Ray Comfort to Speak with Word of Faith Heretics, Again
As Christians does it matter at what conferences we speak? In the unlikely event that I’m asked to speak at a white supremacist conference, a lesbian pride rally, a wiccan convention, or a feminist gathering, should I accept the invitation? Would it be Christ-honoring for me to allow my grinning mugshot to appear alongside that of the First Grand Wizard of some KKK terrorist in a white hood? How about my photo next to the President of NARAL, the abortion rights group? In the spiritual realm, how about me appearing at a New Spirituality gathering? After all, I would share the Gospel, right? I could stand there at the podium amidst all the unicorn horns strapped on people’s heads, all the turbans of the muftis and the yogis and share my Bible-based views on spirituality along with theirs. Would that be a great opportunity or a great confusion to those who hear I am speaking along with the Dali Lama ? I’m talking about organized events here, gatherings of people of one religious belief or another.
Ray Comfort is a brother in the Lord who I have greatly appreciated. He has made, however, the decision to participate in conferences with Word of Faith heretics. He has done this more than once. His claim is that he will go anywhere to speak. In theory, that sounds great. “I’ll go anywhere with the Gospel.” But in reality, when there is so much confusion and so many false teachers today, that philosophy in practice can be problematic. Take, for example, Ray’s speaking at this upcoming conference, July 13-20, with health and wealth heretics, Jesse Duplantis, Rod Parsley, John Avanzini, and several others. Here are some quotes from the same.
“I’ve never had the Lord say, ‘Jesse, I think that car is a little bit too nice.’ I’ve had vehicles and the Lord said, ‘Would you please go park that at your house. Don’t put that in front of my house. I don’t want people to think that I’m a poor God.’” (Jesse Duplantis, “When Will We Yield To The Anointing of Wealth II,” April 10, 2005)
Jesse Duplantis: “People told me, ‘Well, they say, Jesus was poor.’ When was He poor? I would like to know when He was poor. Well, He was born in a stable. Why? Why was He born in a stable? Because that short, deaf lady lost their reservation. He couldn’t get into the inn. Think about that for a minute…And He had 12 full time people on His staff. Some were married and He took care of them. He had 70 part timers. You don’t gamble for rags Marcus.”
Marcus Lamb: “Yeah.”
Jesse Duplantis: “You don’t gamble for rags. You gamble for some clothes that cost. Don’t you? He wanted a donkey that had never been rode. As I said earlier, ‘You might want a car that has never been drove.’
Marcus Lamb: “He had a full time treasurer on staff.”
Jesse Duplantis: “That’s right! And stole for three years and the other guys didn’t know about it.”
Joni Lamb: “And wise men came to see Him.”
Jesse Duplantis: “That’s right! I mean He wasn’t three minutes on the ground and the three wise guys are looking for Him with what? Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Let me tell you something, this concept that Jesus was in poverty is totally wrong!” (Jesse Duplantis, Marcus Lamb, and Joni Lamb, Daystar Fall, “Share-A-Thon,” September 15, 2004)
“If I give $1,000 dollars I deserve to get back $100,000 because I am just, that’s not greed!” (Jesse Duplantis, December 19, 2003 TBN, “The just shall live by faith.”)
“With fierce prayers and determination to see my mother healed, I started talking to God. “What is going on here?! I’m praying! Dad’s praying! Why isn’t she healed? You cannot allow death to defeat me, God. You made a covenant with me through Jesus’ blood! And that covenant says by His stripes we were healed! Where is that healing? If you break this covenant with me, you’ll have to cease to be God! You must keep covenant with me. You must obey your Word!” I was honest with God. He knew how I felt, so what was the point in hiding it? I was confused. I was hurt. I didn’t know what else to do. That is when God spoke up, “Jesse, I have a covenant with you, yes. However, I have one with your mother as well. You are praying for her healing. She is praying in her heart for Me to take her home. Now, I will obey My Word. But you and your daddy are battling your mother’s will. It is her life at stake. You have Me in a hard place, Jesse. Someone has got to give in. Get yourselves together and tell Me what I am to do! (Jesse Duplantis, “My Experience Doesn’t’ Change God’s Word,” Article C-Faith)
Here are some quotes from John Avanzini. I wonder where he found this in the Scriptures?
“Jesus had a nice house, a big house.”
(Believer’s Voice of Victory, (TBN) 1/20/91)
“Jesus wore designer clothes.”
(Believer’s Voice of Victory, (TBN) 1/20/91)
“Paul had the kind of money that could stop up justice.”
(Believer’s Voice of Victory, (TBN) 1/20/91)
“Jesus was handling big money.”
(Praise the Lord (TBN), 9/15/88)
“[The Spirit of God]…declared in the earth today what the eternal purpose of God has been through the ages…that He is duplicating Himself in the earth”
(John Avanzini, “The End Time Manifestation of the Sons of God,” Morris Cerullo World Evangelism tape).
That last quote is the teaching of these Word of Faith heretics that we are all little gods.
