Friday Church News Notes
Volume 22, Issue 23 - June 4, 2021
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.
MARK LEVIN’S WAY OR GOD’S WAY (Friday Church News Notes, June 4, 2021, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - I listened to Mark Levin’s radio broadcast last week and was reminded of two things. First, Levin is one of the most knowledgeable, clever, sincere, and passionate personalities in America’s conservative political movement. Second, other than sharing a love for America, we have radically different world views. I’m not criticizing Mr. Levin; I am thankful for the good he has done for America, he and every other “conservative.” I’m only singling him out insofar as he represents the most zealous, thoughtful, practical side of influential political conservatives. My point is that regardless of what we have in common about America, we have very little in common in reality. If God’s redeemed people are followers of secular voices, no matter how knowledgeable and zealous, it is evidence of carnality and worldliness because God’s thoughts are not their thoughts. Following are some of the differences: (1) We have a different God. My God is the Sovereign of the universe. He has an eternal plan which encompasses all of human history, and that plan is “that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ” (Ephesians 1:10). Toward this end, God “worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11). “He changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings” (Daniel 2:21). This God created all things, and in Him we live and move and have our being, and by Him all things consist. “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever” (Romans 11:36). Knowing this God, I don’t have to wring my hands at human affairs. They are safely in His hands. (2) We have a different gospel. My gospel is the gospel of eternal salvation by God’s grace through the vicarious atonement of Jesus Christ. It is God’s free gift, without works and sacrament. It is a gospel for individuals. It saves souls, not nations. It is spiritual, not political. (3) We have a different authority. My authority is the Holy Bible, which I hold to be the verbal, plenarily inspired Word of God and sole authority for faith and practice. That is what it claims to be and that is what it is shown to be by many infallible proofs. (4) We have a different citizenship. My citizenship is in heaven, and I am a pilgrim in this present world. “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). (5) We have a different perspective. My perspective of life is viewed from God’s eyes, not man’s. This perspective is revealed in God’s Word, where I am told, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4). (6) We see different fundamentals at work. I see spiritual fundamentals as the root of America’s ills. A primary fundamental is the condition of the churches, which in turn dramatically affects the character of the people. The church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15), and America has always been a nation of churches. (7) We have a different goal. My goal in life is to please the God who has saved me by His amazing grace and to fulfill His calling, which is to be an ambassador of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20). (8) We fight different battles with different weapons. My battles are spiritual and are fought with spiritual weapons. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). (9) We have a different spirit. Because of my faith in Jesus Christ and in His infallible Word, I have the spirit of faith and trust and patience and hope and encouragement, not frustration and anger and fighting and bitterness and disappointment.
EUROPEAN PRIESTS VOW TO BLESS SAME-SEX UNIONS IN DEFIANCE OF VATICAN DECREE (Friday Church News Notes, June 11, 2021, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “European Priests,” The Christian Post, Mar. 18, 2021: “The Austrian Priests' Initiative, which has supported the practice of blessing same-sex unions, released a statement this week expressing their intention to disobey Monday’s decree from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The group of priests stated that they were ‘deeply appalled by the new Roman decree that wants to prohibit the blessing of same-sex loving couples. This is a relapse into times that we had hoped to be overcome with Pope Francis,’ the group’s statements reads, as reported by CBS News. ... The initiative, founded in 2006, has about 350 members who mostly reside in Austria. The group argued that same-sex couples can be as loving as heterosexual couples. ... In a statement authored by Spanish Jesuit Cardinal Luis Ladaria, Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared that it is ‘not licit to impart a blessing on relationships, or partnerships, even stable, that involve sexual activity outside of marriage. As is the case of the unions between persons of the same sex. The presence in such relationships of positive elements, which are in themselves to be valued and appreciated, cannot justify these relationships and render them legitimate objects of an ecclesial blessing, since the positive elements exist within the context of a union not ordered to the Creator’s plan,’ the Vatican’s statement reads.”
