1 Timothy 4: 1,6 “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons…… In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, {constantly} nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.”

Warning! This newsletter contains some of the most flagrant examples of wrong thinking. You might be tempted to laugh at the absurdities presented in these stories. While many of them are so ridiculous that we want to laugh them away, these stories present some of the current thinking of the world. If you must, laugh. Then quickly hit your prayer closet and pray for these people. They are in deep deception and are in danger of eternal damnation which is no laughing matter.

FEDERAL GUIDELINES ON RELIGION IN SCHOOLS -The U.S. Department of Education issued a 4-page “Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Schools” Feb. 7 which included: Schools may neither encourage nor discourage religious activity, and must avoid both promotion and hostility. The heart of the law is official neutrality. Private speech endorsing religion is protected; only government speech endorsing religion is forbidden (4/03 CT). Students may read their Bibles or other scriptures, say grace before meals, and pray or study religious materials during noninstructional time to the same extent that they may engage in nonreligious activities. Students may organize prayer groups, religious clubs, and “see you at the pole” gatherings before school to the same extent that students are permitted to organize other non-curricular student activities groups. Students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork, and other written or oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious content….

CHARISMA PRESENTS CATHOLICISM FAVORABLY? - Charisma magazine caught some heat in its April issue for a report in its Feb. issue on charismatic Roman Catholics. One writer asked how long it would continue to “indirectly endorse charismatic Catholics,” and asked “Why would you present [RC] favorably or even with a neutral attitude”? The writer chided Charisma for seemingly endorsing the “world's largest cult.” Another wrote: “Do you honestly not know that the Catholic Church is not Christian and never has been nor will be? Catholics pray to idols and Mary. Their materials openly admit there is no salvation outside Mary.”

TODAY'S WORLDLY CHURCH-Today the church is more beset by traitors within than by foes without. Satan is not fighting churches, he is joining them. He does more harm by sowing tares than by pulling up wheat. He accomplishes more by imitation than by outright opposition. The world is accepted into the church and its programs endorsed. Worldly celebrities are called in to enhance the gospel and preachers participate in the performances of the ungodly. The same popular singer combines sensuous publicity in the papers with the gospel songs in the record shops. Preachers make clowns of themselves and churches become theaters. [Vance Havner]

Evangelical Conspiracy? Pundits around the world are decrying the plans of evangelical Christians to enter post-war Iraq to provide humanitarian aid. An especial target is Franklin Graham, who heads the Christian aid organization Samaritan’s Purse, and who has called Islam a “very evil and wicked religion.” The Toronto Globe and Mail (4/9/03) implicates George W. Bush in this supposed evangelical crusade, complaining that “Mr. Bush became a born-again Christian in the 1980s with the assistance of Billy Graham, the founder of the SBC.” (Not true-the denomination was founded in 1845.) The paper also says mistakenly that Franklin Graham runs the SBC.

The Apostle Paul an epileptic? A BBC documentary suggests that the Apostle Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus was brought about not by meeting the Lord, but by an epileptic seizure -or “a bolt of electro-magnetic energy . . . released by an earthquake.” One scientist quoted on the program does not discount the possibility of divine activity. “If God exists and he is interacting with us humans, he could have put an antenna in your brain to be sensitive to him or her,” he said. (telegraph.co.uk, 4/19/03)

No other Name A Maryland clergyman may not offer the opening prayer at the state Senate because he refuses to leave out the name of Jesus. References to a specific deity are disallowed, and some politicians think the prayer should be left out entirely. “If it continues to be nonecumenical,” said one senator, “we shouldn’t have it.” (The Baltimore Sun, 4/3/03)

How confused can you get? Mavra Stark, president of a New Jersey National Organization for Women chapter, is upset that Californian Scott Peterson may be charged for double murder in the death of his wife, who was over seven months pregnant at the time of her death. “If this is murder, well, then any time a late-term fetus is aborted, they could call it murder,” she said. “Was it born, or was it unborn? If it was unborn, then I can’t see charging (Peterson) with a doublemurder.” Marie Tasy of New Jersey Right to Life said of Stark’s comments, “It just shows you how extreme, and to what lengths, these groups will go to protect the right to abortion.” (The Parsippany, Jersey Daily Record, 03)

Study to show yourself approved or… Lastminutesermon.com has sermons ready for liberal preachers who have nothing to say-and are willing to pay $13 to solve that problem. “Lastminutesermons . . . do not involve extremism or theologically controversial views. They should prove acceptable to ministers and teachers in a wide variety of mainstream Christian traditions including Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist and United Reformed.” The site’s creator says “priests can customise the sermons to their own needs. I don’t think people will notice.” (lastminutesermon.com; The Guardian, 4/3/03) …. A workman who need not be ashamed?

