Friday Church News Notes
Volume 21, Issue 22 - May 29, 2020
The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, though this does not imply an endorsement.
Jon Steingard of Hawk Nelson
ANOTHER CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP MUSICIAN DECLARES ATHEISM (Friday Church News Notes, May 29, 2020, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Jon Steingard of the Christian rock band Hawk Nelson has declared on Instagram that he no longer believes in God. This follows a similar statement in August 2019 by Marty Sampson, song writer and worship leader for Hillsong. Steingard says, “After growing up in a Christian home, being a pastor’s kid, playing and singing in a Christian band, and having the word ‘Christian’ in front of most of the things in my life--I am now finding that I no longer believe in God.” He said that he did not enjoy going to church, reading the Bible, praying to God, or worshipping God, and that renouncing God is “refreshing and a weight being lifted.” These are the words of a man who has professed faith in Christ and played around with the things of Christ without knowing Christ in born again salvation. I didn’t enjoy going to church, reading the Bible, and praying before I was saved at age 23. Steingard said that many of his acquaintances share his doubts. “I am stunned by the number of people in visible positions within Christian circles that feel the same way as I do. Like me, they fear losing everything if they’re open about it.” These hypocrites are using Christ only for personal profit! As for atheism, it is nonsense. There is no such thing. The Creator is written in man’s very conscience and soul. Man knows there is a God and he knows he is going to meet God. The evidence for God is written on the face of the entire creation, from the DNA of the living cell to the infinite starry universe. All bears evidence of breathtaking Intelligent design! The brilliant apostle Paul, who was an enemy of Christ before his supernatural conversion, said that the creation leaves all men “without excuse” (Romans 1:20). In typical “atheist” fashion, Steingard complains on his social media that God should not allow bad things to happen in this world, etc., etc., as if weak little man, who has created nothing, who comes into this world as a helpless infant, who is dependent upon God for “life, and breath, and all things,” can be the judge of his Creator. It is ridiculous. Steingard questions the goodness of God, but the goodness of God was settled forever at the cross of Calvary when the Son of God suffered and died in the place of wicked sinners, thus demonstrating the love of God before the whole creation, irrefutably, permanently, eternally. Steingard asks, “Why does Jesus have to die for our sins?” It is obvious that he has never understood even the ABCs of theology and soteriology. He doesn’t understand the cross, because he doesn’t understand God’s holiness and justice and the wickedness of man’s sin against his Creator. He doesn’t understand the love of God, because he does not understand the awful righteousness of God. What ignorance! Yet he has no shame to reveal his gross ignorance before the world. Of course, such things as God’s holiness and justice are typically downplayed in the world of CCM.
THE EXCEEDINGLY DANGEROUS WATERS OF CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC (Friday Church News Notes, May 29, 2020, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - As we have warned so repeatedly and loudly, the waters of Contemporary Christian Music are exceedingly dangerous. There you can encounter any heresy, from charismatic mysticism to atheism. Once you enter those waters, there is no telling where you will end up. In those waters you will not find the anchor of God’s infallible Word. Even those who hold theologically that the Bible is the infallible Word of God, have no infallible Bible in reality but rather are drifting on the seas of a multiplicity of contradicting versions and strange “dynamic equivalency” paraphrases like The Message. These are not the pure Word of God and are therefore not the solid basis for faith and the pure food for spiritual growth and the effectual armament for spiritual warfare. In the waters of CCM, salvation is not loud and clear. Most of the CCM artists don’t even include a salvation testimony on their web sites and Facebook pages. Any flimsy “I believe in Jesus” will do. Generally speaking, there is nothing about repentance, no clear definition of saving faith, no clear delineation of the true Christ from false ones, no clear understanding of justification and sanctification. Multitudes of young people have grown up in churches and made professions of faith of some sort, but they are not supernaturally born again. They love CCM because it represents the “live after your own lusts” way of life that they delight in, but it is apostasy. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Wake up, fundamental Baptists! Wake up, fundamentalist Bible churches! Take a clear stand. Educate and warn your people, from the children to the elderly, about the great danger of Contemporary Christian Music, so called. Protect them. Pastors, don’t you care for your flocks? Don’t you fear the God to whom you are going to give an account?
