August 9, 2001 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org) - From time to time I publish some of the goodies from my interesting mail box, and many people have told me that they enjoy reading these things. Following are some items from the last couple of weeks:


THE GOOD

“Your ministry has been a blessing to our church family. We are always excited to read the new snippets from your Friday Church News Notes, as it has become a regular part of our Sunday bulletin inserts. The Lord deserves all our praises, honor and glory for giving you and all your staff at Way of Life Literature, the opportunity to accomplish His tasks.”

“A significant amount of the data provided has been both encouraging and useful in my pastorate.”

“I do pray for you and your ministry. I forward your email to my Christian friends, most of them are Chinese and some of them have positive replies. The ministry that you are doing now is a lonely one unlike the compromised gang.”

“I have been subscribing to your O Timothy letter for some time and also have your website in my ‘favorites’ for research and information on the apostasy that has permeated the church. I do so appreciate your balanced and I believe correct interpretation of the Bible as well as your insight as to what the Lord would have us be concerned with in these end times.”

“I try to pray for you and your ministry every day although during a week’s time I may miss once or twice. Your ministry is SO NEEDED today. I have always wondered why Christians will subscribe to every secular periodical imaginable but will not try what is going on in our churches, who’s not preaching the whole counsel of God, what’s wrong with popular movements (Promise Keepers), books (Prayer of Jabez), movies/ videos/ books (Left Behind series), ad infinitum. I appreciated your article sometime ago on professional sports.”

“I believe you are filling a very important gap with your ministry. Thank you for your faithfulness.”

“I have been a frequent visitor to wayoflife.org for several years. I once wrote you concerning your stand on repentance. Even then, I had already concluded, in my heart, that the manipulative/easy/quick prayerism methods of most fundamentalists were wrong. Your articles helped clear away some more of the fog. For that I am still grateful. It is slow going, but even the pastor and our soul winning director have seen much truth about repentance. . . . Thanks for being bold enough to print what needs to be said sometimes.”

“I am 16. I am an independent Baptist preacher and I preach 2 times a month. Good for your stand against Rock music. Remember there is no such thing as Christian rock.”

“Sir as an animal WELFARE inspector I find your mail re: animal rights to be very welcome.”

“We have always greatly appreciated your bold stand for modesty in apparel and longer hair on women.”


THE BAD

“It appears from the photo of your face that you are completely lacking in humility, and feel yourself to be, as the expression goes, ‘God’s gift.’ How can I take anything that follows this window into your soul seriously?”

“I just read your article titled ‘Beware of Christian Rock’ and I felt terrible that you would try to bring down such a great band, such a great outreach to the lost people. . . . The truth is, this is not about the lyrics, it’s not the lyrics or the people you dislike so much, it’s the music. It’s hard, it’s labeled as evil by the earlier generations. . . . Jesus was the original rebel. . . . You have to dive into the river to get the rocks, you have to step into the world to reach the worldly.”

“How can you speak of apostasy when you are offshoots of a heretical movement begun by Simon Mennon? How can you dare to name Cardinal Martini, an intellectually and spiritually gifted man, heir to St. Amborse’s chair, an apostate? And what about the Evangelical gentleman named Bruce Metzger, who has been a world leading authority on the Bible, sort of like the Billy Graham of Evangelical Bible scholars? You probably named these two great CHRISTIAN leaders apostates because you certainly lack this kind of spirituality and scholarship in your communities, which are usually anti-intellectual, close-minded fundamentalist sects. I will pray for you guys so that the Lord guide you into the straight and narrow path of true Christian Orthodoxy.”

“God has not yet been captured in anyone’s theological box. I came to Christ through the words and music of CCM, worked in youth ministry for 18 years using CCM as a tool, and your writer is misled in his beliefs about the ministry. . . . But God speaks through different venues to different people, and used different language. . . . CCM is a music medium for a message. Some are right on target, some may not be. But do not DARE paint with such a broad brush as to say it is ALL bad. You degrade the tool God used to bring me to Christ. I don’t think he would be pleased with that.”

“You article on Chuck Swindoll is a crock of ----! (please note that this is the biblical word ‘skubala’ [see Philippians 3:8]) Jesus’ prayer in John 17 focuses on the unity of the church. You have taken such a narrow view of orthodox doctrine, that the rest of us will have to tiptoe around you in heaven, because you will still be thinking that you are the only one going there.”

“I was deeply disturbed at the maliciousness of many of the articles on your website. I am praying that God will grant you a spirit of grace and love.”

“I agree with you on most issues but, I believe your repetitious and constant bombardment of any version of the Bible except for the King James version is ‘vain babbling.’”

“I recently read this on one of your ‘c-rock will send you to hell’ sites: ‘The lyrics to the following song DEMONSTRATE THE NON-JUDGMENTAL, anti-fundamentalist philosophy of the Supertones...’ Now, might I ask you a question, does it, or does it not clearly state in the Bible ‘judge not, lest ye be judged’? It sounds to me as if whoever wrote that article is criticizing the Supertones for following the Word of God himself. They obey Jesus, you mock them. Congratulations for blaspheming the Word of God and ensuring your space in the blackest abyss of hell.”


THE UGLY

“Molten lead will poured down your throat by demons when you are in Hell. God hates liars. All heretics hate the True Church.”

“Wow!!! I think that your articles about Jack Hyles are GREAT!!! Except for all of the text in there... You see, there is an air of jealousy clouding your web pages. If you could patent however it is you got that air of hate to transmit over the internet, I’m sure that you could make some extra cash. ... ah, and that’s MR. Dr. Jack Hyles, to you, bub! . . . I don’t know why you insist on tearing down such an awesome achievement, but then, I don’t know why you are a moron, either. The truth be known, your viewpoint sounded like one from a genetic defect. Face it, you were an accident!!! They should have aborted you... one step better, they should have aborted your mom!!! Just how BIG is your mom, anyway?!? ....(in Jesus name, of course!) And what’s with the ‘repentence’ bit? . . . Acts is a great book!!! But don’t’cha think it’s about time to move on? In Romans (not Acts) 10:9 we find (again) how to get that free ticket to heaven... ‘Cmon, man! What does God know about salvation? Didn’t He visit the ‘Cloudy’ web site and know that we have to add repentance on top of what Jesus did. . . . With all christian malace and hate... I remain dis-respectfully yours, cloudy!!!”