The following is another installment of the Friday Church News Notes:

CHEVROLET, A SECULAR CORPORATION THAT SERVES THE GOD OF THIS WORLD, SPONSORS WORSHIP OF THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD. Friday Church News Notes, November 1, 2002 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - Chevrolet is sponsoring the Michael W. Smith worship tour that starts next week in Atlanta. We know what motivates Chevrolet to sponsor contemporary Christian worship, and it is the same thing that motivates Smith to accept their sponsorship. One would think that Smith, one of the biggest names in Contemporary Christian Music, makes enough money on his own without having to seek the world's sponsorship. The Bible warns about being yoked together with unbelievers, but the CCM crowd blatantly disobeys God's Word in this and many other areas.

WASHINGTON-AREA SNIPER ASSOCIATED WITH BLACK RACIST GROUPS. Friday Church News Notes, November 1, 2002 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - John Allen Muhammad, who has been indicted in the Washington-area sniper murders, has a close association with black racist groups, which might have fed his hatred with their virulent words. Muhammad is a member of the National of Islam, the racist group led by Louis Farrakhan. The notes left at recent Washington-area crime scenes also indicate a possible association with the Five Percent Nation of Gods and Earths, which split off from the Nation of Islam in 1964. The "Five Percenters," as members are called, believe that 85% of the people on earth are blind and ignorant followers and another 10% are the leaders of the blind multitudes. The remaining 5% are the supposed enlightened ones who must wage war against the 10% for control. Thus the Five Percent Nation of Gods promotes violent race wars. Black male "Five Percenters" consider themselves "Gods," and two of the letters and cards left at the crime scenes refer to the sniper as "God." Many of the popular rappers promote the Five Percent Nation philosophy of racial violence in their music. These include Da Lench Mob, Wu-Tang Clan, Sunz of Man, Killarmy, RBX, Ice Cube, Professor Griff, Gravediggaz, Onyx, The Terrorists, Band Nubian, Menace Clan, and Busta Rhymes. For example, in the "song" Goin Bananas, Da Lench Mob raps: "We're having thoughts of overthrowing the government &Mac183; it's open season on crackers [white people], you know; the morgue will be full of Caucasian John Does &Mac183; oh my god, Allah, have mercy; I'm killing them devils because they're not worthy to walk the earth with the original black man &Mac183; I won't rest until they're all dead" ("Goin' Bananas" by Da Lench Mob).

RUSSIA RANKS SECOND IN NUMBER OF ABORTIONS. Friday Church News Notes, November 1, 2002 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The following is from The Times Union, Jacksonville, Florida, Oct. 19, 2002: "About 60 percent of all pregnancies in Russia end in abortion and another 10 percent of pregnant women lose unborn children because of health problems, the nation's chief gynecologist said yesterday. Russia ranks second in the world behind Romania in the number of abortions per capita, Vladimir Kulakov, the head of the Scientific Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, said at a news conference. Girls in Russia under 18 account for every 10th abortion, he said. Doctors say the use of contraception is less widespread in Russia than in the West."

BELIEVERS ARRESTED IN BHUTAN. Friday Church News Notes, November 1, 2002 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - According to the GFA News, 40 believers were arrested and tortured in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan in September. Bhutan, which has never been officially open to the gospel, is largely Buddhist and the number of Christians is very small. It is located east of the troubled country of Nepal and is separated from Nepal by the kingdom of Sikkim, which today is a part of India.

CALIFORNIA CONTROLLED BY POLITICAL LIBERALS. Friday Church News Notes, November 1, 2002 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The following is from Calvary Contender, October 2002: "California is a sad example of what happens when liberals take over a state. It leads the nation in enshrining homosexual behavior in law. It is now state law that: (1) All K-12 schoolchildren must be taught to 'appreciate' various sexual orientations. (2) Public-school teachers and counselors must identify children with the potential to be 'intolerant' of homosexuality--and refer them for retraining. (3) School sports teams that object to homosexual or transsexual behavior may be barred&Mac183;. (4) All taxpayers must fund marriage-equivalent benefits for homosexual partners of state employees. (5) Nonprofit groups (e.g., Boy Scouts) that refuse to hire homosexuals may be fined up to $150,000 per incident. 6) A person's gender is whatever he or she says it is, regardless of biology (8/31 World). Liberals attack religious freedom. A current bill would prohibit Christian contractors who object to homosexuality from bidding on state projects. Another would require all foster parents (many are Christians) to undergo homosexual 'sensitivity training.'"

FORMATION OF WORLD CHURCH. Friday Church News Notes, November 1, 2002 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The following is from Calvary Contender, November 2002: "Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal and Evangelical church leaders have met twice for conversations and are planning a third meeting in January 2003. The 34 church leaders issued a statement entitled An Invitation to a Journey, describing how 'we see a vision of a new life together.' This vision 'has led us to provisionally call ourselves Christian Churches Together in the USA because we long for greater unity.' Dr. Bob Edgar, NCC General Secretary, urged Executive Board members to share An Invitation to a Journey broadly within their member communions. 'This is an important moment for coming together, and for talking about a new something that would be broader and deeper' (Proclaiming the Gospel). The Bible teaches there will be an end-time world church, but it will be led by the Antichrist."