Fundamental
Evangelistic Association
Watchman's
Trumpet - 1998
©FOUNDATION
A MAGAZINE OF BIBLICAL FUNDAMENTALISM
Dennis W.Costella, Editor; Karel Beyer, Production Manager; Matt
Costella,
Copy Editor
M.H. Reynolds, Jr. (1919-1997), Founding Editor
Index of Articles
Foundation Magazine : Current and Past
Issues
1997 Watchman's Trumpet Index
1999 Watchman's Trumpet Index
2000 Watchman's Trumpet Index
Foundation Magazine : Jan - Feb 1998
Safety Training" Or
Spiritual Seduction?
Promise Keepers' Ecumenical Spirit At The Local
Level
Charismatics Greatly Influencing Catholic Community In
Brazil
"Cold War" Now Over Between NCC and NAE
Foundation Magazine : Mar - April 1998
Eighteen Promise Keepers 1998 Clergy
Conferences
With Clinton In The White House, The Believer Is In A Quandary
Roman Catholic Church Urged To Share Eucharist With
Non-Catholics
Lutherans And Catholics Expected To Unite On Doctrine
of Justification
Promise Keepers Bailed Out Of Financial Trouble
Foundation Magazine : Sept - Oct 1998
Baptist World Alliance
Honors Religious And Political Liberal Desmond Tutu
Bill Clinton Supported By Many Mainstream Religious
Leaders
Church Growth Strategy Involves "Catching
Waves," Rick Warren Style
Evangelicals And Charismatics To Unite For
Fasting and Prayer '98
Georgia Baptist Convention Leaders Legitimize
Speaking In Tongues
Graham Unites Catholics And Protestants in Ottawa
Happy Hunters' Deceptive
Mass Evangelism Techniques
Mixing the
Word With The World At Harvest Crusade '98
Promise Keepers Leader James Ryle Blasts
Fundamentalist
WCC And RCC Establish New Forum
World Alliance Of Reformed Churches Opposes
Amendment On Religious Persecution
Foundation Magazine : Nov - Dec 1998
Australian Churches Plan
"Ecumenical Pilgrimage" To Sacred Aboriginal Rock
"Celebrate Jesus 2000" Encourages Churches Of
All Denonminations To "Work Together For Christ"
Eastern Orthodox Leader Strives For Ecumenical Unity
With Vatican
Graham's Autobiography Reveals Where He Went Wrong
Graham's Tampa Crusade Reveals A "More Inclusive,
Softer and Kinder" Evangelist
Lutheran World Federation Says Christianity Will Lose
Impact Unless Ecumencial Cooperation Comes To Pass
Australian Churches Plan "Ecumenical
Pilgrimage" To Sacred Aboriginal Rock
The National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) is
organizing a millennial pilgrimage to Uluru, a gigantic rock in the center of the country,
which one native Aboriginal Australian describes as a "sacred center" that is
"central to Aboriginal spirituality." An October 14, 1998, ENI wire story
reported, "Heads of between 12 and 17 Australian churches are expected to make the
pilgrimage to Uluru, each accompanied by a young person, in June 2000, in the Week of
Prayer for Christianity observed in Australia between Ascension and Pentecost." The
2000 kilometer trek is designed not only to promote Christian unity but also to begin t
process of reconciliation with the native Aboriginal Australians. David Gill, general
secretary of the NCCA, told ENI that he hoped other churches. besides those churches
affiliated with the NCCA, would participate in the ecumenical endeavor as well. ENI added,
"The council's membership includes most of the major Australian churches, including
the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Uniting Church, Lutheran Church and Greek
Orthodox Church." Bishop Michael Putney, chair of the Roman Catholic bishop's
committee on the year 2000, said the pilgrimage was "the best thing any country is
doing to celebrate the year 2000."
This ecumenical pilgrimage is a prime example of the pagan
idolatry that has worked its way into "Christian" churches because they have
rejected the truth of God's Word. When people discard the doctrine of biblical separation
in order to forge ecumenical unity, it is not long before they also push aside other
doctrines of the Word of God and eventually completely discredit It. God's Word commands
the believer to abstain from idolatry. It is an abomination to God for this group of
"Christian" churches to travel to a monument that has been deified and idolized
by pagan Aborigines in order to "reconcile" with native Australians and
celebrate the new millennium. God's Word commands the believer to separate not only from
all pagan practices but also from all those who call them selves "Christian" but
fail to obey the truths set forth in the Bible. Those who faithfully obey will be rewarded
by their Savior.
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Baptist World Alliance Honors
Religious And Political Liberal Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu, chair of South Africa's Truth and
Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and past Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, received a
standing ovation during the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) General Council meeting in
Durban, South Africa. Tutu, who is providing "amnesty for truth" to those
individuals who have committed atrocities in South Africa from 1960-1994, said to the
Baptist delegation, "It is not me who is accomplishing reconciliation, it is God who
was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. It is the work of God that God's Holy
Spirit moves and moves so powerfully." Thousands of individuals, both black and
white, who have committed heinous crimes and atrocities are walking away free from
punishment as a result of Tutu's TRC, and Tutu incorrectly uses Scripture and scriptural
language to support his reconciliation efforts. Tutu says those who come forward with the
truth about the crimes they have committed will experience "rehabilitation of their
dignity." BWA president Nilson Fanini told Tutu, "Thank you one million times
for your life." He added, "We have, in you, one of the greatest examples of
human rights (leaders). God, thank you for this man. South Africa, you must be proud of
men like Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela."
Tutu is certainly not a great example, nor is he a man who
should be applauded by professed believers. Not only is Tutu a political socialist, but he
is also a leader of liberal ecumenism. Not only does Tutu support the ordination of women
priests, but in 1996, he declared that it is wrong to exclude homosexuals from the
priesthood as well. Calling for "recognition of faithful same-sex couples, " he
said he knew the Lord would stand with him in his beliefs. Speaking at the World Council
of Churches' 50th anniversary conference in Geneva, Switzerland on September 22, 1998,
Tutu said, "Where we have excluded women from the ordained ministry, I would say that
this has led to considerable impoverishment of our churches." At the Lambeth
Conference last August, Tutu said regarding the Anglican Church's decision not to
recognize homosexual relationships as being supported by Scripture, "If we say that
human rights are universal and 'people are people are people,' we have seen that the
Lambeth Conference voted in a way some of us felt was homophobic in the exclusion of gay
and lesbian people." His participation in the 1995 United Religions conference
further supports the fact that Tutu should not be embraced or applauded by those who
profess to be Christians. The BWA is officially endorsed by the Southern Baptist
Convention (SBC), which has allocated $425,000 of its budget to the BWA for the 1998-1999
fiscal year. Bible-believing Christians should have no part of the compromise of both the
BWA and the SBC.
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Bill Clinton Supported By Many
Mainstream Religious Leaders
The recent events that have taken place in Washington and
the subsequent response of many religious leaders reveal just how far this country has
drifted into moral decadence and blatant justification of evil. Certainly this is a day in
which men "call evil good, and good evil" (Isa. 5:20), as in the days of Isaiah
the prophet. The book of Proverbs reminds us that man will, in fact, attempt to justify
his wrongdoings to other men. It says, "Every way of a man is right in his own
eyes," but the second part of the verse views man's sin from another perspective:
"but the LORD pondereth the hearts" (Prov. 21:2). While it is true that
believers are never to judge the motives of another, they are commanded by Jesus Christ
Himself to "judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment"
John 7:24).
Are many of the "religious leaders" of America
judging righteous judgment, or are they acting just like the world by attempting to
support and even justify the wrongdoings of President Bill Clinton? While some religious
leaders have rightfully condemned the lying, deception and immoral acts committed by the
president of the United States, others are urging support and claiming that forgiveness is
a heal-all to the problem. Billy Graham, known as the "chaplain to the
presidents," made excuses for Clinton's lies and wickedness in March 1998 when he was
interviewed by NBC's "Today" show host Katie Couric (see March/April 1998 Foundation
for excerpt from interview). Joan Brown Campbell, general secretary of the National
Council of Churches, urged "quiet support" of the Clinton family and said,
"The private lives of our public leaders are best left private, or we will have none
allowed to lead." Jesse Jackson, a civil rights leader and Baptist minister who has
been counseling the Clinton family during this scandal, twisted and misapplied Scripture
in order to lend support to Clinton by saying, "If there are any among us who have
not known the trials and tribulations and temptations, then throw a rock .... At some
point, we have to forgive, redeem and move on. " Barry Lynn, a United Church of
Christ minister and C. Weldon Gaddy, a former Southern Baptist pastor who now serves as
the executive director of The Interfaith Alliance, both viewed Clinton's August 17 speech
to the American people as an adequate confession of wrongdoing, even though Clinton
himself now admits that his televised "confession" was not contrite enough. Tony
Campolo, now a religious advisor to President Clinton and a political and religious
liberal who operates within evangelical circles, told Associated Baptist Press that he
would continue to support the president regardless of the allegations against him. "I
know this president is somebody who is a caring father, a loving husband, and somebody who
is concerned about the poor and the oppressed," Campolo said. He then paralleled
Clinton's reputation to that of Jesus Christ by saying, "I follow a man [Jesus
Christ] who really didn't give a hoot about his reputation."
