not connect you mystically to others. It will leave you poor and blind and naked. Only Christ can satisfy your soul. Master John 14 and 15 and live it! (2 Peter 1:3)

Consider the Affirmational Goat.

Again, this shepherd preaches a generally sound gospel, but there is not so much as one negative bone in his body. He is the ultimate affirmer. On the rare occasion when he must rebuke, he focuses his attention on believers (most likely “legalistic” brethren who do not share his broad views.) I personally know of pastors in our Baptist and Bible churches who have not mentioned a single apostate in five or ten years of ministry! And yes, I rebuke them (2 Tim. 4:3, Tit. 1:9; 2:1). They have as much zeal for rebuking apostasy and doctrinal compromise as does a dead dog. Above all, they would never cross the thin blue line and rebuke a fellow pastor for false teaching or disobedient practices. Such selective, positive preaching does not nourish the soul. Like sugar, taken alone, it reduces the body’s immunity to infection. A good spiritual diet includes both sweet and savory.

Such pastors truly think they are loving, but they do not love the sheep. Rather, they love being loved and are bonded to their peers because they, themselves, are not secure in Christ’s love (Gal. 1:10). A true sheep lover nourishes Christ’s sheep and edifies him so that he might withstand the winds of error and false doctrine rampant in our day. The pastor who does anything less is a hireling. (John 10:12. Prov. 9:25). God gave pastors:

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: Eph. 4:14-15 KJV

Finally, consider the “Photo Op” Goat.

Like the others, this Judas goat is” essentially” fundamental, but he loves to bask in the glow of the world’s luminaries. He naively thinks the enemies of Christ love him (Gal. 4:16, 17). He glories in recruiting God’s enemies for his personal ministry cause! How may we recognize this Judas goat? Again, in the words of Schlueter:

So while a Bridger will not stand in a church and teach from his pulpit or at conferences that there is no literal hell or that the substitutionary penal atonement of Christ was Divine child abuse, he will favorably quote from the books of those who do teach that. Or he might ask a Wolf to endorse his latest book on the back.

The Bridger will speak at conferences with these same Wolves and have photos taken with them. He will quote, selectively, from the Wolves and throw in the qualifier that he “doesn’t agree with everything the guy teaches or writes”, but he has found so and so’s book on leadership really helpful… This is increasingly the way error is disseminated.” [Underscore mine.]

Please be aware that this practice is becoming common in our own circles. When we quote unsaved men as spiritual authorities we show our own spiritual ignorance, we mock Christ who does not need their assistance, and we fail to teach Christ’s lambs how to discern truth from error. We mock our holy calling and profane our sacred duties.

So, who cares anyway?

This News & Nuggets is not really about the Judas goats, it’s about each of us. It’s about those of us who are regularly attending churches where we observe this kind of behavior and practice. Will 2011 represent another year of slowly slipping and sliding toward even more doctrinal error and spiritual oblivion? Will we separate our names and support from this kind of behavior and seek out biblically sound pastors and defenders of the faith? The chances are, most won’t, because they are already enjoying some perceived benefit (… a benefit that is not really nourishing their souls) by attending one of these churches.

In case you plan to stay in your disobedient church, here are a few patent answers I have received from friends in the past year or two who have long since made their choices to endure to the end:

1. We love our vibrant pastor!

2. We love the worship and the music!

3. People get saved in our church!

4. Our teenagers love the youth activities!

5. No church is perfect, and, above all…

6. We would not be caught dead in some small legalistic church.

Some have chosen their poison and sleep on (Eph. 5:14), but know that in the end neither they, nor their loved ones will be nourished. When they begin withering away because there was no root, we will see that the fast growing seed is not always the healthy one (Matt. 4:16,17). Houses (and churches) build on sand may have the best view, for awhile. Start getting nourished while you still have the strength to make the change. Find a solid, Bible preaching church, put up with its lack of resources, and throw your support behind it. Then, get on with the task of bringing folks to Christ in these last days!

A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? Jer. 5:30-31 30 kjv

[i] http://www.crosstalkblog.com/2010/11/beware-the-bridgers/

[ii] Editorial Note: Anyone who thinks the emergent church is dead must be locked up in a library somewhere. The core elements of emergence are thriving. These include a love for all things postmodern, and, of course, ancient liturgical values, persistent shape shifting through label changes and redefinition, and foolish rhetoric that gets the reader nowhere. As there never was an “official” emergent church, it can never be declared “officially dead.” More importantly, it will continue to remain with us in one of its many forms for years to come.

[iii] Sunday Bulletin cover at Adventure Christian Church, Roseville, CA

[iv] http://adventurechurch.org/communion.html

[v] A historical note: In some circles Redemptive Worship implies that there is a sacramental quality in worship. (See notes above.) Historically, Redemptive Worship has deep roots in some veins of Reformed theology. In our context, it is the contention that worship should be a public experience for both believer and unbeliever alike and that its sacramental overtones may thus be used by the Holy Spirit to draw men to Christ. It is based on the contention that even Israel left Egypt with a mixed multitude, and that our Savior clearly asserted that we are to allow the tares to grow along with the wheat. Redemptive worship gained much impetus in early America by being paired with the Halfway Covenant. The end result was the destructive liberalization of American Christianity which almost buried us in the social gospel prior to the turn of the twentieth century. Early fundamentalism (the movement which rose up and, by God’s grace, saved America) was known for conducting Morning Worship Services and Evening Evangelistic Services. They kept the lines clearly drawn (The Lord’s table, for example, would never, under any circumstances, be served to an unbeliever.) In our desire to win the lost, we have combined the two into one service. The Bible does not forbid the unbeliever from happening in on the believer’s fellowship, but the Bible never recommends or encourages this conduct.

[vi] Consider this resource: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/Colleges.htm

The Evangelical Version of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

2010-10-14T12:00:00.000-06:00

More than one unfortunate soul has camped on the ocean beach, blissfully unaware that a rising tide would soon cut off his escape and sweep him out to sea. Multitudes more are swept away with spiritual tides. Like the ocean tide, spiritual tides creep in quietly, and in small increments. Men and women are not swept out to sea because they are ignorant of the tides. Rather, they become victims of their own preoccupations and misplaced confidence in their own ability to react to danger.

We are presently experiencing a grand pattern of jubilant abandon. Our small, almost joyful, indiscretions in the name of tolerance and freedom from bondage have left us impervious to the grand scale of our problem. We have become oblivious to what is happening in evangelical circles.

So, what about you, dear reader? Are you sleeping on the sandy beach? In this challenge, we offer a single test example for your personal consideration. We do not offer it as a criticism of the parties involved, but as a litmus test for you, the reader. How will you respond to the following case study?

Case Study:

Our Daily Bread and the

Radio Bible Class.

Our Daily Bread is published and distributed worldwide in more than 40 languages by RBC Ministries offices around the globe. It is singularly, the most loved and influential devotional guide in the world.

The Incident.

