December 27, 2005 (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) –

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 MY PREACHING

“I want to thank you for the clear Bible teaching that you have shared on struggling with assurance of your salvation.  It helped me tremendously. I felt as if I was the one who had typed the letter to you. Doubting salvation is a great hindrance in the Christian life. Please keep up the work for the Lord Jesus.”

“Please keep me informed on any and all things you publish. I greatly appreciate your diligence to keep these issues of great importance before the church. I have little time to do much research myself, so I appreciate  the materials  you provide to keep me alert and up to date. I’m sure there are a lot of other guys trying to keep up the ministry that you are providing a great service to also, those you will be amazed to see in heaven thanking you also.”

“I really love your web site. There are some other good ones too, but I believe that yours is the best. Thanks so much for your ministry. It is very unique and very much needed!!”

“Recently one person got saved out of the 7 day Adventist movement thanks to the book ‘Avoiding the Snare of the Seventh Day Adventism.’ Praise God! I am thankful to Bro. Cloud for his ministry.”

“Thank you, sir, for your strong stand here. Jesus knows the tide is against those who are willing to do what you do in your preaching, and He will bring your reward in due time. God’s peace in Him.”

“May God bless you 10,000 times over for your faithful preaching of the truth. Finding your site on the internet has been the Lord's supply of my cry for the truth to be spoken.”

“Having subscribed to your daily newsletter nearly a year now and having been preaching in churches these past two months I am weary to see the decline of Baptist churches into new evangelicalism. Many are turning away from separated positions from the world and are incorporating into their churches the praise worship services which brings with it the worldly music and all. I fear for America. She is a country losing her core. Our once sound churches are doing just the same. I appreciate your ministry and intriguing thought provoking articles. Keep up the good fight.”

“Every day that I receive the FBNS newsletter is a day that offers a wonderful meal of instruction and information. I thank you for your service, and I thank God for equipping you for the service.”

“Bro Cloud I have used you Way of Life Encyclopedia, O Timothy Magazine, your preaching tapes, For Love of the Bible, and your News and Information services for the past 10 years and it’s among the best material I've ever used.  Please keep up the greatly need work that you do.”

“I appreciate the good work you are doing. It is a great benefit to me as a Pastor, which means that many things end up filtering down to the folks in our church.”

“Many thanks for your valuable three books on BIBLE VERSIONS Q&A, BIBLE VERSION HALL OF SHAME, and FAITH VS. MODERN VERSIONS. I have leafed through every page of these LONG books, and commend you on your many, many hours of laborious research and work on these needful subjects. May the Lord use these books and your other efforts to stand fast in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

“Greetings Brother Cloud, I have received your O Timothy, Vol. 22, Issue 9, 2005. Talk about putting the cat amongst the pigeons. Brother, you did a brave thing and a great service adding to our few voices of concern. You won't win a popularity contest but your stand for our LORD and His Word is noted. I am referring to your lead article on 'Quick Prayerism'. Wouldn't it be nice if we could get a copy to every Independent Baptist Church to rattle their chain? I wonder of pastors would read the magazine with an open and questioning heart? Anyhow brother, I just wanted to encourage you to keep up the good fight. You're welcome in our church anytime. We think of you and pray for you. By the way, I am reading your article during announcements at the services a section at a time. God’s people need to know and be warned.”

“Great Sermon [“Rome and Revelation 17”]! What a wonderful sermon that spoke deeply to my heart on the need in this last late hour to begin to row up stream and to stand for the truth of the Gospel and to Stand for The Lord Jesus Christ and to turn around and seek His face and His will in our lives in these last of last days.”

“I’ve listened to all of your online messages -- many of them several times. I find myself returning to them again for a dose of solid teaching in the midst of so much worldly pollution. Thank you and God bless you.”