Finally, one of Clinton's most outspoken religious
supporters is J. Philip Wogaman, Clinton's Washington, D. C., pastor. Wogaman, who is the
senior minister of the Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D. C., has been
elected to become the next president of the National Council of Churches, according to a
January 29, 1998, Ecumenical News International (ENI) wire report. The ENI story reveals
just how far Wogaman supported Clinton and attempted to attack those who were mounting
evidence against him. He accused special prosecutor Kenneth Starr of failing to show
objectivity and said Clinton's foes were involved in a "concerted effort" to
ruin the president. After Clinton admitted to having an "inappropriate
relationship" with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, Wogaman called for all those
who support Clinton to raise their voices just as Clinton's opponents had done.
If a person who has committed sin is honestly sorry and
repentant, then forgiveness should certainly be granted to that individual. However,
religious leaders like Jackson, Campolo, Wogaman and Campbell, who twist and misapply
Scripture in order to minimize the sin that has been committed and subvert the necessary
punishment that must necessarily follow, are doing no service to the American people, the
president of the United States or the cause of Christ. We are to love the sinner and hate
the sin. Such love necessarily includes proper discipline and acknowledgment of the
seriousness and wickedness of the sin that has been committed.
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"Celebrate Jesus 2000"
Encourages Churches Of All Denonminations To "Work Together For Christ"Eastern
Yet another attempt to reach the world for
Christ by the year 2000 involving ecumenical evangelism has reached churches and
denominations across America. Celebrate Jesus 2000 is an increasingly popular plan for
worldwide evangelism that sounds biblical and represents a commendable goal, but the means
by which the plan is to be implemented are certainly unscriptural. Celebrate Jesus 2000
(or "CJ2K" as it is often called) is described as "a global strategy to
pray and share Jesus Christ with everyone on earth by the end of the year 2000." The
program is divided into four "major emphases": prayer, personal witness,
proclamation and preservation. One Celebrate Jesus 2000 website says, "To effectively
reach our region and world for Christ, Christian churches must work together. It has often
been said that we can do far more for the cause of Christ together than we can
alone." This has been the slogan of ecumenists for many years. Nowhere in Scripture
can one find the idea that believers can accomplish the phenomenal task of reaching the
world for Christ by working together with other denominations and churches, yet men feel
as though this is God's only way of accomplishing such a task.
The October 16, 1998, Chicago Tribune reported that
176,000 churches across America are participating in Celebrate Jesus 2000. In addition,
several para-church organizations are also participating, including the National
Association of Evangelicals, Mission America, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association,
Campus Crusade for Christ and the Baptist World Alliance. In June 1996, Larry Lewis, who
served as Southern Baptist Home Mission Board president at the time and is currently the
national facilitator of Celebrate Jesus 2000, called upon all Southern Baptists to
"link arms with evangelical denominations and organizations across America" in
order to fulfill the Celebrate Jesus 2000 goal. A June 13, 1996, Baptist Press article
added that Lewis "called Celebrate Jesus 2000 a specific strategy that developed out
of' 'shared vision' of many evangelical organizations in America." He added,
"God is marvelously and miraculously bringing Christians together as never before in
history."
One Associated Press (AP) reporter interviewed a Tennessee
pastor who is deeply involved in Celebrate Jesus 2000. Fred Lodge, pastor of Una Baptist
Church in Nashville, told the AP, "This is God's children of all denominations, races
and everything else finding a common theme to rally around." Lodge added, "It's
a way to pull down a lot of the walls and magnify the things that unite us." The
Celebrate Jesus 2000 program also involves the planning of community events to mark the
beginning of the millennium. Lewis told the AP that the goal was not to "convert
anyone or solicit money." He said, "That's the furthest thing from our minds...
if people are already involved in church, we just encourage them to continue with their
local church and be active in it."
While it is certainly difficult for any Fundamentalist to
refrain from participating in a program with such a positive goal, the believer who
desires to unashamedly obey the Word of God must take an unpopular stand against
this endeavor for the following reasons: first, because God never approves of His children
uniting with those who preach a false gospel (as many denominations and churches do) or
uniting with those who fail to obey all the counsel of God; and second, because the
evangelism tactics of Celebrate Jesus 2000 are deceptive. Those involved in Celebrate
Jesus 2000 are encouraged to use the "Needs Opinion Poll" or the
"Church/Community Needs Interview" in their door-to-door "evangelism."
According to the Celebrate Jesus 2000 promotional literature, 'Taking a poll or a survey
meets with less resistance–and leads to greater opportunities–than other,
person-to-person approaches - "
It is obvious that while Celebrate Jesus 2000 is an honest
effort on the part of many Christians to reach others for Christ, the ideas of men are
taking precedence over the commands of God. Deceptive mass-evangelism techniques mixed
with an ecumenical "gospel" message is certainly not an appropriate way to
preach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost. God will accomplish His will according
to His Word. Man can never successfully accomplish God's will apart from His prescribed
way.
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Charismatics Greatly Influencing
Catholic Community In Brazil
The number of Charismatic Catholics in Brazil is growing
tremendously according to a January 12,1998, Ecumenical News International release. A
survey of seminaries in Brazil found that most students embrace the Charismatic Movement
more than Liberation Theology. The article says, "Some commentators believe that one
day Charismatics could even outnumber non-Charismatic Catholics in Brazil." A
Brazilian weekly newspaper, IstoE, recently published an article about Charismatic
Catholics who "heal the sick and celebrate Mass using the same techniques as
Evangelicals," the ENI article said.
Currently, of the estimated 120 million Catholics in
Brazil, 8 million are Charismatic Catholics, though only 4 million could be classified as
such in 1994. The ENI article reports that Brazil's Charismatic Catholics dominate much of
the media in the country and even own the Century XXI Production Centre in Sao Paulo
"which includes three television studios, with a fourth under construction." The
Century XXI Production Centre also produces videos and compact discs, distributes books
and publishes a Charismatic Catholic magazine, BrasilCristiano.
The Charismatic Catholics in Brazil are urged to continue
to pledge their fidelity to the Vatican, even though they are identifying themselves with
a movement that crosses all denominational lines. The ENI article mentions that despite
this fact, the Charismatic Catholic movement within Brazil has faced disapproval within
the Catholic Church hierarchy in Brazil. For example, a 1994 Brazilian Bishop's Conference
"published a document advising Charismatics not to promote the idea of 'a magic or
miraculous spirit"' with regard to the gift of healing. On the other hand, in the
United States, Catholics are common within the movement, and often Charismatic conferences
are represented by more Roman Catholic delegates than members from any other church group.
The North American Catholic Charismatic renewal movement has the Vatican's blessing.
The Charismatic Movement is sweeping throughout many
countries and influencing all religious groups including conservative Evangelicals,
liberal Protestants and Roman Catholics and often serves as a catalyst to bring these
groups together. This movement certainly is growing rapidly, but is not of God. The gifts
of healing, signs, revelations, wonders and tongues are not for today, despite the claims
of the Charismatics. God has completely revealed His Word to us through the Bible, and no
extra-biblical revelation is given to true believers today.
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Church Growth Strategy Involves
"Catching Waves," Rick Warren Style
Thousands gathered together September 8-11, 1998, in San
Diego, California to attend Reach '98, a conference designed to provide Southern Baptists
with a comprehensive strategy for evangelism and church planting. One of the keynote
speakers was Rick Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven Church and pastor of the
14,000-member Saddleback Valley Community Church in Orange County, California. Warren has
influenced tens of thousands of pastors and church leaders during the last decade through
his church growth seminars at Saddleback (write us for a copy of our firsthand report of
one of these sessions). His comments at Reach '98 were typical of his Christianized
marketing strategy for effecting dynamic growth in the local church. In keeping with his
charismatic, witty style of presentation, Warren lifted Bible texts out of context and
then used them to supposedly support a policy for ministry that is indeed effective in
drawing a crowd but not necessarily in keeping with the intent of Scripture for the
church's ministry. In a September 15, 1998, Baptist Press article, reporter James Dotson
wrote, "The secret to a vibrant, growing church lies in the surfing skills of its
members-their ability to 'catch the waves' of what God is doing, said pastor and church
growth expert Rick Warren." Dotson then quotes Warren as follows: "If you want
your church to explode with growth, you have to stop praying, 'Lord bless what I'm doing,'
and instead start praying, 'Lord, help me to do what you are blessing."'
