www.Bennett.BibleForToday.org

DECEMBER, 2004

Dr. David C. Bennett, Editor (DCB)

PO Box 1241 - Dubbo - NSW 2830

Phone/Fax 02-6884-2846

Email: Bennett@BibleForToday.org

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.

From the Editor: Have a good Christmas. We trust the AIB Newsletter has been a benefit and blessing in your life and ministry during 2004. It is always good to hear from you especially if it is positive. Keep looking up and stay in the battle!

Patriot No. 04-46, 19 November 2004 Friday Digest "The University of Georgia's website features an official page titled ‘Religion and Homosexuality’ insisting that the ‘Old Testament clearly indicates that King David had a homosexual relationship with Jonathan, the son of King Saul.’ We were unable to find that one in our KJV. The page also claims that until the Thirteenth Century, there was ‘no organized opposition to homosexuality’ either from the church or from society in general. Wasn't the Bible written before the Thirteenth Century? Their answer is that ‘all English translations [of the Bible] have been deliberately mistranslated to make it appear that God condemned homosexuality.’ And on the basis of that ridiculous conspiracy theory, they also claim that ‘there is absolutely no condemnation of homosexuality in the Hebrew Old Testament [or]... in the Greek New Testament.’ Unfortunately, we didn't make this one up."

Editor’s Comment: Romans 1: 22, 27 "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet."

Federalist Patriot No. 04-46, 19 November 2004 Friday Digest "A leading American ‘scientist’ claims that a person's genetic make-up can determine religious belief. After analyzing and comparing a whopping 2,000 DNA samples, the molecular geneticist concludes that brain chemicals determine an individual's belief or unbelief in God. Dr. Dean Harner, who in 1993 claimed to have found the ‘gay gene,’ lent his support to the theory. ‘Buddha, Mohammed and Jesus all shared a series of mystical experiences or alterations in consciousness and thus probably carried the gene,’ he said with more than a little backward reasoning. ‘This means that the tendency to be spiritual is part of genetic make-up. This is not a thing that is strictly handed down from parents to children. It could skip a generation -- it's like intelligence.’"

Editor’s Comment: 1 Corinthians 2: 14 "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." John 3: 7 "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."

ROBERT SCHULLER INSTITUTE FOR LEADERSHIP, January 24-27, 2005 Keynote Speakers (Edited by DCB): Jack Hayford, Juan Carlos Ortiz who combines psychology and theology, formulating a positive faith of self-esteem. (Emphasis added). Bill Hybels and Ruth Graham.

Editor’s Comment: Syncretism is the name of the game. Do people ever read their Bible? Ephesians 4:14 "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive."

ROBERT SCHULLER INSTITUTE FOR LEADERSHIP, January 24-27, 2005. (Edited by DCB) "Now In Our 36th Year. A place where pastors and lay leaders come for encouragement.

You'll Learn How To:

* Develop a leadership style of Possibility Thinking.

* Create life-changing positive ministry in an impossibility- thinking world.

* Envision a new Theology of Mission.

* Conquer the fashions of culture with the classic, timeless message of Jesus Christ.

* Transform your problems into possibilities.

* Believe that anything is possible with God.

* Discover your purpose.

You'll get Answers to your most-asked questions:

* In a fast changing culture, how can I keep up?

* What can I do to help our church grow?

You'll get Solutions to your biggest challenges:

* Expanding your world of worship.

* Community outreach, finding needs and filling them.

* Transitioning to new pastoral leadership."

Editor’s Comment: Sadly many independent Baptists would feel right at home at Schuller’s Institute. WHERE DOES GOD AND THE BIBLE FIT INTO ANY OF THE ABOVE? 2 Timothy 4:3 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears."

Baptist Bible Tribune Online November 2004 - IT CAN BE DONE! THE IBN MEETING REPORT JOINT MEETING OF INDEPENDENT BAPTISTS A MIRACLE (Edited by DCB) "World Baptist Fellowship preacher Wayne Martin and Baptist Bible Fellowship president Bill Monroe put into words the thoughts on the minds of everyone who was aware of the first meeting of the International Baptist Network."

"Pastors, missionaries, evangelists, ministry workers and lay people from several fellowships enjoyed the good-natured pokes at their penchant for conflict, but the first ever IBN meeting showed not only the possibility and potential for independent Baptist cooperation, but the very real necessity as well.

Officially, the meeting, held at Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, September 26-29, combined the national meetings of the Southwide Baptist Fellowship, World Baptist Fellowship and Baptist Bible Fellowship, but others attended as well. Participants from the Southern Baptist Convention, the General Association of Regular Baptists and other groups attended. The meeting was the latest event in a process begun a few years ago to open the relationships among Baptists whose doctrinal stands were conservative and nearly identical." (Emphasis added)

Speakers besides the two already mentioned were Evangelist Tim Lee, Lee Roberson, and Southern Baptist Jerry Vines. Vines in his sermon said that he "…was known as the first independent Baptist to be elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention.’"