Recently, a friend (Bruce Oyen) drew my attention to an article by Don Venoit who works with Midwest Christian Outreach. Don was challenging RBC for a recent inclusion of the writing of Henri Nouwen in their Our Daily Bread. Now, Nouwen is not merely a Roman Catholic priest, he is a Universalist, and a key “bridge” leader in the contemplative prayer movement. Many godly apprisal ministries have warned us about this false teacher. (Note: We cover Nouwen’s heretical teachings in our own New Spirituality Intensive.)

Romish Priest Henri Nouwen

Nouwen is singularly the most dangerous Roman Catholic luminary on the contemporary scene. In spite of this, Nouwen’s magnetic and magnanimous personality has endeared him to scores of our most prominent evangelical leaders and his popularity is skyrocketing.

The RBC’s Defense.

When challenged biblically concerning this, RBC replied that many other widely trusted evangelicals have also written positively of Nouwen’s remarkable life, ministry, and testimony.

Venoit further reported RBC’s view: “Since thousands of respected evangelicals have read a great deal of Nouwen’s writing without concluding that he is a ‘heretical’ Catholic priest who ‘endorses mysticism, Hinduism, and Buddhism’ it seems fair to give him the benefit of a doubt.”

Now for the test: What was your personal reaction when reading this?

As food for thought we recall a few typical responses this pastor has received after dealing with many similar issues over many years in ministry.

Response #1. RBC ministers to a broad group of evangelicals and should be commended for their sensitivity to them.

The problem with this response is that RBC has based its reasoning on evangelical opinion rather than on the Word of God. They have exposed their own soft underbelly in their failure to identify these “clouds without water” and in so doing, have encouraged millions and millions of readers in some forty countries to sleep on in these days of ecumenical compromise! (2 Peter 2:17-22).

Evangelical opinion does not permit us to give false teachers “the benefit of the doubt”. If every evangelical leader in the entire world should endorse a Buddhist endorsing Catholic Priest such as Nouwen, it would still be RBC’s duty to rebuke him! Remember how Mom used to say it? “If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?” (Rom. 3:3-4).

Response #2. Who are we to limit the Holy Spirit? Who are we to judge an organization which God has used so marvelously for so long?

The fact is, we are not limiting the Holy Spirit when we provide such warnings; we are obeying Him! Paul withstood Peter to the face (Gal. 2:11). He further admonished Timothy to do the same. Nor are we judging the individuals involved. We are judging those actions which harm Christ’s testimony and His body (Titus 2:15). Furthermore, if you, dear reader, are not willing to rebuke and withstand apostates, you are the one limiting the Holy Spirit. Dare to stand alone!
Lies and errors are not imported into the church on the backs of evil men. Their leaven is introduced by good men with warm and accepting personas. Don’t be intimidated by a long list of evangelical leaders who embrace this false prophet.

Response #3. You should not have named the organization. If you would just deal with the principles involved folks would get your point.

The very reason we are in this mess is because spiritual leaders have endorsed this head-in-the-sand, “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy for the last fifty years. The fear of man brings a snare, and the idea of withstanding men to the face terrifies the average pastor. “Quit ye like men.” Stand up and be counted. (1 Tim. 5:20, 2 Tim. 4:2)

Those who have lived through the past half century are aware the group we now call evangelicals were once neo-evangelicals who rose up in response to the negativity of fundamentalists. Their reactionary platform was to do away with confrontation and rebuke in favor of dialogue and mutual acceptance. Some statisticians are now averring that at least %50 of all self proclaimed evangelicals are unsaved. It is time that evangelicals admitted that their social experiment has failed us. (Titus 1:13)

When apostates are not so named and identified, they will always gain a following of ignorant sheep and those sheep will be scattered by the wolves. (Rom. 16:17, Matt. 9:36)

Response #4. No one is perfect. Cut them some slack and stop the friendly fire. We need to present a united front to the lost.

Again, Christ’s sheep are at stake. They are worth defending. We offer no professional courtesies to wolves in sheep’s clothing. The number of books one sells or the size of his church may not be evidence of spiritual success in God’s eyes. Woe to the man who is highly revered! (John 10:11-13; 21:16, 2 Tim. 3:12)
True biblical unity always results from defending the truth, never by compromising it.

Response #5. Ho hum! Change the channel! Here comes another negative campaign ad! Why can’t we just love each other and just preach Jesus?

To preach Jesus is to preach and teach all that He said and taught, not to bubble-pack Him into some marketable form.

Sleep on, friend. But keep in mind – your children and your grandchildren will perish with you in the spiritual morass. God is not mocked. We will reap the consequences of our disobedience. The tide is in. (1 Tim. 4:16)

The correct biblical response – It’s all about love!

The unifying thread in all those responses is a commitment to a feigned love which is unwilling to pay the price of true, sacrificial love. We gladly embrace this superficial love in order to avoid bearing the offense which the cross and biblical truth brings. We are terrified at the idea that someone might think us harsh and unloving and will go to any end to prove that point. In reality, we love only ourselves.

When we do not confront error we do not love God’s Word. Titus 1:9-10

Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: KJV

When we do not confront error we do not love Christ. 1 Tim 6:3-5

If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. KJV

When we do not confront error we do not love Christ’s sheep. John 10:9-13

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. KJV

Acts 20:29-31 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. KJV

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End.

Sources:

Radio Bible Class: http://rbcintl.org/
Midwest Christian Outreach: http://www.midwestoutreach.org/

July 2010

2010-07-01T10:57:00.000-06:00

Breaking the Cycle

Another urgent plea for a return to biblical normalcy.

Question: If two men begin driving from the same starting point and head for the same destination on the same highway at exactly the same speed, is it a given that they will arrive at exactly the same time?

Answer: No! The man who wanders in his lane will actually lose more ground, use more fuel, and take more time to reach his goal. Both men have the same goal, but one may not stay tuned to his ultimate purpose (2 Tim. 3:10).

Two churches may have the same goal, to glorify Christ through the salvation of the lost and the edification of believers. Given time, however, one church may wander so far in the lane of ministry that it may even lose sight of its goal. Let’s apply this in real life.

This pastor has spent decades in ministry and has traveled and communed with hundreds of other pastors and godly leaders. We have all had the same goal, the salvation of souls and the edification of believers. Though imperfect in ourselves, we have a God of grace who works through us in spite of our failures. However, while we all shared the same goal, some of us have shifted our focus.

The shift in focus follows these phases:

1. The Blessing Phase.

God uniquely raises up a church, school, or mission agency. He miraculously provides us with good leaders, resources, and even land and buildings. Stories of how God did this become the means by which we even encourage others in their steps of faith.

2. The Rooting Phase.

A subtle change takes place. We begin wandering in our lane. We now become locked into our miracle and the vision God gave us (our founders.) If God gave us this property in such a miraculous way, how could we possibly sell it? If God raised up this church, He must want it to succeed! Before long, keeping and protecting what was meant to be a blessing and a tool along the way, has now become our primary focus. We reason the same way regarding our loyalties to church fellowships and associations.

3. The Institutional Phase.

Because we live in a culture which is still primarily modernistic we often carry this even further. We measure our success in the growth of our church and the acquisition of even more buildings and equipment. The survival and growth of the institution has now become the goal because, after all, a growing church is all the evidence we need that “God is doing something special here!”