This is one of "Rick's Rules"-never be critical
of what God is blessing. in order to "catch the wave," one must use what seems
to work for other organizations or churches. The problem, however, is that Warren makes an
assumption that is simply not valid. The size and growth rate of a religious group does
not necessarily mean that it has God's stamp of approval or that the catalyst for its
growth is the Holy Spirit of God. The multitudes that followed Christ (Warren often refers
to this phenomenon as rational for drawing a crowd at virtually any cost) did so only
because of their desire to have their temporal needs met; when Christ ceased to offer the
prophesied Kingdom on earth to Israel and instead turned to face the cross, the crowds
quickly melted away. Their perceived "needs" were, in the final analysis, what
really mattered to the crowds. Saddleback-styled mega churches that are striving to meet
"felt needs" will also find this true as well.
Dynamic growth is obviously a characteristic of the cults,
the Charismatics and the psychologically-based "Christian ministries" of the
present which boast great statistics but are utterly bereft of sound doctrine and its
application. No, what is big is not necessarily, nor usually, what is of God. In
these latter days of the Church Age marked by unprecedented apostasy and compromise, God
is working on the remnant principle. The faithful church will be characterized more like
that of the seemingly insignificant church in Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7-13) than the
prosperous, impressive church of Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22). Dotson further quotes Warren as
saying,
"We have to start thinking kingdom-building mentality
.... One of the most direct references to the timing of Jesus' second coming was in
Matthew 24 ... Jesus said I am going to come back afterthe gospel has been shared with
everyone who it's supposed to be shared with .... The moment that last person has stopped
across the line who God knows is going to enter His kingdom, then bam, it's
finished."
Warren's counsel contains some serious theological
problems, for such a statement is a complete denial of sound, dispensational understanding
of this text. The twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew refers to the millennial kingdom
message that will be proclaimed in all the earth prior to Christ's return to stand upon
Mount Zion at the end of the Great Tribulation. Failure to make the Scriptural distinction
between the Messiah's offering of the literal, earthly Kingdom to Israel and God's program
for the church in this present dispensation allows for a faulty interpretation of God's
plan and purpose for the church. We realize this is Warren's speaking style-simplifying
and trivializing biblical themes to the extent that the underlying truth of the text is
completely obliterated-yet the fact remains that the church is not instructed to be
building the "kingdom, " for that is what Christ Jesus will personally
inaugurate when He returns to the earth following the Great Tribulation.
The church is to serve as a restrainer, a reprover of evil
in the world, and it is to preach the Gospel so that the lost will be saved. The purpose
of the church is not to pave the way for the literal Kingdom of Christ that will come
seven years after the true church has been taken up. Warren's failure to rightly divide
the Word totally distorts the character and calling of the church in this present
dispensation. Acts and the epistles portray a church that is stalwart and separate.
A final excerpt from Dotson's article reveals Warren's
strange delight that arose when a "seeker" supposedly had his "needs"
met at a service held during a recent trip to China. Sadly, however, it was not the
seeker's need of salvation that Warren was able to meet, for his sermon was not the Gospel
message that this sinner so desperately needed to hear and believe. Thousands in China
flocked to hear Warren's California-styled presentation that especially caught the
attention of one Chinese Communist official:
"In our meetings with the highest government leaders,
they are open," Warren said. "They are spiritually hungry, and there are
incredible waves taking place in China." Warren told how the top government official
in charge of religious affairs, a communist, accepted the invitation to visit one of their
services. Afterwards, when Warren asked him what he thought of the service, he said,
"I have to say this is the first religious service I've ever been in that I actually
got something out of .... If this is what Christianity is, we need this in China."
[Warren then added:] "Now if ever I heard a good case for preaching to felt needs,
then that's it ... It was a message on parenting, and here was a seeker of the first
order."
We do not have to wonder why this lost soul got more out
of this "Christian service" than any other he had ever attended. His need to
"be a good parent" was thoroughly addressed while his greatest need was
neglected. Of course, such an approach to ministry draws crowds, just as do the
"self-help" seminars and spiritual enrichment programs that focus on the
"felt needs" of the Christian and non-Christian alike. Yet, so desperately
needed today are sound, militant, Bible based churches willing to speak without apology
the absolute Truth of God's Word. The world needs soldiers for Jesus Christ, not surfers
seeking to catch the waves that are sweeping the lost all around us to an eternity in the
lake of fire.
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Two major United States religious bodies that have
previously kept their distance from each other are moving closer toward cooperation
Ecumenical News International release. Joan Brown Campbell, general according to a
November 20, l997, secretary of the National Council "cold war" between the
National Council of Churches of Churches has announced that the and the National
Association of Evangelicals is now over.
In Campbell's report to the NCC annual general assembly in
Washington, she listed "signs that bode well for increased cooperation." Brown
said regular meetings with NAE president Don Argue and other meetings with Argue involving
the chairman of the Roman Catholic bishops' ecumenical committee shows that increased
cooperation between the NAE and NCC is presently occurring and should continue to occur.
She also mentioned that this cooperation is being accepted by the NAE board, not only by
Argue alone, since Argue spoke to the NCC's general assembly in 1996 with the approval of
his board. Campbell said this cooperation does not mean the NAE and NCC are close to a
merger, but that cooperation has allowed the two groups to ease tensions and "act
together in areas of common interest."
The ENI article says, "About 52 million Christians
belong to the churches linked to the NCC, which takes a moderate or liberal line on many
issues, while about 27 million Christians are members of churches and organizations linked
to the NAE, which is generally more conservative." This cooperation between the NAE
and NCC shows just how far the NAE has succumbed to compromise through the years.
Originally founded in 1942, the NAE was formed as a conservative counterpart to the NCC
(then the Federal Council of Churches) and was committed to the infallibility of the Bible
and "cooperation without compromise," while the Federal Council of Churches was
blatantly liberal and modernistic. The ENI article says that even to this day, the
"NAE by-laws say any denomination belonging to the NCC cannot be recognized as
evangelical in the NAE understanding, and therefore cannot be eligible for
membership." However, since becoming president of the NAE, Argue has desired to find
common ground between the NAE and NCC, and Campbell told ENI that "reaching out to
Evangelicals had been part of her agenda since she became NCC general secretary in
1991."
It is obvious that the NAE is moving closer to cooperation
and compromise with unbelievers rather than separating from them. God's Word plainly says
believers are to separate from those who preach a false gospel and avoid them. However,
the NAE, originally formed to counterpart religious and political liberalism, is rejecting
the commands of the Word of God by finding points of agreement with unbelievers and
uniting with them in common causes. The unwillingness of the NAE to obey the Word's
command to separate from error and the errant was indicated in their original statements
when the association was formed over fifty years ago. Any fellowship begun in compromise
will only weaken as time goes by and become more accommodating of those who deny
Scripture.
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Eastern Orthodox Leader
Strives For Ecumenical Unity With Vatican
The highest ranking Eastern Orthodox leader in the world,
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos I, has recently commended Pope John Paul II's commitment
to ecumenism and unity and, according to an October 23, 1998, Ecumenical News
International (ENI) wire story, has "urged a 'new path of dialogue' between Orthodox
Roman Catholic Churches." Bartholomeos, speaking of the pope's 20th anniversary as
pontiff, said the -anniversary was a "milestone, not just for the Roman Catholic
Church, but for the whole of Christianity." ENI added that Bartholomeos was
"overjoyed that an international commission of Orthodox and Roman Catholic
theologians had agreed to reopen formal talks at Baltimore, in the United States, in June
1999."
Last year, Bartholomeos called upon the Roman Catholic
Church to join the World Council of Churches (WCC). While the Roman Catholic Church is not
an official member of the WCC, cooperation does exist between the two bodies, and a
proposed new plan, the Common Understanding and Vision (CUV), would completely restructure
the Council allowing for unity with religious bodies that are not currently members of the
WCC. Konrad Raiser, general secretary of the WCC, hopes to restructure the WCC
prior to the new millennium in order to provide an ecumenical forum that would include
member churches as well as Roman Catholics and Pentecostals.
Bartholomeos is strongly committed to ecumenism.
