The Bible For Today Update Yvonne Sanborn Waite, D. Hum. January - February 2003

THESE ARE PERILOUS TIMES!
CHRISTIANS MUST BE VIGILANT

Satan is out to destroy Christians and their families!  
Let us not be too proud to HUMBLE OURSELVES  Under the Mighty Hand of God!  

I Peter 5:6-11

As you probably remember, my pastor is my husband. This has its good & bad points, ‘tis true; but I must say, during this season of our lives, I am enjoying this pastor/husband--wife/parishioner relationship better than my other two experiences with such a triangle. One of the enjoyments for me is to be able to hear my husband preach & teach again. Not that I haven’t been listening to him teach in other churches as he preaches, teaches, or defends the King James Bible & its underlying texts; but in Dr. Waite’s present pastoring in our Bible For Today BAPTIST CHURCH, I have been able to listen, learn & welcome his Biblical teaching with a mature freshness that I did not have as a younger pastor’s wife & mother. Life has a way of teaching us how to live, doesn’t it?--as well as how to listen! As you know, life is not smooth! It is not a bowl of cherries--as the old song goes. It is a day-by-day, one-foot-in-front-of-the-other-walk filled with conflict & an occasionally happy lark in the ocean breeze. And, just when we think we have the "hang" of living, some disaster or personality conflict hits us in the face!

Our church is only four years old! As you know, we meet here in our home at 900 PARK AVENUE, COLLINGWOOD, NEW JERSEY. What used to be our living room, is now a chapel with fifty chairs a piano, a pulpit, a loud speaking system, & four video cameras.

The Lord has blessed us with a good pastor/teacher in Dr. Waite, as well as an outstanding Sunday pianist in Mr. Dick Carroll. I love singing solos with Mr. Carroll as he follows my every breath & expression. He makes me sound good! In the brief time of four years, Pastor Waite has taught his congregation (of which I am a part) an amazing number of New Testament books--such as Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Hebrews, Philemon, 1 Peter, and 1 Timothy. All of this teaching is on videos & audio cassettes. OF COURSE THIS DOESN’T COVER THE BOOKS THAT PASTOR DAN WAITE TAUGHT US: 2 Peter, 1 John , & now Obadiah. All this teaching is on videos & audio cassettes, as well as on "www.biblefortoday.org" & CLICK on " AUDIO SERMONS." Slowly, as the Lord supplies the time & money, we are putting this teaching in book form. Now don’t get me wrong, Dr. Waite does not pretend to be profound--but often he is. His goal is to teach & cover the verses in the forty-five minutes time-slot available every Sunday, taking two sermons for every chapter. This way, the reader or listener has a sense of progress in the study of the Words of God. I think it is a good idea, don’t you?

Presently Pastor Waite is teaching us from 2 TIMOTHY, Paul’s epistle written from his second Roman imprisonment. At this writing, we have just finished chapter one.

I wish you could have been here yesterday. We had a small crowd, as many of our people were away on vacation. It was the week before the New Year. You know how that is! We had Laura’s mother-in-law visiting us. She is an attractive woman who understands little to no English. Her name is NISA. She just arrived at Kennedy airport from TURKEY last week-end. She & Laura are communicating by dictionary, facial expression, & hand-signals. So we did the same. During our early afternoon Bible study class in the book of Acts, it was a blessing for all of us to hear Nisa read from the Turkish Bible the verses that our class has been memorizing from the Gospel of John (our last study). By the way, you can be a part of this study group, by ordering BFTBC JOHN BIBLE STUDY DISCUSSION (BFT #3016/1-45 @ $135 + $7 S&H).

BFTBC ACTS BIBLE STUDY DISCUSSION is in progress; but you are welcomed to join us by subscribing to the video &/or audios as we progress into the book. We understand that Missionary David Bennett & his group there in Dubbo, Australia, study along with us in Acts, & young Jacob Wallnofer (MD) keeps up with us in our Thursday study in Isaiah, as well as the Walls (CA) , the Knights (IL), & the Kociks (WI). Jacob’s mother home-schools him. Isaiah is his home school Bible lesson. Just now, after my husband put the Isaiah study for last Thursday up on the Internet, twenty-eight people looked at it immediately! I don’t know how many as the weeks went on. That Internet "SermonAudio.Com" is something else again!

