SURPRISED IN IDAHO
Many of you know that I was in Idaho
recently and during that time I had the opportunity to minister in three churches in the
Boise area. At each stop the pastors had requested that I speak on the errors which have
been promulgated by Dan Brown's book and movie The Da Vinci Code.
If you have heard me minister in person you know that I am a mixture of teacher and
evangelist and certainly the Da Vinci Code material is fertile teaching soil for me.
Still, I am never finished being amazed how God uses teaching to accomplish His purposes.
Two Sunday mornings ago, after speaking on The Da Vinci Code, fourteen
people responded to the invitation to accept Christ! We were ecstatic to say the
least. The pastor commented how unusual it is that people respond like that to a teaching
message. Times like that remind me of something I learned back in the early days of our
ministry. If we just do as the Lord has called us to do then He will bring the results as
He sees fit and in His time. The message is: stay true to the mission and message God sets
you on and let Him work out all of the details.
MORMONISM: HAS ANYTHING CHANGED?
I continue to be extremely excited about
the filming of the video documentary "MORMONISM: Has Anything Changed?" that I
have been privileged to be a part of this month. Our friend, Jim Spencer of "Through the Maze Ministries" has done a
stellar job of detailing the alleged doctrinal changes in Mormonism and showing
conclusively that there has indeed actually been NO change at all. When this video/DVD is
completed and becomes available later this year it will factually inform the body of
Christ about the deceptive tactics being used by Mormon leaders in their attempt to
masquerade as another more "enlightened" denomination. Most importantly, I
believe that it will win Mormons out of the demonic system of legalism, bondage and error
to the REAL Jesus who is solely able to cleanse and forgive sin. My heart yearns - as
never before - to see these sincere but misguided folk find the peace and freedom that
only the Jesus of the Cross can bring!
MOTHER, CHILD AND WOMB?
Continuing in what can only be considered
outright apostasy, June 19 was another in a series of dark days for the largest
Presbyterian denomination in the U.S. At their national assembly held in Birmingham,
Alabama, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) affirmed the phrase "Mother, Child and
Womb" as acceptable terminology when referring to the Holy Trinity. I feel sure that Dan Brown would be pleased!
News
Day reported the following:
Early in Monday's business session, the Presbyterian assembly
sang a revised version of a familiar doxology, "Praise God from whom all blessings
flow'' that avoided male nouns and pronouns for God.
Youth delegate Dorothy Hill, a student at Gordon-Conwell
Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, was uncomfortable with changing the Trinity
wording. She said the paper "suggests viewpoints that seem to be in tension with what
our church has always held to be true about our Trinitarian God.''
Hill reminded delegates that the Ten Commandments say
"the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.''
The Rev. Deborah Funke of Montana warned that the paper would
be "theologically confusing and divisive'' at a time when the denomination of 2.3
million members faces other troublesome issues."
The Guardian UK
went on to report:
On Tuesday, the assembly will vote on a proposal to give
local congregations and regional "presbyteries" some leeway on ordaining clergy
and lay officers living in gay relationships.
Ten conservative Presbyterian groups have warned jointly that
approval of what they call "local option" would "promote schism by
permitting the disregard of clear standards of Scripture."
When I first converted to Christ I was once a member of the
Presbyterian Church (USA). While there were indeed some wonderful people in that church,
it was there that I came face to face with the fact that not all that claim to be
"Christian" actually are Christians. When Christ
becomes but a namesake religious icon and God's word is tampered with and its authority
downgraded to optional status the term "Christian" no longer applies. This is
now the case in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and throughout many other mainline
denominations. Because of the disregard for God's Word we can expect nothing but complete
apostasy to result.
Thankfully, there is a growing number of young people, such
as Dorothy Hill, who are not going to stand by silently and watch as Satan commandeers her
denomination. Hill and other conservatives are in for a long and divisive fight, though
and in the words of one of the new reformers, "if the old liberals won't return to
the Bible we (young conservatives) will simply out live them and rescue the church!"
