The following is another installment of the Friday Church News Notes designed especially for use in churches. It is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. For instructions on how to unsubscribe to this list or to change mailing addresses, please consult the information paragraph at the end.

POPE SAYS SALVATION IS BY WORKS AND MARY IS “HEAVEN’S GATE” (Friday Church News Notes, September 14, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - In his Sunday address on August 26, Pope Benedict XVI said that salvation is by works and Mary is “Heaven’s Gate.” Of salvation he said: “The path to the eternal life is open to all, but it is narrow because it’s demanding, asks for commitment, abnegation, and the mortification of selfishness. ... it is not on the basis of alleged privileges that we shall be judged but on the merit of our deeds. ... [Good works] is the ‘passport’ that will let us enter eternal life” (“All can enter eternal life, but the door is narrow,” Catholic News Agency, Aug. 27, 2007). Of Mary, the Pope said, “Christians call upon Her as Ianua Caeli, Heaven’s Gate.” In fact, salvation is a gift of God’s grace and Mary has nothing whatsoever to do with our salvation. The apostle Paul said: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10). Thus, salvation is a gift of God’s grace that was purchased by Jesus Christ and is received by faith. Good works follow after as the evidence and fruit of genuine salvation. To add works to God’s grace for salvation is to pervert the gospel and to bring upon oneself the curse of Galatians 1. “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:6-8).

ANOTHER CATHOLIC DIOCESE SETTLES CLERGY ABUSE CLAIMS (Friday Church News Notes, September 14, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The Roman Catholic diocese in San Diego, California, has agreed to pay $198 million to settle 144 claims of sexual abuse by its priests. This follows the announcement in July by the archdiocese of Los Angeles to pay $660 million to settle 508 cases. The total payout for sex abuse by the Roman Catholic Church in America is over $2 billion. A conservative Catholic organization documented this wretched business in the fall/winter 2002 issue of the magazine Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, observing: “… the overwhelming majority of sexual abuse cases in the Catholic Church--about 90%--involve homosexual priests preying on teenage boys. The major media and the U.S. culture at large want to deny or spin the homosexual factor out of the scandal.” We would also comment that the judicial system in America is nearly as corrupt as the child-abusing Catholic priests. If a religious “minister” of whatever brand is guilty of a heinous crime, he should be held liable and should pay for his crime, and if a fellow “clergyman” is found to have contributed to the crime by trying to cover it up, then he, too, should be accountable. But an entire group of churches should not face the threat of bankruptcy by greedy lawyers as the present system unjustly allows. The American judicial system is no longer about justice for those who have been wronged; it is about money, which it drains from every victim that falls into its uncaring clutches.

WORLDLY VIDEO GAMERS IN FUNDAMENTAL BAPTIST HOMES (Friday Church News Notes, September 14, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - I received the following note from a reader who saw the warning about addiction to video games in a recent issue of the Friday Church News Notes: “I am writing with a heavy heart. Your Church Notes on the video and computer games is true. I haven’t experienced it firsthand but I see video games and movies have taken over the children’s lives in my church. Our preacher preaches against it all and sets the best example. As a matter of fact, when we travel, we haven’t found a better church than ours. I just have seen so much TV and video games creep into homes and then it gets uncontrollable. The moms say they allow this in their homes because they don’t want to let their children out into the world and they don’t want them to be bored. [Note from Brother Cloud: How reasonable is it to bring the world into the home in the name of keeping kids out of the world?] The sad thing is that it overtakes their lives and I am observing that when the children are getting into their teens and even 18, 19, 20, 21 etc., they are even deeper into the video games. Yes, 21-year-olds spending every free second playing X Box, Play Station, Nintendo, etc.  These same children when it comes to the church services, don’t sing hymns, sit on the back pew, and don’t seem to care much about the things of God. They get up several times during the preaching service to get a drink of water. It’s so sad.”

RUSSIAN BEAR RE-ARMING (Friday Church News Notes, September 14, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Russia is engaging in a bit of saber rattling these days, and its defense minister has announced an eight-year $200 billion military upgrade. Defense spending had already quadrupled since Putin came to Power in 2000 (“Russian bombers launch missiles over Arctic,” London Telegraph, Sept. 4, 2007). Putin announced last month that the nation was resuming long-range bomber patrols for the first time since the 1970s. None of this is surprising in light of Bible prophecy. According to Ezekiel 38-39 a military alliance led by Gog and Magog will attack Israel, and there are five reasons why we are convinced that Russia will be at the head of this misguided venture. First, many Bible scholars believe that Gog and Magog points to Russia. Second, the location of this military power points to Russia. Ezekiel emphasizes that it lies to the north of Israel (Ezek. 38:6, 15; 39:2). Third, the alliance points to Russia (Ezek. 38:4-6). Gomer refers to eastern European countries (Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Poland) and Togarmah refers to western Asian countries (Armenia, Turkey). The Bible says that these historic allies and satellites of Russia will again align themselves with her. Fourth, the equipment points to Russia (Ezek. 38:7). We are told that Israel’s northern enemy is a great provider of war materiel, and Russia is one of the world’s most prominent manufacturers of military armament and has long supplied Israel’s enemies (such as Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Iran). Fifth, the hatred of Israel points to Russia. Of the great world powers today, none have expressed as much hatred toward God and Israel as Russia. One of the chief propaganda cries of Russian communism was “Zionism is Racism.” When Israel penetrated the Sinai Peninsula in 1956 to force Egypt to allow its ships free movement, Russia threatened her with annihilation (Moshe Dayan, Diary of the Sinai Campaign, 1966, p. 185). The July 30, 2002 issue of Pravda, Russia’s official government newspaper, featured the article “Explosion of Anti-Semitism in Russia.”