In Pastor Waite’s sermon yesterday (HOLD FAST SOUND WORDS, BFT#3105/1 @ $4.00+$2.00 S&H)--a sermon encouraging us to stand tenaciously for every one of the Hebrew and Greek words, as well as the letters, of Holy Scripture--we learned of two of Paul’s turncoat friends named Phygellus & Hermogenes (2 Timothy 1:15). Often Paul thought about them while in prison--their faithlessness to him, their spiritual leader. It grieved Prisoner Paul as he stumbled about in his dark confinement, remembering their departure. Some students of the Apostle Paul feel that Paul’s eyes were dimmed from blindness. At one time, Phygellus & Hermogenes had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him in the ministry. Perhaps they were his "eyes," his companions, his helpers in church-planting. The memory of their former fellowship was fresh in the apostle’s mind. They had praised Paul’s work & had contributed to his Calvary causes. Yet, in his letter to young Preacher Timothy, Paul reflected upon the spiritual slap that he had felt as his former supporters fled from his side & his ministry. The rift was real! It was final! It was determined! During those long nights of prison solitude, Paul could not help but grieve. Not only had those men, with the difficult names, left him--after all he had done for them; but also, many from the area of Asia Minor (now Turkey) had turned away from Paul & his God-given calling. They were ashamed of him!

We have such divisions today--the two-facedness of friends. A little disagreement, a little dismay, a little doubt left unattended brings such division. Refusal to discuss a matter or to have such a biased, one-sided version of a situation, that no forgiveness can be asked or given. You’ve met "Christians" like them, haven’t you? Or maybe you are one of them, I don’t know. No matter what is said or what is written, the "Phygelluses" & "Hermogeneses" of our day will not reconcile. I wonder, if you or I had been living in A.D. 67, would we, too, have forsaken the one "called out of due time?" Do not be so sure of your steadfastness!

But there was good news in Paul’s epistle to Preacher Timothy. That news came with the mention of a man named ONESIPHORUS. He was more than a pen-pal or an occasional contributor to Paul’s cause. He was a solid Christian, unashamed of Paul’s bondage & sympathetic to the apostle’s weak & sickly condition. Onesiphorus put flesh to his feelings & sought out the "Hebrew of the Hebrews." Because he sought him out, Onesiphorus found Paul in that stinking place. Onesiphorus was not someone who said he would do a job & not do it. He was someone who did it when he said he would. He was a truthful friend, the kind we all need, not someone full of "HOT AIR" & boasting. Some feel Onesiphorus was an elder at the church of Ephesus. I don’t know. He certainly seemed to portray the qualities of such an office. But we do know that ONESIPHORUS ministered with kindness & grace to the weary, ill, & imprisoned missionary. Yes, that faithful, friend & follower searched until he found the writer of many New Testament scrolls. He encouraged Paul’s heart. All had not forsaken him!

I think that you or I would have given up in such a prisoner-search--but not Onesiphorus. HE WAS A TRUE FRIEND. He found the Apostle & showed him MERCY! Later, reflecting on those days of solemnity & sadness, Paul wrote of Onesiphorus, "He found me!" "He refreshed me." "He was not ashamed of my chain." (2 Timothy 1:16-17). Neither Onesiphorus nor his household were ashamed of his friend. Paul’s "Good Samaritan" did not think it lowered his position in life to walk into that dark, dank, & desperate Roman prison-house. It was not degrading for him to minister to the writer of the inspired Scripture--a lonely, incarcerated man of faith. It was Onesiphorus’ joy!

As Pastor Waite preached yesterday, we in the BIBLE FOR TODAY BAPTIST CHURCH observed the mercy shown to Paul by ONESIPHORUS. What a prisoner-ministry that man had! Let your imagination go with mine, & determine what ONESIPHORUS must have done to "minister" to this beloved elder statesman. He must have brought him food for his body, fellowship to his soul, & blankets for warmth during the bone-chilling-nights. I have no doubt that Onesiphorus gave Paul fresh water to drink & probably carried water to wash Paul’s face & feet, as well as his whole body. Neither Onesiphorus nor his household were ashamed of his prisoner-friend! He did not think it below his material status of life to enter that depressing Roman prison-house.

