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Way of Life Literature
Publisher of Bible Study Materials
Way of Life Literature
Publisher of Bible Study Materials
Way of Life Bible College
From Bro. Clouds Mailbox, April 2010

April 29, 2010

David Cloud, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061
866-295-4143,
fbns@wayoflife.org

From time to time, I publish some of the goodies from my interesting mailbox, and many people have told me that they enjoy reading these things. Following are some items from the last couple of months:


THEY LIKE THE PREACHING

“We appreciate your ministry so much and often read your materials to our children during family times or pass things of help onto others in our church. We have at least one family and one man in our church that came out of the Charismatic movement largely because of your ministry.”

“Continue your ministry of showing us the Truth, you have been such a blessing to me and to countless other people. When we meet in Heaven, you will be surprised at the long line of people who come to you and say: I am here because you pointed me to the Word of God, the Lord himself.”

“I am currently using your book on defending the faith for my Sunday School class. We started our church two years ago, and correct Bible doctrine is so important. To have good solid materials to train your people with is so valuable. I thank God for your zeal for the truth in these end times of apostasy.”

“Thank you so much for your unwavering stand and concern for the state of God's people and the lost. ... Thank you for taking the time to undertake this huge work, and therefore helping us to be better stewards of our time as we seek good material to help us in our study of God's Word for teaching and preaching. Keep it up, you are appreciated!”

“I am writing to thank you for your Way of Life ministry. I recently came out of Ruckmanism and was strengthened by your articles. Only because of the grace of God, I am currently preparing for the ministry at Ambassador Baptist College. Please, I encourage you, as a sister in the Lord, continue on. 1 Timothy 6:12.”

“I just want to tell you how refreshing it is to read your articles on New Age, homeopathy, diets, and more! SO many Christians nowadays seem to be getting caught up in special diets and natural remedies, somehow thinking its more ‘Biblical’ or something....but they don't realize how close it is to the New Age mentality!!!! I have relatives that are New Age and demonism is rampant in that part of the family and there is no way I want to get anywhere close to that kind of stuff...and I shudder to see how many Christians are being deceived in that way. I have a good friend right now that I have been sending your articles to in hopes she will give up her acupuncture and some of her homeopathic ideas...she has serious health problems but I know that the ‘cures’ these things give her are mostly in her head.”

“I'm sure you receive a great deal of negative mail concerning your stands on various subjects. With this in mind, I wanted to drop you a line and simply say: ‘AMEN BROTHER!!!’ I have read many of your articles and listened to many of your messages over the years and you always stir me to think deeper about the things going on around me. My bet is that there are more people out here who agree with you than you could possibly imagine. There is a tremendous need for ministries such as yours and I thank God for the wisdom you have been entrusted to impart. Thank you for telling it like it is, and thank you for all the hard work you do.”

“I just wanted to write and commend you for the excellent publications and for your perseverance in furthering the light of the Lord to unbelievers and believers alike. I know that I myself have benefitted from your publications, as one of the books helped lead me to salvation. I was at one time a devout Roman Catholic. I read the Catholic bible(s), prayed the rosary and other marian devotions such as litanies, prayed the so-called liturgy of the hours several times daily, attended mass and received the host in communion sometimes on a daily basis, went to confession with the priest at least once a week, sometimes more, went on two pilgrimages to a place of deception known as Medjugorje (of which I know you are familiar) as well as the Vatican itself and on similar pilgrimages to shrines and places of ‘sightings’ close to where I live. I engaged in some debate with Protestants ... In time, I became a Catholic traditionalist, preferring the old liturgy of the Catholic church with its Latin language, and old Catholic prayers. I read many Catholic books and the writings of the popes, the so-called ‘fathers of the church,’ saints and doctors of the church. I practiced Catholic meditation and studied the writings of their mystics such as St. John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila. ... In time, I lost all that belief. I think that when Pope John Paul II died in 2005, a large part of my Catholic faith went with him. ... I lost all that Catholic faith through disenchantment, through the scandals becoming more and more publicized, through my own personal experiences, and I was becoming atheist in my outlook. To me, if the Catholic church could be wrong, then there went all my reasons for religion. I was now attracted to science, to evolution, and to faith in technology and the future. ... One day, I was looking for something to read at work (my job allowed me to read there). I found a book that a Baptist pastor had sent me during the course of one of our correspondence debates years earlier. It was titled, ‘Rome and the Bible’ by Br. David Cloud. ... As I began to read this book while at work one evening, I was amazed. Here was not some illiterate screed, but rather, an articulate presentation of history: history, by the way, of which I was not familiar with at all. ... Reading of the great persecutions of the Waldensians, and how they were hunted down and tortured and killed by the Roman Catholic church stirred me. ... I eventually completed the book and I was saved in the process of doing so. David takes the effort in the presentation of his subject to reveal to the reader the higher truths of salvation, and does not present it as history only. ... My wife is still Catholic as are our children. So, I am in a house divided, but in time, I know God will make sure things end up right. I am praying about these things and I have faith that things will come together in God's time.”

