Friday Church News Notes
January 10, 2025 - Volume 26, Issue 2
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.
Jimmy Carter
JIMMY CARTER DEAD AT 100 (Friday Church News Notes, January 10, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States, died on Dec. 29 at age 100. A long-time Sunday School teacher at Maranatha Baptist Church of Plains, Georgia, Carter is an example of the apostasy that has leavened a large portion of Baptist churches. I am sad to say that the likable, ever-smiling Jimmy Carter was a lousy president and a worse Christian. He was an intelligent and well-meaning, but gullible, misguided do-gooder. On the presidential side, he gave away the Panama Canal, pushed through the Camp David Accords (which gave the Sinai peninsula to Egypt and weakened Israel’s control of the so-called West Bank), blamed Israel for Palestinian terrorism, helped pave the way for the Islamic State turning Iran into a major terrorist-sponsoring nation, concluded the SALT II treaty with the duplicitous Soviet Union, weakening America’s missile programs, and severed formal relations with democratic Taiwan in order to establish full diplomatic ties with communist China. He also gave China most favored nation trade status. On his visit in 2003 he played right into the Chinese government’s hands by not criticizing the communists on any point. Carter’s wrong-headed handling of China “set the stage for China’s economic ascent--and later, its rivalry with the U.S.” It could well lead to a war that America will not win. Much more could be said about Jimmy Carter’s presidency, but let’s turn to the Christian side. In 1977, in the first year of his presidency, Carter told the Lutheran Forum magazine that his favorite mentoring theologians were rank liberals Paul Tillich, Soren Kierkegaard, and Reinhold Niebuhr. Tillich called the Christmas story a “legend” in the December 1977 issue of The Lutheran. That year, Carter appointed pro-abortion activist Sarah Weddington to the position of assistant to the president. Weddington was lead attorney in the 1973 abortion case, Roe v. Wade, which resulted in legalization of abortion in America and the murder of millions of unborn babies. In 1992, Carter agreed to serve as the honorary co-chair of the Human Rights Campaign, a homosexual advocacy group. In a 1997 interview, Carter said Mormons are Christians and should not be the targets of “proselytizing” (Carrie Moore, “Are Mormons Christians,” Deseret News, Nov. 15, 1997). On his visit to India in 1989, Carter accepted a Hindu tika on his forehead, and in 1990 he said that the principles of Christ are “not incompatible with the principles of other faiths” (Christian Century, June 6, 1990). In January 2004, after Georgia public school superintendent Kathy Cox ordered the word “evolution” to be removed from its science textbooks, Carter entered the fray and won the day for evolution (“Another Attempt to Deny Evolution,” San Diego Union-Tribune, Feb. 12, 2004). In June 2000, Carter spoke at the ultra liberal Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s (CBF) 10th annual convention in Atlanta. One of the organizations associated with the CBF is Baptist Women in Ministry, whose meetings have featured prayers to “Mother God.” Baptist Women in Ministry treasurer Sally Burgess said, “God is good, and She knows what She’s doing” (“Mother God worshipped,” Baptist Press, June 29, 2001). Carter also spoke at the New Baptist Covenant Celebration in Atlanta in January 2008, which we attended with media credentials. One of the approved ministries at that conference was the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists which pushes for churches to receive practicing homosexuals as members and to approve of homosexual “marriage.” Jimmy Carter was right at home in this spiritual wickedness. The root problem in all of this was that Carter was not born again. On Nov. 19, 2019, Carter told his Sunday School class that he had doubts about life after death until his cancer in 2015. Only at age 95 were his doubts resolved (“Sunday school class with Jimmy Carter,” Higher Ground, Jan. 4, 2025), and, sadly, the resolution did not entail being saved biblically. Carter did not preach the gospel of Christ’s atoning sacrifice to the thousands who attended his bi-monthly Sunday School classes. The large majority of America’s prominent leaders of all political and religious stripes have long thumbed their collective nose at Almighty God’s holy Word and holy laws.
RELAX AND ENJOY WHAT GOD IS DOING (Friday Church News Notes, January 10, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going” (Pr. 14:15). The doctrine of apostasy (the Bible’s teaching that false Christianity will increase throughout the church age) and a biblical testing mindset has protected me for more than 50 years. It protected me as a new Christian confronted by the bewildering variety of churches, denominations, cults, and isms. It has protected me ever since. I think of an experience I had at the 1987 North American Congress on the Holy Spirit and World Evangelization in New Orleans, which I attended with media credentials. It was an ecumenical conference represented by some 40 denominations, including Roman Catholic. All sorts of heresies were present, including baptismal regeneration and prayers to Mary. One afternoon I was conversing with a young man who worked for an Episcopalian organization. I asked if he was born again, and he gave me a fairly biblical testimony. I then said, “If you are saved, how can you be comfortable in the midst of so much heresy?” He replied, “You need to relax and enjoy what God is doing.” I tried to explain that the Bible warns of apostasy and we must test everything by Scripture to protect ourselves, but he wasn’t listening. Later I thought to myself, I want to enjoy what God is doing, but I don’t want to be deceived by what the devil is doing! God’s Word teaches that “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” and “his ministers also be transformed as ministers of righteousness” (2 Co. 11:14-15). If I would be open and non-vigilant like this man counseled, I would be in great danger. I have been protected because I know the Bible’s teaching about apostasy and I have a biblical testing mindset. Every born again saint must understand the doctrine of apostasy and protect himself and his loved ones against error. This requires being a serious, effectual Bible student and measuring everything by God’s Word. Every New Testament church must educate its people in these essential things. Parents must be educated and they must educate the children. Every generation must be re-educated. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Ac. 17:11).