PRISONER-PAUL’S PAIN & SUFFERING

How it must have broken Onesiphorus’ heart to see Paul in pain & suffering from the cold & cramped conditions of his restricted confinement. No, it was not degrading for Onesiphorus to minister to the incarcerated man of faith. He loved that writer of inspired Scripture! How often circumstances change our love for people. That is not how it is when "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts" (Romans 5:5) You & I must ask our Heavenly Father to give us more "love" for the brethren who are not as lovely as we would like them to be or who have offended us to our very core. Isn’t that what the Lord Jesus did when he forgave us of our sin?

Hygienic conveniences were nil in that place. Crusty sores caked the apostle’s person. Bugs & vermin plagued the prison & found refuge on Paul’s body. He reeked with rancid, undeniable odors. Paul’s friend cared. Onesiphorus did not turn away! It was uncomfortable for him to see his friend in such a pitiful state (2 Timothy 2:9), but Onesiphorus stayed, pouring mercy upon Paul. It was true, in the past, some had previously found Paul’s "bodily presence . . . weak, and his speech contemptible" (2 Corinthians 10:10). It was said of Paul’s writings that they were more powerful than his spoken words. Such observations could be confirmed in the prison environment. Those who had found "his speech contemptible" in the past would have marveled at the grace & strength that was Paul’s. The two Christian men prayed together for the churches, for Timothy, for Titus, for Philemon, & for others. Yet, in that condition & in that place, with death looming upon Paul at every sunrise, the Apostle penned Pastor Timothy his last letter. That’s the letter where Paul declared, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith!" (2 Timothy 4:7)

Soon Paul would be martyred for Jesus’ sake. Soon his trials & tribulations would be o’er. Soon he would join Stephen & others in Heaven. Jesus Christ would welcome his servant "HOME." Soon it would be worth it all! Paul would be with his Lord who stood with him always & strengthened him daily (2 Timothy 4:17). Even in spite of the Paul’s physical handicaps, he & his friend, Onesiphorus, took time to meditate in the Scriptures, to reminisce as to Paul’s conversion, & to reflect upon all the trials Paul had suffered for Christ--the stoning, the near drowning, the persecutions.

Of course--sad to say--as the praying men prayed, they remembered those who had forsaken Paul such as Demas. How Demas had disappointed the apostle. Demas had left the ministry because of his love for the present world (2 Timothy 4:10) contrary to 1 John 2:15. Then, you remember that coppersmith, don’t you? Paul remembered him, too. How could Paul forget Alexander? Alexander had done much evil to Paul & his work (2 Timothy 4:14). Why, he withstood Paul’s words, trying to defeat Paul’s message. At times, it seemed to the one who saw the Lord on the Damascus Road that all men had forsaken him. Of course, they really had not; but when he was alone & suffering, it felt that way. At times, like Elijah of old, discouragement hovered over the apostle as he recalled those who had left him to go their separate ways.

WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO FORSOOK YOU?

Maybe you recall those who claimed they would always be true to you? But they weren’t! You worked your fingers to the bone for them. You preached your heart out to them. You showed them love & mercy. You graced their lives with blessings. You showered monetary gifts upon them expecting nothing but interest in your ministry. Not only did you give them financial help, you imparted to them spiritual truths wrapped in love--expecting nothing in return but faithfulness. Yet, they left you over some trivial incident or misunderstanding. Pride got in the way. Their twisted understanding of a situation was misread. They believed the lie against you. They had a faulty response. Forgiveness was not wanted or given. So they forsook you like Demas did with Paul. Have you ever felt completely forsaken by a friend or a relative? If so, you know the emotional hurt that haunted Paul during his days confined in that pit when merciful Onesiphorus first found him alone & in need.