4. The Empty Shell Phase

God never intended that the survival of our church or organization be our ultimate goal, yet thousands of churches, schools, and missions have done so. These institutions live on long after the Holy Spirit has removed His blessing. Beyond our simple duties of stewardship, our buildings and corporations are simply tools, disposable tools, given to us to carry our highest goal, the edification of Christ’s body and the evangelization of the lost through the authoritative ministry of the Word of God. Where God’s Word is administered authoritatively, God’s work is accomplished though outward evidence of success may be difficult to observe! In fact, our churches may actually diminish in numeric size when truth is proclaimed (2 Tim. 4:3-5).

Breaking the Cycle. The foremost duty of the pastor and elder is to feed and teach the flock (1 Peter 5:1-4). God will honor that in His way, not according to modernistic success standards. When an organization comes alongside and offers to help cast a new vision and suggests that what you really need is a new business model in order to inspire and rally your people and breathe new life into your organization, don’t believe them! The way forward is to return to our first love.

Paraphrasing Spurgeon, the Bible is a lion that needs no defense. It only needs to be let loose. Pastors and teachers must preach the Word with authority, letting the consequences fall where God intends. What is seen by some as lack of vision is a spiritual issue. We dare not invest time and resources into the kind of institutional management which goes beyond simple stewardship and good planning. We may just be creating that empty shell which will live on long after the Holy Spirit has departed from our institutions.

The pastor who is not preaching and teaching and equipping your saints to minister the Word, should be prayerfully admonished (Titus 5:1, Eph. 4:11-16). Such a pastor does not need to artificially construct a unique vision for his assembly, a practice never hinted at in the Bible. God’s unique purposes for our churches will surface through the healthy application of the spiritual gifts of our sheep and a return to our first love and works. (1 Cor. 12, Rev. 2 & 3). When we deal with internal issues biblically, we can leave the institutional visionaries in our rear view mirrors. There is a final phase to guard against:

Beware! A New Reactionary Movement is Fast Forming!

There is another enemy of Christ, rallying forces against Christ even as this is being penned. It is the organic or New Apostolic Reformation. Its deconstructive perspective is calling us to do away with all of our tools, our church buildings and organization and leadership as we know it them without providing biblical alternatives. It will hit your church and your community if Christ tarries. It promises to make a major impact on evangelical churches

It thrives because many of God’s people are fed up with those empty shell churches which carry on a life of their own with little or any dependence on the Holy Spirit or personal nurturing of the individual. They are fed up with overpaid pastors and staff, over-building and over-furnishing our churches, and all that comes with it. Such folks are sitting ducks for this new movement unless we as pastors and leaders, think these issues through now, and return to the basic principles of biblically driven ministries.

Let the Word of God, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the body of Christ define your individual ministries and corporate identity. Christ’s sheep are always the end goal, not the tools He has graciously given in order to better care for them.

A Quick Look at Joel Osteen by Dr. Bruce Oyen

2010-04-08T11:38:00.000-06:00

Joel Osteen

Guest Article

Editor’s Note:

Men in every age have expressed resistance to those who have faithfully defended the truth when it was unpopular to do so. This month’s News and Nuggets contains a guest article from a good friend, Bruce Oyen. We commend Dr. Oyen for his willingness to stand against popular opinion.

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

By Pastor Bruce Oyen
Grace Baptist Church
Rochester, WA

This article is a warning about the teachings of Joel Osteen, who is a well-known TV preacher, and who is the pastor of America’s largest church, Lakewood Church, located in Houston, TX.

Having heard and read much criticism of Osteen’s teachings, I decided to find out for myself what he teaches. So, I bought and read his book, “IT’S YOUR TIME.” The book was published in November, 2009 by Free Press, a division of Simon and Schuster. This article is being written in April, 2010.

As one who believes the Bible is the Word of God, I compared Osteen’s book with the teachings of the Bible. Having frequently read the Bible, perhaps 50 times, from a historic fundamentalist perspective and with a lot of sound theological reading and studying in my background, it made it easy to note any serious deviations from the Bible’s teachings.

While reading the book, I used a yellow highlighter to mark any statements that were questionable. It turned out that many of Osteen’s statements were questionable - so many, in fact, that I had to go through the book and select only some of the highlighted statements from the many to use in this article. That is unfortunate, in light of the fact that the book was written to help its readers in their daily lives. It didn’t take much reading of the book to conclude that it should not be recommended because it won‘t be helpful to its readers. Rather, it will be harmful to them.

Having said these things, let me present to you several of Osteen’s statements that are not Biblical.

“It’s time to reaffirm your belief that you are one of our Father’s children. You are made in His image and He loves you.” From the Introduction, page xii.

The problem with this statement is that Osteen did not point out anywhere in the Introduction an important fact: the only ones who are children of God, at least in the spiritual sense, are those who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. It is a grave mistake to give unbelieving readers the impression that they, too, are Christians. In John 1:12 we are told “But as many as received him (Jesus Christ) to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” It is not until the very end of the book that Osteen tells readers how to become Christians, and yet the readers are addressed as though they are Christians.

“Tune out the negative messages. Quit telling yourself: I’m never landing back on my feet financially. I’m never breaking this addiction. I’m never landing a better job. Instead, your declarations should be: I am closer than I think. I can raise this child. I can overcome this sickness. I can make this business work. I know I can find a new job.” Page 6. “Is today the day for you to accomplish your goal, to land your dream job, to find love, to restore your health? You are closer than you think to a better life, a richer relationship, a healthier body.” Page 7.

Here Osteen promotes positive thinking, a main characteristic of his book. This has its place in life, but you will notice that he presents it as bringing assured results. Many persons have died thinking they can overcome their sicknesses, even if they have sought medical treatment.

“Every dream that’s in your heart, every promise that has taken root, God not only put there but has every intention of bringing it to pass.” Page 18.

This is false because he overlooks the fact that some of our “dreams” do not come from God. Some come from ourselves, some from friends and family, and some might even come from the devil himself.

“Maybe you are living in a small apartment and all of your friends have nice homes. This attitude will serve you: I’m not discouraged. I know my time is coming.” Page 18.

The problem with this claim by Osteen is that he implies there is something wrong with living in a small apartment. The fact is, God wants some of his children to live in small apartments. There is no shame in doing so. Christians need to learn the truth of Philippians 4:11: “Not that I speak in respect of want: For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” But this is a hard lesson for Americans to learn because we want the bigger and the better of nearly everything. Osteen promotes “prosperity theology,” which is very appealing to American Christians, and living in a small apartment does not fit into that theology.

“God created everyone of us to be successful.” Page 31.

What about those born with severe mental and physical disabilities, and who, therefore, are completely dependent on others for their daily survival?

“I want to declare over you a new season in your health. The winds are shifting. Hard times may have held you down for awhile, but they will not last forever. When all is said and done, you will not be decreased; you will be increased.” Page 44.

Here Osteen makes false claims, for he is not a prophet of God who can predict what God has in mind for anyone’s health or anything else. But the book contains many such false declarations.

