I agree with most that the editors of The Berean Call have to say, but every once in awhile I disagree with something. If you have any comments or questions please write me.
John Newton on True Patriotism
From The Berean Call Daily Updates 7/4/09
By the author of “Amazing Grace” John Newton (1725 – 1807)
If I had the wisdom or influence to soothe the angry passions of mankind–I would gladly employ them! But I am a stranger and a pilgrim here in this world. My charter, my rights and my treasures, are all in heaven–and there my heart ought to be. In a very short time, I may be removed (and perhaps suddenly) into the unseen and eternal world–where all that now causes so much bustle upon earth–will be of no more importance to me–than the events which took place among the antediluvians!
In the hour, when death shall open the door into eternity–many things which now assume an ‘air of importance’, will be found as light and unsubstantial as a child’s dream!
How crucial then, is it for me–to be found watching, with my lamp burning, diligently engaged in my proper calling! For the Lord has not called me to set governments right–but to preach the gospel, to proclaim the glory of His name, and to endeavor to win souls! “Let the dead bury their own dead–but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God!” Luke 9:60. Happy is that servant, whom his Master finds so doing, when He returns!
See the TBC Daily Update and link to the entire article
The Shameful Social Gospel
The Shameful Social Gospel
McMahon, T.A.
August 27, 2008 (posted on procinwarn.com 9/17/08)
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.”
Romans 1:16
For various reasons, Christians of different sorts have tinkered with “the gospel of Christ” as though it needed adjustments. Not major alterations, most will tell you, but just some minor tweaking here and there. The changes often begin by one’s declaring that there is no real change involved, simply a shift in emphasis. Yet, no matter what the rationale may be, the end result is being “ashamed of the gospel of Christ.”
To be “ashamed of the gospel” covers a number of attitudes from being totally embarrassed by it to thinking one can improve upon it a bit to make it more acceptable. One example of the former is the recent claim by an Emerging Church author that the teaching regarding Christ’s paying the full penalty for the sins of mankind through His substitutionary death on the Cross is irrelevant and viewed as “a form of cosmic child abuse.” More subtle examples include trying to make the gospel seem less exclusive, and the “softening” of the consequences from which the gospel saves mankind, such as the wrath of God and the Lake of Fire.
Prevalent among many religious leaders who profess to be evangelical Christians (i.e., Bible-believing Christians) is the promotion of a gospel that is acceptable to, and even admired by, people throughout the world. Today, the most popular form of this is the social gospel.
See the rest of this article on the Berean Call site
On procinwarn.com: Good Samaritan or Tower of Babel Vision? – Men in their 20s & 30s – Rick Warren on Meet the Press – Foreign Affairs magazine: 9/06 article about Religion & U.S. Foreign Policy – Freemasonry and the Pattern of its Influence – Obama’s Inauguration and Rick Warren’s Invocation
Chinese Government is still confiscating Bibles
From Berean Call, TBC Today 8/25/08
Today’s Update
China confiscates Bibles from American Christians [Excerpts]
Chinese customs officials confiscated more than 300 Bibles on Sunday from four American Christians who arrived in a southwestern city with plans to distribute them, the group’s leader said.
The Bibles were taken from the group’s checked luggage after they landed at the airport in the city of Kunming, said Pat Klein, head of Vision Beyond Borders. The group, based in Sheridan, Wyoming, distributes Bibles and Christian teaching materials around the world to “strengthen the persecuted church,” according to its Web site.
The group arrived in China on Sunday and had intended to distribute the Bibles to people in the city, Klein told the AP in a telephone interview while still at the airport.
“I heard that there’s freedom of religion in China, so why is there a problem for us to bring Bibles?” Klein said. “We had over 300 copies and customs took all of them from us.”
The move comes as China hosts the Olympics in Beijing, where false media reports last year claimed Bibles would be banned from the games. The state-run China Daily reported last month that 10,000 bilingual copies of the Bible would be distributed in the Olympic Village, which houses athletes and media.
(Wong, Associated Press, August 17, 2008).
A Call To Repentance
Dave HuntSee the November 2006 Newsletter on The Berean Call site.
This is an important message about the many ways professing Christians and the Evangelical subculture have become corrupt and deceived.