What a time of rejoicing they had when Onesiphorus walked into that Roman place. In my imagination, I can hear Onesiphorus & Paul singing psalms & hymns together. It brings back that memory of a previous year when Paul was in jail with Silas. Mercy poured from Onesiphorus’ heart. Mercy touched the very soul of the weary, imprisoned missionary-preacher. His friend’s compassion grabbed Paul’s needs. The Apostle basked in such Christian love.

Do you or I have MERCY for others? Do we have such compassion? No wonder Paul requested of the Lord to bestow His divine mercy on ONESIPHORUS (2 Timothy 1:18). It doesn’t take much thought to observe that ONESIPHORUS was no ordinary friend. Had not he, on a previous occasion, found & ministered to Paul in Ephesus? (2 Timothy 1:18) What a kindly gentleman of good works was Onesiphorus! A rare find in this day & age. What better friend could a man have than he? Paul was blessed, indeed.

Do you have such a friend? Perhaps a better question would be, "ARE YOU SUCH A FRIEND IN NEED?"

"Mercy" has been defined as "a disposition to forgive, pity, or be kind; kind or compassionate treatment; relief of suffering; a fortunate thing; thing to be grateful for; blessing."

For most FUNDAMENTALISTS, this includes abstinence from adultery, fornication, homosexuality, but also includes tobacco, alcohol, non-prescribed drugs, Hollywood movies, carnal TV, dancing, gambling, playing cards, divorce, re-marriage after divorce, etc.

It also includes separating from unbelievers in close affinity, including marriage, partnerships, or other close relationships with apostates or heretics in the faith.

It also includes ecclesiastical separation which includes separating from churches in the National and World Councils of churches or individual churches who are members of the NCC or WCC or other apostate-led groups.

(2 Corinthians 6:14--7:1)

It also includes separation from disorderly brethren who are walking in a carnal lifestyle and unrepentant of it.

A NEO-EVANGELICAL IS ONE WHO FAILS TO PRACTICE EITHER PERSONAL

A COMPROMISE POSITION would be one who is a NEO-EVANGELICAL and seeks to hold hands in fellowship on the one hand with Fundamentalists and on the other hand with the liberals, modernists, or apostates, such as Billy Graham and many, many other leaders. It could also refer to a Christian who, despite the clear Bible teaching, insists on continuing fellowship with a carnal, unrepentant, disorderly Christian.

There are many other COMPROMISES such as in various doctrines, etc. You may phone me if you need more details. (856-854-4452).

Airing on some stations right now is my fifteen minute Just For Women RADIO BROADCASTS on the subject of "PERSONAL SEPARATION--A GRANDMOTHER’S PLEA" (JFW/33 @ $4.00 + $2.00 S&H). I am appalled that preachers & parents are not teaching their young people about "personal" separation. People who claim to be born-again, blood-washed Christians should live for Christ, act like Christians, dress like Christians, speak like Christians, & not be found where Christ’s Name is dragged in the mud!

The Bible says "BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM!"!! (Matthew 7:20) Some Christians appear to know about "ecclesiastical" separation--that’s where fundamental/evangelical churches do not fellowship with those in the apostasy of the National or World Councils of Churches or have communion with the Roman Catholic church; but what has happened to the Scriptural teaching concerning "PERSONAL" SEPARATION? In our effort not to be negative, many churches today have produced a bunch of "worldlings." They say they are "born-again" Christians, but they act exactly like the heathen about them. May God keep you & me from such self-deception.

BFT # 3104-C [Audio Tape] @ $4.00 + $2.00 S&H: "DAILY DECLINE OF DENOMINATIONS," Pastor Waite’s interview with Joshua Wallnofer as to of his observations of denominations today after visiting many churches this past year. Hear the changes and the slippery slide within the various groups.

by Pastor D. A. Waite, Th.D., Ph.D.