"Everyone who declares himself against the goal of full Christian unity stands
against God's will," he told one audience last year. He has met with Pope John Paul
II several times and vehemently supports the Pope's ideas for Christian unity. "As
His Holiness John Paul II says, we must be united now that we stand on the threshold of
the third millennium," Bartholomeos said. "Although a long road still stretches
before us, both sides are determined to move forward" (ENI 10-23-98).
The schism that has divided the Orthodox and Roman
Catholic churches for almost 1000 years stems mostly from the disagreement over papal
primacy and more recently from the issue of the "uniate" churches (Orthodox
groups which established links with the Roman Catholic Church). Both the Orthodox Church
and the Roman Catholic Church preach a false gospel and are leading millions of people to
an eternity apart from Jesus Christ. The unity that both groups desire only reveals that
the one-world church is preparing to enter the world-scene. True Christians must have no
part of the ecumenical unity for which the world is striving.
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Eighteen Promise Keepers 1998 Clergy Conferences
With press credentials, Foundation magazine covered
the West Coast Promise Keepers Clergy Conference in San Diego, California on January
29,1998 (one of eighteen regional conferences scheduled for the year). The first problem
we observed with PK's method for mobilizing the churches of America to utilize the PK
program and strategy for men's involvement in the church at the local level was PK's
insistence upon the biblical validity and necessity of including women clergy. Bill
McCartney, the movement's founder/director said, "I think we could do a much better
job of getting the word out there to invite these ladies. Thirteen percent of our churches
are pastored by ladies, and so we certainly want to help them in directing men's
ministries." God's Word is the Standard for church order, and the Bible's requirement
of male leadership is not the product of cultural prejudice or patriarchal, Jewish
tradition. It is the revelation of God Almighty (note I Timothy 2:11-3:5; 1 Corinthians
14:33-37). These passages are not suggesting the inferiority of women's abilities,
spirituality or usability by God in the church. Rather, this command serves as a memorial
and reminder to both men and women alike of the Fall. The church is made up of redeemed
sinners. Yieldedness to God's prescribed order in the church wonderfully speaks of
ultimate subjection by both man and woman to the Head, even Christ (Ephesians 4:15).
We also asked Bill McCartney how PK's strategy to unify
churches of all denominational and doctrinal beliefs at the local level could be
accomplished without compromising sound doctrine. His response: "We're saying, 'Do
you love Jesus? Have you been born again of the Spirit of God? ... We've discovered that
we don't all share exactly the same doctrinal beliefs, but Christ lives in us, and we
don't all share exactly the same doctrinal beliefs, but Christ lives in us, and that's
what's necessary." Is whether or not one says that he "loves Jesus" and has
the Spirit of God within him the bottom line when it comes to working together in any
Christian ministry or program? No. Please carefully notice what the Bible tells us in the
Second Epistle of John: "This is love, that we walk after his commandments"
Cv.6). Deceivers who preach false doctrine fill the pulpits of our land. Many do not
"[abide] in the doctrine of Christ" (v. 9), a doctrine which includes much more
than the one example given in verse seven. Can we set aside doctrinal issues for the sake
of a PK-styled unity among all churches? No! Do disagreements on the definition of the
Gospel, the authority and inerrancy of the Word or the purpose and mission of the church
have any bearing on who we are to join with in ministry? Absolutely! God says we are
partakers of the same evil of those who hold to error if we "bid them God speed"
(v. 11) by being identified with them in common ministry. Real love, God's love, never
discounts adherence to "the truth" (vv. 1-6). Separation is essential (Romans
16:17).
Promise Keepers began as, and remains, the vision of one
man, Bill McCartney. Supported by his Vineyard Christian Fellowship pastor, Reverend James
Ryle, this movement is Charismatic in doctrine, practice and vision. Herein lies the
Promise Keepers agenda. It is indeed dangerous.
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Evangelicals And
Charismatics To Unite For Fasting and Prayer '98
Fasting & Prayer'98 is the latest ecumenical effort by
leading Evangelicals and Charismatics to bring together professing Christians of all
doctrinal backgrounds in order to change the moral fabric of America through prayer and
fasting. A brochure for the event says, "Fasting & Prayer'98 is jointly sponsored
by Mission America and Campus Crusade for Christ. In addition, many Christian leaders
representing all major denominations, churches, and parachurch organizations endorse
Fasting & Prayer '98. " Bill Bright, founder and president of Campus Crusade for
Christ, has called fellow Christians to come together November 12-14 to a national
gathering in Houston, Texas.
The leaders of this latest endeavor include Paul Cedar
(chairman and CEO of Mission America), Billy Graham, Bill and Vonette Bright, Don Argue
(past president of the National Council of Churches), Kay Arthur (popular women's
conference speaker and executive vice president of Precept Ministries), H. David Bryant
(founder and president of Concerts of Prayer International), Franklin Graham, Bill
McCartney (Founder of Promise Keepers), Jesse Miranda (associate dean of Azusa Pacific
University), Bob Reccord (CEO and president of the North American Mission Board of the
Southern Baptist Convention), Pat Robertson, Adrian Rogers and Thomas Trask (general
superintendent of the General Council of the Assemblies of God). America is certainly in
need of moral and spiritual change, but that will not be accomplished by disregarding
God's command of biblical separation or by twisting the Scripture in order to support an
endeavor that cannot be blessed of God.
Bright wrote, "In addition to being crucial to the
future of this nation, your participation in this event-and I say this confidently,
without hesitation or exaggeration-will renew you personally, help bring revival and
healing to America, and help fulfill the Great Commission! " Bright cites 2
Chronicles 7:14 to support Fasting & Prayer'98, a familiar portion of Scripture often
used out of context by ecumenists and Charismatics to further their religious, political
and social causes. However, 2 Chronicles 7:14 is a specific covenant given by God to King
Solomon and the nation of Israel. Bright further stated, "I am convinced that if we
as faithful followers of our Lord Jesus Christ fulfill the conditions of this promise, God
will honor His word, originally made to Israel, in America. He will heal our land!"
Bright may be convinced himself, but his claims are not
supported by the Word of God. Believers should certainly seek to repent, pray, honor God
and bring revival to their own personal lives, but Christians should never publicly pray,
fast or evangelize with those who denounce biblical separation from unbelief and apostasy
or with those who misapply Scripture to support their unbiblical actions. God never
promised to personally heal the land of the United States, but He does promise to heal the
lives of those who believe in Him and walk according to the light of His Word.
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Georgia Baptist Convention
Leaders Legitimize Speaking In Tongues
Executive committee members of the Georgia Baptist Convention
(GBC) have agreed to propose an amendment to the GBC constitution which would expand
membership requirements for churches that desire to be a part of the Convention. A
September 21, 1998, Baptist Press release highlighted the events surrounding the proposal,
noting that "currently membership and messenger representation for congregations in
the convention are tied simply to voluntary contributions to missions causes and being 'in
harmony and cooperation with the work and purpose of this Convention."' However, the
amendment would require that member churches refuse "to affirm, approve, or endorse
homosexual behavior." In addition, any church which "separates itself from
historic Baptist tenets through non-biblical worship practices and theology which encourage
members [italics added] to speak in tongues, or participate in the practice of 'being
slain in the spirit,' or engage in worship practices that are divisive and disruptive and
which exclude themselves from the scriptural expression of faith" would be denied
membership in the Convention. Some members of the executive committee voiced their concern
over the statement regarding Charismatic practices, asking how such a statement could be
in agreement with Scriptural texts which "prove" the authenticity of speaking in
tongues. The advocates of the amendment noted that the amendment was not an attempt to
discourage speaking in tongues, but only an attempt to discourage churches from
encouraging members to indulge in extreme Charismatic behavior or emphasizing the fact
that such expressions were essential. Frank Page, a supporter of the amendment, said,
"If [speaking in tongues] is the gift of God, it needs no encouraging." The
Baptist Press article added that J. Robert White, executive director of the GBC, said t e
amendment " not to do with diverse worship styles and local church autonomy, but
extreme situations involving affirmation of homosexuality and charismatic expressions
often associated with the 'Toronto blessing' movement."
While the amendment sounds appropriate and Scriptural at
first glance, the issue has actually clarified the position of the GBC regarding
Charismatic practices. The GBC, which is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention, is
led by individuals who not only refuse to stand against unscriptural Charismatic practices
such as speaking in tongues, but by those who accept it as legitimate as long as it is not
"extreme" or forced upon a congregation. The Word of God teaches that "sign
gifts" such as the gift of tongues were given to the early church and are not
bestowed by God upon believers today. The fact that the GBC allows for Charismatic worship
styles so long as they are not "extreme" shows just how far the GBC is willing
to go in order to sacrifice doctrinal purity for the sake of unity and fellowship.