This message includes serious warnings about the following:
President Bush and Condoleezza Rice, D. James Kennedy, R.C. Sproul, Bob Finley, Christian Aid Mission, Mennonite Central Committee, World Vision (WV), Timothy George, Jack Hayford, Duane Litfin, Brian McLaren, David Neff, Ron Sider, Jim Wallis, Rick Warren, Thomas Wang, John Stott, Billy Graham, John Ankerberg, James Dobson, Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible, J.I. Packer, Zondervan, Rupert Murdoch, Rick Warren, The Roman Catholic Church, Richard Land, the Southern Baptists’ Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Pat Robertson, Jack Van Impe, Bishop Fulton Sheen, Chuck Colson, Paul Crouch, TBN, Benny Hinn, Jerry Falwell, Robert Schuller, the Chrysostom Society, Richard Foster, Calvin Miller, Karen Mains, Eugene Peterson
Jesus as Messiah
Glory to God!
<<Dr. Tony Wright, a dentist in South Africa, musing on his website how the prophecies of the Bible incontrovertibly point to Jesus as the expected and manifested Messiah:
“As groups such as Answers in Genesis point out, there is an increased reliance upon what is called Ultra-Semitic translations of the Scriptures. What this means is that such translations are opposed to any literal understanding of such passages as Genesis 1. There is a reason for this as the following commentary points out:
“Most of [the prophetic scriptures] point directly or indirectly at Jesus Christ, who fulfilled 371 Tanaach Messianic prophecies. 371 Coincidences? Surely not…..!!!
“We read in the TALMUD (Sanhedrin 97b):That the Sanhedrin wept and said, “Woe to us! Where is the Messiah? He had to have come by now.” Even the Holy leaders of Israel realized the fact that, according to the Tanakh, they had missed their Messiah! To cover up their error, they banned Jews forever from reading or interpreting Daniel 9 – because Daniel 9 gives the date, to the day, that the Messiah was supposed to have come. According to Judaism (the midrash Bereshith on page 243 of the Warsaw edition), the Messiah was to exit in 33 AD.”>>
Rick Warren, Tony Compolo, & Brian McLaren
“Is Emerging Church Leader, Brian McLaren, Turning His Back on the Cross?”
[From TBC Today 3/22/05]
“March 20, 2005
“Is Brian McLaren becoming an enemy of the Cross of Jesus Christ? While his signature and endorsement on the back of such books as Tony Campolo’s Speaking My Mind and Dave Fleming’s The Seeker’s Way, was horrible enough, that was mild compared to what he has now done.
“In the midst of Purpose Driven mania and an apparently sleeping church, Brian McLaren has endorsed a book that calls the doctrine of the Cross a vile doctrine.
“That book? None other than Alan Jones’ new book, Reimagining Christianity. Alan Jones in an interspiritualist and mystic in every sense of the word. Take a look at the Living Spiritual Teachers Project, of which Jones is involved. This group of about twenty-five includes Zen and Buddhist monks, New Agers and even Marianne Williamson and her Course in Miracles. The goal of this group is to destroy the belief that Jesus Christ is the only way for redemption and to integrate other world religious beliefs into Christianity.
“Not only does Alan Jones believe the Cross to be vile, he says that the spiritual practice of contemplative prayer will draw Christians into the realms of all other world religions. Now on this point, we have to agree with Mr. Jones. He couldn’t be more right.
“Right now there are two groups of people who are rushing interspirituality and contemplative prayer into the world’s midst.The first group consists of those who are not afraid nor do they keep secret the beliefs they hold. They include such as Thomas Merton, Thomas Keating, Wayne Teasdale, Bede Griffiths, Robert Schuller, Tilden Edwards, Alan Jones, Marcus Borg and the list goes on.
“The second group, and in a sense a far more dangerous group because they outwardly wear the clothing of sheep, are nothing more than disciples of the first group. They include, to name a few: Richard Foster, Brennan Manning, Bruce Wilkinson, Eugene Peterson, John Ortberg, John Eldredge, Bill Hybels, and yes Rick Warren and Brian McLaren.
“In time,we believe this second group will merge with this first group, proudly and openly. With Brian McLaren’s help that task will be accomplished far sooner than some had expected.”
“[TBC: Contact us for a copy of our Purpose Driven Life critique or read it online at our website: https://www.thebereancall.org.]”
Concerned about The Berean Call
From The Berean Call Daily Update 4/21/09
“Some of my friends good-humoredly – and some a little bit severely – have called me a ‘mystic.’ Well I’d like to say this about any mysticism I may suppose to have. If an archangel from heaven were to come, and were to start giving me, telling me, teaching me, and giving me instruction, I’d ask him for the text. I’d say, ‘Where’s it say that in the Bible? I want to know.’ And I would insist that it was according to the scriptures, because I do not believe in any extra-scriptural teachings, nor any anti-scriptural teachings, or any sub-scriptural teachings. I think we ought to put the emphasis where God puts it, and continue to put it there, and to expound the scriptures, and stay by the scriptures. I wouldn’t – no matter if I saw a light above the light of the sun, I’d keep my mouth shut about it ’til I’d checked with Daniel and Revelation and the rest of the scriptures to see if it had any basis in truth. And if it didn’t, I’d think I’d just eaten something I shouldn’t, and I wouldn’t say anything about it. Because I don’t believe in anything that is unscriptural or that is anti-scripture.”