BFT # 3006 @ $7.00 + $3.00 S&H, MAKING MARRIAGE MELODIOUS by Pastor D. A. Waite, Th.D., Ph.D. MAKING MARRIAGE MELODIOUS is a 112-page, perfect-bound book with Scripture verses, index, & commentary for the benefit of the reader, all married couples, or future married people. Several years ago, the author spoke on this subject at a Bible camp in Ohio. The teaching was in NOTE-FORM & ON AUDIO TAPE. It has been offered to the BFT family for many years Two years ago a couple, intending to be married, requested of the author to counsel them before their marriage. Scratching his head, as well as looking for suitable material to use as a text for the prospective couple, he remembered the lectures from 1987, got out his notes, and decided to transcribe his words from the past for the present teaching of the bride-and-groom- to-be. The more Pastor Waite prepared this work for the counseling sessions, the more he thought that you, our friends, would benefit from the teaching--thus MAKING MARRIAGE MELODIOUS can be yours! None of us is without a need to improve our marriages & to check our lives against God’s Words and Way! With all the marriage problems and conflicts that are faced today we know how easy it is to forget & forsake Bible teaching when it comes to being a Biblical husband or a wife!

MAY GOD BLESS YOU & YOUR MARRIAGE AS YOU PRACTICE THE SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES FOUND WITHIN THE BOOK’S PAGES & FROM THE WORDS OF GOD.

I have purchased from you the MP3 sermons on Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon, Hebrews, and 1 Peter. From SermonAudio.Com I have downloaded 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, and eagerly await your posting of 2 Timothy each week. I'll be happy to purchase any other MP3 sermons from you as they become available. That way I can help you financially.

I've even started getting up a half hour early each day (4:30) so I can make listening to one of your sermons a part of my daily time alone with the Lord. I plug my ear phones into my computer so I don't wake my wife or kids up, have my copy of The Defined King James Version open, a note pad and pen, and am blessed. Your material has been a wonderful help even in my own Bible Study preparation. Also, for too long, I have been preaching topical sermons. I see the great benefit of preaching the way you do, and want to approach the Scriptures like that in my preaching.

Forgive me for rambling on and on. I know you get some criticism from certain corners for your stand. I just wanted you to know that there is someone "out here" whom God is blessing in a wonderful way through your ministry. Thanks, Pastor Waite. (PASTOR K.)

I recently purchased a hardcover Defined King James Bible. I felt compelled to write to you to let you know how happy I am with this beautiful Bible. For years I used modern versions because I felt the KJV was too "difficult" to understand. While the modern versions were very readable, I always felt uncomfortable with the footnotes about "questionable" passages, such as the ending of Mark and the story of Jesus forgiving the adulteress in the book of John. This made me feel in my heart that something was not right. I actually started to research the history of the Bible and learned about the texts that Bible versions are translated from. This is what made me pick up my King James Bible, a copy that I had for years but never opened! I was surprised how readable it was, and how beautiful and poetic it read. Because my KJ Bible had many words with Americanized spellings, I decided to look for one that was based on the 1769 Cambridge text. I went to my local Bible Book store. Among all of the modern translations in the Bible section (some very expensive), one little burgundy hard covered Bible stood out, THE DEFINED KING JAMES BIBLE. I opened it up, and my first delight was its Cambridge text. However, I never could have imagined it would have definitions! I could not believe the valuable Bible I was holding. The supplementary material on the corrupt versions could have been a book unto itself. You are right. Modern versions are a subtle attack against God. The devil is using these versions to create doubts in the minds of Bible readers, casting doubt on passages, which leads to questioning the entire Bible. Anyway, I feel I bought a wonderful Bible--ALL FOR TWENTY DOLLARS! God Bless You. HAVE A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR! Yours truly, ( C.D.)

DR. WAITE’S MEETINGS IN 2003

JANUARY 8:

Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Pastor Waite will be speaking for one hour with a power-point presentation on the "DEFENSE OF THE KING JAMES BIBLE" at Grace Baptist Church, 1191 Limestone Road, Oxford, PA (610-932-9739) with Pastor Terri Moore.

Monday and Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. Pastor Waite will be speaking for 75 minutes with a power-point presentation on the "DEFENSE OF THE KING JAMES BIBLE" at Faith Bible Baptist Church, 138 Maple Drive, Harrisburg, PA (610-562-8802) with Pastor Erich Schmidt. There will be a 45-minute question and answer session following the message.

Friday, 6:30 p.m., Pastor Waite will be speaking at a Sweethearts Banquet on "MAKING MARRIAGE MELODIOUS" at the Community Baptist Church, 613 Uniontown Road, Westminster, MD (410-848-0899) with Pastor Mike Roadcup.