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Graham's Autobiography Reveals
Where He Went Wrong
Billy Graham's autobiography Just As I Am, a New
York Times bestseller, provides an eye-opening, detailed account of Graham's life in
his own words. Of special interest to Fundamentalists are his reflections
concerning Roman Catholicism, ecumenism and Fundamentalism. While only a small portion of
his book addresses the opposition he faced from Fundamentalists or his concessions to
Catholics and ecumenists, Graham makes it clear that he desired ecumenical ties with both
liberal Protestants and Roman Catholics despite the criticism he received for his
compromise. Concerning Roman Catholicism, Graham discusses the conflict that was
ever-present in Latin America between the Catholics and Protestants. After noting that
both sides were often to blame for the conflict, he said,
I had no intention of adding fuel to the fire. In tact,
whenever possible during our trip south (as well as on other tours), I tried to meet with
local Catholic leaders, to the occasional consternation of some of our hosts. My
goal, I always made clear, was not to preach against Catholic beliefs or to
proselytize people who were already committed to Christ within the Catholic Church (423).
Graham also added that he felt "there needed to be a
coming together in some way or some form between Catholics and Protestants" in Latin
America (423).
In his book, Graham certainly never attempts to conceal
his desire for ecumenical unity. Many Fundamentalists who remember Graham before be fell
headlong into compromise often wonder what caused him to change so suddenly. In Graham's
own words at the beginning of his book, he offers a suggestion:
We always had a collie–at least one–and what would
any farm be without plenty of cats? Not knowing any better, I once took a cat and shut it
in the doghouse with the dog. They hated each other with some ancient instinct when they
went in, but after spending the night inside they came out as friends forever. Maybe that
is where the seeds of some of my ecumenical convictions got planted, wanting to help
people at odds with each other find ways to get along together (8).
While Graham does not even attempt to provide scriptural
grounds on which to base his reasons for his ecumenical endeavors, he clearly reveals that
his "seeds of ecumenicity" come from experience and an internal feeling of
desire to find ways for people to get along together.
In Graham's 1957 New York crusade, some skepticism arose
by a few Roman Catholics who wrote an article in a Catholic magazine saying Catholics were
prohibited from participating in Protestant religious services. However, this voice was a
minority, and no Roman Catholic of any authoritative rank spoke out against the crusade.
While the skepticism by the few Roman Catholics dismayed Graham, he writes,
Much more painful to me, however, was the opposition from
some of the leading fundamentalists ... Their criticism hurt immensely; nor could I shrug
them off as the objections of people who rejected the basic tenets of the Christian faith
or who opposed evangelism of any type. Their harshness and lack of love saddened me and
struck me as being far from the spirit of Christ. The heart of the problem for men like
Bob Jones, Carl McIntire and John R. Rice was the sponsorship of the Crusade by the
Protestant Council of New York ... It was not the first time some of them had raised their
objections to my growing ecumenism (356-357).
Graham’s cry of "harshness" and "lack
of love" on the l)art of the Fundamentalists is unfortunately the same cry heard by
many other New Evangelicals and liberals today. Those who oppose the biblical doctrine of
ecclesiastical separation often use Graham's same tactic to make the Bible-obeying
Christian feel as though he is acting in an "unloving" or
"unchristian" manner. However, God's Word commands the believer to separate from
all who preach a false gospel and even from those brethren in the faith who are disobeying
the Scripture. True love manifests itself through complete obedience to the Word of God.
Graham's compromise and concession to false doctrine is certainly disheartening. Believers
should continue to pray that even in his later years, Graham would change his present
course and yield to the Word of God by refusing to cooperate with any who preach a false
gospel.
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Graham's Tampa Crusade Reveals
A "More Inclusive, Softer and Kinder" Evangelist
Anyone attending Billy Graham's latest evangelistic
crusade in Tampa, Florida would certainly not have to worry about hearing
"negative." remarks about false religions and false gospels that pervade
Christendom today. Graham's latest crusade, called an "evangelistic
benchmark" by one newspaper, typified the ecumenical, inclusivist attitude that has
marked Graham's crusades for the last 40 years. The four-day Tampa Crusade drew almost
300,000 people to the Raymond James Stadium from October 22-25, 1998.
"He has definitely moderated his style, "Roger
Olson, professor of Theological Studies at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minn., told the Tampa
Tribune. "He's much more inclusive, softer and kinder"
("Minister Changes Methods with Message" 10-24-98). Martin Marty, professor
emeritus at the University of Chicago Divinity School, told the Tribune that the
1957 New York crusade was the turning point for Graham, for it was at the New York crusade
where Graham united with liberal Protestants and rejected the counsel of the
Fundamentalists who believed it was necessary to separate from liberals. It was at that
point Graham broke with Fundamentalism and headed in a different direction. Marty
explained, "Before New York, he was strident anti-Soviet, anti-liberal, anti-cold
war, ,anti-everything. Then we see this transformation" (ibid. 10-24-98).
Graham's ecumenical evangelism has certainly given him the
popularity he enjoys today. Janis Froelich, staff writer for the Tribune, said
local churches view the crusade as "cooperation, not competition." She added,
"Church leaders say the drumbeat of his crusade relays an ecumenical message"
("Clergy See No Harm in Crusade," 10-24-98). The St. Petersburg Times
noted, "Graham's ecumenism is one reason the Rev. Thomas Joseph of St. Nicholas
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Pinellas Park admires Graham." The Times quotes
Joseph as saying, "[Graham] has been very, very kind to the Orthodox church"
(referring to Graham's visit to the Soviet Union). "I think it is apparent that the
man loves God, and if you love God, the love of Christ transcends the barriers that we
have in between one another" ("Billy Graham, Evangelistic Benchmark"
10-2l-98). As in Graham's other crusades, the local Roman Catholic constituency also
endorsed Graham's evangelistic effort. Bill Urbanski, spokesman for the Catholic Diocese
of St. Petersburg, said "Catholics welcome Graham because "the crusade isn't
trying to recruit Catholics to become Protestants. " The Tampa Tribune reported
that not only did the local Catholic radio station donate public service advertisements
for the crusade, but the local diocese "lent its south Tampa buildings for counselor
training" ("Clergy See No Harm in Crusade" 10-24-98).
In addition to the evangelistic meetings, the Billy
Graham Evangelistic Association organized a Christian rock "Concert for the NeXt
Generation" in order to reach out to young people during the crusade. In an October
16, 1998, news report, organizer Rick Marshall told Religion Today, an online
religious news service, that contemporary Christian music is "the hook" to
non-believing teens. The concert featured rock groups Jars of Clay and de Talk and
was broadcast live over the Internet. Both of these rock groups have become successful in
the secular music scene as well as in the "Christian rock" market. Religion
Today added that dc Talk's current hit "Supernatural" recently "debuted
at number four on Billboard magazine's Top 200, between recordings by the group
KISS and Marilyn Manson." One Tampa Tribune article allowed a Tampa Bay area
teen to give her viewpoint on the concert: "In some ways, the Christian-themed
concert for the NeXt Generation was like a regular rock concert. People danced in the
stands and on the field. I was surprised to see girls dressed like hoochie mamas and teens
smoking pot in the corner of the smoking balcony. Some people acknowledged they were only
there for a good time" ("Talkin' About My Generation" 10-25-98). Another
article added that the youth "shouted," "jammed," "danced"
and even formed a "mosh pit" on the ground floor, "slamming into each other
and passing one another overhead" ("Rock of Ages" 10-24-98).
The fact. that Graham has changed his methods, and even
his message, is certainly a reality that one cannot dismiss. Throughout the years, many
defending Graham have accused Fundamentalists of "not understanding Billy
Graham" ,and have refused to admit that he has actually changed. Yet, it now should
be obvious to all that the changes which have taken place in the life and ministry
of Billy Graham do not exist only in the minds of faithful Fundamentalists. No, even
liberal Protestants, Roman Catholics and New Evangelicals recognize the fact that Graham
has purposed in his heart to accomplish whatever is necessary to bring together true
believers and unbelieving liberals alike in order to "reach the world for
Christ."
The May/June 1997 issue of Foundation magazine
highlights the degree to which Graham has accepted universalism and, therefore, has
changed his message. He told Robert Schuller:
. . .I think there's the Body of Christ. This comes from all
the Christian groups. I think everybody that loves Christ, or knows Christ, whether
they're conscious of it or not, they're members of the body of Christ ... And that's what
God is doing today. He's calling people out of the world for His name, whether they come
from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world, or the Christian world, or the non-believing
world. they are members of the body of Christ because they've been called by God. They may
not even know the name of Jesus, but they know in their hearts that they need something
that they don't have, and they turn to the only light they have, and I think that they are
saved and that they're going to be with us in heaven."