– What Difference Does the Holy Spirit Make?, A. W. Tozer
This is a great encouragement to me because I’ve always respected A.W. Tozer as a brother in Christ.
And yet there are references that Tozer endorsed “Brother Lawrence” a Catholic Monk who is a link between the Emergent/Contemplative Movements and the New Thought Movement. If you have any comments on this please email me.
Berean Call August Newsletter
Seeds of Deception: Hello Dalai
Topics include:
Main Article:
Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, Catholic Virgin Mary, Christianity Today Magazine, Pope John Paul II, Pat Robertson
Charles Colson, J. I. Packer, Rick Warren, John Hagee, Hank Hanegraaff, Bill Bright, Richard Land, Timothy George, Richard Foster, Wheaton College, InterVarsity Fellowship, NavPress, Zondervan, Campus Crusade, Charisma magazine, and Christian Research Journal
Billy Graham
Seattle, at the five-day Seeds of Compassion Conference, Desmond Tutu, and Emerging Church leaders Doug Pagitt and Rob Bell
Q&A:
Conscious and the Subconscious mind (so-called)
Bible cannot be translated into film or video without critically
distorting itThe Shack
August 2008 Newsletter
(2 Mb pdf)
Posted here 8/1/08
President Bush to Convert to Catholicism?
See the below News Alert from the July 2008 Berean Call Newsletter
(posted here 7/31/08)
Telegraph.co.uk, 6/13/2008, (excerpts): George W. Bush and Pope Benedict XVI have held an intimate meeting in Rome as rumours mounted in Italy that the president may follow in Tony Blair’s footsteps and convert to Catholicism. The two men spoke for half an hour in the 12th century Tower of St. John, a private area…used by the pope for private reflection.
The two men have grown increasingly close in the past two years, and Mr. Bush was overheard whispering: “What an honour, what an honour, what an honour!” It was thought that he may have prayed with the pope in private. Mr. Bush prayed with Benedict in the Oval Office during the Papal visit to the U.S. in April. Several Italian newspapers cited Vatican sources suggesting that Mr. Bush may be prepared to convert. One source told Il Foglio, an authoritative newspaper, that “Anything is possible, especially for a born-again Christian such as Bush.”
George William Rutler, a New York-based priest…close to the president, was quoted by the Washington Post…saying that Mr. Bush “is not unaware of how evangelism, by comparison with Catholicism, may seem more limited both theologically and historically.” A source close to the Vatican said that Mr. Bush was the most “Catholic-minded” president since John F. Kennedy, who famously played down his Catholicism.
It is thought unlikely that Mr. Bush would convert until after he has left office. Jeb Bush, the president’s brother, has already converted to Catholicism….During the contested election in 2000, Jeb Bush travelled to Mexico and prayed to the icon of Our Lady of Guadelupe. His victory was announced by the Supreme Court on December 12, the feast day of the Lady of Guadelupe.
Before Mr. Bush became president, Karl Rove, his former political adviser, invited Catholic intellectuals to Texas to lecture the candidate on the church’s teachings.
[TBC: Despite the “lecture,” President Bush is either woefully ignorant of Roman Catholicism’s foundational “works-salvation,” or, worse yet, he does not understand the simple, biblical gospel of grace through faith apart from works.]
July 2008 Berean Call Newsletter
From TBC Today 10/11/04
Tony Campolo
and the
Assemblies of God
“A Christian group is asking an Assemblies of God Bible college in Pennsylvania to drop a frequent guest chapel speaker because of his heretical beliefs. But the school’s president is defending his decision to invite a man who holds to universalist theology and an unbiblical view of homosexuality.
“Dr. Don Meyer says he is not backing down from his decision to once again welcome Dr. Tony Campolo to preach in chapel…at Valley Forge Christian College, a small four-year college located northwest of Philadelphia. Campolo, a well-known media commentator on religious, social and political matters, often preaches with his wife in homosexual-affirming churches, where he has stated that the homosexual “did not choose homosexuality,” but is rather “a victim either of biological accident or someone else’s folly” (Jim Brown, AgapePress https://headlines.agapepress.org).”