Justin Peters has a complete seminar that he does, exposing the heretical doctrines of the Word of Faith teachers. I strongly recommend it. These teachers don’t just teach that God wants us rich and healthy, they also have heretical, Arian doctrines on Christ and His equality in the Godhead. These lies are the seedbed for the rest of their teachings.
Just as I have strongly disagreed with Rob Bell and Doug Pagitt for their participation and tacit endorsement of the pagan religious leaders at the Seeds of Compassion InterSpiritual event, I also strongly disagree with Ray Comfort’s tacit endorsement of heretical teachers who are leading millions astray. Ray is endangering the considerable respect he and his ministry have generated over the years by failing to expose these false teachers and by his willingness to cooperate at their events. The webpage with his photo on it, along with the other false teachers, wordlessly articulates the problem. The Apostle Paul said that if he or an angel from heaven proclaimed any other gospel than the true gospel, “let him be accursed.” He did not consort with these false teachers. He did not appear at their get togethers to share the truth. He said these false teachers were to be accursed. It’s really that serious.
One of the dangers in parachurch ministry today is a narrowness of focus that sometimes blinds leaders to what is going around them. One group focuses on lost patriarchy in the church. Suddenly, strange doctrines, found nowhere in Scripture, start emerging, such as father worship, extreme courtship views, the denial of education to females, etc. Another group focuses only on legislative issues. Before long, they’re forming coalitions with Mormons and others who really need the Gospel more than anything, yet the Gospel falls by the wayside. Another group focuses only on protesting homosexuality. One such pastor in our state became so obsessed with protesting homosexuality, that his church became nothing more than an itinerant picketing crew. It’s helpful to sometimes stop and realize that while we are all called to work in different areas of ministry, we can’t be so absorbed in it that we fail to notice and respect what other parts of the Bible have to say, or what other legitimate concerns are facing the church.
I hope and pray that Ray Comfort will listen to those in the body of Christ who respect the work he has been engaged in, and will realize the seriousness of legitimizing, in any way, the false teachers on the roster at his upcoming conference. These false teachers have left a trail of victims behind them, and Christ’s warnings about those who cause little ones to stumble include those little ones in the faith who believed the Word of Faith lies and got burned.
Posted on July 3, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
Dumpster Babies Discovered in Michigan
I will be interviewing Dr. Monica Miller on KSLR in San Antonio later today. She and other members of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society discovered numerous aborted babies thrown into a dumpster outside an abortion “clinic” in Michigan. (You won’t hear about this on MSNBC or CNN.) She writes the following narrative:
It began on the evening of March 29, 2008. Two teams had set out to investigate abortion clinic trash dumpsters. I was with Anne Mitzel and Mary Sullivan to do a final check of the trash dumpster behind Alberto Hodari’s Woman Care clinic in Lathrup Village, Michigan . The other team was Lynn Mills and Jenny Nelson. Earlier that month we found bio-hazard waste, numerous patient records and the remains of 23 aborted babies in the trash behind Hodari’s Lathrup Village clinic as well as Hodari’s abortion clinic in Sterling Heights. On the night of March 29th while our team searched Hodari’s dumpster, Lynn Mills and Jenny Nelson set out to take a look at Hodari’s trash dumpster behind his abortion clinic in Livonia. Lynn called me on her cell to report that they found no trash there. Lynn suggested that she and Jenny should check the Woman’s Advisory abortion clinic dumpster on Six Mile Road in Livonia instead — “just to see what we might find”. This clinic is owned and operated by Dr. Reginald Sharpe. A half hour later Lynn called to report that indeed, in the few bags that they retrieved, bio-hazard waste as well as patient records were discovered.
This began a systematic search of the Women’s Advisory trash dumpster for the next three consecutive weekends, April 5, 12, and 19th. We also made several searches of the trash container behind Reginald Sharpe’s abortion clinic in Detroit known as Sharpe’s Family Planning. We also took a look at Jacob Kalo’s abortion clinic on Eight Mile Rd. in Detroit, known as Eastpointe Gynecology. We found bio-hazard waste in the trash containers behind this clinic as well. A full police report was filed with the Detroit and the Livonia police departments. The police report we filed on the Women’s Advisory clinic is available at http://www.prolifesociety.com.
Our April 5th search of the Woman’s Advisory dumpster was the first time we found the remains of aborted babies from that clinic. As we separated out the blood-soaked blue-colored surgical papers, my student, John Brick, was the first to see the foot, about three quarters of an inch in length. We also found other body parts from other aborted babies, eyes, rib cages, spinal columns, eyes out of their sockets — the remains of human beings mixed in with blood saturated trash. We found fetal tissue sticking to a blood-stained McDonald’s hamburger bag. All this horrific spectacle was recorded during our actual searches and is mounted on You Tube as a record of legalized abortion and serves as a record of Women’s Advisory’s violations of Michigan State statutes (See You Tube video “Abortion Dumpster Scandal — Women’s Advisory”).
We also found the remains of aborted babies on April 12th as well as on April 19th. Two of the aborted babies were in plastic specimen jars with the names of women written on the jars — presumably their mothers.