“When you sense it is your season, you need to declare it. Words have creative power. You need to hear it, and so does the enemy. You may not feel well, but it’s good to announce: ‘Health is coming my way. I will live and not die.’ ” Page 47

Here we see clear evidence of Osteen’s Word-Faith, Positive Confession theology, sometimes called “name it and claim it,” or “gab it and grab it.” The last sentence is mind boggling. One wonders how many persons have followed this false system of belief and died while doing so.

“God does not want you to spend your whole life working for someone else. God wants you to own your own company. He doesn’t want you to spend your life cleaning an office. God wants you running that office. He doesn’t want you to live in a small apartment the rest of your life. God wants you to have a nice home.” Pages 112, 113.

This is more clear evidence of Osteen’s unscriptural “prosperity theology.” Do most of Osteen’s followers really believe such statements? If so, it reveals how woefully lacking in knowledge of the Bible they are.

The foregoing statements are only a few of many proofs of the author’s unsound and harmful beliefs. Readers might wonder if anything good can be found in the book. The answer is, “Yes.” But there is so much in the book that is not good that it can’t be recommended. Just because we might find some edible food in a garbage can, it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea that we eat out of one.

Divine Identity Theft - Using the Word Allah with Muslim Friends

2010-03-12T15:43:00.004-07:00

DIVINE IDENTITY THEFT

May we rightfully refer to our God as Allah when witnessing to Muslims?

Contents

A very brief historical overview
A brief theological overview
A wise biblical approach
First, notice the essential doctrinal issue
Secondly, notice the essential content of our witness
Let’s weave these threads to a conclusion
A final word

As Islamic influence grows, loving Christians are seeking to improve their witnessing skills among these people. God loves the Muslim and desires to bring him to Himself.

As I began happily collecting materials to improve my own witness I stumbled upon a land mine, a hotly debated issue which has divided us into two distinct groups. The debated question: Should we use the name Allah in reference to our God when witnessing to Muslims? Representatives of both views (yes and no) are often emotionally involved and have been less than gracious with those with whom they disagree. Both sides can offer a long list of facts to consider. It is not our purpose to address them in depth. The following discussion is offered with a spirit of kindness and respect for all parties.

A very brief historical overview.

The idea of referring to our God as Allah has been around for centuries, because the term was originally a generic term for deity just as the word god in its generic form can refer to any supposed deity. Some Christians (in Indonesia, for example) address the problem by changing the accent on the word. By accenting the last syllable of Allah they refer to the Christian God. Also keep in mind that both sides of the” Allah issue” will return to Muhammad himself in this discussion. Some believe he destroyed all of the Arabian gods in preference to worshipping Allah. Others affirm, with just as much historical evidence that he destroyed all but one god, the moon god, and developed his theistic view around him. While I share the latter view I believe the issue will not be easily resolved using historical arguments and do not plan to die on that hill.

A brief theological overview.

Christians seem to hold to one of two preferences when discussing Allah. Either Allah is a strange god, a false god, or he is a corruption of Jehovah God. Some embrace this second view because so many of Islam’s views concerning Allah parallel our God. In fact, they parallel more than with any other god which men have worshipped. However, no one denies that Jehovah and Allah are far from being the same. Our God is knowable (through Christ) but Allah is not knowable. The Koran is not a self revelation of Allah; it is only a revelation of his will. While Christians are theists, our God exists in three persons, a thought which is anathema to Islam.

In defense of the view that the Islamic Allah is simply a corruption of Jehovah, Mateen Elass provides the typical arguments in his small (but powerful) book entitled: Understanding the Koran. While this writer disagrees totally with Elass on this point he still recommends that everyone read this wonderful, concise presentation regarding the Muslim holy book. After making the comparisons which we summarized in the previous paragraph, Elass says: “For all these reasons I believe on the basis of two biblical passages that Muslims fall into the category of those worshipping the true God in ignorance rather than those pursuing a false god. “

Elass then treats John 4:1-26 recounting Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman. According to Elass, Jesus essentially accused the Samaritans of worshipping the One they did not know (vs. 22). He did not, for example, accuse them of worshipping a false god.

Elass’ second reference is to Romans 10:1-3 where Paul does not accuse the Jews of worshipping a false god, but only pursuing the true God in ignorance.

These are not small matters. If we are to embrace the idea that we may rightfully use the name of Allah when witnessing to Muslims we must justify ourselves by being convinced that Muslims really do hold a corrupted view of the true God.

A wise biblical approach.

While this author does not agree with Elass’ conclusion he does believe we find a key for resolving our dilemma based upon (at least) two additional scriptures which mirror the same issue, Romans 1, and Acts 17.

First, notice the essential doctrinal issue.

All four of the passages under discussion (John 4, Acts 17, Romans 1, and Romans 10) deal with the same core issue, the knowledge of God. Whether we are listening to Jesus say “Ye worship ye know not what, we know what we worship,” or we are listening to Paul at Mar’s hill announce that these Greeks were ignorantly worshipping their unknown (Gr: agnostos) god, or we study Paul’s broader treatment of the whole world in Romans 1, we find that both Christ and Paul centered the discussion on the knowledge of God. While neither Christ nor Paul accused their listeners of worshipping a false God, they did openly, and without apology accuse their listeners of ignorance regarding the true God.

Secondly, notice the essential content of our witness.

We find the same pattern in John 4, in Acts 17, along with Romans 1 where we see that both Christ and Paul drive home the essential points with immediacy. Neither feels the need to establish long term relationships with his listeners before making his point.

a. First, there is the matter of God revealed in the creation.

While not required in Christ’s witness, Paul first posits the argument that God is revealed in the creation, a truth their own Greek poets had conceded. Rather than praising their poets, he does this to show their own self-contradiction in worshipping manmade idols in spite of knowing better. This same argument is used in Romans 1 where the knowledge of God has been exchanged for creature worship.

b. Secondly, there is the matter of the true identity of Jesus Christ.

Notice that both our Lord’s witness and Paul’s witness at Mars Hill take the same path. Instead of dealing with the issue of strange gods, they zero right in on the identity of Jesus Christ. In the case of the woman at the well, He asserts His messianic identity and we marvel as we watch the Holy Spirit move her by grades from her awareness of Christ as a man, then, as a prophet, and finally as the Christ. Alternately, at Mars Hill, Paul does not rest on his defense of God, but focuses immediately on the person of Christ.

c. Thirdly, there is the matter of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

From the very beginning of their witness in Acts, we find the apostles doing the very same thing, regardless whether their witness was to Jew or Gentile. The focus was first placed on the name and person of Christ, and then placed squarely on His resurrection. This pattern occurs time and again and, in my opinion was based directly on our Lord’s post resurrection instructions given explicitly to the apostles in Luke 24 (See especially vs. 44-49.) These witnessing patterns are not incidental, they are fundamental.

At Mars Hill it was Paul’s insistent preaching on “Jesus and the resurrection” that prompted his invitation to the Aeropagus (vs. 18.). Paul concludes his short message there by nailing this point down with great authority:

“Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” Acts 17:31 KJV

Paul was not diminishing the message of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. That fact was both asserted and assumed by the apostles. The gospel contains both the message of the cross and the resurrection. Because these cannot be separated, it was not uncommon for the apostles to stress one or the other. However, the resurrection was the litmus test, the point of confrontation, not the point of agreement. As an example, the man who boldly embraces the resurrection is not likely to deny the sacrifice of Christ. The resurrection has long been the dividing point between truth and lie.

d. Finally, there are the discussions of repentance and righteousness which are seen among the New Testament evangelists.