NIETZSCHE AND THE ANTICHRIST (Friday Church News Notes, January 10, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Friedrich Nietzsche (pronounced neet’cha) (1844-1900) was raised Lutheran. His father and both grandfathers were Lutheran pastors, and as a boy he aspired to follow in their footsteps. At age 17, he rejected the Bible under the influence of skeptical writings. He became a blasphemer of God and Christ. He called himself “the most terrible opponent of Christianity.” In Thus Spake Zarathustra (1883-85), Nietzsche called for a race of “overmen” (ubermensch) who live as they please with complete disregard for divine judgment. In his book Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche mocked mercy, kindness, patience, and humility and esteemed “severity, violence, slavery, danger ... devilry of every kind ... everything wicked, terrible, tyrannical, predatory, and serpentine” so long as it “serves as well for the elevation of the human species.” Hitler and the Nazis lived out Nietzsche’s ubermensch dream to the destruction of millions, and it didn’t elevate the species one iota. Nietzsche’s ubermensch is a perfect description of the coming Man of Sin. Nietzsche, the terrible opponent of Christianity, went insane at age 45 with “a complete loss of his mental faculties.”
CANADA TOWN AND MAYOR FINED FOR REFUSING TO CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH (Friday Church News Notes, January 10, 2025, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Canadian town fined,” Fox News, Dec. 1, 2024: “A Canadian town is facing a fine of $10,000 for refusing to participate in Pride Month and fly the ‘LGBTQ2 rainbow flag’ outside its municipal building. The town of Emo, Ontario, which has a population of about 1,300 and is situated near the border with Minnesota, was found to have violated the Ontario Human Rights Code by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario for refusing to proclaim June as Pride Month, according to a report from the National Post. The town was also issued a citation for its failure to fly ‘an LGBTQ2 rainbow flag,’ the report notes, despite Emo not having an official flag pole. In addition to the $10,000 fine, officials from the town were ordered to complete mandatory ‘human rights’ training. According to the report, the decision to cite Emo began with a 2020 incident in which the town was approached by a group called Borderland Pride, which issued a written request asking that Emo declare June Pride Month. The request was defeated by a 3-2 vote at a later Emo township council meeting, where Mayor Harold McQuaker argued there was ‘no flag being flown for the other side of the coin… there’s no flags being flown for the straight people.’ ... Borderland Pride sought a $15,000 fine for the Township as well as a $10,000 fine for each of the three council members who voted no on the group’s request, according to the report, though the tribunal eventually settled on the $10,000 fine for the township and a $5,000 fine for McQuaker.”
CREATING VS. BUILDING (Friday Church News Notes, January 10, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from CreationMoments.com, December 17, 2024: “God designed and made the universe from nothing. That’s creation. Man takes what God has made and simply rearranges it to make things that help him. That’s building. The wonderful abilities that God built into plants and animals come from the genetic information that God built into them. Man has now started to use the genetic information created by God to build harmless creatures that better serve our needs. For example, the silk of the golden orb spider is five times stronger than steel, yet more elastic than any similar material we could manufacture. It could be used to make light and comfortable bulletproof vests and helmets. The problem is, it takes over half a million spiders to make a pound of silk. So scientists have taken the spider gene that makes the silk and put it into a harmless bacterium. When that bacterium divides, it makes more bacteria, complete with the gene. Today there are millions of bacteria making usable amounts of spider silk. This technology has resulted in what has been called the greatest revolution since industrialization. Bacteria are now making insulin, vaccines and even chocolate. Today, bacteria are mainly used to manufacture medicines. Man has learned a great deal about how to make use of the creation. However, the genetic information that makes this all possible in the first place is a product of the genius of our Creator. Notes: Doug Stewart, ‘These Germs Work Wonders,’ Readers Digest.”
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; Mt. 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” (Ro. 13:11-14).
