FRIDAY CHURCH NEWS NOTES
MARCH 16,2012 VOLUME 13 ISSUE 11
The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this does not imply an endorsement.
[Revised report has replaced the original "Maranatha... " report.]
MARANATHA BAPTIST BIBLE COLLEGE GETTING REAL COOL (Friday Church News Notes, March 16, 2012, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Maranatha Baptist Bible College’s (Wisconsin) new enrollment advertisement is done in a Southern Gospel rap style. The theme is that Maranatha is fun and cool and will guarantee success so that you can graduate and be a “big cheese” with your “accredited degree.” Along the way, you can have banana splits and even pick up some “theology” and meet a cool life partner. The lead male singer is decked out in his T-shirt and baseball cap cocked to the side in a very cool fashion, and his rap buddies are very cool in their shades and little rap hand moves. Even more disturbing is the fact that several faculty male members appear in the video “jiving” to the music. Compared to full-blown Christian rock, this video is fairly “innocent,” but the advertisement is obviously patterned after the world’s music videos and it reflects a shallow, carnal approach to Bible College. Pastor Dave Sorenson comments: “What bothered me was not only the attempt of a ‘punk’ appearance of the fellows in the video, but even more so the faculty members who were ‘jiving’ and literally swinging to the music. It is one thing for college kids to generate this sort of thing on their own, even in a fundamental college. But it is another thing for the college administration to officially put their imprimatur upon it which the head honchos at MBBC clearly did. I knew the Cedarholms personally on several levels. They would roll over in the graves if they saw that video.” Maranatha is playing with fire. It is on a slippery slope, and the worldliness won’t stop here. It is not that far from the stuff that Maranatha is playing with to the funky Jesus music that we describe in this same issue of Friday News. This is very sad, as it is further evidence of the collapse of separatism among fundamental Baptists. See the video at http://vimeo.com/37974789. It is possible that the video will be taken down at some point (we have a copy), as I have heard that Maranatha’s chairman of the board is not happy about it, but when an institution represents a mixed multitude in thinking pertaining to important issues, it is doomed. If there is not one mind and one purpose, spiritual downfall is inevitable. In light of the hurricane-force winds of end-time apostasy that we are facing, it has never been more true that a house divided cannot stand.
THOUSANDS “MAKE DECISIONS FOR CHRIST” THROUGH FUNKY JESUS MUSIC (Friday Church News Notes, March 16, 2012, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - According to reports from the Winter Jam Christian rock tour, tens of thousands of young people have made “decisions for Christ” in this venue since January. The Winter Jam tour is the largest annual Christian rock tour in North America, “combining 10 popular artists and a speaker each night in major venues across the United States.” It runs from January to April. Bands on tour this year are Newsong, Skillet, Sanctus Real, Peter Furler, Kari Jobe, Building 429, Group 1 Crew, Dara Maclean, For King and Country, Toby Mac, Jamie Grace, and We As Human. It is said that “ministry is at the heart of Winter Jam,” but I am guessing that if you removed the sensually-powerful music there would be nothing left. As for the “decisions for Christ,” it would be decisions for the cool, rock-loving, never-judging christ of The Shack. Consider Toby Mac and Jamie Grace and their “Funky Jesus Music,” and the grinding, screeching, screaming “Dead Man” by We As Human, which are illustrative of what goes on at these worldly affairs. These shameful displays can be seen on YouTube. Whatever Jesus this is, it is not the holy Jesus revealed in Scripture. Contemporary Christian Music is the soundtrack of end-time apostasy. “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26). “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Hebrews 12:28).
HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVISTS TRYING TO SILENCE BIBLE BELIEVERS IN PUBLIC ARENA (Friday Church News Notes, March 16, 2012, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Homosexual activists are trying to silence all Bible believers in the public arena with shrill brow-beating. This was evident in the recent brouhaha following Christian actor Kirk Cameron’s bold defense of biblical marriage in his appearance on “Piers Morgan Tonight.” Asked for his views on homosexual marriage, Cameron showed more spiritual conviction and courage than the average preacher today by stating in public forum: “I believe that marriage was defined by God a long time ago. Marriage is almost as old as dirt. And it was defined in the garden between Adam and Eve--one man, one woman for life, till death do you part. So I would never attempt to redefine marriage and I don’t think anyone else should either. So do I support the idea of ‘gay’ marriage, no I don’t.” Mr. Cameron also said that homosexuality is “unnatural, detrimental, and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization.” The response by homosexual activists and entertainment figures has been hysterical. Some have gone almost into a state of apoplexy. GLADD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) claimed that such comments “contribute to a climate of hostility” and “have no place in modern America.” Roseanne Barr said Cameron is “an accomplice to murder with his hate speech.” Many have told him to “shut up” in no uncertain terms and to keep his views to himself. In spite of the deluge of shrill criticism, Cameron hasn’t backed down. He said: “I should be able to express moral views on social issues, especially those that have been the underpinning of Western civilization for 2,000 years--without being slandered, accused of hate speech, and told from those who preach ‘tolerance’ that I need to either bend my beliefs to their moral standards or be silent when I’m in the public square.” Indeed.
AMERICA’S MOST BIBLICALLY HOSTILE PRESIDENT (Friday Church News Notes, March 16, 2012, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - David Barton has published a documented list of 50 anti-Christian and anti-Jewish actions Barack Obama has taken since assuming office a mere three years ago. The list is available at Wallbuilders.com. Barton says: “Although he has recently singled out Catholics, Obama has equally targeted traditional Protestant beliefs over the past four years. So since he has attacked Catholics and Protestants, one is tempted to say that he is anti-Christian. But that, too, would be inaccurate. He has been equally disrespectful in his appalling treatment of religious Jews in general and Israel in particular. So perhaps the most accurate description of his antipathy toward Catholics, Protestants, religious Jews, and the Jewish nation would be to characterize him as anti-Biblical. And then when his hostility toward Biblical people of faith is contrasted with his preferential treatment of Muslims and Muslim nations, it further strengthens the accuracy of the anti-Biblical descriptor. In fact, there have been numerous clearly documented times when his pro-Islam positions have been the cause of his anti-Biblical actions.” Following are a mere four examples from the list: April 2008 – Obama speaks disrespectfully of Christians, saying they “cling to guns or religion” and have an “antipathy to people who aren't like them.” October 19, 2010 – Obama begins deliberately omitting the phrase about “the Creator” when quoting the Declaration of Independence – an omission he has made on no less than seven occasions. April 2011 – For the first time in American history, Obama urges passage of a non-discrimination law that does not contain hiring protections for religious groups, forcing religious organizations to hire according to federal mandates without regard to the dictates of their own faith, thus eliminating conscience protection in hiring. September 2011 – Air Force Chief of Staff prohibits commanders from notifying airmen of programs and services available to them from chaplains.
DUMPING MORE FILTH INTO THE MORAL CESSPOOL OF END-TIME BABYLON (Friday Church News Notes, March 16, 2012, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The latest garbage to be dumped into the moral cesspool of the end-time Babylon society is Fifty Shades of Grey, a book which has “electrified women across the country” (“Discreetly Digital, Erotic Novel Goes Viral among Women,” New York Times, March 9, 2012). The novel has sold 250,000 copies largely through eBook sales, and a major U.S. publisher is planning a 750,000 print run. It is not only filthy, but perverted and violent, with the “character of Anastasia being stalked, slapped and whipped with a leather riding crop.” This book is credited with “saving marriages,” but the real fruit will be to stir up illicit passions of the flesh that can never be satisfied, resulting in moral catastrophe in individual lives and marriages. Reports emphasize that the electronic age is facilitating this type of thing because it can be downloaded to one’s e-reading device “discreetly.” The victory over the age of “digital discreetness” is the fear of God and a sincere walk with Jesus Christ. God searches man’s heart and sees that which is done in the dark, and what we put into our hearts will bear fruit in “real life.” As the Word of God warns, “be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23). To willfully pollute one’s imagination is the height of folly, because out of the heart “are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). According to the Epistle of Romans, the corruption of the imagination is the root of homosexuality (Rom. 1:21-27).