The three previously listed core elements relate to God’s self revelation. This fourth recurring theme has to do with our relationship to God. This is such a strong point with Paul, for example, that the whole fiber of Romans is woven around it. This author has found the demand for righteousness to be the singularly most powerful witnessing tool in his arsenal. The more self righteous a man’s religion may be, the more that man struggles with his secret guilt. Leverage this fact skillfully in your witnessing.

Let’s weave these threads to a conclusion.

We restate the question, How do we witness to Muslims, and should we use the name Allah when referring to our God?

Review the core issue – the knowledge of God.

The Islamic people (like many others) are agnostic regarding the true knowledge of God. There is no need to begin by broaching the issue of whether or not their god is a false god. We know of no biblical evangelist who took that tack in similar situations.

Of course, Allah is a false god, an imposter. That is why we should never use or confuse his name with Jehovah – a practice which ardent Muslims also protest.

Throughout both Old and New Testaments, our God is exceedingly defensive about His name. Unlike the Jews and the Samaritans, Islam rejects, at hand, the very names by which God distinguishes Himself. They have not simply corrupted His names; they have rejected them as blasphemous. In fact, the more God prides Himself in a name, the more Islam rejects it. Islam is absolutely and unequivocally guilty of the worst kind of identity theft of all. This is why Elass is incorrect with his basic assumption that Allah is a corruption of Jehovah.

However, the first goal of the evangelist is to confront the lost sinner with the area of his greatest accountability. He is first, last, and foremost, accountable regarding what he does with the message of Christ. Jesus Christ is now God’s first “talking point” with man, (Romans 1:16).

Review the essential four-fold content of our witness.

1.) God’s self revelation in the creation (a proclamation more likely to be required among secularists and polytheists);

2.) The true identity of Jesus Christ;

3.) The gospel in general, showcased in the resurrection of Christ; and finally,

4.) Man’s need for imputed righteousness

If we are to follow the example of Christ and the apostles, our witness to these facts is to be straightforward and spontaneous. On the surface, this approach does not seem to be very loving, and yet the opposite is true. Jesus looked on that Samaritan woman and He loved her deeply. Yet this did not mitigate His message to her. Though non argumentative, Jesus was still unequivocal. The very reason why Paul was at Mars Hill was because his spirit was so deeply stirred over the idolatry of Athens, but he was straightforward and unequivocal. Paul’s open declaration regarding the ignorant zeal of Israel in Romans 10 was made right in the very same context which declares his deep compassion for them, even to the extent of being willing to be cut off on their behalf. There is no conflict in being both loving and truthful.

A final word.

The Muslim people are in bondage to an angry and arbitrary god. They, in turn, reflect that image in their persona. While they make a heroic effort to translate this anger into righteous indignation, the fact remains. Their behavior reflects the nature of the god they worship. Above all else, Muslims need to see the joy, peace, and satisfaction which fills the believer who is in an abiding relationship with Christ.

Understanding the Koran, A Quick Guide to the Muslim Holy Book, pg. 91ff, Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, 2004. ISBN 0-310-24812-4

Local Church Tsunami

2010-02-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

Click here to watch the video (on the Biblical Intensives site) instead.

Unless you have been living under the proverbial rock you are aware that the local church is undergoing massive change on a broad scale which far eclipses the traditional issues that we have dealt with in the past. We have fallen prey to Satan and his devices (2 Cor. 2:11). This paper addresses six tsunami-like waves which are striking our churches with deadly consequences. These waves of opinion have been used by Satan to erode our commitment to the truth, all the while; deceiving us into thinking we are the ones who are actually being obedient! Do we share any of these attitudes?

Tsunami Wave #1: Successful ministries must be both practical and relevant! We assume the message must be practical to be fruitful. Much of this discussion centers on just who defines the word relevance. The Bible is very clear: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. ” (2 Timothy 3:16–17, KJV)Therefore, all scripture is relevant! All scripture is profitable. God has not given us anything which is not relevant. However, not all scripture is immediately relevant or immediately practical. This is the unbiblical mandate we have imposed on our pastors. We must be gratified immediately upon hearing the message. Generations of preaching have demonstrated that those men of God who have consistently taught the whole Word of God (Acts 20:27) have consistently borne the most long term spiritual fruit. Pop preaching, springboard preaching, and messages adapted week after week to the perceived needs of the people leave your flock spiritually anemic. Junk food is filling and satisfying. It is neither relevant nor practical. I like to call this the irrelevance of relevance!

Tsunami Wave #2: Successful ministries must keep the cookies on the lower shelf. Translated: “Feed the babies. The older believers can fend for themselves or meet in small groups.” In reality, this philosophy demands that we only serve baby food from the pulpit. Q.: What has been the end product of this popular truism? A.: Fat little babies. The shallow pastor is derelict regarding his primary duty, to edify the saint for the work of the ministry and to protect him from false doctrine. That edification is accomplished through teaching sound doctrine on a regular basis: “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; ” (Ephesians 4:14, KJV)Sound doctrine must be taught to the whole assembly on a consistent basis. This is noted scores of times in your Bible: “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. ” (1 Timothy 4:16, KJV)Local church preaching should resemble a one room schoolhouse. There should be truth for everyone at every level of growth, and equally as important, believers must be stretched and challenged. Parents don’t eat baby food at the table any more than babies can eat grown up food but both usually eat at the same table. In fact, that’s how we teach babies to eat grown-up food.Satan intimidates pastors and congregations with the irrational fear that theologs will ultimately rise up and dominate their assemblies, and we all know how irrelevant and impractical theology is. Satan knows that ignorant congregations are easily seduced.

Tsunami Wave #3: It is arrogant and egotistical to speak with authority! Our generation has been nurtured in groups since preschool days. Because we are dominated by group thinking, pastors feel they can best posture themselves by diminishing their roles in favor of demonstrating their equality in the body. In reality, these are not polar ideas.If one were to sample ten typical sermons given in fundamental pulpits last Sunday with the preaching of the Apostles, one fact would likely stand in great relief. In contrast to our preaching - the early church leaders all spoke and taught with boldness and authority, even at the risk of being seen as outspoken. In fact, they prayed time and again for that boldness. They did so in a group oriented culture. They were not men pleasers, they preached and proclaimed with all boldness and authority, they rebuked with severity, the exposed false teaching and false teachers just as consistently as they proclaimed the love of Christ and his infinite mercy. “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. ” (Galatians 1:10, KJV)Men, in their natural or carnal states, do not want to hear the whole truth. This thirst for soothing messages will increase, not decrease in the last days: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; ” (2 Timothy 4:3, KJV)Pastors who stop “filtering” their messages in terms of their listeners and boldly preach the Word of God will bring both fruit and criticism upon themselves. It is the role of the pastor. The pastor who cannot speak with boldness and authority, rebuke with severity, and expose false teaching and teachers with the same regularity and freedom he has while proclaiming on the love of Christ is under Satan’s thumb. Such a pastor should either repent or retrain for another vocation.