“I just read your warning about the Pearl's ministry, and I want to thank you for your well written and well articulated article. I have had a check in my spirit for many years about some of the things that the Pearl’s teach. While I agree with the ‘basics’ (as it sounds as though you do also) some of their philosophies, and their interpretation of doctrine has always seemed ‘off’ to me. I am, however, not a Bible scholar, so I never really knew EXACTLY what it was that was incorrect. So, I wanted to thank you for your article, and I will pass the link to your website around to others that are ‘Pearl Followers.’ ... Thank you from a homeschooler.”

“Our men REALLY enjoy the O Timothy magazines you send us every month. They are a big blessing. I also have used your Advanced Bible Studies books as teaching materials to prepare one of our men for the ministry. I appreciate your clear, straightforward Biblical teaching, and the man that is working through the books is growing and learning by leaps and bounds! I showed your DVD on ‘Dangers of Contemporary Worship Music’ to the church last month. We took two Wed. night services to view it. I think it helped the people learn why they should not listen to this dangerous style of music.”

“I want to thank you for your informative newsletter. It has challenged me to be a more informed pastor. With your permission i would like to use some of newsletter information in our Sunday morning handout.”

“So good to have access to your timing writings. May the Lord continue to bless your faithful endeavors for Him. Your works are a tremendous resource guide and help, not only to us, but our national pastors, who are requesting your works for their own ministries.”

“Thanks again for your very helpful work on CCM.  Your videos on CCM, Southern Gospel and CCWM have been extremely helpful and I am encouraging others to watch them.  Thank for your hard work in research and the gracious, calm and Biblical way that you clearly express your studied convictions.”

“As a former Seventh-Day Adventist minister, I am greatly impressed and grateful for your accurate portrayal of contemporary Adventism. Indeed, you have hit the nail on the head. May God continue to abundantly bless your able ministries.”

“I, as well as many other members of my church, have enjoyed the Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible and Christianity. Our Young Men's Sunday School class has been ordering one a month to give to a different Missionary that we try to ‘focus on’ during that month.”

“Thanks again for all the help you have given to me and probably thousands of others who you might not know about. It's refreshing to see a ministry stand for the Word of God ... I want to particularly thank you for your work on repentance, I have become convicted on this issue with respect to evangelism in the churches in our area and I just ordered your book ‘Repentance Is More Than A Sinner's Prayer’ in hopes that sharing this topic with others will help curb this sinner's prayer epidemic going around. I also ordered the ‘Issues Facing the Churches’ series after listening to some of your messages on SermonAudio.com. Just about every topic you preach on is like a ‘hot potato’ in even most supposedly Fundamental Baptist churches, how much more so among the New Evangelical churches?”

“Awesome articles, thank you for your service to us all.”

“I know it has been some time since you wrote it, but I just read your article about professional sports. I wholeheartedly agree. I am often shocked at the unashamed exaltation of professional sporting events with no mention of the obvious disagreement with the teachings of the Lord that we claim to love and follow. ... I am a former sports maniac and athlete, but when confronted by the Scriptures, I had to lay aside these carnal ambitions as unnecessary weights. ... Can we honestly say that the use of sports promotes Christlikeness? I don't see how. May God open the eyes of this blind generation, myself included. I am ashamed when I consider the sacrifice of so many Christian brethren throughout history who chose cruel torture and death rather than compromise but a little; they cherished even a page of God's Holy Word (if they could even get that) and esteemed it as more necessary than their daily food. They gave their lives as living sacrifices unto Christ and were used of God to pass a priceless heritage unto us; what heritage are we leaving? Simple and unflinching Christlikeness, or worldliness cleverly cloaked in religious chatter? I appreciate your articles. Thank you for your insights. Press on, brother.”

“Thanks for Friday News Notes. I post it every week for our people to read.”

“Probably the best Fundamentalist preacher in the world! Everybody should give a listen! Thank you Brother Cloud for such great sermons. The Lord has really used your sermons to help our family. We also love O Timothy magazine.”

“Few men can stand up for truth like bro Cloud.”