Eve and Eve A lesbian couple in New Jersey has exerted successful legal pressure to get both of their names on their child’s birth certificate. One woman, of course, carried the baby, which was conceived by in vitro fertilization, and the other managed to get her name placed in the “Father’s name” blank on the birth certificate. (Our Sunday Visitor, 3/30/03)

I, Me and Mine Dutch Artist Jennifer Hoes, 29, is planning to marry herself. “Finally I managed to unite . . . conflicting parts of my character, and I find it most logical that it results in a wedding.” “I will never divorce myself,” she added. (Ananova, 2/14/03)

MARY SHARING JESUS' THRONE AND CROSS. Friday Church News Notes, April 25, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The Mary of Roman Catholicism is not the Mary of the Bible, and for this reason alone Catholicism must be rejected as the horrible apostasy that it is. On my recent trip to Rome, I visited Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major). Of all of the countless Catholic churches dedicated to Mary, this is the principal one. A chief feature is the huge mosaic in the apse behind the altar depicting Jesus crowning Mary as Queen of Heaven. Mary is at Christ's right hand, sharing His throne. The church houses an icon of Mary that is titled "Salus Populi Romani," thus describing Mary as "the health and salvation of the Roman people." Through a side exit to the right of the altar, you enter a parking lot that features an amazing sight. I missed this on the trip but was told about it later. There is an ornate cross on top of a pole with Jesus on one side and Mary on the other. Mary is crowned and holding baby Jesus. What blasphemy! What damnable error! Woe to those evangelicals who by their example and philosophy are breaking down the walls of separation from this ancient apostasy. Let's hear an answer about this from the Billy Grahams and Chuck Colsons and Hank Hannegraffs of this age, who tell us that Rome has changed, that she is not a cult, and that "certainly" she is not the harlot of

DEFINITION OF ECCLESIASTICAL SEPARATION. Friday Church News Notes, April 25, 2003 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The following is from the Calvary Contender, Oct. 15, 1988: "Broadly speaking, ecclesiastical separation is the refusal to join or collaborate with, or the withdrawal of fellowship from, an ecclesiastical organization or religious leader that deviates from the standard of Scripture, or that does not believe and obey the Word of God in doctrine or practice. Negatively, it is the refusal to join hands or make common cause with those who deny or disobey the Scriptures. It is an unwillingness to become associated or involved in any kind of ecclesiastical relationship that breaks down the divinely ordained distinction between God and Satan, truth and error, light and darkness, good and evil, or obedience and disobedience to the Word of God. In short, it is organizationally to 'abhor what is evil' (Rom. 12:9). Positively, it is separation until holiness, righteousness, godliness, purity, truth, and Christlikeness in all its forms. It also means an identification with those who believe and obey the Word of God. It is organizationally to 'cleave to what is good' (Rom 12:9)."

Repentance

Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect”.

In Romans 12:1-2, Paul admonishes us to present ourselves to the Lord, which he considers to be our reasonable service of worship. It is reasonable to offer ourselves to the Lord daily when we consider that He gave us His only begotten Son. He died so that we might live; not I but Christ living in me. Now if you are like me, there are times I don’t do this very well. The old Mike gets in the way and instead of presenting myself to Him, I present myself to me. When I am serving self instead of Christ, I sin.

Paul continues in verse 2 by telling us of a wonderful process that allows me to deal with my sin and move on. He tells us that we are not to be conformed to this world but that we are to transformed by the renewing of our mind. When I sin, I have to repent(change my mind) and line up my mind with Christ. I have to let this mind be in me that was in Christ. The renewing of the mind is accomplished by the changing of my mind. In whatever area I am stumbling and falling, I have to study and see what the Lord thinks about that area, present myself to Him for change and allow His Spirit to change me.

Some have difficulty with this whole idea of repentance. They have been taught that you repent only once and never again. Some are taught that repentance is just saying you are sorry without an accompanying change of character and resulting behavior. Some reject God’s Word and instead try to renew their minds with man’s philosophy. All of these attempts at doing it differently then what the Word of God instructs us to result in failure and disappointment.

Repent! Present yourself to Him; that is reasonable. Compare your thoughts and actions with His Word and allow Him to renew your mind. A changed mind results in a changed life. And the Lord’s desire is to change you from glory to glory. Remember we are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.

Mike Indest