No believer should ever question the motives of any
individual, including Billy Graham, but every believer should judge both Graham's
statements and actions by the Word of God. The fact that Graham has led many people to the
Lord is not an endorsement by God of Graham's work. No, Graham has refused to proclaim
God's message God's way. In turn, he has led millions of people into the arms of the Roman
Catholic Church and back into liberal Protestant denominations and churches. Graham will
never criticize the dangerous doctrines of the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church or
liberal Protestant churches because to do so would jeopardize the ecumenical empire that
he has worked so hard to build throughout his lifetime. Nevertheless, God's Word commands
the believer not only to separate from all false doctrine but also to warn other believers
of the dangerous wolves which have entered into the flock.
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Graham Unites Catholics And
Protestants in Ottawa
Billy Graham's recent evangelistic crusade in Ottawa,
Canada's capital city, shows just how far he has slipped into doctrinal compromise.
Graham's Ottawa crusade boasted the highest Roman Catholic participation of any of his
previous crusades. Of the 470 area churches that supported the crusade, 60 churches were
Roman Catholic. Not only did local parishes support the meetings, but Graham even received
an official endorsement from Marcel Gervais, Ottawa's Roman Catholic archbishop. According
to a Christianity Today article, Gervais issued a pastoral letter and said he
supported Graham's crusade "based on the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, the
spirit of Vatican 11, and the teachings of Pope John Paul 11. " In the August 1998
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association newsletter, Graham praised the ecumenical unity that
existed at his crusade. The letter stated, "Another amazing thing for this area was
that across denominational lines a large number of churches gave cooperation and
support." A "Team in Action" insert also added, "Unprecedented
spiritual unity among churches paved the way for this evangelistic outreach."
How sad it is to see Graham welcoming the participation
and, therefore, the doctrines of the Roman Catholic leaders as they support and endorse
his evangelistic work. Catholic leaders know they can actively participate in Graham's
crusades because Graham will never say anything against the dangers of the false doctrines
of Rome. In fact, they know that any Catholics who respond to a Gospel invitation will be
led to a Catholic leader on the stage who will then direct the inquirer back into the
Roman Catholic church. The Bible-believing, Bible-obeying Christian must recognize the
dangers of ecumenical evangelism and refuse to have any part in supporting or endorsing
religious leaders who are clearly disregarding the doctrine of biblical separation.
The Happy Hunters' Deceptive Mass
Evangelism Techniques
Charles and Frances Hunter, the Charismatic husband and
wife healing team known as the "Happy Hunters, " are claiming responsibility for
millions of converts to Christ thanks to a message they supposedly received from God.
Charles Hunter claims God told him in 1990 to "take a census of the world, " and
he and his wife responded by training leaders to go into 23 countries and use a
questionnaire to reach people for Christ. The September 1998 issue of Charisma, a
popular Charismatic magazine, reported that "more than 50 million people have prayed
a sinner's prayer with a counselor-47 million of those decisions have been reported since
November. " Charisma describes the evangelistic process in the following way:
With a short questionnaire in hand, pastors and lay people go
door to door-or hut to hut-and politely announce that they are taking a religious census.
The fourth question asks, 'Did you know that there are two kinds of people in the world:
Those who are saved and those who are about to be? Which one are you?' If the respondent
says he is the second type of person-one who is 'about to be saved'-the census taker
immediately asks if the person would like to repeat a prayer of repentance and faith in
Christ.
While every Christian certainly should praise the Lord for
any lost person who genuinely believes the Gospel message, this approach used by the
Hunters is sadly misleading. The repetition of a prayer has never saved anyone - salvation
only comes by heartfelt belief in the Gospel message. Unfortunately, many Bible-believing
Christians and religious leaders, and even some who claim to be fundamentalists, use this
very same form of mass evangelism which promotes the glorification of numbers and "
easy-believism. " God's Word never encourages the believer to be deceitful as he
attempts to proclaim the Gospel message, yet many "soul-winning programs"
encourage the use of surveys and questionnaires so that the individuals who are being
questioned will think they are being surveyed rather than being confronted by one who is,
in reality, attempting to give the Gospel. Not only is this tactic deceitful, but it
certainly causes millions of individuals who do not actually believe the Gospel message to
think they are saved since they uttered a prayer at some point in their lives. God's Word
commands Christians to boldly proclaim the Gospel message (Eph. 6:19, 20), not deceive
others in order to coerce them into praying a prayer for salvation. The Lord commands us
to proclaim His message His way.
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Lutherans And Catholics Expected To
Unite On Doctrine Of Justification
The world's largest group of Lutheran churches, the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF), is expected to decide next month whether or not to sign a
monumental ecumenical agreement with the Roman Catholic Church. A May 4, 1998, Ecumenical
News International (ENI) wire story reported that the majority of the LWF member churches
are expected to support the initiative, which is expected to end a 400-year disagreement
between the two parties concerning the doctrine of justification. The LWF asked its member
churches to state whether or not they believe a consensus exists between Roman Catholics
and Lutherans on the "basic truths" of the doctrine of justification. So far,
ENI reports that of the 66 responses received, only four have rejected the proposed joint
declaration, and two of those four dissenting churches stated that while they feel there
is no consensus, they still support the declaration since they believe that Lutheran
condemnations of the Roman Catholic Church should be lifted. The LWF has a total of 124
member churches, and the 66 churches that have responded boast a total of 40 million
members. Sven Oppegaard, LWF's assistant general secretary for ecumenical affairs, told
ENI, "if we agree that the common expression of justification in the document can be
endorsed by the two churches, then the declaration says that the mutual condemnations for
the 16th century no longer apply to the teaching proclaimed by the churches today."
He continued, "To express this is itself a major step forward in ecumenical relations
between Lutherans and Catholics." Oppegaard mentioned that while this will not
resolve all differences between Lutherans and Roman Catholics, it is a major first step in
further ecumenical relations.
Protestant groups from all over the world are seeking ties
with the Roman Catholic Church and are finding ways to unite, even though the Catholic
Church has not shifted from its basic doctrinal teachings. Believers today can see an
ecumenical world church unfolding before their very eyes; and even though the Bible has
prophesied that this will come to pass, we need to always remember that this world church
is headed for God's judgment. Any true child of God should, therefore, have nothing to do
with the ecumenical movement that is paving the way for this devilish system. God tells
the believer to have nothing to do with the unfruitful works of darkness and to reject any
false gospel.
Campus Crusade is not evangelical in the true sense. Rather, it is ecumenical. The
Gospel it preaches is not the one true Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus
Christ alone. It should be exposed by true believers, not supported.
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Lutheran World Federation
Says Christianity Will Lose Impact Unless Ecumencial Cooperation Comes To Pass
Bishop Christian Krause, president of the Lutheran World
Federation (LWF), told participants at the international LWF conference in Wittenberg,
Germany, that unless the main Christian churches of the world cooperate and build an
"inclusive communion," then Christianity may be marginalized. An October 28,
1998, Ecumenical News International (ENI) report quoted Krause as saying,
"Globalization evens out the differences between denominational churches." He
added, "At the global level, there are now only Christians, no longer Catholics or
Protestants." Krause's statements come at a time when the LWF and other major
Lutheran bodies are seeking common ground with the Roman Catholic Church on the doctrine
of justification. The ENI report stated, "Bishop Krause described recent efforts by
the LWF and the Vatican to reach an agreement on a 'joint declaration' on the doctrine of
justification as an important component in the dialogue between the historic
churches." It is also interesting to note that Krause
recognized one other group that has aided in bringing together various churches-the
Charismatics. ENI reported, "The rapid growth of new charismatic churches was also
narrowing the gap between the historic churches, Bishop Krause said."
God's Word never says Christianity will lose its impact or
become "marginalized" unless all the churches of the world unite for ecumenical
worship. On the contrary, God commands believers to separate from all who pollute and
distort His Gospel, even if they claim to be "Christians." God says His Word is
powerful, and the Holy Spirit will mightily strengthen believers who desire to stand firm
in these last days of compromise and apostasy. True Christians do not need to fear that
Christianity will cease to exist or cease to have an impact if they do not unite with
those who do not stand firm to Scripture. No, believers are commanded to simply preach the
Gospel and obey God's Word. The Lord is in control of everything else.