A Baptist Bible Fellowship pastor from Texas said "It is really fun being a part of the BBFI at this time in history. There was great energy and spirit at this meeting. In my opinion, we are beginning to see the sprouting of the seeds of revival." (Emphasis added)

Editor’s Comment: 1Corinthians 11:17 "Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse."

Des Moines Register 22 November 2004 SHE'S THE MIRACLE WORKER, NO LIE (Edited by DCB) "It must have been Mother Teresa who spoke to her one day on the sidewalk and told her to feed the hungry."

This 82 year old charity worker loves to recount "what motivated her to raise a staggering $49,365 over the last nine years for the Combat Hunger food drive." Most of her "…mini-miracles and godly experiences take place in church, such as the time she says her candle melted into the shape of the Virgin Mary holding the Baby Jesus. She still has the lump of melted white wax on the nightstand in her south-side Des Moines apartment, across the room from a larger statue of a weeping Mary holding a crucified Jesus she's kissed daily since 1972." "On Wednesday, July 26, she opened a fresh steno notebook that serves as a diary of her yearly collections and wrote this: ‘What a day. Thank you, God and Mother Teresa.’"

Editor’s Comment: Religious but lost. Matthew 19:20 "All these things have I kept…what lack I yet?" Acts 16:31 "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Uniting Church in Australia Online- REFLECTIONS WITH OTHER FAITHS 27 November 04 (Edited by DCB) "The relationship between Christianity and other faiths is one of the central issues for the early 21st century, but it’s not getting enough attention in the life of the Uniting Church. Those are two key findings from "Faith on the Edge", the 26-28 August conference held so the Uniting Church could check its interfaith pulse and progress." Sydney theology lecturer the Rev. Dr Clive Pearson said "We’re so caught up with sexuality in the Uniting Church, but we need to realise that other big issues are lining up." The National Assembly associate secretary said that "Interfaith involvement does not mean a diminution of our Christian faith, nor does it mean seeing it as an opportunity for proselytising. It is, rather, an opportunity to share faith in mutual respect and with humility."

One Uniting Church University chaplain said "What if we saw ourselves as Christians who are multifaith? The idea that we have some uniform credal agreement has become problematic. Maybe there is one truth we name as God, but our experience of that is so diverse – so why don’t we start by calling the Uniting Church a multifaith organisation?" (Emphasis added).

Editor’s Comment: Matthew 15:14 "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."

Uniting Church in Australia Online CHRISTIAN UNITY "It is useful to remember that the Anglican and Uniting Churches have adopted a common statement on Baptism and share, with the Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Orthodox churches, a common Baptismal certificate."

Editor’s Comment: True believers could not have fellowship with theses groups for "truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." This office recently received a sermon transcript that was preached by an American in an independent Baptist church in Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 2002. This man is an assistant pastor and believes in making an unconditional covenant with one’s pastor. The Editor has edited the sermon due to space but near the end of the sermon he quotes Hebrews 13:17 and says "All authority comes from God. God sets up one and he takes down another. We spend our lives second guessing him, [wondering] why he lifted this one up and didn’t take down this one when he should. Why won’t you let God be God and do what God does. And our part of that is to submit to them that God has placed over us. Now you say, "Brother ---, a moment ago you said if Brother --- started reading an NIV, started preaching heresy, that you would stay in the church, and continue working for him and serving him." I would. Why, because the Bible says here I’m supposed to submit, and that’s good for me, that’s good for my family." This man then says that "...if Brother --- ruins my family, sends my children to the devil, because of his antics, he is going to give an account, not me. I’ve done the right thing. I’ve joined to my pastor."

Editor’s Comment: 2Timothy 4:3 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine…" Acts 17:11 "...they…searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." 1 Timothy 5: 19, 20 "Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear."

The Association of Baptists for World Evangelism Fall 2004 Message PRAYER AND MISSION Pages 5, 6 (Edited by DCB) "Prayer and Mission are bound together in the teaching and ministry of our Lord. Mission begins with the Father, who sends the Son, followed by the Father and the Son sending the Spirit. Jesus’ great sermon on mission in Matthew 10 shows the Lord observing for His disciples that the harvest is plenteous but that the laborers are few. What is at stake in mission is not the name, fame, or reputation of the missionary, the church, or the mission agency. The Agent of mission, the Holy Spirit, gifts and identifies those the Lord would send into the harvest." (Emphasis added)

Editor’s Comment: Note how this writer for ABWE’s Message uses the word "mission" rather than "missions." John E. Ashbrook in New Neutralism II page 86 says that "…Christians have historically talked about ‘missions.’ The ecumenical movement talks about ‘mission’ (without the ‘s’). It includes in ‘missions’ a much broader definition than giving the gospel to every creature."