TEN COMMANDMENTS BECOMES “JUST10” (Friday Church News Notes, March 16, 2012, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - In a perfect reflection of this age, in which the fear of God is lacking even among professing Christians, a popular British preacher and author named J. John has turned the negatives of the Ten Commandments into a positive approach called “Just10” (“Hundreds of Churches Using ‘New’ Ten Commandments,” Christian Post, March 9, 2012). John, whose material is used by 600 churches, changes God’s “thou shalt not steal” into “prosper with a clear conscience”; “thou shalt not commit adultery” into “affair-proof your relationships”; “honour thy father and thy mother” into “keep the peace with your parents.” The objective, we are told, is to make God’s Word “more personable” and something to which “people can relate to today.” Two of the fundamental principles of the New Evangelical philosophy which has swept through Christianity over the past half-century is to keep the preaching on a more positive, upbeat tempo, and to try to make Christianity “cool” to this cool-addicted generation. J. John has done well in furthering these wrong-headed principles, but he has not outdone Kenneth Caine, who in 1998 published the “Positive Bible” with the objective of removing all of the “negative” statements from Scripture. The result was a very thin Bible! There is both “negative” and positive in Scripture, and the preacher’s job is to preach it all. Proper biblical preaching has a strong element of warning and plain correction. We are to “reprove, rebuke, exhort” (2 Timothy 4:2) and “rebuke with all authority” (Titus 2:15). The preacher is to preach all things whatsoever Christ has taught us (Mat. 28:20). He is to speak the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). It is the “negativity” and “sharpness” of God’s Word that the Spirit of God uses to bring conviction to man’s heart; it is the “prick” that God uses to bring men to repentance (Acts 26:14). “... reproofs of instruction are the way of life” (Prov. 6:23). The law of God is supposed to be negative and fearful! In light of God’s warning not to tamper with His words, I would rather have my hands cut off than do what J. John has done. “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:18).
HAROLD CAMPING ADMITS SIN IN DATE SETTING (Friday Church News Notes, March 16, 2012, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Family Radio founder Harold Camping has finally admitted that his date-setting schemes were wrong and sinful. In a statement on Family Radio’s website he said: “We realize that many people are hoping they will know the date of Christ’s return. In fact for a time Family Radio fell into that kind of thinking. But we now realize that those people who were calling our attention to the Bible’s statement that ‘of that day and hour knoweth no man’ (Matthew 24:36 & Mark 13:32), were right in their understanding of those verses and Family Radio was wrong. ... We tremble before God as we humbly ask Him for forgiveness for making that sinful statement. We are so thankful that God is so loving that He will forgive even this sin. ... God has humbled us through the events of May 21, to continue to even more fervently search the Scriptures (the Bible), not to find dates, but to be more faithful in our understanding.” Camping had set dates for the Lord’s return in 1988, 1994, and 2011.
A CAGE OF LIGHT (Friday Church News Notes, March 16, 2012, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from Creation Moments, February 22, 2012, www.creationmoments.com: “Ask any evolutionist, and he will tell you that the Venus Flower Basket is one of the least-evolved animals. This animal is actually a sponge that is made up of a colony of creatures, and it does some amazing things. The Venus Flower Basket builds a basket-like skeleton made up of glass-like silica covered only by a thin layer of cells. The intricate internal structure of this skeleton is reinforced to provide the greatest strength using the least amount of material. The resulting skeleton turns out to be a fiber optic network whose sophistication has been compared to modern fiber optics used for telecommunications networks. Symbiotic luminescent microorganisms make a home inside the base of the sponge, sending their light throughout the Flower Basket's fiber optic skeleton. The Flower Basket traps shrimp inside this skeleton, where they spend their entire lives. The food they drop feeds those luminescent microorganisms at the bottom of the basket. The purpose of the light pulses is to attract prey to feed the shrimp, who, in turn, feed the source of the light pulses! All of this is even more impressive, given the fact that the Flower Basket has no nervous system whatsoever. That this beautiful creature with no nervous system is designed and works in such an intricate manner is a powerful testimony to our Creator, the only One Who could design this.”
CONCLUSION: The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this obviously does not imply an endorsement. We trust that our readers will not be discouraged. It is God’s will that we know the times (1 Ch. 12:32; Mat. 16:3) and that we be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The News Notes remind us that the hour is very late, and we need to be ready for the Lord’s coming. Are you sure that you are born again? Are you living for Christ? “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Rom. 13:11-14). This material is sent only to those who personally subscribe to the Fundamental Baptist Information Service mailing list.
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