LETTERS FROM PROMISE KEEPERS SUPPORTERS

LETTERS FROM PROMISE KEEPERS SUPPORTERS

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October 15, 1997 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - It has been a year or so since I last published some of the letters I regularly receive from Promise Keepers supporters. They are always entertaining and very enlightening. If for no other reason, I would reject Promise Keepers based on the type of people who support it!

They all tell me not to be judgmental, but they don't mind judging me! I can hear the sound of the hiss behind these communications -- the sound of the old Devil calling together his end-time religious Harlot. Be sober and vigilant, Brethren. The hour is very late and the days are very evil. Men and women who once stood for the Truth are heeding the call of the ecumenical siren. It is so easy to be ecumenical. It is popular. It saves one from a lot of trouble. It allows one to avoid being labeled a Pharisee and a legalist and a hatemonger. It opens many opportunities for "church growth" because you don't have to worry so much about faithfulness to every detail of the Word of God and you are free to give the people what they want instead of what God wants them to have and you can tell them what they want to hear instead of what God wants them to hear and you can give them freedom to do what they want instead of demanding that they do what God wants. The ecumenical route is so easy.

The last-days ecumenical spirit is like a broad river running swiftly toward Rome. If one does not aggressively and continually paddle upstream, he will be swept along with the flow. This is happening to large numbers of men before our very eyes. Consider Billy Graham, who once preached the Word of God boldly, and stood against Romanism and Communism and Modernism and other isms which are leading men to eternal Hell, but today he is an ecumenical pacifist who seeks the Pope's counsel and turns converts over to the Roman Catholic Church. Consider Jack Van Impe, who once preached boldly against sin and error and apostasy, but today he publishes videos praising the Pope and describing him as a hero of the faith. Consider Jerry Falwell, who once was a bold preacher of the Word of God, a separatist, a Fundamentalist Bible-believing Baptist, but today he yokes together with the most radical charismatics, with women preachers, with New Evangelicalism's greatest compromisers, and with Romanists and with others who disobey the Word of God and who lead souls astray with their false teaching. Beware, preachers. What has happened to these men can happen to you, and it can happen to me.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

Now to the letters from the Promise Keepers supporters. It is the pastors of ecumenical churches who have the greatest responsibility for allowing people to be as biblically ignorant as the following people are --

"Yes, PK is a non-denominational movement that involves men of many different church backgrounds coming together for a conference of Christian values. PK does NOT emphasize any particular denomination, of which I totally agree leaves us with an incomplete Gospel teaching. However, what IS a complete Gospel? Isn't every sermon preached in some way 'heresy,' in that we don't share every bit of the Gospel... only the selected parts for that particular message? ... Finally, are you SURE that what you believe in is the 'correct' theology? Can you honestly say that the way you have interpreted the Scriptures is without fault, and that you completely understand the mysteries of God? If you can honestly answer 'yes' to that question, I would challenge you to honestly evaluate whether or not you are God. In my opinion (and I would believe God's too, based on Genesis 1-3), we are not Gods and to think that we can understand things like God does is not only arrogant but also sinful (just check out Satan's lie to Adam and Eve, eh?) So, if we are not God, then we cannot possible understand God. Which leaves room for us to be wrong. Which also leaves room for us to do our best to interpret the Scriptures, with the understanding that the occasional grey area might come up and we might disagree. ... Just some thoughts... but I could be wrong. :-)." [NOTE FROM BROTHER CLOUD: This man is the pastor of a Wesleyan church in Michigan. He is leading others in spiritual matters. God has given us His Word so we can know Him and His truth, and He has given us His Spirit whereby we can understand His Word, but this man thinks it is arrogant to believe one can understand the Word of God. Timothy was instructed thusly: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:2); but this pastor, this Promise Keeper, believes this is impossible. Further, he thinks every sermon preaches some heresy because it doesn't include all of the Gospel. Wow! We wonder what this very confused man thinks the Gospel is. It reminds me of something the charismatic preacher Reinhold Bonnke said at the North American Congress on the Holy Spirit & World Evangelization, in New Orleans, in July 1987. He said the Gospel cannot be put in a nutshell. Men say things like that because they have a confused, complicated man-made gospel. Bonnke is wrong. The Holy Spirit put the blessed Gospel in a nutshell in many Bible passages, including John 3:16; Acts 16:30-31; Romans 3:23-24; and 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. By the way, there is no baptism--and there certainly are no infants--in any of these Gospel nutshells.]

"Get out of your spiritual cocoon and learn the true meaning of true Christianity. We pray for your spiritual vision to be cleared."