More comments: When liberalism, which is the spirit of error,
began to infect the church in America over a century ago, the first sign of cracking was a
questioning of the authority of the Bible. Next came the cessation of speaking out about
social issues which was quickly followed by silence concerning false doctrine, cults and
the other world religions.
Evangelicals and Pentecostals need a wake up call - quick.
While we are still claiming to believe the Bible, we're exhibiting many of the
same signs that accompanied the onset of liberalism. Discerning truth has been deemed
"radical", "extreme" and "over board" and exposing the
cults, while heralding doctrinal soundness, has become all to uncomfortable in the user
friendly atmosphere modern Christians have embraced today. Perhaps the most telling sign
is our lack of focus on the Scriptures.
As it moves away from Bible preaching the modern evangelical
Church seems now intent on hearing sermons laced with self-help, self-realization and
self-centered life applications. These changes haven't come through the back door. They
have been introduced by recognized and popular Christian leaders. Today, there are a lot
of "here and now" and "live for the moment" ideas (such as the popular
"Purpose Driven" philosophy) being preached and endorsed from our pulpits.
However, there seems to be precious little said about the power of the Cross, repentance
from sin, brokeness before God, deliverance from demonic bondage, Christ's power to heal
the sick, the "blessed hope" of His Second Coming, the finality of eternal
judgement for the lost, etc, etc. No matter how you try and dress it up with a Scripture
or two, self-help sermons may tickle the ears but are never accompanied by the anointing
that convicts sinners and breaks the yoke of bondage setting captives free.
If some of liberalism's seductions and deceptions were not
making significant Trojan Horse-like inroads into Evangelical thinking then we'd have
stopped the illicit compromising presented as "progress" by many in the Modern Church Growth Movement
over the past twenty years. Perhaps it is our ungodly fixation with growth and numbers
that has caused our change of message?
This I can guarantee, if Christians had their
Bible's open and if our leaders all refused to sacrifice truth for growth in numbers the
church landscape and our effectiveness for the Kingdom of God would be markedly different
in a powerful and positive way. I
suggest that a careful reading of II Timothy 3:1-7, II Timothy 4:1-8 and Titus chapter 1
followed by a fervent time of prayer for the Church is in order.
The "user friendly" "kinder gentler"
approach may by sheer head count alone appear to be working but if it changes the pure and
complete message of the Bible in any way then it is indeed a complete falacy. A.W. Tozer
may have said it best as he quoted G.K. Chesterton:
"There is a notion abroad that to win a man
we must agree with him. Actually the exact opposite is true. G. K. Chesterton remarked
that 'each generation has had to be converted by the man who contradicted it most. The man
who is going in a wrong direction will never be set right by the affable religionist who
falls into step beside him and goes the same way. Someone must place himself across the
path and insist that the straying man turn around and go in the right direction."'
FINALLY...
Today is July 3. We need your
financial help very much. If you appreciate a ministry dedicated to see souls
saved, the Church changed and to tell it like it is at any cost then please support us
this Summer. It has been the generous gifts of those who understood the vision for our
ministry that has seen us through in times past. Now, we are eternally grateful for your
help during this season.
We are holding over the special package
offer of materials to help equip you concerning Mormonism. It is yours
for a donation of at least $50 - but we need many of you to step up and do more at this
time. (You may donate through the secured link below or send your gift and request to our
Texas address.)
We also need your prayers. I am maintaining
nearly all of Melanie's ministry responsibilities as she is spending many hours each week
helping care for her mother who is suffering from Alzheimer's. Her father is also
experiencing various health problems and is currently in the hospital recovering from a
recent operation. Thanks for holding us and our family up in prayer.
God bless you!
In appreciation of your immediate
gift of at least $50 we will send you four great resources concerning Mormonism.
These items include Jim Spencer's powerful testimony book Beyond Mormonism,
his books Whited Sepulchers and Mormonism's Temple
of Doom and the classic DVD "The Mormon Dilemma."
To give a gift and request the Mormonism Books and
DVD
CLICK
HERE
Eric's newest videos are
available in DVD or VHS format!
Thanks For Your Support...
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you!
Thanks and God bless you!
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