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Mixing the Word With
The World At Harvest Crusade '98
Rock music and "hard-hitting" preaching gained
the attention of 140,000 people in Anaheim, California at the ninth annual Southern
California Harvest Crusade August 27-30, 1998. The crusade is the country's largest annual
evangelistic gathering. A feature story by the editors at ReligionToday.com, an intemet
religious news service, reported that 12,000 youth "registered decisions to commit
their lives to following Jesus Christ. " Evangelist and pastor Greg Laurie, leader of
the Harvest Christian Fellowship and key speaker at the crusade, "peppers his talks
with illustrations from culture and current events, quoting lyrics from [secular rock
groups] Smashing Pumpkins or Nine Inch Nails" in order to answer young people's
questions in a more "relevant" way, according to Religion Today. Crusade
director John Collins told Religion Today, "We bring in fairly raucous music"
but added that the crowd does not get out of control. Rock groups Audio Adrenaline, the
Super Tones, Big Tent Revival and The Kry generated the interest of 88,000 young people
during two evenings. Laurie is a frequent speaker at Promise Keepers gatherings and other
Christian Rock music festivals. Along with the crusade, Laurie also held a three day
church leader conference in Anaheim discussing how to effectively communicate with young
people. Conference speakers included Chuck Swindoll, David Jeremiah and Chuck Smith.
Laurie's Harvest Crusade is a perfect example of how New
Evangelicals today are attempting to use the tools and amusements of the world to reach
people for Christ. God's Word, however, commands believers to act and live in a way that
is different from that of the world. The idea that the truth of the Gospel message itself
is not enough to reach people for Christ completely undermines the power of the message
and of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. God never commands the church to use the
world to make His Gospel message more "palatable. " No, the church is commanded
to boldly sow the seed of God's Word, whether or not it is attractive to the listener.
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Promise Keepers Bailed Out Of Financial
Trouble
After having to lay off staff due to financial problems,
Promise Keepers has now raised enough money from churches and individual contributors to
reinstate its staff and focus on this years' upcoming PK conferences. On April 1, Promise
Keepers laid off 345 employees due to financial problems that resulted from the expense of
the Stand In the Gap rally in Washington D.C. and from the abolition of registration fees
which were previously required in order to attend PK conferences. Upon learning of the
organization's falling revenues, PK founder and CEO Bill McCartney announced on February
18 that the PK national staff would have to be laid off unless $300 million was raised
through donations. According to an Ecumenical News International wire story, McCartney
announced at a Florida clergy conference, "Every church that names the name of
Jesus" should donate $1000 to the PK organization."
McCartney's pleas were heard and heeded. Several notable
religious leaders, including Bill Bright, urged individuals and churches to help bail
Promise Keepers out of its financial problems. Bright mailed a fundraising letter to those
on the Campus Crusade mailing list, urging individuals to contribute to the financially
unstable Promise Keepers organization. The letter, dated February 1998, begins by saying,
"Over the past several years, I have become increasingly impressed with a very
special movement of God called Promise Keepers." Bright then tells how Promise
Keepers has suffered financial problems since the organization waived the individual
registration fees for the regional men's rallies. Bright continues, "Perhaps you are
wondering why I and Campus Crusade are writing you about this need. It is because we
believe that Promise Keepers is one of the specially anointed movements of God at this
crucial time in the history of America and the world. We are praying that God will not let
this wonderful movement die because of a lack of funds." A united effort by
McCartney, Bright and other leaders has supplied Promise Keepers with the money it needed
in order to continue its men's ministry.
According to an April 9 Promise Keepers press release, all
staff members have been contacted regarding the staff recall, and 315 were available to
begin working. McCartney stressed that "It's still too early to say the financial
transition of this ministry is complete. The current influx of donations has been enough
to pay the bills, re-instate staff, and prepare for the upcoming conference season."
However, McCartney stressed that Promise Keepers will continue to be a faith ministry and
that all the long-term questions have not yet been answered. This year, Promise Keepers is
planning to hold 19 stadium conferences. Speakers this year will consist of a mixture of
New Evangelicals and Charismatics including James Ryle, Joseph Stowell, Luis Palau, Jack
Hayford and Franklin Graham.
It is sad that compromising ministries are rescued from
financial distress by supposedly well-meaning Christians while at the same time faithful,
true-to-the Word testimonies have to curtail ministries due to lack of support. Believers
must see to it that they do not give to organizations that are errant; if they do, they
are identified before God and man with that same error (2 Jn. 10,11).
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Several pastors from our local San Luis Obispo, California
area who attended the Atlanta Promise Keepers clergy conference have returned home to
institute their own plans for meeting the PK challenge for unity among churches and
denominations. The January, 1998, issue of the Christian Times of the Central Coast
quoted one of the pastors, Mike Sparrow of the Agape Christian Fellowship, as saying,
"We're planning a community-wide concert of prayer and praise ... the focus will be
prayer, repentance, praise, and just asking God to send revival to the Central
Coast." According to Sparrow, the group's coordinator, around twenty-five churches
are represented in the endeavor. Two "Break Dividing Walls" activities brought
entire congregations together in 1997, and more events are scheduled for 1998. Presently a
"Pastors Praying Together" fellowship meets monthly, consisting of participants
from a wide variety of local churches that range from traditional Baptist and Nazarene
churches to more contemporary Vineyard churches and Calvary Chapels. Sparrow also noted
that growth has been experienced by those groups who have participated.
Local ministerial fellowship among diversified church
groups has always appealed to the general population of any community. However, the fact
remains that the Bible has a great deal to say about entering into fellowship with those
who do not agree on what the Bible teaches and on what the Bible requires of faithful
ministry. If the distinctive doctrines of the Charismatic churches are wrong, and they
are, then a church that wants to obey the Word must not jump on the Promise Keepers-styled
ecumenical bandwagon with them. The same is true for New Evangelical churches that reject
biblical separation and discount the necessity for holding to sound doctrine and
contending with those who depart from the same error
If a Bible-believing church joins with those who promote
error, then that assembly and all Who are associated with it are identified with that same
error before the world, the Christian community and God Himself (2 Jn. 7-11). Sound
doctrine certainly is important, and the divisions existing between different church
groups because of doctrinal issues cannot be casually dismissed for the sake of a common
witness or ministry. The Word of God exhorts the believer to discern what is true
according to Word and what is not (2 Tim. 2:15-21; 4:1-4). We are to contend for the Faith
and to separate-"avoid," "withdraw thyself," "have no
fellowship"-from those who would teach any other doctrine than that "which ye
have learned" (Jude 3; Rom. 16:17; 2 Tim. 4:1-4).
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Promise Keepers
Leader James Ryle Blasts Fundamentalist
While Promise Keepers leaders outwardly proclaim their
gospel of acceptance of all men regardless of doctrinal distinctives, inwardly, their
thoughts and prejudices might be somewhat different. Apparently, such is the case with one
PK leader, Dr. James Ryle, who recently verbally abused one fundamentalist author for
inadvertently publishing some faulty information. David Cloud, director of the Fundamental
Baptist Information Service (FBIS), reported in a June 7, 1997, FBIS article that Ryle had
been elected to the National Association of Evangelicals' (NAE) board of directors when,
in fact, he was not. Thirteen months later, Ryle sent Cloud an e-mail that began as
follows: "David, not only are you a pompous ass, but you are grossly misinformed and
desperately irresponsible in reporting false information."
Cloud issued a correction as soon as he reviewed his
sources. However, it is obvious that Ryle was not irate over the fact that he had been
falsely associated with the NAE board of directors, for Ryle frequently associates himself
with New Evangelicals. What bothered Ryle was the fact that Cloud, in the same article,
was exposing his anti-biblical visions and revelations from God and that Cloud was a
fundamentalist who judged Ryle's words against the Word of God. While Ryle and other PK
leaders boast of their love and tolerance for all men, they are often extremely crass and
unloving toward fundamentalists who expose their false teachings. This hypocrisy, while
obvious to God and to those who are attacked by these men, is certainly not evident to the
thousands who flock to hear these men at PK rallies and conferences.
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Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey has urged
the Roman Catholic Church to further ecumenical ties with Protestants by allowing those
Protestants who have been baptized into non-Catholic churches to partake of the Catholic
Eucharist. In an April 26 sermon in Luxembourg's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Carey asked the
Roman Catholic Church to "drop its ban on non-Catholics taking the Eucharist."