MAX LUCADO APOLOGIZES TO “LGBTQ COMMUNITY” FOR NOT PREACHING IN SUPPORT OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE (Friday Church News Notes, June 4, 2021, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Max Lucado, an influential Church of Christ pastor and author whose books are used by many Baptists, published a letter on Feb. 11 apologizing for a sermon that he preached on the topic of same-sex marriage in 2004. He said, “I now see that, in that sermon, I was disrespectful. I was hurtful. I wounded people in ways that were devastating. I should have done better. It grieves me that my words have hurt or been used to hurt the LGBTQ community. I apologize to you and I ask forgiveness of Christ. Faithful people may disagree about what the Bible says about homosexuality, but we agree that God’s holy Word must never be used as a weapon to wound others. To be clear, I believe in the traditional biblical understanding of marriage, but I also believe in a God of unbounded grace and love. LGBTQ individuals and LGBTQ families must be respected and treated with love. They are beloved children of God because they are made in the image and likeness of God” (Max Lucado). This is heresy. Unbelievers are never called children of God in Scripture. One must be born again through saving faith in Jesus Christ to be a child of God. To preach what the Word of God says about homosexuality or any other sin is not unloving or harmful. Paul was not unloving or hurtful when he preached the truth about the evils of homosexuality in Romans 1, calling it “uncleanness,” “dishonoring their own bodies,” vile affections,” “against nature,” “burning in lust,” “unseemly,” “not convenient,” and “a reprobate mind.” Though God does have unbounding love and grace to the unsaved, the God of love is also a God of judgment, and if His gospel is rejected, judgment will surely fall. The Lord Jesus Christ twice warned, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Lu. 13:3, 5). Christ often warned of the danger of hell fire, nine times in one sermon (Mr. 9:43-48). He described hell as “the fire that never shall be quenched.” Christ said, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).
GOVERNOR SAYS FLORIDA SCHOOLS WILL NOT TEACH CRITICAL RACE THEORY (Friday Church News Notes, June 4, 2021, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Ron DeSantis,” The Federalist, Mar. 17, 2021: “Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis denounced critical race theory at a press conference Wednesday afternoon, vowing to ‘expressly exclude’ it from the state’s public schools. ‘Florida civics curriculum will incorporate foundational concepts with the best materials and it will expressly exclude unsanctioned narratives like critical race theory and other unsubstantiated theories,’ DeSantis said. ‘There’s no room in our classrooms for things like Critical Race Theory. Teaching kids to hate their country and to hate each other is not worth one red cent of taxpayer money. No matter if your family came on the Mayflower or you became a naturalized citizen, these principles belong to you,’ DeSantis said. ... In his speech, the governor laid out a plan to put ... $7 million for civics curricula that provide students with ‘foundational concepts.’ The proposed plan directly opposes civics mandates in the state of Illinois that call for critical race theory training, for instance. Illinois recently approved ‘Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards’ that call for educators to assess their biases, and how those biases affect, ‘how they access tools to mitigate their own behavior (racism, sexism, homophobia, unearned privilege, Eurocentrism, etc).’”
ON THE WARPATH AGAINST ERROR (Friday Church News Notes, June 4, 2021, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). The apostles exemplified this aggressive stance against error, as we see in their epistles. They were on the warpath against errors pertaining to the resurrection (1 Co. 15:12, 35-36; 2 Ti. 2:17-18), false christs and false spirits, (2 Co. 11:1-4), false gospels (2 Co. 11:4; Gal. 1:6-9), ministers of Satan who transform themselves into the ministers of righteousness (2 Co. 11:14-15), errors pertaining to Israel (Ro. 9-11), errors pertaining to philosophy and the tradition of men (Col. 2:8) and “the rudiments of the world” (Col. 2:18-23), errors pertaining to doctrines of devils (1 Ti. 4:1-3), profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called (1 Ti. 6:20), a form of godliness that denies the power thereof (2 Ti. 3:5), evil men and seducers (2 Ti. 3:13), apostates who turn away their ears from the truth (2 Ti. 4:3-4), cunningly devised fables (2 Pe. 1:16), damnable doctrines (2 Pe. 2), scoffers (2 Pe. 3:1-7), antichrists (1 Jo. 2:18), ungodly men who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness (Jude 1:4), errors pertaining to church leadership (3 Jo. 1:9-11), church discipline (1 Co. 5), the Lord’s Supper (1 Co. 11), the gifts of the Spirit (1 Co. 12), and tongues speaking (1 Co. 14). Every preacher and every church must follow this example and make warfare on every false thing. “Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:128).
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).
EUROPEAN PRIESTS VOW TO BLESS SAME-SEX UNIONS IN DEFIANCE OF VATICAN DECREE (Friday Church News Notes, June 11, 2021, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “European Priests,” The Christian Post, Mar. 18, 2021: “The Austrian Priests' Initiative, which has supported the practice of blessing same-sex unions, released a statement this week expressing their intention to disobey Monday’s decree from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The group of priests stated that they were ‘deeply appalled by the new Roman decree that wants to prohibit the blessing of same-sex loving couples. This is a relapse into times that we had hoped to be overcome with Pope Francis,’ the group’s statements reads, as reported by CBS News. ... The initiative, founded in 2006, has about 350 members who mostly reside in Austria. The group argued that same-sex couples can be as loving as heterosexual couples. ... In a statement authored by Spanish Jesuit Cardinal Luis Ladaria, Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared that it is ‘not licit to impart a blessing on relationships, or partnerships, even stable, that involve sexual activity outside of marriage. As is the case of the unions between persons of the same sex. The presence in such relationships of positive elements, which are in themselves to be valued and appreciated, cannot justify these relationships and render them legitimate objects of an ecclesial blessing, since the positive elements exist within the context of a union not ordered to the Creator’s plan,’ the Vatican’s statement reads.”