“[TBC: If what Campolo teaches is true (that people do not choose to favor homosexual attraction, but are born “wired” that way) then how can he preach that God is a loving Father? What kind of loving God would clearly condemn homosexual behavior, while at the same time predestining certain beings to be born as homosexuals?].”
From TBC Today 10/7/04
[I don’t necessarily endorse Agape Press. Jim B.]
Purpose Driven Critique
YWAM & ISLAM
“Man Says… God Says…”
“Man Says: “Messianic Muslims, who continue to read the Koran, visit the mosque and say their daily prayers but accept Christ as their Savior, are the products of the strategy which is being tried in several countries.” A YWAM staff writer wrote: “They continue a life of following the Islamic requirements, including mosque attendance, fasting and Koranic reading, besides getting together as a fellowship of Muslims who acknowledge Christ as the source of God’s mercy for them… YWAM is also adopting this approach in India, where a team is working with a Hindu holy man.” (YWAM in Foundation, May/June 2000, p. 39).
“God Says: “It is a faithful saying: for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.”” [2 Timothy 2:11, 12]
From TBC Today 11/4/04
Today’s Update from the Berean Call
1/20/09
POLITICS OR THE GOSPEL
Quoting the late William MacDonald
“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence” (John 18:36).
The fact that Christ’s Kingdom Is not of this world is enough to keep me out of the world’s politics. If I participate in politics, then I am casting a vote of confidence in the system’s ability to solve the world’s problems. But frankly, I have no such confidence because I know that “the whole world lieth in wickedness” (1 John 5:19).
Politics has proved singularly ineffective in solving the problems of society. Political remedies are nothing but a band-aid on a festering sore: they do not get at the source of the infection. We know that sin is the basic trouble in our sick society. Anything that fails to deal with sin cannot be taken seriously as a cure.
It becomes a matter of priorities, then. Should I spend time in political involvement or should I devote that same time to the spread of the gospel? Jesus answered the question when He said, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60). Our top priority must be to make Christ known because He is the answer to the world’s problems.
–William MacDonald, One Day at a Time, Gospel Folio Press, p. 24.
Today’s Update
The Berean Call
9/11/08
Understand Moses, Know Christ
Jesus never condemned a Pharisee for taking Moses too seriously. They take him far less seriously than they should. For Jesus says, “If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for He wrote of Me. But if you don’t believe His writings, how will you believe My words. Your accuser is Moses.” (John 5:46). So to understand Moses is to come to know Christ when He is revealed. Likewise, Abraham saw Jesus’ day and was glad, the Bible testifies. And “…foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU” (Galatians 3:8).
–John W. Hendryx
The Rush for Change
by Elwood McQuaid as linked by The Berean Call “Today’s Update” 6/30/08
TBC Today
March 18, 2008 Posted on this site 3/19/08
Today’s Update:
“Showtime for the Sheep? Again, and Again, and Again…”
“When the Lord put it upon my heart to write a book about my concerns regarding Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, little did I know I would face a new kind of opposition. I was compelled to address the subject because of my background as a devout Roman Catholic, a former Hollywood screenwriter, and my experience in Christian apologetics. The “passionate” reaction I received was very different from other controversial issues I had written about in nearly three decades of ministry; in this case some who were very much opposed to the book were those whom I greatly respect.
“To a man, their response to my long list of substantial criticisms (multiple distortions of and additions to Scripture, the use of the film medium to manipulate emotions, the false Catholic gospel of physical sufferings to expiate sins, story content taken from a mystical nun, Gibson’s goal of reproducing the Stations of the Cross ritual and exalting Mary, etc., etc.) was: “Yes, but God can still use this.”
“At the time it was seen by many evangelicals as an exciting opportunity to witness worldwide to those unbelievers whose curiosity the popular movie piqued. Although predictions abounded that the film would bring about great revival, no such thing — even on a local scale — materialized.
“I was told by sincere friends that the value of a book explaining the problems with The Passion of the Christ would very likely be short-lived because movies come and go and are soon forgotten. Generally speaking, yes; but not in this case. The evangelical church, credited for making The Passion an overwhelming box-office success, has lionized this movie. Churches not only purchased tickets for their congregations — they bought The Passion DVDs for their libraries, Sunday schools, adult and young-adult groups, Bible studies, outreach programs, and so forth.
“Four years since the release of the film, its showing has become an annual Easter event for thousands of evangelical churches. This week Hank Hanegraaff’s Bible Answer Man program is having actor and conservative Catholic James Caviezel discuss his experience of playing Christ in “the making of the epic film.” Moody Bible Churchhas encouraged its congregation to register for Saturday’s free showing of “this powerful depiction of the last days of Jesus’ life on earth.” Other examples abound.
