Australian Independent
Baptist Newsletter
JANUARY 2003 Issue #3
Dr. David C. Bennett, Editor (DCB)
PO Box 1241 - Dubbo - NSW 2830
Phone/Fax 02-6884-2846
Email: aussiedubbo@yahoo.com
Permission is given to forward material contained in the AIB
Newsletter.
Purpose: To inform and warn God's people of religious, social, and
political events in today's world.
Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS hereafter) HONG KONG - 16 January
2003
MACAU UNITED CHRISTIAN CARNIVAL AND PRAYER SERVICE
"On Saturday 18 January 2002, the standards of Jesus Christ will be
raised at Leao Senado Square in Macau, Hong Kong. It is the first United
Christian Carnival in Macau and will take place from 12 noon to 5:30pm,
followed by a prayer service in St Domingo's Church.
The event is the culmination of more than nine months of collaboration of
twelve Christian communities in Macau, among which are the
Roman Catholics, Methodists, Christ Church of China, YMCA,
Lutherans, Macau Baptist Church and School, Southern Baptist Mission,
Cocordia School for Special Education, the Anglicans, and independent
Christian organisations from the Assembly of God and congregational
traditions." (Emphasis added by DCB)
This is the first time in Macau Roman Catholics and Protestants have
joined "together in public to confess their common heritage in Jesus
Christ."
*Editor’s Comment: Revelation 17: 4, 5 "And the woman was arrayed in
purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and
pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and
filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written,
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE
EARTH." (Emphasis the Bible)
January 14, 2003 Episcopal News Service (ENS hereafter) 14 January 2003
NEW STUDY SAYS RELIGIONS CAN BOOST ENVIRONMENTALISM
"A new Worldwatch Institute study says religious
institutions can provide a needed boost to environmental protection and
sustainable development advocates--if both groups can overcome what the
report called ‘mutual misperceptions and
divergent worldviews.’ "
The December, 2002 report, "points to a number of partnerships between"
the Worldwatch Institute and the Episcopal Church California Regeneration
Project "which promotes energy efficiency and ‘green energy’ among
individuals and congregations."
Gary Gardner, director of research at Worldwatch, said religions and
environmentalists look "at the world from a moral perspective; each views
nature as having value that surpasses economics; and each opposes
excessive consumption."
He went on to say religions possess "the ability to shape people's
worldviews and wield moral authority, have the ear of multitudes of
adherents, possess strong financial and institutional assets, and generate
so-called ‘social capital’, an asset in community building. All of these
assets can be used to help build a socially just and environmentally
sustainable world."
Gardner has observed that Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has made
curbing "the culture of consumption a major focus of his ministry."
The Episcopal initiative "California's Regeneration Project" includes
the "Episcopal Power and Light" begun in 1996 "when the Rev. Sally Bingham
realized that she might capitalize on the state's deregulation of energy
to persuade the state's Episcopalians to choose energy generated from
renewable sources such as wind, geothermal, and biomass."
"The Regeneration Project now includes California Interfaith Power and
Light, which does political advocacy to promote renewable energy."
Editor’s Comment: We born again believers are responsible in how we use
the resources God has given us but the Episcopal Church by its
associations and actions has shown it has departed "from the faith, giving
heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." 1Timothy 4:1
ENS – (Presbyterian News Service) 14 January 2003
STUDENTS CELEBRATE CHRISTIAN DIVERSITY, FIND COMMON GROUND
"About 1,100 participants turned out for Celebrate IV: Weave Us
Together, an ecumenical conference for college students in which about
1,100 participants were ‘woven together’ into a spiritual community that
included Catholics and Protestants, Pentecostals
and Seventh Day Adventists. They all came together from
around the globe to celebrate their common faith in Christ, and their
diversity." (Emphasis added DCB)
"The five-day festival at the Albuquerque Convention Center, which ended
on New Year's Day, was co-sponsored by the Council for Ecumenical Student
Christian Ministry (CESCM), and the National Catholic Student Coalition."
This get together was "for the students to broaden their theological
horizons by stepping out of their individual denominations and
getting a glimpse of all of Christendom." (Emphasis added DCB)
About 20 denominations were represented. "Lutherans had the largest group,
with 327, followed by Catholics (248), Methodists (156) and
Episcopalians (151). Many other participants described themselves as
‘ecumenical’ or ‘non-denominational.’ A handful of students represented
the National Baptist, Dutch Reformed and Armenian Orthodox churches, as
well as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and the United Church
of Christ (UCC). About 60 international students came from countries as
distant as India, Uganda, Denmark and Ecuador."