“Brother Cloud, your article on pragmatism as an excuse to grow the church could not have been more right on. We have a situation here where I live where the growth of one IFB church has been utilized and even promoted at the expense of at least a half dozen other smaller IFB churches. Several of them are fairly recent church plants and the Pastor of the ‘mega church’ has decided that the local church ministry is passé and he is now pursuing a ‘regional church.’ He patterns himself after a very large church in California and is succeeding in putting the smaller churches out of business. I also understand that the folks who would drive right past their ‘little church’ to go 45 minutes away to the one with all of the bells and whistles are to bear part of the blame. Unfortunately these people are by and large recent converts or young in the faith and the ‘in church’ is all too accepting. Why must these churches do their fishing for souls in other men’s aquariums? The pastor, by the way, is a Hyles-Anderson graduate and they frequently brag about the number of people who ‘get saved.’ Yet their growth is almost exclusively attributed to transfers from other good churches. It’s sad but oh, so true.”

“After reading your article on Vision Forum, I just had to write and tell you how much I enjoy the timely subjects. I've especially appreciated your writings on current and contemporary topics. It seems like there's always some new, out-of-balance, so-called ‘Christian’ ministry trying to make some headway into our churches. Your writing on these topics prevents them from misleading some sincere, although naive, Christians. That's one of the reasons that we receive multiple copies for people at our church. We have at least 50 on our ‘O Timothy’ monthly list who eagerly await each issue. It covers a lot of questions that I would not have time to preach on, and at times when personally dealing with people who might be questioning that subject, I give them a copy of the ‘O Timothy’ and say, ‘Here's a good article on that subject.’”

“Despite the fact that I have three earned doctorates and two honorary doctorates, I had allowed some areas of my life to be temporarily recaptured by Satan and his lies. After I started reading your books and listening to your videos I began to realize all we can truly count on in this live is the love, grace, salvation of God and His preserved Word. Our faith has to remain in these and our eyes must always remain on Jesus Christ. I cannot count the hours I have spent reading your books and listening to your videos and feeling so thankful that God is still using some people in these last days to boldly proclaim the whole counsel of God. Every time I read one of your books or listen to one of your videos I think about the great need in the world today for books and sermons based upon solid Bible doctrine. Every time I hear Christians discuss the need for good Christian books I talk to them about WOL publications. I have recommended your publications to hundreds of Christians and non-Christians and many of them have purchased your books and videos. I hear from people every month whose lives have been changed, for the better, by reading one of your books.”