“I want to thank you for all your articles. They are very informative, well researched and well written. In this day of gross apostasy we need people like you to sound the trumpet. It is very funny how you get labeled as hate filled, uncaring, lacking compassion, judgmental, plus all the name calling when you are standing for truth and trying to warn people.”

“Recently I received a copy of the Way of life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity, and have begun to actually read through it from cover to cover. And I'm enjoying it very much.”

“May the Lord use your efforts under His command in this Laodicean age of the blind leading the blind. Yours is a lighthouse on the rocky shoreline of storm surges.”

“Don't you DARE ‘soften’ one iota!!! There are too few out there strong enough to sound out the truth and the urgency that is now upon us! It's getting SO hard to find the ‘stern’ truth any more, and you're one of them. THANK YOU and keep it up as long as the Lord will allow!!!”

“We want to thank you for your stand in every area. We have been in a few meetings with you and have appreciated that fact that you are not intimidated by anyone except God and the Truth in His Word. We have often talked about how the church used to take this same stand and we are still going to stand on those very issues that you have spoken of.”

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

“Buddy, after reading your comments on brother Ruckman I can only say grow up, I guess the Lord was wrong too when he called people names "woe unto you scribes, pharisees, hypocrites incidentally a jack ass is a stubborn animal like any one who tries to correct the perfect Word of God by acting spiritual that they know greek or hebrew and are smarter than the common folk I believe they are called the nicolaitans Rev 6:2 start spending time wisely sounds like you have too much time on your hands.” [Note from Bro. Cloud: Ruckmanites are always good for a chuckle.]

“I was reading your web page and I will pray for you that your heart turn toward the love of Christ.  Repentance and celebrating the most holy of sacraments in partaking of His Body and Blood is and will for ever more be the most precious indescribable grace we can receive from our Lord. It was his command at the Last Supper. He won't be asking me in heaven whether I can quote a passage in the bible, there will be no tests. All I can bring to Him is Love that I shared with those around me and through prayer those I never met personally.”

“Your website seriously disturbs me, bordering on disgust! You would deny people access to Gods word with your ‘academic’ arrogance and your self-righteousness. Think long and hard about your motives and open your eyes, your minds and your hearts. I know writing this will have no impact and it is not something I am in the habit of doing, but some things just can’t go unsaid.” [Note from Brother Cloud. I replied to this man as follows: “I am very sorry to see that you are so deeply displeased with my preaching (via the articles at the Way of Life web site). I can assure you that there is no academic arrogance or self-righteousness here. Just the opposite, in fact, is true. I have no righteousness whatsoever and am constantly amazed that God would save me and even more that God would call me to preach. I am entirely and utterly unworthy on any hour of any day, but it is all of grace, of course. Thirty-two blessed years ago I was like the publican that Jesus described in Luke 18, who stood afar off and “would not lift so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner” (Lk. 18:13). The Bible says, “This man went down to his house justified...” I have the same hope, that God has put righteousness to my account as a free gift through the blood of Jesus Christ. Since the day I cried out to the Lord and was saved in a motel room in Daytona Beach, Florida, I have earnestly sought to please the Lord who saved me and to preach His Word faithfully. I have claimed John 7:17 and 8:31-32. If I have erred in some way, please tell me exactly what false thing I have preached and do not so cruelly and viciously judge my heart and motives, which you have no means of understanding. In Jesus Christ my Saviour, David Cloud.”]

“Your stance on women not having any place in the pulpit or ministry just shows the pride that your organization has and that is worse than the misinterpretation you have of scripture.” [Note from Brother Cloud: I have never said that women have no place in the ministry. I have only said what the Scriptures says, that they are not authorized to teach men or to usurp authority over men.]

“May you be Judged as harshly as you are Judging Mel Gibson. How Dare you condemn a Man that is bringing Glory To God and Christ. You should be praising the work and Directing your Humble selves before God in hopes he will forgive your treturous and scandalous behavior. May God Have Mercy on Your Souls.”