NEARLY HALF OF BRITISH MOSQUES ARE “HARDLINE” (Friday Church News Notes, September 14, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Hardline Takeover of British Mosques Undefined,” The Times, London, September 7, 2007: “Almost half of Britain’s mosques are under the control of a hardline Islamic sect whose leading preacher loathes Western values and has called on Muslims to ‘shed blood’ for Allah, an investigation by The Times has found. Riyadh ul Haq, who supports armed jihad and preaches contempt for Jews, Christians and Hindus, is in line to become the spiritual leader of the Deobandi sect in Britain. The ultra-conservative movement, which gave birth to the Taleban in Afghanistan, now runs more than 600 of Britain’s 1,350 mosques, according to a police report seen by The Times. The Times investigation casts serious doubts on government statements that foreign preachers are to blame for spreading the creed of radical Islam in Britain’s mosques and its policy of encouraging the recruitment of more ‘home-grown’ preachers. Mr ul Haq, 36, was educated and trained at an Islamic seminary in Britain and is part of a new generation of British imams who share a similar radical agenda. He heaps scorn on any Muslims who say they are ‘proud to be British’ and argues that friendship with a Jew or a Christian makes ‘a mockery of Allah’s religion.’ Seventeen of Britain’s 26 Islamic seminaries are run by Deobandis and they produce 80 per cent of home-trained Muslim clerics.”

GUESSING PRESENTED AS SCIENCE (Friday Church News Notes, September 14, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - A Reuters article on September 5 was titled “Distant Space Collision Meant Doom for Dinosaurs.” From the title one would assume that the article provides proof of such a thing, but there is no proof, only guessing. The article begins like this: “A collision 160 million years ago of two asteroids orbiting between Mars and Jupiter sent many big rock chunks hurtling toward Earth, including the one that zapped the dinosaurs, scientists said on Wednesday.” Again, we have what appears to be a statement of fact, but when we continue reading we find that the facts are non-existent. Consider the following key phrases: “... MANY SCIENTISTS BELIEVE ... The impact is THOUGHT TO HAVE triggered ... are THOUGHT TO BE leftovers ... along with PROBABLY Mars and Venus ... The collision is BELIEVED TO HAVE ... THOUGHT TO HAVE ... ESTIMATED ... PROBABILITY. ... IT’S HARD TO SAY.” Now there’s some solid science for you! In fact, the whole thing is based on computer simulations, and in a computer simulation of something allegedly occurring 165 million year ago, what you have is “garbage in garbage out.” And these people actually have the gall to mock Bible believers as unscientific.

STUDY FINDS THAT ROCK STARS MORE LIKELY TO DIE YOUNG (Friday Church News Notes, September 14, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - A study of British and North American rock stars has found that they are two to three times more likely to die prematurely than the general population. The study of more than 1,000 musicians was done by the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University. More than a quarter of the deaths were related to drugs or alcoholic abuse (“Rock stars more likely to die prematurely,” Reuters, Sept. 3, 2007). There is no surprise here, of course. I have collected the names and information on almost 1,600 rockers who have died young. The rock & roll lifestyle is deadly because it is in open rebellion against the God of the Bible and His absolute laws of right and wrong. It promotes the philosophy of license. If it feels good, do it. Down with restraint; down with law. Though the rock & roll crowd rejects the Word of God, it cannot escape His law. The Bible warns: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7-8). Rock and roll has sown to the flesh and it has reaped corruption and death. It has mocked God-ordained authority and has suffered the curse of God. What a blessing it was 34 years ago to be delivered from the bondage of rock & roll to the eternal liberty that is found in Jesus Christ.

ANCIENT ESCAPE TUNNEL FOUND IN JERUSALEM (Friday Church News Notes, September 14, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - In late August an escape tunnel mentioned by Josephus was found by Jewish archaeologists who were searching for ancient Jerusalem’s main road. In “The War of the Jews” Josephus, a first century historian, wrote that many Jews took shelter in the drainage channel when the Roman armies were destroying the city and the Jewish temple in 70 A.D., and they eventually fled Jerusalem through its southern end. The walls of the large tunnel reach a height of 10 feet in some places. So far it has been uncovered for a length of 100 yards under the direction of Ronny Reich of the University of Haifa and Eli Shukron of the Israeli Antiquities Authority (“Ancient Escape Tunnel,” AP, Sept. 9, 2007). Pottery shards, vessel fragments and coins from the Second Temple period were discovered inside the channel. Reich estimates the total length of the channel to be more than a half mile, stretching from the Temple Mount in the north to Shiloah Pool at Jerusalem’s southern end. In recent years the doctrine of Temple Denial has spread rapidly among Muslims in the Middle East. According to this brazen doctrine a Jewish temple never existed in Jerusalem, but the recent discovery authenticates Josephus’ account of the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. and is just one more of many historical proofs of the existence of the temple. (See http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/temple-denial-vs-archaeology.html/) Earlier this year a team of archaeologists under the direction of Ehud Netzer found the tomb of Herod the Great by following the description given by Josephus.

CONCLUSION: Friends in Christ, do not be discouraged by any of this. It is God’s will that we know the times (1 Ch. 12:32; Mat. 16:3) and that we be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. These things remind us that the hour is very late, and we need to be ready for the coming of the Lord. Are you sure that you are born again? Are you living for Christ day by day? “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Rom. 13:11-14).