“Hello Brother Cloud, I would like to thank you for your many helps in the area of music over the years. They have been ‘instrumental’ in helping me discover music pleasing to the LORD. My testimony is a bit different. It was more than 10 years process of refining and searching as I grew in the service to the LORD and walk with him. I was a young Christian many years ago in a good Baptist church with an older congregation. I heard them sing every service as if it were a duty rather than a privilege and thought this can’t be what the LORD likes. At the time I was being a hypocrite and still listening to RR but the Holy Spirit began a work. After becoming disgusted with the wickedness in hard rock, I decided to listen only to the ‘good’ soft rock like the Eagles and the Christian rock stations. After a time I knew that soft rock was also wrong. Then came the more difficult study and quandary for me. What music is pleasing to the LORD? The contemporary music at least seemed sincere… and it was pleasing to my ears so I dove in. Though I liked much of it the Holy Spirit continued working in many ways. ... This is about the time some of your materials came to my hands and I read all I could get. It was the icing for the cake the Holy Spirit had prepared all these years. It helped that I was only about 20 miles from Frank Garlock’s church as well. I did not know it at the time, but the LORD was preparing me for the mission field. Thank you, Brother, for your stand over the years and the MANY good, well researched books and reference materials.”

“I am writing first of all to thank you for the service you provide on your website and in your newsletter. Specifically, I wanted to let you know that the way you've handled the issue of repentance and so-called ‘Lordship Salvation’ has been tremendously helpful to me personally. You may recall that in 2005 you responded to a woman plagued with doubts about her salvation, in part because she had come into contact with ‘Lordship’ advocates. (see http://www.wayoflife.org/database/doubtingsalvation.html). Over the last year or so, I have been beset with something similar, but thanks to your writings on the subject (as well as those of the late Miles Stanford), I've been able to maintain my sanity and not be overwhelmed by the fact of my own indwelling sinfulness. Once again, many thanks for the service you provide. My wife and I were particularly happy with
Dressing for the Lord, which we’ve given to a few people already.”

“We appreciate your ministry - using your Friday night news as handouts each Sunday - hoping this will alert people to what is going on in the world around us. A few people have been directed to your website and have found it helpful.”

“First of all, thank you for your diligence in warning your readers on various topics, as well as the amazing bits of information you often include on animals. I thoroughly enjoy reading this column and I usually check in on Friday morning to see what you've written.”

“I want to thank you for allowing God to work through you in producing the publication, O Timothy. It has been an invaluable source of information and warning over many years now. It has been a blessing for our church folk in light of the day of compromise that we are facing. I also appreciate the Advance Bible Study series that you have produced. They have been so helpful to me in the ministry.”

“Thank you for your recent articles about television. When I moved out on my own over ten years ago, I didn't purchase a television. Several years after I got married, we ended up buying one with a DVD player (no cable or satellite) for the purpose of viewing educational materials. Eventually we started getting movies from the library and video store. Once we had kids, we purchased or borrowed many cartoons and children's movies for them to watch and also received many from family. The Lord started to work on my conscience however late last year about how destructive even selective TV watching (we did not allow anything other than G or PG movies) was for my children and myself. I realized that I had become addicted and desensitized again to the television. The scary thing about TV, even so called ‘good’ TV is that it presents a world that operates wonderfully WITHOUT God. All of the children's films show a life without God. Almost all movies show a wonderful life without God. I became grieved about how worldly and carnal I had become through television watching. I was even more concerned about how sassy my children had become. Just this past week, I told my wife that I have had enough and we were going to get rid of the TV and DVD player. She supported me with great enthusiasm, although the children wept. God used your many articles on this topic to bring me to repentance, for which I am very grateful.”

“We were really glad to hear that you will be making a return visit to our assembly later this year. We didn’t miss any of your meetings the last time and really were blessed and enlightened by them. Your encyclopedia is a regularly used reference in this household. Your book, Why We Hold to the King James Bible, is the best book I've ever read on the subject. It includes a wealth of history that I hadn't known before. Some folks accuse me of being a ‘bookaholic,’ but I’m actually very picky about the books I buy. I know that your books will be good buys! Every week I look forward to the Friday News from Way of Life. Your discernment and ‘nose’ for the news keeps me abreast of all that is going on. Most folks are not well versed about the apostasy and deviation in so-called Christian bodies. Your articles help to point out that all is not well just because something is labeled Christian. Your website is a vast resource for us, especially when we're traveling and looking for a church to attend on Sunday.”