“I found this article [about Rick Warren] to be both judgmental and negative. Who are you do sit back and make such judgments just because you do not agree with him?  You should not sit in the Judgment seat..................I was very turned off by this article and so were many others.”

“You, my sweet deluded friend, are an idiot. Drums are not a Christian instrument, or a non-Christian instrument, or a demonic instrument, or a satanic instrument, because they are an inanimate object. ... People like you do nothing but hinder and pull down those who are trying to use their God-given talents and gifts for their chosen instrument to glorify God. I sincerely hope this article is some kind joke.”

“I hope that you don't really believe all of the tripe I read in your article attacking John Eldridge.  After reading the article it is easy (even for a weak one such as myself) to discern that you are one of the most arrogant, bitter and hard-hearted mariposas I have ever read.”

“In regard to the Calvinism debate, to put it mildly and gently, you have a bad understanding of theology if it could be called that!”

“I've just finished reading your, uh, essay? write-up? polemic? regarding C.S. Lewis. Thank Him that he loves you despite the fact that you write and reason like a jackass.  Your article is atrocious. You should be ashamed, but I'm quite sure you're not.”

“If Heaven is filled with the likes of you, then let me be first in line to the damnation of Hell you judgmental swine.”

“You undermine people’s faith and lives by your constant willful or unwillful misrepresentation of issues. It makes me sick to my stomach to see someone like you presenting this garbage, and that is exactly what it is.”

“Hi, I am a catholic and an episcopalian. ... Your articles sound angry. Please try to remember that if God has chosen all of us before the foundation of the world, He also knew that we weren't all going to be evangelical Christians.”

“I am just writing to express my feelings of anger toward your articles which appear to be very judgmental. ... Allow people to be different. God loves variety, remember?? Lovingly, and in the right-spirit. Signed, A CCM-loving, new-KJV-using, Olympic-watching, movie-going, pant-wearing, short-haired woman.”

A LITTLE FARTHER OUT

“I just read your article about drumming and christianity. I wanted to puke reading that. Drummers all over the world, a huge instrument in most every culture. ALL OF THEM SHOULD BURN IN HELL... right?” [I replied to this fellow and warned him not to choke on his puke, because he might just end up in eternal hell.]

“Subject: about the article of drums and christian music: Dear what ever you are! I just wonder how come that such sick people as you are still allowed to walk free and endanger the rest of society! YOU REALLY ARE MAD! and I hope your ------ organization will be forbidden one day!”

“You are a very frustrating person to read anymore. You double talk. If you cannot understand the one word REPENT than shut up. If you don’t, I will pray that God shuts it for you. People’s souls are at stake here! And you are adding confusion. Shut up now. False prophet preaching another fake gospel. That is all you are. Shut up! You are not as smart as you think you are.”

“Stop spreading your lie about what repent means. You are in a heap of trouble if you don’t repent! You’re a punk; I can’t stand you. You remind me of those stinking puritans. Why you’re a little puritan aren’t you. You are a stinking devil liar whose mouth must be stopped.”

“You people are some of the most phony religious hypocrites I have ever seen. You morons are worse than the taliban. Who are you to decide what is Christian music and what isn't. You are in a cult. All you people do is cite a bunch of vague Bible references to prove that God is against rock music. You are all brainwashed dullard's. You are some of the most pathetic childlike simians I have ever seen. Think for yourself instead of regurgitating bible verses. What a bunch of whacko’s. God laugh's at hypocrites like you.”

“Dear Mr. Cloud. You like all other supposed Christians are following doctrines of men. ... God saved the entire world and He is now waiting till all His enemies are put under His feet. ... You have followed your Baptist so called theologians head long into grievous error and are in danger of eternal damnation. ... You see Mr. Cloud God has saved the world but no one believes this because the church has taught that the whole world is NOT saved, and they need to get saved. ... This is the abomination of desolation that Daniel and Jesus spoke about.”