Tsunami Wave #4: “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Supposedly, our non confrontational culture will reject confrontational teaching. The Word of God is counter cultural and cultural norms have always formed its greatest opposition! The offense of the cross is just that. The power of the Word is in the bitterness it produces in the stomach as much as the sweetness it produces when first tasted. We are not in the fly catching business, and if we were, we would not use honey or vinegar; we would use biological waste. Nor was Jesus Christ in the fly catching business. We are in the soul saving and soul rescuing business, and the Word of God is sufficient to the task. The power of the gospel is in the Person of the gospel. Christ centered preaching produces Christ centered converts. “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. ” (Philippians 1:20, KJV)

Tsunami Wave # 5: Our real problem is that we need to rephrase the gospel. There are some who look at the grave amount of error we are facing today and assume that our failure was in making the gospel too easy. In short “hard believism” will counteract this pervasive “easy believism.” According to them, one must strive in order to be saved. Others have countered with the opposite view, by announcing that salvation is so basic a man could pick up a piece of paper on the street which says “Believe in Jesus,” – agree with that paper, believe in Jesus, and be saved. None of these gospels are found in the Word of God. The Bible does, however, address our gospel dilemma. While the Bible does not speak of “easy believism” it does speak of believing in vain and by that statement it refers to those who have fallen from grace( Gal. 5:4, Eph. 2:8-10). One believes in vain when he does not rest his hope in both the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul makes this gospel indelibly clear in 1 Corinthians 15. The gospel of Christ (not just His name) is the power of God unto salvation. Do you, dear reader, have this confidence? “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. ” (2 Timothy 1:12, KJV)This bitter battle representing both extremes (Lordship salvation and Crossless salvation) is ravaging the body of Christ. It is wreaking havoc because we have sat for such a long time under shallow, content-less preaching that we are vulnerable to every spiritual virus which blows in the wind.

Tsunami Wave # 6. We must either be total Calvinists or Total ArminiansFor generations, Bible teaching Dispensationalists in Bible churches and most Baptist camps have avoided the extreme views of Calvinism and Arminianism. We have reconciled ourselves to the fact that scripture teaches God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility equally, though we may not presently understand all His workings. We have further seen the horrific consequences of going to either the Reformed or Arminian extremes .In recent years, godly but extreme Calvinists have infiltrated our circles subtly promoting their five point agenda through rephrasing their terminology. They have done this in spite of clear and definitive doctrinal statements found in our churches and fellowships. This divisive tendency has, in turn, resulted in polarizing these issues and causing many to swing to the opposite extremes, again, going beyond our doctrinal statements. Interestingly, much of the rhetoric and division has come from sheep who (rather than searching the scriptures alone) are emotionally attached to their respective leaders who can do no wrong. Their popularity proves that.Recently, there has been no more divisive issue than this in fundamental circles and the end is not in sight. That is, the end is not in sight unless men put down their lofty commentaries and return to simple absorption in the Word of God. When we allow the scriptures to shape our thought processes, we will be less impressed with the “church fathers,” on the right, and with the rhetoric or Armnianism on the left, and Satan will not gain an advantage over us.

Will your church survive these tsunami waves? It will if you embrace a biblical ministry. A biblical ministry will:1. Teach God’s people the whole counsel of God’s Word, not just “relevant” passages. (Acts 20:27)2. Teach God’s Word with all authority. (Luke 4:36, Titus 2:15)3. Teach God’s Word on all levels stretching believers with new truth. (1 Cor. 3:1, 1 Peter 2:2)4. Teach God’s Word without filtering that message to the culture while being both loving and confrontational. (2 Tim. 4:3)5. Teach God’s Word leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind as to what the pure gospel really is. (Rom. 1, 1 Cor. 15, Eph. 2:8-10).6. Teach God’s Word openly and honestly (without deceptive rephrasing, 2 cor. 4:2) avoiding the extreme views of Calvinism and Arminianism. Click here to go to the Biblical Intensives site.

E Blogger Glitch?

2010-02-18T19:42:00.001-07:00

For reasons unknown to me this blog has stopped working, so the printed copies of my newsletters are not posting. I'll get a new blog site up as quickly as possible. In the meantime, if you would like a printed copy, please email me at jpbrowser1@yahoo.com. If the video link here fails, I can also provide another.

Sorry for the issue!

Jim

Two Red Alerts

2010-01-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

TWO VITAL RED ALERTS!

Apprising ministries regarding last days apostasy and last days prophecy do a fine job and are easily found by serious students of God’s Word. It is not our purpose to use News & Nuggets to duplicate their effort. At the same time, it IS our goal to point readers in the right direction when especially important matters of biblical significance arise.

This issue of News & Nuggets actually points to two red alerts.

Red Alert # 1. The Manhattan Declaration.

Are you familiar with the arcade game for little children where heads continually pop up inviting the player to whack them before they disappear? No sooner does one succeed whacking one when another appears elsewhere.

Satan loves to play this game of popping heads. He will press a movement forward until it is recognized and challenged by God’s people. He will then draw back, and reassert his same agenda under the guise of another name or movement.

For years, God’s people have been faithfully and duly warned about the Evangelicals and Catholics Together Accord. Various discernment ministries have faithfully warned about this horrific compromise of the Word of God under the guise of unity. In that movement, both believers and idolaters united for the sake of defending common moral values.

During the last month we have witnessed the shocking reappearance of this same movement under the auspices of the *Manhattan Declaration. At the moment I type, over 261356 folks have signed this. By the time you read this there will likely be over 300,000! (See for yourself at http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/ ). And while you’re visiting the site, pick up on the long list of religious signatories. They will include familiar evangelical names such as Erwin Lutz, Joseph Stowell, W. Grudem, Kay Arthur, James Dobson, J.I. Packer, Jonathan Falwell, Ravi Zacharias, and a host of others. Add to this list a long line of Roman Catholic archbishops and dignities.

There are, however, two shocking differences between this Declaration and the original ECT Accord:

First, we have added a high number of folks involved in the New Spirituality movement, in particular, the contemplative prayer movement. (For more documentation on this, see the Lighthouse Trails Research people at http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.org/). Contemplative prayer has been the singular most efficient tool for uniting believers with unbelievers in the past 20 years.

The second major difference is that this is an unstoppable wave of sentiment. Two hundred thousand folks signed this Declaration over the space of ONE MONTH!

So, why the fuss? In reality, when one reads the Declaration he will quickly agree that we espouse the general values it promotes. Yes, there are technicalities which cannot be overlooked (For example, we do not share the Catholic doctrine of the sacredness of human life which is the basis for Catholic opposition to the death penalty.) Yet, all in all, the truth is that we do share many of these moral values.

Why then, does this Declaration represent such a dangerous trend? Let’s boil this down to a few reasons:

1.) First, it is wrong to unify under anything less than the Name of Christ and the pure doctrines of the Word of God. One who loves the Lord Jesus Christ cannot and must not align with His enemies. And yes, anyone who stands staunchly against the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone is the enemy of Christ and is anathema. This includes the entire Roman system. (Gal. 1:7-9).