“Thank you for all that you do in defending the true faith. Your website has been an absolute blessing to me over the years.”

“I want to thank you for your research and information service. Being a former catholic it has been a blessing to my heart. I have been sharing your articles with many Christians both weak and strong in my small circle. I have seen at least one weak brother ‘revived again’ to strength through this ministry (it started with your article about Billy Graham that I sent to him). I truly believe the apathy of many Christians who claim to be saved are simply un-informed as to the dangers that surround them in our apostate time. Thank you for your stand on true Biblical principles. May we never lose heart and always run the race that is set before us studying the mighty truths of God's Word ever seeking to attain the high calling in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.”

“Thank you for being so faithful to God's Word in a world getting more confused day by day. Thank God He has given us an anchor, His Word. There is nothing more important than God's Word, yet nothing more maligned in today's churches. Bro. Cloud is a beacon in the storms that surround the church today.”

“I am encouraged by your ministry of exhortation and warning. Thanks for stating the truth about the friends conference with Pastor Sexton. We need it.”

“Your ‘open letter’ to Sexton was well done and needed. No matter the response of others I want to thank you.”

“This preacher appreciates what you do.  I am not in tune enough with the happenings of others in ‘Baptist Land,’ though I need to be apprised to what is going on.  And that is where you do a great service. What you do is not always popular, but it is biblical and very needed.  Whether others will admit it or not, if big name (and small name for that matter) preachers are not restrained by the Spirit of God, it helps to them to know that they will not get a free pass by all.  It's good for a ministry to have people in it that will question the leaders, otherwise the leaders take liberties that are not appropriate. Thank you for approaching these issues with a proper spirit, not to harm, but to warn those that would have otherwise been misled. ‘Be not weary in well doing.’ ‘Fight the good fight of faith.’”

“What does a parent do to their child’s hand when seeing them reach toward a pot of boiling water on the stove? What, they should say nothing and let them be burned? Perish the thought! So not stop what you are doing, Sir.”

“After reading your letter to Dr Sexton, I wanted to write and thank you for strong stand on separation.  Keep exposing and expound the truth.”

“An excellent letter.  I appreciate you sending this and I know what it will cost you.  However, I agree with it wholeheartedly.  The sadness is Bro. Sexton also has these compromising people such as Andrew Phipps and others at his church.  He is leading it down the path of compromise and will be a leader in the compromise of the Independent Baptist movement further.”

“I praise the Lord Jesus for your ministry.  Your articles have helped my mother and I to sort out the difference between God's truth and the world's lies (even if it is coming from the church pulpit).  We are excited about dressing like ladies for God's glory...we did not learn this in the CCM world that we just came from.”

“Your article admonishing Crown and other institutions that represent Christ (or should) was spot on and I thought you should be encouraged in your attempts to bring the truth to light. Bless you for your efforts and your commitment to remind the Christian believers that they should die daily.”

“I appreciate your stand against ecumenism and that you sound a warning about those who begin to compromise. I attended Temple Baptist's Youth Congress last year with some of our young people. Brother Sexton had separate meetings with the youth leaders and other pastors while the kids went to their daily classes. I was very surprised at the direction Brother Sexton was suggesting. His focus was on building a college in England, but along with it he used some verses from the Bible to suggest that we should be friendly toward others who are in error. One verse he used was  Proverbs 18:24. The atmosphere in the meetings were that we were at fault as Baptists for not being more open minded toward others who don't believe as we do. He promoted that we should show ourselves more friendly and accepting in our attitudes so that we can influence more for the gospel's sake. I told my wife that it was the beginning of the end at Temple. He (Bro. Sexton) was using his influence and making us feel guilty for being too separated for a lack of fellowship with (what in my eyes is) obvious religious & doctrinal error. When he began the meeting he was quick to tell everyone that he didn't care to answer any questions that were critical of his direction and that too many people are negative toward his ideas of making friends for the gospel's sake. His suggestion was that we should all be positive toward one another or remain quiet.”