THE SATANIC ATTACK ON SACRED MUSIC FREE VIDEO SERIES AND BOOK (Friday Church News Notes, May 29, 2020, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - This new series consists of about 17 hours of teaching. It is packed with photos, graphics, audio and video clips. It consists of a video series as well as a major new book. The presentations are as follows: I. Emotions and the Music Issue. II. The Spiritual Environment of the Music Issue: The Church and the Home. III. Bible Principles of Music (available in the book; scheduled as a video for later in 2020). IV. Music’s Role in the Great Changes among Fundamental Baptists. V. Contemporary Music as a Bridge to Dangerous Waters. VI. Bob Jones, Majesty Music, New Reformed Calvinism, and the Gettys. VII. The Language of Music Styles. VIII. Lancaster’s Role in the Downgrade of Fundamental Baptist Churches. IX. Congregational Singing and the CCM Issue. X. A Plea to Southern Gospel Music Fans (scheduled for later in 2020). XI. The Music Issue in a Nutshell. We study the Bible’s most important teachings on the issue of music. We look at the shocking changes that are happening among fundamental Baptists and the role of contemporary music in these changes. We learn about the dangers represented by Contemporary Christian Music: the Pentecostal/charismatic movement, the ecumenical movement, theological liberalism, New Evangelicalism, the Emerging Church, modern Bible versions, contemplative prayer, cultural liberalism, the encyclopedic view of the Bible, the New Reformed Calvinism, the Jesus People movement, theistic evolution, homosexual Christianity, the downgrade in hell, secular rock, Getty-Townend Music, Matt Maher the Roman Catholic apostle of unity, Hillsong, Rick Warren, Robert Webber, William Young and the Shack, C.S. Lewis, Chuck Swindoll’s heretical doctrine of grace. We show why knowing about these movements and people is very important to your life, home, and church. We show that these things are not “out there” somewhere; they are a very near danger to every Christian home, every church. We document the change in music standard at Bob Jones University and Majesty Music. We consider the soft style of Christian music vs. the more militant style. We learn how to discern the elements of the world’s sound in contemporary music. We learn how to discern soft rock. We examine vocal styles. We learn how that chords are used in contemporary music to create an unresolving sound and “feel.” We examine why contemporary music always transforms churches. We consider why using CCM is different from using traditional Protestant hymns. We show that “conservative evangelicals” are not safe partners. We show that the Southern Baptist Convention is more corrupt than ever. We consider why we should be concerned about “little” changes in music. We show that trying to deal with the music issue alone won’t save a church from apostasy. Unless we have spiritual churches and spiritual homes, the battle is already lost. The Satanic Attack on Sacred Music: the video series and the book (255 pages) are available for FREE VIEWING and downloading at
https://www.wayoflife.org/s3/satanic_attack_on_sacred_music.php
REMARKABLE SOAP (Friday Church News Notes, May 29, 2020, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from creationmoments.com, April 20, 2020: “We all know that oil and water don’t mix. But both oil and water will mix with similar chemicals, especially by dissolving certain solids. Water molecules are polar--that is, they have negatively charged and positively charged ends. They easily dissolve most ionic compounds, as the positive and negative ions get separated, each being surrounded by polar water molecules. Non-polar covalent solids, like grease, will dissolve in oils, which have long non-polar organic molecular chains. Soap can function in both these worlds. It is ionic, so the positive ion--usually sodium or potassium--is easily dissolved by water. But the negative ion is left with its negative end, which wants to dissolve in water, but it contains a very long organic chain, which wants to dissolve in oil. Therefore, one end dissolves in water, and the other in the dirt on your hands, which is usually oily or greasy in nature. What’s cool about this? Such a phenomenon could not have developed by chance. It is a feature that shows all the hallmarks of design by God. Ref: Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/science/soap, accessed 3/30/2019.”