What was the atmosphere like at such a gathering? "There were spirited
worship services with thunderous music" and "Bible studies and keynote
speakers, workshops, creative caucuses, denominational gatherings and
cross-denominational small-group sessions."
Above the auditorium stage hung "a colorful tapestry of overlapping
crosses, symbolic of Christians woven as one in Christ."
"A mariachi band played traditional Mexican music during a New Year's
Eve banquet, and Native American dancers performed during the event, which
also was attended by ministerial students, graduate students, professors,
campus ministers and chaplains.
Also present at the gathering were "Native American chants and drumming."
There was a prayer from Bernard Duran, a member of the Picuris Pueblo
tribe of New Mexico.
There was a petition opposing a war with Iraq and the conflict between
Palestinians and Israelis was an issue. El-Halabi, regional secretary for
the World Student Federation said "Our God is a just God. Palestinians are
not children of a lesser God."
The keynote speaker was Baptist "Millard Fuller, a founder and
president of Habitat for Humanity International." Fuller said "If you will
extend your spiritual antennas, God will reveal to you your unique
ministry, and what it is that God wants you to do." He went on to fire up
the young people by calling out the names of the various denominations. He
cried "Got any Catholics, here?" Then he cried "I wonder if any Lutherans
are here? ... How about United Methodists?" He continued this ecumenical
Promise Keepers strategy of BREAKING DOWN THE DENOMINATIONAL WALLS.
Editor’s Comment: Le 10:10 "And that ye may put difference between holy
and unholy, and between unclean and clean." Hosea 7:8 "Ephraim, he hath
mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned." According
to the email photos of this ecumenical mishmash may be seen at
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/03017.htm.
Sermon Audio.com 28 December, 2002 CANADA OKS PRO-'GAY' BOOKS TO
KINDERGARTNERS
"A public school system that claims to promote diversity and tolerance
should not ban books that advocate same-sex relationships to
kindergartners, Canada's Supreme Court has ruled."
The court said "the Surrey School Board in British Columbia, near
Vancouver, must revisit its ban on three books that also have stirred
controversy in the U.S." The books were "Asha's Mums," "One Dad, Two Dads,
Brown Dads, Blue Dads" and "Belinda's Bouque."
This all began in 1997 when an out of the closet homo kindergarten
teacher "attempted to have the books approved as a learning resource." The
books were banned by the school board and "drew 5,000 letters of support
from parents and just 1,000 in opposition."
The Court’s Chief Justice "wrote in the 7-2 ruling on Dec. 20 that,
‘Parental views, however important, cannot override the imperative placed
upon the British Columbia public schools to mirror the diversity of the
community and teach tolerance and understanding of difference.’ "
The general legal counsel for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada said
"The only accommodation the chief justice mentions for religious parents
is the option of leaving the public system altogether."
Editor’s Comment: My children would have been out of their schools a
long time before the homo teacher was hired.
ENS 16 January, 2003; FIVE YEARS ON, GRISWOLD CALLS CHURCH TO GOD'S
MISSION OF RECONCILIATION, LOVE
"Marking his fifth anniversary as presiding bishop on
January 12" Griswold told a gathering at the Washington National
Cathedral that Americas willingness to spend more on war in Iraq than on
the AIDS pandemic in Africa is "a manifestation of evil" and a "form of
sin from which we as a nation are called to repent."
Editor’s Comment: Africa and elsewhere would be far better off if
Griswold and his crowd was preaching "repent and turn to God, and do works
meet for repentance." Acts 26:20
ACNS – ENGLAND - 16 January 2003
TEMPLETON PRIZEWINNER BEGINS LECTURE TOUR – Templeton Prize winner for
Progress in Religion Professor John Polkinghorne "will begin a nationwide
lecture tour on Monday 20 January 2003 at the International Study Centre
of Canterbury Cathedral.
The topic of his lecture is "Science, Christianity and the End of the
World: Is there a destiny beyond death?"
Polkinghorne was a professor of Mathematical Physics at Cambridge
University until he resigned in 1979 "in order to pursue theological
studies." He was ordained in 1982 and has "consistently applied scientific
habits to Christianity, resulting in a
modern and compelling exploration of the faith. His approach to the
fundamentals of Christian orthodoxy has brought him international
recognition as a unique voice for understanding the Bible as well as
evolving doctrine." (Emphasis added DCB)
Editor’s Comment: Jude 1:3 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write
unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you,
and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which
was once delivered unto the saints." Our faith and doctrine is NOT
EVOLVING BUT IT IS "the faith which was once delivered unto the
saints."
C. H. Spurgeon "The devil has seldom done a more clever thing, than
hinting to the Church that part of their mission is to provide
entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them."
Yours against Apostasy and for Biblical Truth
David C. Bennett