Tuesday through Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Pastor Waite will be speaking with power-point presentations on the "DEFENSE OF THE KING JAMES BIBLE" at the New Testament Independent Baptist Church, P.O. Box N-9243, Nassau, Bahamas (242-325-2012) with Pastor David Adams.

Sunday through Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. Pastor Waite will be speaking with power-point presentations on the "DEFENSE OF THE KING JAMES BIBLE" at Bible Baptist Church, Highway 136 East, Kahoka, MO (660-727-2626) with Pastor Michael Reeder. While there, Pastor Waite will also speak at a meeting of local pastors on Tuesday morning April 8th.

Each of these three Sunday evenings, 7:00 p.m. Pastor Waite will be speaking with power-point presentations on the "DEFENSE OF THE KING JAMES BIBLE" at Pine Grove Baptist Church, 1000 Marlton Pike, Tuckerton Road, Marlton, NJ (856-985-9695) with Pastor Ted Smarzynski.

Wednesday and Thursday, all day Pastor Waite will be joined with other speakers at the 25th Annual meeting of the DEAN BURGON SOCIETY meeting at the Emmanuel Baptist Church, 296 New Britain Avenue, Newington, CT (860-667-6208) with Pastor Michael Bates.

Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. and 7:45 p.m. Pastor Waite will be speaking on the "DEFENSE OF THE KING JAMES BIBLE" at the Christian Lake Bible Conference, Star Route, Christian Lake, Stratford, NY (355 Perkins Mill Road) (315-429-3659) with Brother Don Webb. This is a Bible Conference ground. There are two Bible messages per day, morning and evening. Bring your own tent or trailer or call early for a cabin. Do your own cooking.

Perhaps some of you have heard that my husband’s theology teacher passed on to glory in December, 2002. It is written of Dr. John F. Walvoord, the second President of Dallas Theological Seminary, that he was "one of this century’s prominent and influential theological academians." One of the memories I have of Dr. and Mrs. Walvoord is that they had two sons who were born with limited mental ability. The other two sons were brilliant. I was especially interested in this because I had a retarded sister. God has a way of teaching us compassion and understanding, doesn’t he?

My husband, Dr. D. A. Waite, did very well under Dr. Walvoord’s teaching, as many other seminarians did. Those were the years when only men studied theology at Dallas. That was when Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, founder and first president, was living and teaching my husband. In fact, grade-wise, my husband excelled, graduating first in his class. That was the class that Dr. Ernest Pickering , Dr. Al Clapp, and others were in. Funny, the authors of From the Mind of God to the Mind of Man implied that Dr. Waite and other King James Bible defenders had a "lack of theological understanding and biblical language training (p. 4)." Leave it to the Westcott and Hort fans to get their facts mixed up! (See BFT #2974 @ $7.00+$3.00 S&H)

AN E-MAIL TO MRS. WAITE

You probably don’t remember me. . . I met you and your husband in North Dakota. We are now stationed in Missouri where we are members of a Baptist church there. It’s a good church that sticks to the SEPARATIONAL fundamental doctrines of the Bible. . . . God has been good to us. . . and I thank him for you. You made a very good impression on my life and reminded me that being a good Christian woman is not devoid of fun and joy. Thank you. (B.Y.)

Fuzzy Fact #198: Kevin Bauder wrote: "Even with regard to written words, it is demonstrably true that when someone's spoken words were later recorded in Scripture, the ‘exact’ words spoken were not necessarily the very words that were used in Scripture." (p. 159)

Response #198: This is a denial of the Bible’s verbal inerrancy. I am not calling Kevin Bauder a heretic, but it is HERESY to say that the written Words are not "the exact Words" later recorded in Scripture. This is saying that God the Holy Spirit has made some sort of an error. He doesn't believe that "the exact Words" that Jesus spoke were recorded, but just the essence or message of Jesus’ Words. It is surprising for a fundamentalist like Kevin Bauder to write this. Was he taught this at Dallas Seminary? Is this the position of Central Baptist Seminary? This is a doctrine believed and taught by cultists, modernists, liberals, heretics, and apostates.