The hard cold fact is that God’s people in our own fundamental Baptist and Bible churches are unwilling to side with Christ against the enemies of His truth. (2 Corinthians 6:14-17.)

Simply stated, the Lord Jesus Christ does not need help from His enemies.

2.) Secondly it is disobedient to defer to false teachers as spiritual authorities. The Manhattan Declaration is filled with quotations from, among others, Catholic dignitaries. When we quote false teachers as spiritual authorities 1.) We give credence to their lies in other areas. Why would you give credence to the enemies of the gospel? and; 2.)We place God’s authority on an equal plain with the world’s authorities . That is not humility, that is gullibility. We cannot love Christ’s sheep and expose them to the wolves. Matt. 7:15, Acts 20:29.

A final reminder. In the weeks to come you will surely be accosted by genuinely sincere folks who urge you to add your signature to this Declaration. Will you take the time to look up the scriptures in advance and prepare your own response so that you may lovingly instruct your misguided friends? We urge you to use this event as a means of helping younger and weaker brethren. We urge you to be ready to give every man an answer!

Red Alert # 2. The EU is moving closer to a formal declaration regarding Jerusalem.

In a release entitled “Europe Moves To Divide Jerusalem” from **One Jerusalem Now, we read: “ Led by Sweden, there are reports that 27 member states of the European union are prepared to recognize a portion of Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian State. This unprecedented campaign has united Israel’s political parties as never before....”

There are prophetic tremors, and then there are serious plate shifts. Activities regarding the city of Jerusalem have had prophetic teachers on pins and needles. These tremors are building to seismic proportions.

We should never be surprised when we witness tension over Jerusalem. The Word of God clearly teaches that the city of Jerusalem will be trodden underfoot until the end of the times of the Gentiles. (Luke 21:24). However, we also know that tension over Jerusalem will increase as unbelieving Jews return to Israel preparation for the establishment of their covenant and Antichrist’s venomous outrage which be poured out upon them.

It is not enough to pay attention to Israel in your prophetic studies. Here are three good reasons to pay attention to the city of Jerusalem: 1.) Israel’s enemies will concentrate their efforts here. This tension will undoubtedly contribute to the rise of Antichrist; 2.) Israel’s own efforts to rebuild its temple worship with all of its associated accoutrements are focused here. 3.) The Bible instructs us to continue praying for the peace of Jerusalem. We who are the Lord’s watchmen (remembrancers) are to give Him no rest till he makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. (Isa. 62:6 &7.) Psalm 122:6 says “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.”

Why, then, should we pray for Jerusalem? We pray for her because we love the same things our Lord loves. We pray for her immediate peace so that some Jews may yet be won to Christ before the coming horrific Day of the Lord. We pray for her ultimate peace because we long for the day of her redemption, and we long for the vindication and enthronement of her Great King, Jesus Christ! Pray that the EU in general, and the Swedes in particular, will be hindered in their goal to return portions of Jerusalem to Israel’s enemies.

** Source: www.OneJerusalemNow.org

The Scuttling of the Good Ship Evangelicalism.

2010-01-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

News & Nuggets - July 2009

Difficulty Level: Intermediate Believer

The Scuttling of the Good Ship Evangelicalism.

Of late, it has been in vogue to speak of the much anticipated death of evangelicalism. While some of these predictions are premature and more wistful than real, there has been an overt effort to scuttle the Good Ship Evangelicalism. Our purpose is not to point fingers or seek to assign blame, but rather to provide occasion for soul searching, as we observe the death struggles of this sixty or seventy year old movement.
1. To begin, we remind ourselves that Christ’s church, though pummeled into obscurity, will never fail or be destroyed.

We have the iron clad word of our Lord Himself, who asserted that He would build His church and the gates of hell itself would not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18). As believers, we expect and welcome the sufferings associated with the servant Christ (Isaiah 42:4), and we do not fear the extinction of His church.

However, we should be far more exercised over the troubles which we have brought upon ourselves, because we have contributed much to our own difficulties. To understand exactly what is currently happening to evangelicalism, we must look briefly at its origins.

Technically, the evangelicalism which we know today should properly be named Neo Evangelicalism. This new evangelicalism rose in the 1940s and became a dominant force by the end of the 1960s. In fact, its success was so pervasive, that the Neo Evangelicals simply dropped the name neo and presumed to speak for all evangelicals.

2. What we now call evangelicalism was the product of a Reformed based rebellion against the fundamental, dispensational doctrine of separation.
Reformed evangelical leaders such as Carl F. Henry and Harold Ockenga were quick to address the insensitivity of fundamentalists and Dispensationalists[i]. According to them, their negative views of coming prophetic events and refusal to engage in social action provided sufficient cause to scuttle The Good Ship Fundamentalism. As a result of those initial volleys, their mantra spread cross-denominationally like a brush fire and anyone daring to espouse the title fundamentalist was deemed cold and legalistic. This is not to say that either fundamentalism or Dispensationalism were pronounced dead, but it is to say that they sustained great losses as victims of this onslaught. Only recently, when a former Dallas Theological Seminary president was asked whether the term Dispensationalism would disappear, he replied that it may, and perhaps it should.[ii]

While the excesses of some fundamentalists and dispensationalists were easily documented, it was also a fact that the principles of separation and the prophetic mindset they valued were the direct result of literal interpretation of the Bible. Simply stated, fundamentalists held that light and darkness can have no fellowship (2 Cor. 6:14). Evangelism and worship, for example, are the property of born again believers. The more those lines are blurred, the more obfuscated the gospel becomes.
Keep in mind that fundamentalists were never dismissed on the basis of sound biblical exposition; they were rejected, instead, on the basis of cultural irrelevance.

This left the Neo Evangelicals on the horns of a dilemma. While rejecting a literal, biblical approach to separation, they had to convince the world that they still believed in the inspiration of the scriptures they were restating.

In order to solve this difficulty, evangelicals fell back to a defense of biblical inerrancy, a much more loosely defined term which allows for some fudging on verbal plenary inspiration. That, however, is content for another discussion.

3. Herein lies the current irony: Evangelicalism has been poisoned by its own medicine.

It is fast becoming the victim of its own rejection of absolutism and desire for cultural acceptance. We are not asserting that evangelicals are void of absolutes. Rather, in their process of determining which absolutes they would embrace, they chose the shifting sands of cultural relevance. Now, in their passionate desire to adjust, evangelicals are fast scuttling their own ship. Why is this happening?

The culture has now changed dramatically. What made the evangelical relevant to the modernist culture of the last century has now made the same evangelical irrelevant to the postmodern mind (a mentality which goes even further in rejecting absolutes). While the substance of this modernist / postmodernist controversy requires too much ink for this short article, we point to just a few religious overtones. Mega churches are out. Authoritative declarations at any level are out. Experience and stories, drama and music are in. Most importantly, hierarchal and analytical reasoning have been trashed in favor of more affective and holistic thought and expression which must be nonlinear at all costs.
Now, we’ve just encountered a lot of exotic terms which boil down to the same conclusion: the Bible is even more culturally irrelevant than it has ever been! And, herein nests the evangelical problem. If the evangelical is to remain relevant he must re-invent himself one more time, or he will become as irrelevant as his estranged brother, the fundamentalist. And, reinvent himself, he will.