RELAX AND ENJOY WHAT GOD IS DOING (Friday Church News Notes, January 10, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going” (Pr. 14:15). The doctrine of apostasy (the Bible’s teaching that false Christianity will increase throughout the church age) and a biblical testing mindset has protected me for more than 50 years. It protected me as a new Christian confronted by the bewildering variety of churches, denominations, cults, and isms. It has protected me ever since. I think of an experience I had at the 1987 North American Congress on the Holy Spirit and World Evangelization in New Orleans, which I attended with media credentials. It was an ecumenical conference represented by some 40 denominations, including Roman Catholic. All sorts of heresies were present, including baptismal regeneration and prayers to Mary. One afternoon I was conversing with a young man who worked for an Episcopalian organization. I asked if he was born again, and he gave me a fairly biblical testimony. I then said, “If you are saved, how can you be comfortable in the midst of so much heresy?” He replied, “You need to relax and enjoy what God is doing.” I tried to explain that the Bible warns of apostasy and we must test everything by Scripture to protect ourselves, but he wasn’t listening. Later I thought to myself, I want to enjoy what God is doing, but I don’t want to be deceived by what the devil is doing! God’s Word teaches that “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” and “his ministers also be transformed as ministers of righteousness” (2 Co. 11:14-15). If I would be open and non-vigilant like this man counseled, I would be in great danger. I have been protected because I know the Bible’s teaching about apostasy and I have a biblical testing mindset. Every born again saint must understand the doctrine of apostasy and protect himself and his loved ones against error. This requires being a serious, effectual Bible student and measuring everything by God’s Word. Every New Testament church must educate its people in these essential things. Parents must be educated and they must educate the children. Every generation must be re-educated. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Ac. 17:11).
NIETZSCHE AND THE ANTICHRIST (Friday Church News Notes, January 10, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Friedrich Nietzsche (pronounced neet’cha) (1844-1900) was raised Lutheran. His father and both grandfathers were Lutheran pastors, and as a boy he aspired to follow in their footsteps. At age 17, he rejected the Bible under the influence of skeptical writings. He became a blasphemer of God and Christ. He called himself “the most terrible opponent of Christianity.” In Thus Spake Zarathustra (1883-85), Nietzsche called for a race of “overmen” (ubermensch) who live as they please with complete disregard for divine judgment. In his book Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche mocked mercy, kindness, patience, and humility and esteemed “severity, violence, slavery, danger ... devilry of every kind ... everything wicked, terrible, tyrannical, predatory, and serpentine” so long as it “serves as well for the elevation of the human species.” Hitler and the Nazis lived out Nietzsche’s ubermensch dream to the destruction of millions, and it didn’t elevate the species one iota. Nietzsche’s ubermensch is a perfect description of the coming Man of Sin. Nietzsche, the terrible opponent of Christianity, went insane at age 45 with “a complete loss of his mental faculties.”
CANADA TOWN AND MAYOR FINED FOR REFUSING TO CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH (Friday Church News Notes, January 10, 2025, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Canadian town fined,” Fox News, Dec. 1, 2024: “A Canadian town is facing a fine of $10,000 for refusing to participate in Pride Month and fly the ‘LGBTQ2 rainbow flag’ outside its municipal building. The town of Emo, Ontario, which has a population of about 1,300 and is situated near the border with Minnesota, was found to have violated the Ontario Human Rights Code by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario for refusing to proclaim June as Pride Month, according to a report from the National Post. The town was also issued a citation for its failure to fly ‘an LGBTQ2 rainbow flag,’ the report notes, despite Emo not having an official flag pole. In addition to the $10,000 fine, officials from the town were ordered to complete mandatory ‘human rights’ training. According to the report, the decision to cite Emo began with a 2020 incident in which the town was approached by a group called Borderland Pride, which issued a written request asking that Emo declare June Pride Month. The request was defeated by a 3-2 vote at a later Emo township council meeting, where Mayor Harold McQuaker argued there was ‘no flag being flown for the other side of the coin… there’s no flags being flown for the straight people.’ ... Borderland Pride sought a $15,000 fine for the Township as well as a $10,000 fine for each of the three council members who voted no on the group’s request, according to the report, though the tribunal eventually settled on the $10,000 fine for the township and a $5,000 fine for McQuaker.”
CREATING VS. BUILDING (Friday Church News Notes, January 10, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from CreationMoments.com, December 17, 2024: “God designed and made the universe from nothing. That’s creation. Man takes what God has made and simply rearranges it to make things that help him. That’s building. The wonderful abilities that God built into plants and animals come from the genetic information that God built into them. Man has now started to use the genetic information created by God to build harmless creatures that better serve our needs. For example, the silk of the golden orb spider is five times stronger than steel, yet more elastic than any similar material we could manufacture. It could be used to make light and comfortable bulletproof vests and helmets. The problem is, it takes over half a million spiders to make a pound of silk. So scientists have taken the spider gene that makes the silk and put it into a harmless bacterium. When that bacterium divides, it makes more bacteria, complete with the gene. Today there are millions of bacteria making usable amounts of spider silk. This technology has resulted in what has been called the greatest revolution since industrialization. Bacteria are now making insulin, vaccines and even chocolate. Today, bacteria are mainly used to manufacture medicines. Man has learned a great deal about how to make use of the creation. However, the genetic information that makes this all possible in the first place is a product of the genius of our Creator. Notes: Doug Stewart, ‘These Germs Work Wonders,’ Readers Digest.”
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; Mt. 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” (Ro. 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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