“Thank you for this article [‘In Essentials Unity’]. It is so encouraging in this day and age to hear the WHOLE Truth still being taught. We thank God for your boldness and courage for Him.”

“You have discerningly expressed what many of us have believed for many years [‘In Essentials Unity’]--there is no such thing as ‘secondary’ doctrines, or even that which is minor or unimportant.  As you ably contend, ALL of the Lord's teaching is MAJOR, and must be taught the child of God to observe and practice.  Dr. John Whitcomb, I can say, would also heartily affirm what you have stated here.  In addition, the spirit with which you have written on these many subjects can be said is "with grace, seasoned with salt" (to make the hearer thirst for the truth).  May the Lord give you continued commitment to the task until He returns for us.”

“I love your new book, Keeping The Kids.  I am about one hundred pages into it and I really like all the input that you got back from the survey you took.”

“What an excellent article! [“Riplinger’s Confusion about Strong’s Concordance”] Those who exalt Webster and his synthetic definitions thoroughly baffle me. Now I see he wanted a synthetic Bible too. And obviously, to nit-pick a comprehensive work like that of Strong on the basis of a few isolated points is not reasonable, even if one isn't leaning on a less-than-orthodox ‘authority’ such as Webster. I really appreciate this article.”

“I just received your March 2010 issue of  O Timothy. It was a tremendous blessing! Every article was on target. Your article on ‘How to Make Wise Decisions in God’s Will’ was such a timely piece and much needed.”

“Thank you for your review of ‘The Shack.’ It was very thorough and I appreciate the Scriptures you included with various points. I was given a copy of this book by my mother after the suicide of my sister. I started reading it only to become nauseated at what was before me. I put it down and have not desired any contact with that book since. It is a dangerous piece of ‘literature’ and I concur that we must speak out against it. There isn't anything Scriptural about it.”

“I began receiving Way of Life emails, along with my dad, and was surprised by your straightforward way of informing the readers of the misguided ways of the modern day church.  As a graduate of Hyles-Anderson College, I have struggled with wondering what was Biblical, what was preference, what is real repentance, what was real soul winning.  (All of this while serving on the mission field!) These days I have had the opportunity to study more of your literature. I am currently reading your book, ‘Dressing for the Lord.’ I am almost half way through and as an analytical thinker, I appreciate the way you have built a strong foundation of principles, Biblical Principles, of dress. I believe this book has truly opened my eyes to some things I ashamedly did not think were that important. I have four children that I homeschool. This book and the Scripture in it will profoundly affect their lives. So to that end, I thank you for your writings and the hours that have gone into preparing this book.”

“Here in the states, we are witnessing the genesis of a new cult, founded by a thrice-married, woman Bible teacher, who has demonstrated herself to be dishonest. She DOES have a substantial following by IFB men who should know better. If it weren't so tragic, it would be funny.”

UNLESS I AM MISTAKEN, THESE DON’T LIKE THE PREACHING

“YOUR OPINION IS DEVISTATING AND JUDGEMENTAL AND QUITE DEVISIVE.”

“Who you are you to declare the Church Fathers ‘heretics’? ... Honestly, all I see when I read your writing is a man who claims to love Christ but is willfully separated from His Church by error. I am sorry to say this but you are outside the truth of Jesus Christ. Come home to the Catholic Church and come home to your Lord.”

“Thank you for the article written about Franklin Graham and his ecumenism. As a Catholic, I am very proud of his efforts to seek unity among Christians. I just pray that you might come to know the true teachings of the Catholic Church and not what you believe the Catholic Church to be.”

“The fundamentalist church is like an infant who has never learned to do anything other than nurse off of a book.”

“Well, if you think Sci-fi is the devil's work, I'm quitting Christianity.”