CHURCHES THAT COULDN’T BLOW THE FUZZ OFF OF A PEACH (Friday Church News Notes, May 29, 2020, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - “[With] churches that are so anemic and lacking in power that they couldn’t blow the fuzz off a peach, is it any wonder that it appears that God has washed his hands of us. When we have to go back a hundred years or more to come up with a great prayer warrior, it’s obvious that we are the least praying people of all times” (Lawrence Hufhand).
CONCLUSION: The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this obviously does not imply an endorsement. We trust that our readers will not be discouraged. 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. The News Notes remind us that the hour is very late, and we need to be ready for the Lord’s coming. Are you sure that you are born again? Are you living for Christ? “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).
THE EXCEEDINGLY DANGEROUS WATERS OF CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC (Friday Church News Notes, May 29, 2020, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - As we have warned so repeatedly and loudly, the waters of Contemporary Christian Music are exceedingly dangerous. There you can encounter any heresy, from charismatic mysticism to atheism. Once you enter those waters, there is no telling where you will end up. In those waters you will not find the anchor of God’s infallible Word. Even those who hold theologically that the Bible is the infallible Word of God, have no infallible Bible in reality but rather are drifting on the seas of a multiplicity of contradicting versions and strange “dynamic equivalency” paraphrases like The Message. These are not the pure Word of God and are therefore not the solid basis for faith and the pure food for spiritual growth and the effectual armament for spiritual warfare. In the waters of CCM, salvation is not loud and clear. Most of the CCM artists don’t even include a salvation testimony on their web sites and Facebook pages. Any flimsy “I believe in Jesus” will do. Generally speaking, there is nothing about repentance, no clear definition of saving faith, no clear delineation of the true Christ from false ones, no clear understanding of justification and sanctification. Multitudes of young people have grown up in churches and made professions of faith of some sort, but they are not supernaturally born again. They love CCM because it represents the “live after your own lusts” way of life that they delight in, but it is apostasy. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Wake up, fundamental Baptists! Wake up, fundamentalist Bible churches! Take a clear stand. Educate and warn your people, from the children to the elderly, about the great danger of Contemporary Christian Music, so called. Protect them. Pastors, don’t you care for your flocks? Don’t you fear the God to whom you are going to give an account?
THE SATANIC ATTACK ON SACRED MUSIC FREE VIDEO SERIES AND BOOK (Friday Church News Notes, May 29, 2020, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - This new series consists of about 17 hours of teaching. It is packed with photos, graphics, audio and video clips. It consists of a video series as well as a major new book. The presentations are as follows: I. Emotions and the Music Issue. II. The Spiritual Environment of the Music Issue: The Church and the Home. III. Bible Principles of Music (available in the book; scheduled as a video for later in 2020). IV. Music’s Role in the Great Changes among Fundamental Baptists. V. Contemporary Music as a Bridge to Dangerous Waters. VI. Bob Jones, Majesty Music, New Reformed Calvinism, and the Gettys. VII. The Language of Music Styles. VIII. Lancaster’s Role in the Downgrade of Fundamental Baptist Churches. IX. Congregational Singing and the CCM Issue. X. A Plea to Southern Gospel Music Fans (scheduled for later in 2020). XI. The Music Issue in a Nutshell. We study the Bible’s most important teachings on the issue of music. We look at the shocking changes that are happening among fundamental Baptists and the role of contemporary music in these changes. We learn about the dangers represented by Contemporary Christian Music: the Pentecostal/charismatic movement, the ecumenical movement, theological liberalism, New Evangelicalism, the Emerging Church, modern Bible versions, contemplative prayer, cultural liberalism, the encyclopedic view of the Bible, the New Reformed Calvinism, the Jesus People movement, theistic evolution, homosexual Christianity, the downgrade in hell, secular rock, Getty-Townend Music, Matt Maher the Roman Catholic apostle of unity, Hillsong, Rick Warren, Robert Webber, William Young and