MAX LUCADO APOLOGIZES TO “LGBTQ COMMUNITY” FOR NOT PREACHING IN SUPPORT OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE (Friday Church News Notes, June 4, 2021, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Max Lucado, an influential Church of Christ pastor and author whose books are used by many Baptists, published a letter on Feb. 11 apologizing for a sermon that he preached on the topic of same-sex marriage in 2004. He said, “I now see that, in that sermon, I was disrespectful. I was hurtful. I wounded people in ways that were devastating. I should have done better. It grieves me that my words have hurt or been used to hurt the LGBTQ community. I apologize to you and I ask forgiveness of Christ. Faithful people may disagree about what the Bible says about homosexuality, but we agree that God’s holy Word must never be used as a weapon to wound others. To be clear, I believe in the traditional biblical understanding of marriage, but I also believe in a God of unbounded grace and love. LGBTQ individuals and LGBTQ families must be respected and treated with love. They are beloved children of God because they are made in the image and likeness of God” (Max Lucado). This is heresy. Unbelievers are never called children of God in Scripture. One must be born again through saving faith in Jesus Christ to be a child of God. To preach what the Word of God says about homosexuality or any other sin is not unloving or harmful. Paul was not unloving or hurtful when he preached the truth about the evils of homosexuality in Romans 1, calling it “uncleanness,” “dishonoring their own bodies,” vile affections,” “against nature,” “burning in lust,” “unseemly,” “not convenient,” and “a reprobate mind.” Though God does have unbounding love and grace to the unsaved, the God of love is also a God of judgment, and if His gospel is rejected, judgment will surely fall. The Lord Jesus Christ twice warned, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Lu. 13:3, 5). Christ often warned of the danger of hell fire, nine times in one sermon (Mr. 9:43-48). He described hell as “the fire that never shall be quenched.” Christ said, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).
GOVERNOR SAYS FLORIDA SCHOOLS WILL NOT TEACH CRITICAL RACE THEORY (Friday Church News Notes, June 4, 2021, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Ron DeSantis,” The Federalist, Mar. 17, 2021: “Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis denounced critical race theory at a press conference Wednesday afternoon, vowing to ‘expressly exclude’ it from the state’s public schools. ‘Florida civics curriculum will incorporate foundational concepts with the best materials and it will expressly exclude unsanctioned narratives like critical race theory and other unsubstantiated theories,’ DeSantis said. ‘There’s no room in our classrooms for things like Critical Race Theory. Teaching kids to hate their country and to hate each other is not worth one red cent of taxpayer money. No matter if your family came on the Mayflower or you became a naturalized citizen, these principles belong to you,’ DeSantis said. ... In his speech, the governor laid out a plan to put ... $7 million for civics curricula that provide students with ‘foundational concepts.’ The proposed plan directly opposes civics mandates in the state of Illinois that call for critical race theory training, for instance. Illinois recently approved ‘Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards’ that call for educators to assess their biases, and how those biases affect, ‘how they access tools to mitigate their own behavior (racism, sexism, homophobia, unearned privilege, Eurocentrism, etc).’”
ON THE WARPATH AGAINST ERROR (Friday Church News Notes, June 4, 2021, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). The apostles exemplified this aggressive stance against error, as we see in their epistles. They were on the warpath against errors pertaining to the resurrection (1 Co. 15:12, 35-36; 2 Ti. 2:17-18), false christs and false spirits, (2 Co. 11:1-4), false gospels (2 Co. 11:4; Gal. 1:6-9), ministers of Satan who transform themselves into the ministers of righteousness (2 Co. 11:14-15), errors pertaining to Israel (Ro. 9-11), errors pertaining to philosophy and the tradition of men (Col. 2:8) and “the rudiments of the world” (Col. 2:18-23), errors pertaining to doctrines of devils (1 Ti. 4:1-3), profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called (1 Ti. 6:20), a form of godliness that denies the power thereof (2 Ti. 3:5), evil men and seducers (2 Ti. 3:13), apostates who turn away their ears from the truth (2 Ti. 4:3-4), cunningly devised fables (2 Pe. 1:16), damnable doctrines (2 Pe. 2), scoffers (2 Pe. 3:1-7), antichrists (1 Jo. 2:18), ungodly men who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness (Jude 1:4), errors pertaining to church leadership (3 Jo. 1:9-11), church discipline (1 Co. 5), the Lord’s Supper (1 Co. 11), the gifts of the Spirit (1 Co. 12), and tongues speaking (1 Co. 14). Every preacher and every church must follow this example and make warfare on every false thing. “Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:128).
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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