Friday, December 22, 2000 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The following is another installment of the Fundamental Baptist Information Service Friday News Notes:

CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT GROWING IN SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION. Friday News Notes, December 22, 2000 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The Charismatic movement continues to grow within the Southern Baptist Convention. We warned about this in the article ãCharismatic Southern Baptistsä (updated June 28, 2000). Recently we obtained a book entitled Bull in a China Shop by Gary Folds, subtitled ãA Baptist Pastor Runs into God in Toronto.ä When he wrote the book in 1995, Folds pastored the Second Baptist Church of Macon, Georgia. (He has since moved to First Baptist Church, Belle Glade, Florida.) He promotes the unscriptural phenomena, such as uncontrollable laughter and ãspirit slaying,ä that he experienced at the Toronto Airport Church in Ontario. Following is how he described the meetings: ãSome people would simply lay on the floor as though they were sleeping · Others would writhe in what appeared to be anguish, pain, or possibly agony. Some would twitch, while othersÊ shook, and some would even have convulsive-type jerking. Many would cry, while an even greater number would laugh · Many of them would laugh for an hour or longer. One night I saw people laugh for almost two and a half hours.ä Beware of the Charismatic movement and of those who do not take a clear stand against it. If it is not according to the Bible, it is not truth.

EUROPEAN UNION EXPANDING IN SIZE AND POWER. Friday News Notes, December 22, 2000 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The European Union is attempting to expand both its size and its power. If ongoing negotiations are successful, the Union will grow to 27 member nations (currently there are 15) in the year 2004. It will also extend its authority by doing away with national vetoes. Franceâs minister on the European Commission said that each member nation must give ground in the current negotiations, ãeven on the most essential issues of national interestä (Chicago Tribune, Dec. 10, 2000, p. A25).

THE POSITIVE BIBLE. Friday News Notes, December 22, 2000 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The false philosophy of a positive-only Christianity has so permeated the thinking of people that we now have ãThe Positive Bible.ä Compiled by Kenneth Caine, it was published in 1998 by Avon Books of New York. I would estimate that The Positive Bible omits roughly 75% of the Scriptures. Yet in the introduction, the author claims to include ãevery empowering, uplifting, helpful, hopeful, inspiring, and faith-building verse, from Genesis to Revelation.ä This implies, of course, that the rest of the Bible is not those things. What audacity! Who is man to imply that Godâs Holy Word is not empowering, uplifting, and inspiring THROUGHOUT! It is just such a positive-only philosophy which lies at the very heart of New Evangelicalism. The fact is that the truth is not entirely ãpositive.ä The bad news prepares the way for the good news. God is both loving and holy. Though there are many ãnegativeä things in the Scriptures, man needs every word of it. ãIt is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of Godä (Matt. 4:4).

BAPTIST WORLD ALLIANCE SAYS ECUMENISM MORE IMPORTANT THAN DOCTRINE. Friday News Notes, December 22, 2000 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) held its Annual General Council in Havana, Cuba, last July, and its leaders boldly stated that evangelism is more important than doctrine and faithfulness to the truth. Outgoing BWA President Nilson Fanini stated in an interview that ãtheology sometimes divides us, but evangelism and missions bring us all together.ä Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee president Morris H. Chapman stated that missions and evangelism are priorities even for Baptists who differ on such issues as female pastors. ãSome theological differences should not prevent us from ministering to a lost world,ä Morris stated. As a member of the Baptist World Alliance, the Southern Baptist Convention is ecumenical yoked together with modernistic denominations such as the American Baptist Churches USA and the Baptist Union of Great Britain.

CHINA DESTROYING CHURCHES. Friday News Notes, December 22, 2000 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - More than 1,000 temples, churches, and ancestral halls in Zhejiang province in China have been shut down since November, and more than 400 buildings have been demolished. State-run newspapers published photos of workers destroying ãillegal religious centers.ä Though China claims that it allows religious liberty, it is a sham. In reality, it allows only state-controlled religion. To be legal, churches in China must be registered with the government and must submit themselves to draconian and unscriptural regulations. They cannot evangelize; cannot operate Sunday schools; cannot affiliate with foreigners; their preaching must be approved by the government. Communism has always been an enemy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

DOBSON AND COLSON VISIT THE POPE. Friday News Notes, December 22, 2000 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - James Dobson and Chuck Colson participated in a conference at the Vatican in late November, and shook hands with the Pope. Dobson said that ãwith regard to moral issues from abortion to premarital sex, safe-sex ideology, and homosexuality, I find more in common with Catholics than with some of my evangelical brothers and sisters.ä Dobson spoke at the Pontifical Council for the Family, which was founded by Pope John Paul II in 1981. Of his fellowship at the Vatican, Dobson said: ãI felt very comfortable with my new Catholic friends. It was hard for me to leaveä (Rocky Mountain News, Dec. 17, 2000). The Bible demands separation from false teachers (Rom. 16:17, etc.), and it is never right to disobey the Bible in order to do good. Further, Godâs curse is upon those who preach a false gospel (Galatians 1), and it is foolish to think that Godâs blessing can come from yoking together with those He has cursed.

EGYPT FORBIDS DAVID AND GOLIATH MUSIC CASSETTE. Friday News Notes, December 22, 2000 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The Egyptian Audiovisual Censorship Authority has forbade the production of a childrenâs music cassette containing a song based on the Bible account of David and Goliath. The censor determined that in light of current violence in the Middle East (which the Islamic countries are blaming on Israel), the story ãshows Israel in too positive a light.ä Though Israel as a nation remains in spiritual blindness and rebellion, she is also still Godâs nation and His covenant and promises will be fulfilled in her in the fullness of time (Romans 9:25-29). Egypt can ignore Godâs choice of Israel for now, but the time will come when it will recognize and accept it (Isaiah 19:17-25).