the Shack, C.S. Lewis, Chuck Swindoll’s heretical doctrine of grace. We show why knowing about these movements and people is very important to your life, home, and church. We show that these things are not “out there” somewhere; they are a very near danger to every Christian home, every church. We document the change in music standard at Bob Jones University and Majesty Music. We consider the soft style of Christian music vs. the more militant style. We learn how to discern the elements of the world’s sound in contemporary music. We learn how to discern soft rock. We examine vocal styles. We learn how that chords are used in contemporary music to create an unresolving sound and “feel.” We examine why contemporary music always transforms churches. We consider why using CCM is different from using traditional Protestant hymns. We show that “conservative evangelicals” are not safe partners. We show that the Southern Baptist Convention is more corrupt than ever. We consider why we should be concerned about “little” changes in music. We show that trying to deal with the music issue alone won’t save a church from apostasy. Unless we have spiritual churches and spiritual homes, the battle is already lost. The Satanic Attack on Sacred Music: the video series and the book (255 pages) are available for FREE VIEWING and downloading at
https://www.wayoflife.org/s3/satanic_attack_on_sacred_music.php
REMARKABLE SOAP (Friday Church News Notes, May 29, 2020, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from creationmoments.com, April 20, 2020: “We all know that oil and water don’t mix. But both oil and water will mix with similar chemicals, especially by dissolving certain solids. Water molecules are polar--that is, they have negatively charged and positively charged ends. They easily dissolve most ionic compounds, as the positive and negative ions get separated, each being surrounded by polar water molecules. Non-polar covalent solids, like grease, will dissolve in oils, which have long non-polar organic molecular chains. Soap can function in both these worlds. It is ionic, so the positive ion--usually sodium or potassium--is easily dissolved by water. But the negative ion is left with its negative end, which wants to dissolve in water, but it contains a very long organic chain, which wants to dissolve in oil. Therefore, one end dissolves in water, and the other in the dirt on your hands, which is usually oily or greasy in nature. What’s cool about this? Such a phenomenon could not have developed by chance. It is a feature that shows all the hallmarks of design by God. Ref: Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/science/soap, accessed 3/30/2019.”
CHURCHES THAT COULDN’T BLOW THE FUZZ OFF OF A PEACH (Friday Church News Notes, May 29, 2020, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - “[With] churches that are so anemic and lacking in power that they couldn’t blow the fuzz off a peach, is it any wonder that it appears that God has washed his hands of us. When we have to go back a hundred years or more to come up with a great prayer warrior, it’s obvious that we are the least praying people of all times” (Lawrence Hufhand).
CONCLUSION: The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this obviously does not imply an endorsement. We trust that our readers will not be discouraged. 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. The News Notes remind us that the hour is very late, and we need to be ready for the Lord’s coming. Are you sure that you are born again? Are you living for Christ? “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).
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Distributed by Way of Life Literature., publisher of Bible Study Materials and reports for Fundamental Baptists and other fundamentalist, Bible-believing Christians. Established in 1974, Way of Life Literature is a fundamental Baptist preaching and publishing ministry based in Bethel Baptist Church, London, Ontario, of which Wilbert Unger is the founding Pastor. Brother Cloud lives in South Asia where he has been a church planting missionary since 1979. OUR GOAL IN THIS PARTICULAR ASPECT OF OUR MINISTRY (REPORTS AND FRIDAY NEWS) IS NOT DEVOTIONAL. IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ASSIST PREACHERS IN THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCHES IN THIS APOSTATE HOUR.
David Cloud, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org
The Way of Life Literature preaching and publishing ministry is based at Bethel Baptist Church, London, Ontario, of which Wilbert Unger is the founding Pastor. A mail stop is maintained in Port Huron, Michigan.
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