"It is sad to see the spiteful way that you write about Promise Keepers and the Vineyard Church. I see nothing but poison in your pen. Promise Keepers seeks to have all racial and denominational conflict resolved through Jesus Christ. You are promoting further and deeper denominational strife, and not at all in the name of Jesus."

"What is your problem, brother? Did you or did you not see what happened Saturday in DC? ... The opposition from NOW and gay and lesbian organizations is a sign that it was a divine appointment. Why must good Christian men like you and Phil Arms use your platform and ministry to join the opposition. I don't understand."

"You have such a problem with Catholics attending promise keepers I hope they don't attend your church they might saved. That's what is happening at PK. Evangelism you should try it. You know the great Commission. If you have time in between bashing sessions or tearing down the body of Christ. Get real, Get in love with Jesus."

"You guys are NUTS. To think that the only way to be saved is by being baptist, and that Catholics are wrong is just plain crazy. You really should attend a Promise Keeper event and allow it to change your life. The holy spirit moves in strange and mysterious ways. He just might even be able to help you out of your narrow view point."

"I think you need to study your bible. God does not want members of His body to be divided and warns against people like you who seek factions. Promise Keepers runs against this blind Pharisee-like view. Did Christ come for the lost or for the prideful? Is your purpose to elevate Christ? or to bring others down? Although I am no defender of the catholic church, I do find it odd that Baptists like yourself are so opposed to this church, as you are so alike in many ways. You are the One True Church, possessing the Authorized Word, and maintain a class of priests to interpret God's word for the masses. This is true."

"I guess that because I don't believe in a single word you have said about Promise Keepers, I am not up to your standards. ... When you give your heart to the Lord and live a CHRISTIAN LIFE , then it doesn't really matter about the small difference in the doctrine of Christianity. It is groups like yours that are trying to break up what being a true Christian. I had read the material you put out and am sorry for you. You should put your spirit into the Holy Spirit hands and your WORLDLY FLESH into the hands of the devil."

"I believe you are mistaken and distort Promise Keeper's message and the bible. I don't have the time to go into all your points, but one point I would like to write you about is unity. I, like yourself believed Cath's were not saved and if they became saved they wouldn't stay Caths very long. That was until I met a member of a Cath church. I met this guy reading the bible in a coffee shop and asked if he was a Christian?? He said yes and we talked for a long time. We met for a year everyday for coffee and talked about nothing other than God and what he was doing in our lives. We talked about leading others to Christ and living our lives for him. It wasn't until a couple of months later that I discovered he was Cath. This man, I believe, so loved the Lord Jesus. This opened my eyes. I believe religions and organizations such as yours does a great disservice to the world. I live in Panama with the military and there is a church that holds the same views as yours. They believe they are the only ones saved and that all other religions are destined for hell. They take great delight in letting others know that."

"This is in reference to your THE ROMAN CATHOLIC-PROMISE KEEPER CONNECTION: THE ART OF DOUBLESPEAK. I found it exceedingly amusing and especially ignorant of scripture in the last paragraph. Please tell me where in the bible it says that 'Salvation is through faith ALONE by grace ALONE as a gift ALONE ENTIRELY WITHOUT WORKS!' As a Roman Catholic who peruses the bible on frequent occasions I've never come across any passages that say what you stated. ... As I said, you have not convinced me of your wisdom of the bible, God, or Promise Keepers and the Roman Catholic Church. But I am convinced of your hatred of the Catholic faith, which is un-christian, and un-biblical."

"I have come to believe that you, sir, are a legalist. You apparently feel that no one, save yourself, has any wisdom, guidance or direction from our Lord. It is obvious that you know NOT the GRACE of our precious Lord and Savior Jesus. Have you nothing good or edifying to say about anyone or anything?"

"As an 'Ambassador' for the ministry of Promise Keepers, I am disturbed that your magazine would take such a negative view point of a movement that has not only been a glorification of God's word, but a positive attempt to correct the wrongs of the American society. ... What is wrong with racial unity, what is wrong with denominational unity. Yes there are doctrinal differences, but should we separate ourselves because of them or should we continue to reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ?"

"It is most unfortunate to read about your criticism towards the Promise Keepers Movement and those associated with it, as well as those of the Catholic Faith. Obviously you are operating from a well-grounded faith based on ignorance and not the love of Christ or the grace of God. Therefore, to attempt any dialogue founded on sound theology would likely be futile and a waste of time on my part. Yet, it is wonderful that grace is still extended to the pharisees of every age. Please try to just love and quit attempting to pick splinters out of others eyes while obviously the log remains in your own."