An Ecumenical News International wire story reported that Carey described the ban as a
"distressing situation of Eucharistic separation" and said the Anglican church
has found that allowing non-Anglicans to partake of the Anglican Eucharist was "a
source of great fellowship and joy a visible sign and foretaste of the unity to which we
are called." ENI reported that Cardinal Basil Hume, head of the Roman Catholic Church
in England and Wales, responded by saying there is a need to ecumenically discuss the
nature of the Eucharist and the theology of the church to see if the Anglican Church and
Roman Catholic Church actually agree on these issues. While both the Anglican and Catholic
churches once formally agreed that a "mysterious and radical change" occurred in
the bread and wine, the Anglican Church today stresses a more symbolic role of the
elements while the Catholic Church teaches that the bread and wine actually become the
body and blood of Christ. ENI reported that Carey said, "We need to explore with our
ecumenical partners not only to see if we have the same belief in the real presence of
Christ in the Eucharist, but also whether we can come to an agreement concerning the
theology of the Church. The two must go together." The issue of whether or not the
Catholic Church should allow non-Catholics to partake of the Eucharist has become the
focus of attention lately after two notable non-Catholics, United States President Bill
Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, publicly partook of the Catholic Eucharist.
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The New Age movement and the occult have been making
inroads into corporate America for several years, and believers are cautioned to approach
"training seminars," "stress reduction workshops" and "safety
meetings" with discernment. Eastern mysticism and other New Age practices can be
promoted under the guise of training seminars. Unfortunately, attendance at such seminars,
promoted by well-intentioned but misguided safety/training committee members, may be
mandatory. Employees are often required to attend a minimum number of safety training
sessions each year.
During a fourth quarter "Safety Meeting,"
employees at a well-known California municipal utility were exposed to a barrage of
paranormal and psychic "training" by counseling parapsycholigist Kate Lang.
According to the Sacramento Bee, Lang's 90-minute presentation to employees in the
Sacramento Municipal Utility District's (SMUD) Energy Services Department included such
topics as telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, dream states, and extrasensory perception
(ESP). The training session outline "called for taking SMUD workers through imagery
association and meditation exercises, and for explaining how psychic powers work in
dreams, spiritual practices and other altered states of consciousness. She concluded with
a demonstration of both telepathy and psychometry, which she explains as 'readings' of
individuals using objects that belong to them." According to the Bee, SMUD workers
were not advised of the training session content and were provided only a "generic
notice on bulletin boards giving the time and date for the safety meeting." A
doubtful SMUD director Howard Posner said, "Someone would have to do a very hard job
convincing me that that was a worthwhile expenditure."
It is amazing how gullible people are, believing that
spiritual forces and psychological techniques will provide answers to their problems and
limitations. All who reject Bible truth have no where else to turn than to such devilish
fables and foolish reasoning. Unregenerate man is "dead in trespasses and sins"
and will naturally respond to the devil's strategy to control the unbeliever by inciting
the "desires of the flesh and of the mind" (Eph. 2:1-3). The Word of God deals
with the heart of this problem-man's sin! Until the old sin nature is dealt with God's way
through the salvation which is only offered in Jesus Christ, the foolishness of human
reasoning and satanic deception will continue to rule in the hearts of men. Christians
must sound a protest against such waste of time and money and warn against the spiritual
danger and psychological manipulation that accompanies corporate "training"
programs like the one just mentioned.
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WCC And RCC Establish
New Forum
Konrad Raiser, general secretary of the World Council of
Churches (WCC), hopes to see an unprecedented ecumenical breakthrough involving all
Christian traditions by the year 2001. A September 21, 1998, Ecumenical News International
(ENI) news release announced, "It seems likely that in the first few years of the
next century-possibly in the year 2001 -all the main Christian traditions will form a new
'network' to discuss ways in which they can cooperate." Raiser said the idea will be
proposed at the WCC international assembly in Harare, Zimbabwe in December 1998. This new
forum, according to Raiser, would provide comfortable discussion in an atmosphere that
would break down the barriers of "institutional rigidity," which Raiser says
inhibits ecumenical dialogue. He told ENI that the new forum "will be a space for
mutual enrichment, for discovering ways of cooperation." ENI noted that this forum
would not only enable closer cooperation between all the main churches involved in the
WCC, but said "it would also give a major boost to the global ecumenical movement
which some observers believe has been caught in an impasse in recent years. " This
new forum would reportedly involve both Roman Catholics and Pentecostals who have
expressed interest in the idea even though neither the Roman Catholic Church nor most
Pentecostal churches are currently official members of the WCC.
After years of observing continuous attempts to obtain
ecumenical religious unity, it has become evident that there has always been a willingness
to set aside the plain teaching of Scripture regarding the danger of mixing truth with
error for the sake of a man-made unity that runs contrary to God's requirement for
doctrinal integrity. "Accommodation unites, but doctrine divides" is the excuse
parroted by each of the participants. Yet the only groups not considered for inclusion are
those who insist upon fidelity to God and His inerrant Word.
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Billy Graham was interviewed on NBC Today with Katie
Couric on March 5, 1998.The following are excerpts which reveal a very sad estimation of a
respected Christian leader with regard to the blatant and persistent misconduct and
misstatements by the President of our United States:
Couric: "You consider him a close
friend."
Graham: "Oh, I do. I think a great deal of Bill Clinton."
Couric: "... do you believe the President should provide moral leadership
to people in this country?"
Graham: "Yes, I do. I really do. And of course, what's going on now, there's no
proof yet some of the things that President Clinton is accused of. And then, if he is
guilty, I would forgive him and love him just the same because he is a remarkable man, and
he has had a lot of temptations thrown in his way and a lot of pressure on him....
Couric: "So, you would say, 'Forgive."'
Graham: "I forgive him. I don't know about the average person, but I mean,
certainly I forgive him because I know the frailty of human nature and I know how hard it
is and especially on strong, vigorous, young men like he is. And he has such a tremendous
personality, that I think that ladies just go wild over him."
Yes, the Bible does tell us to "be subject unto the
higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of
God," and that they have been ordained by God for the purpose of administering
justice against those a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil" (see Rom.
13:1-7). The Christian, however, finds himself in a rather difficult situation with the
current Presidential administration because it is certainly not easy to render due respect
for the office of the President, as the Bible commands, when the leader of our nation is
so terribly far removed from practicing "that which is good" (v. 3) himself.
Furthermore, it does not help when the generally accepted
"chaplain to the Presidents," Billy Graham, makes excuses for Clinton's lies and
wickedness instead of giving a faithful rebuke according to the Word of God that he
professes to believe and preach. These are indeed perilous days, days in which
"judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen
in the street, and equity cannot enter" (Isa. 59:14). In other words, that which is
right and needful cannot come to pass because of wickedness among both the religious and
the political leadership in our land who have trampled "truth" underfoot.
We need to pray, and protest, as never before. Surely the
judgment of God will not linger long, and the time of our departure draws near. This
government is certainly not our hope for justice; yet at the same time, as long as God
permits a continued measure of liberty in America, we must use that freedom to proclaim
God's Word and pray and work for Its preservation. How encouraging is God's charge for
faithful believers to look forward to that coming Kingdom when the King Himself shall rule
in everlasting righteousness (2 Tim. 4:1)-how unlike today! Sadly, our President is an
embodiment of the spirit of these "perilous" last days. Undoubtedly, the
liberties we enjoy that have provided for the proclamation of God's Word and for
ministering according to Its absolute Truth will deteriorate more and more under the
present administration. We need to pray for our nation as well as protest the deplorable
decline.
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World Alliance Of
Reformed Churches Opposes Amendment On Religious Persecution
Milan Opocensky, general secretary of the World Alliance
of Reformed Churches (WARC), has publicly voiced his opposition to the "Freedom from
Religious Persecution" bill, warning the United States not to become the
"protector" of persecuted religious minorities by applying sanctions against
countries that do not allow religious freedom. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Frank R. Wolf
(R-Va.) and Sen. Arlin Specter (R-Pa.), gives the United States the freedom to impose
sanctions on countries involved in religious persecution and to deny visas to those
involved in religious persecution. Opocensky, an ecumenist and supporter of the programs
and goals of the World Council of Churches, operated for many years as an effective
apologist and defender of communism in Czechoslovakia. Now, as the leader of the WARC, he
continues to oppose religious freedom while simultaneously leading an ecumenical
organization that unites over 75 million professed Christians. According to Opocensky's
statement, the United States should not attempt to force other countries to permit
religious freedom. "Strong support for human rights and religious minorities on a
multilateral basis through the United Nations would be far more productive than having the
United States government function as the 'protector’. . . Opocensky's statement says.
It is interesting to notice that last year, Bishop K. H. Ting, another communist who
currently functions as a religious ecumenical leader also strongly opposed the
"Freedom from Religious Persecution" bill. Ting is the president of the China
Christian Council and has vigorously endorsed the communist regime in China since its
inception.
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