4. How will our evangelical friend appear after he undergoes his cultural makeover? For the present, he will present himself as an emergent.
One the one hand, he will share the Postmodern passion for deconstructing hierarchy and authority. On the other hand, he will placate his conscience because he is, once again, relevant. In the final analysis, his gospel will become even more indistinguishable, and his message less unique.

In the words of Michael Patton, “If Joel Osteen, R.C. Sproul, Benny Hinn, Chuck Swindoll, Oral Roberts, J.P. Moreland, T.D. Jakes, Jimmy Carter, Billy Graham, Brian McLaren, Pat Robertson, and John Piper all distinguish themselves as evangelicals, then we must admit that the designation both means everything and nothing at the same time.”[iii]
And, dear reader, we have only begun to change into the costume of the emergent. It’s time to return to biblical absolutes and the clear reminder that our gospel will always be offensive to our culture. In fact, its power lies in that very fact. Are you culturally relevant or biblically authentic? We invite you to take your stand with those who embrace the whole counsel of God completely and interpret his Word with childlike simplicity.

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

[i] Dispensationalism and fundamentalism share a common commitment to interpret God’s Word literally. The Dispensationalist, however, is committed to an absolutely literal hermeneutic in all of the disciplines of theology.
[ii] As cited by http://www.biblicist.org/bible/progress.shtml. Chuck Swindoll, originally from Christianity Today, October 1993.2003.
[iii] http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2007/10/24/can-i-just-start-a-new-tradition/#more-451

Thank you for your prayers and support during this transitional time!

Jim & Anne

Hurry on over to www.BiblicalIntensives.com and see what the Steel's are doing. You'll get a bird's eye view of what we're doing and you might even be inspired to speak a word on our behalf to a pastor you know!

The Twelfth Who??

2010-01-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Twelfth Who??

A look at the Shiite Messiah from a biblical perspective.

Who’s That Man?

If we were to ask, “What man has had the strongest impact on world events during the last 30 years?” Who would you name? Would it be a pope? a Reagan? a Bush? The chances are better than average that you do not even know his name. His name is Muhammad Al-Mahdi, the last Imam (Islamic holy leader) in a line of twelve specially designated Imams who descend directly from Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, Ali Ibn Abi Talib.

What makes Al-Mahdi unique is that he is the occultic or hidden Imam who disappeared in A.D. 941. In Shiite dogma, he is expected to return in Messiah-like fashion and bring peace and justice to the entire world, including both Muslims and non Muslims.

While this tradition has been held for centuries, Mahdism did not take on a life of its own until the days of Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini, when a new Mahdistic fervor arose as Shiites began insisting that Mahdi would not return until the world was prepared for him. At that point, the tentacles of Islamic religion and politics began to interweave, and the modern Jihad (self struggle, or holy war) of Islamic radicals was birthed.
This Jihad has had its fullest expression under the regime of Iran’s Ahmadinejad, a man who fully believes that he has had a “special connection” with Allah and that he, himself, will be a major instrument in conquering the world for Islam in preparation for the return of Al-Mahdi. This is the impetus behind his nuclear program and the reason why western overtures and offers represent little more than insults to him.
As believers, we are interested in holding a biblical perspective regarding Mahdism. We offer two salient admonitions for those who are maturing their own prophetic understanding of biblical events. We offer a word of warning and a word of wisdom.

A Word of Warning!

Mahdism is certainly the key to understanding the posture of Islam in the world today, and there are prophetic connotations which must be addressed. At the same time, believers must not fall prey to any one wave of apocalyptic fervor which grips the world and its religions. Could Mahdi be the long anticipated man of sin? Perhaps, yes. Perhaps, no. In any case, he should not be our focus. There is an imposing list of would be Messiahs and antichrists available to all of the world’s religions and, when world conditions worsen, we become more apocalyptic in our thinking. Many, for example, saw Mussolini, Hitler, Kissinger, Reagan, and George Bush as antichrist. Further fueling the present apocalyptic fire are numerous dark traditions which suggest the end of the world somewhere between now and 2019. Mahdi’s reappearance is expected by Ahmadinejad to be about 2012. The unbiblical Harold Camping, internationally known Christian radio teacher, insists that the end of the world begins in May of 2011. The list of historicists goes on, and most cite both ancient and modern sources.

While we are interested in the present fervor, we are also convinced that we must never rely on these false sources. A wise believer may take advantage of the present apocalyptic mood to urge Christ upon a lost world, but he must never, ever, give credence to any of these non biblical traditions. While it is true that even blind squirrels find acorns now and then, true believers never base their prophetic views and biblical interpretation on non-biblical sources. Learn from a long line of past Bible teachers who fell into this trap.

A Word of Wisdom!

Where then should our focus be? In reality, it should be on the battle of Gog and Magog. As never before, believers should be addressed to what the Bible says in Ezekiel 38 and 39 (see our resource note below). A simple study of the players at this battle will reveal the disturbing fact that the very nations named by God are the very nations today which are under the extreme control of the radical Islamics who embrace Jihad in the name of Al-Mahdi. This, of course, is an anti-Israeli war which, the Bible says, is really a war against God himself.

When will this occur? While there is room for debate, most literal interpreters of scripture place this massive attack against Israel right around the middle of the tribulation period, or at the inception of the Great Tribulation. Israel will be dwelling “safely,” in the land, most likely, under the protection of the man of sin. For full biblical support of these claims, secure the Middletown Bible Church article noted below.

These are certainly harbingers of the things which the Lord Jesus told us would come to pass. Jihad fervor could diminish, but, humanly speaking, it is unlikely, as the radicals have taken their cues directly from Hitler, and have poisoned a whole new generation on the supposed glories of dying for jihad.

Above all, do not fall into the second trap. Among evangelical Christians, a new pro-Palestinian movement has arisen which is anti-Zionist in its roots. Well known evangelicals, a host of Reformed teachers (replacement theologians) and a wide scope of emergent church leaders have all capitulated to the anti-Israeli sentiment which is gripping our nation, religiously and politically. Whether we can stem this present tide among God’s people is not ours to determine. That we should speak out now, more than ever, in defense of God’s people is an absolute mandate.

A Final Reminder:

Only in Dispensationalism (the only system on the face of the earth which is based on interpreting scriptures in a normative-literal fashion) can Israel be protected! We urge you to associate yourself with a sound, dispensational church where the ministry of the Word of God is central.
Most importantly, if you do not know Christ as savior, don’t waste a minute settling this issue. Need more information about Christ? Check our helps on this site, or visit www.BreadcrumbsMinistries.com and view their extremely helpful videos.

End - JPS

Resources for this article and your further study:

The September/October issue of Israel My Glory (www.foi.org) provides an excellent primer on the basics of Mahdism, and Middletown Bible Church (www.MiddletownBibleChurch.org) has an excellent article on the Future Russian/Islamic Invasion of Israel which this instructor uses http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/extensively. This article summarizes elements from both of these sources. The secular video Obsession (www.obsessionthemovie.com) documents Islam’s unholy alliance with Nazism and their employment of Hitler’s techniques.