“Your statements about science are totally unfounded and quite often downright lies. There is more actual, real, evidence for the Theory of Evolution, than any other scientific theory. You (purposely?) distort what science is to allow you to believe that your old creation myths are actual fact. You place one chapter in a very old, totally undocumented story book over years of hard effort and study by thousands of dedicated scientists. ... Studies are showing that creationists and others who cling to delusional beliefs are impervious to reason and facts, so while this won't help you out of the mental morass you are in, it makes me feel better for having tried to help you. ... Here's another thing, atheists are not evil, we are not servants of the devil (especially since there is no devil) and our morals, yes we have morals, are based on doing what is right, because it's the right thing to do for all of humanity. Your morals are based on the rules of some imaginary god, imposed by the fear of ever-lasting torture. I feel equals measures of pity and disgust for your wrongheaded ideology that has trapped you in such a fantasy land. If you would stay there with your fantasies and stop trying to infect others with them, then we New Atheists would not have a problem with you.”

“I have read your review of Swindoll and I am bothered not by your criticism of areas of his quotes or involvement, but by your attitude of pride. ... I have had training in Greek grammar and exegesis and your judgmental attitude under the guise of your defense of righteousness is nauseating. ... ‘All Hail Bob Jones and the righteous Pharisees in their colonnade of whitewashed tombs.’ ... I had a steady diet of what you are promoting in a fundamental Baptist church and its subtle legalism where nothing you did was ever enough. ... Oh sure there are Baptists that are much more visibly abusive and legalistic, but it looks so much better when we appear as angels of light. What sins are you hiding David Cloud? ... Only upset with the self righteous bigots my Lord was upset with too. Come down off your high horse oh great one.”

“Are you blind, man? Deaf? Stupid? How exactly does your mythology differ from other mythologies other than the fact that there are more people who believe it? Even your Bible mentions other gods... ‘No other gods before me...’ Why would your own god recognize the existence of other gods if there were none?”

“I just happened upon your website and read your comments on science-fiction. How can you write such ill-informed, mendacious nonsense? You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourselves.”

“You guys are morons.”

“I suspect that you aren't interested in learning anything. Your mind is made up.”

“Science fiction? You are part of a trend toward making people stupid, thus easier to control.”

“Cloud, you are an evil, judgemental, legalist who God/Jesus/Or the Holy spirit wouldn't have on His team without major changes to your philosophy; You are a divider, not a uniter and are in danger of hell fire--you are no more a spiritual leader than Satan is--I am praying for your JUST demise. you should be ashamed of yourself AT LEAST, by using our Lord's name for such EVIL purposes. I hope God will save your ignorant soul, but destroy your evil ‘ministry’ QUICKLY before any further damage to the true Christian cause.”

“I can assure you that both Mother Teresa and Pope JP are before the throne asking God to show you mercy.”

“The only reason I continue to receive your emails is just to see who you will attack next. Most of the time I am humored, sometimes angered - this time angered because Bro. Sexton is a very good friend of mine.  I wonder who appointed you overseerer to expose all the ‘wrongs’ in the fundamental Baptist movement - I didn't get a vote. I am so glad that I ‘came out of the closet’ some years ago and broke the chains of the bitterness and hatred with the Sword crowd and others and now able to enjoy my liberty in Christ while reaching the world with the Gospel and making disciples.”

“I am deeply upset at the private letter you posted on your website to Dr Sexton. Thanks for shooting your own and not calling Pastor Sexton personally to get all of the facts. I guess you don't read Matthew 18 all that often.”

“I'm sure you will have the first seat in the kingdom,being such a flawless Baptist and all. I'm a christian first and a Baptist some where down the line. Not soon enough or separated just right to suit you I'm sure. Critical, judgmental men like you make many of us sorry we are Baptist. You  always sit in judgment of others and really have a bad spirit about you.  But I could be forgetting you
are the self appointed mouth piece for God. I think you might be a man who wants to be more than he is called to be or maybe you have been emasculated at home or in some other way.  I think you are a self righteous $#%@.”

“Hello Brother Separatist: Don’t limit Heaven for separatists like you.”

“Cloud like many of the Pharisees and Sadducees before him, fails miserably insofar as he appears to make written words equal to God and judges and writes without any semblance of charity.”