“The most grievous aspect of all this is that this very Catholic production (Gibson calls it his “very Marian movie”), with all of its anti-biblical characteristics (see Showtime for the Sheep?), has become a permanent teaching tool within evangelical churches. This is certainly a major addition to the rapidly developing apostasy.
“T.A. McMahon
“P.S.- Let me know what The Passion of the Christ events are taking place in your area. ”
https://www.thebereancall.org/
The Secret – the Latest Occult Scam
From the Berean Call – 7/2007
From TBC Today 12/8/06
Global Summit on AIDS and the Church on the Saddleback campus
MAN SAYS: “[Beginning November 30], the Global Summit on AIDS and the Church [was] held on the Saddleback campus. It is not a church service, but an international summit for pastors and world leaders. Leaders from churches, denominations, health, NGOs, Christian organizations, governments, businesses, and entertainment will meet together to discuss how they can work with churches to end AIDS. Participants will hear messages from Laura Bush, Sen. Bill Frist, Sen. Sam Brownback, Bill Gates, Bono, the doctor who discovered AIDS transmission heterosexually, Franklin Graham, the President of World Vision, the President of World Relief, the President of Compassion, and about 30 other speakers who are concerned about AIDS. [Pro-homosexual, pro-abortion] Sen. Obama is one speaker at a conference which includes Republicans and Democrats, Christians and non-Christians, pastors, business leaders, and all kinds of races from around the world. Yet the vitriol and unChristlike slander was over the top.” (Rick Warren, Purpose Driven network, November 25, 2006)
GOD SAYS: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15)
[TBC: More recently, Warren and Saddleback released a follow up statement: “We do not expect all participants in the Summit discussion to agree with all of our Evangelical beliefs. However, the HIV/AIDS pandemic cannot be fought by Evangelicals alone. It will take the cooperation of all government, business, NGOs and the church. That is the purpose of this Summit — to marshal the policy of the government; the finances of business; the expertise of the health organizations; and the compassion, volunteerism and reach of the church in order to care for the sick and save lives.”
Saving of lives is certainly paramount, but saving of souls is greater yet. We have seen enough examples that demonstrate whenever evangelicals join hands with the world, the real “good news” will be set aside. That is part of the demands of the world.]
From TBC Today 12/8/06
TBN & Money
“Bogus Beliefs”
“Los Angeles Times (USA), Sep. 20, 2004, excerpted from www.religionnewsblog.com/8717-.html
“By William Lobdell, Times Staff Writer
Excerpts, Part 2
“Ole E. Anthony, founder of the Trinity Foundation in Dallas, a televangelist watchdog, said he knew people who had given the last of their savings to TV preachers, hoping for a windfall that never came.
“”The people on TBN are living the lifestyle of fabulous wealth on the backs of the poorest and most desperate people in our society,” Anthony said. “People have lost their faith in God because they believe they weren’t worthy after not receiving their financial blessing.”
“Thomas D. Horne, of Williford, Ark., a disabled Vietnam-era veteran, said that in 1994 he was swept away by the rhetoric of TBN pastors and donated about $6,000 in disability benefits.
“Time went by and he did not receive the promised surfeit of money. Last year, he found out that TBN had purchased a Newport Beach mansion overlooking the Pacific. He wrote to the network, asking for his money back. “I want to recoup my hard-earned disability money I sent to these despicable people,” said Horne. He said he has received no reply.
“Philip McPeake is another donor for whom God’s economy of giving did not deliver. Out of work and out of luck in November 1998, McPeake heard the Rev. R.W. Schambach make an impassioned plea for donations on TBN’s Kansas City television station, KTAJ. Schambach promised that if viewers sent $200 as a down payment on a $2,000 pledge, God would give them the rest within 90 days — with a bonus to follow.
“McPeake sent in his money and waited for his luck to change. When it didn’t, he complained to the Missouri state attorney general’s office and the Federal Communications Commission. TBN refunded his donation.
“Carl Geisendorfer, who runs a low-power Christian television station in Quincy, Ill., offered TBN programming for 19 years — until, he said, he grew disgusted by the televangelists’ financial appeals. He said he pulled TBN off the air in 2002 after watching a preacher tell viewers that they should pledge $2,000 — even if they didn’t have it — in order to receive a financial miracle from God. “I should have canceled TBN several years earlier, but I thought Paul Crouch would finally see the light on how foolish and prideful that false gospel is,” said Geisendorfer, president of Believer’s Broadcasting Corp., a small media group. “I’m sorry I waited as long as I did . . . .”
“[TBC: God¹s Word says: “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not” (2 Peter 2:3].”