Our searches also yielded over 100 bloody suction canulae — the very instruments used in the Women’s Advisory abortion procedures On the weekend of April 12th we found 51 such suction canulae.
When we unwrapped the bloody surgical papers and saw the remains of the babies we delved into a secret world. When I looked at the dismembered bodies I saw human beings who died a violent death. What does the abortionist see? It is a mystery, how I can see one thing and he another. These unwanted aborted unborn were consigned to the trash in the darkness of a dumpster — never to be seen, never to be known. When we took them out of the trash we discovered their secret — the secret of their hidden lives — their hidden deaths. We also saw first-hand the most unseemly — most sordid side of the abortion practice.
Something happened for these aborted unborn that was never meant to be — they were embraced by us back into the human family — to be buried with dignity. Of the millions of babies killed under legalized abortion, at least these seven babies were buried in a cemetary and with Christian services on Friday, June 27, 2008. This the only human charity they will ever know.
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Yesterday I read several articles on the air on the show in San Antonio where evangelicals are starting to support radical abortion candidate Barack Obama. Go watch Dr. Miller’s YouTube video showing the aborted babies from the dumpster in Michigan and remember those little babies when it’s time to vote. I’m with the babies.
Posted on July 3, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
Paul Washer on Man’s Two Problems
Puritan Fellowship has posted what it calls Paul Washer’s best sermon yet on man’s two problems: the power and condemnation of sin. You can watch it here.
Posted on July 3, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
Todd Bentley’s Violent Revival A Windfall for God TV
The misnamed “God-TV” website/TVchannel sent out a press release today crowing about their huge leap in viewership thanks to the tattooed street thug known as Todd Bentley. I have no doubt that their viewership will continue to climb. It’s not every website where you can watch an evangelist kick a dying cancer patient in the stomach to accomplish his, er, healing. It isn’t everywhere where you can see a supposed minister of the gospel boast about kicking an elderly worshiper in the face with his biker boot because the Holy Spirit told him to. Freak shows always attract an audience. Just ask Jerry Springer who has made a good deal of money hosting televised trailer trash brawls for America’s illiterati. The evangelical equivalent is keeping God-TV in business as well with their nightly Todd Bentley kick-a-thons against the elderly and the sick. Here’s the press release.
GOD TV Experiences Huge Boost in Viewership Due to Florida Healing Coverage
Network Carries Todd Bentley’s Florida Healing Outpouring, to Nearly Half a Billion People
LAKELAND, Fla.,July 2 /Christian Newswire/– Since April, GOD TV has beenbreaking with its regularly scheduled programming to bring the Todd Bentley Florida Healing Outpouring LIVE every night to its viewers in over 200 nations. The network’s founders, Rory & Wendy Alec will continue to extend the LIVE broadcasts, enabling God TV viewers in the USA, watching on DIRECTV Channel 365 oronline, to continue to experience the presence of God through this extraordinary outpouring each day at 7pm(EST). People have traveled from around the country, including places like Ohio, Mississippi, and Washington State. They are also coming from around the world, especially Europe. With the ability to broadcast the healings to those who cannot physically be there, God TV is enabling hundreds of thousandsmore to be touched by the Spirit and included in this remarkable miracle. Many people who have attend the Lakeland meetings are going back to their hometowns and cities and starting their own praying and ministering revivals as a result of the inspiration they got from attending those in Lakeland or watchingit on GOD TV. While it is difficult to quantify growth in the viewership of specialist television channels, the overwhelmingdaily response GOD TV has received indicates thatthere has been a huge increase in viewership. Onaverage about 1,000 e-mails are being received daily in addition to letters and phone calls.GOD TV’s number of web viewers in the USA alone /has moved from an average of 25,000 weekly visits to 200,000 per week which represents a staggering 800% growth. The network is now receiving more than one million visits per month, and www.god.tv will now be ranked in the top 5,000 websites in the USA. According to Klaus Leweling, Head of Distribution for God TV “The huge boost God TV has seen in our web distribution is also being echoed in our other platforms. Given the ongoing increase in viewerfeedback, I believe GOD TV now has at least twice as many active viewers as we had before we started airing the Revival as well as an extensive line-up of other major LIVE events.”
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Posted on July 3, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
McDonald’s Chooses Sides in the Culture War
This came in this morning from the American Family Association. Who needs McDonald’s artery clogging, nutritional garbage anyway? I started frequenting Subway a long time ago where you don’t slide in and out on the french fry grease. Hopefully the owners of Subway aren’t following in McDonald’s path and taking sides in the culture war. Hint: It isn’t good for business.
TUPELO, MS – McDonald’s has told American Family Association (AFA) that it will not stop supporting groups promoting homosexual marriage. AFA is asking its supporters to boycott the restaurant chain.
AFA asked McDonald’s to remove McDonald’s name and logo from the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) Web site where McDonald’s is listed as a “Corporate Partner and Organization Ally” of NGLCC. AFA also asked the burger – fries giant to remove the endorsement of NGLCC by Richard Ellis, Vice President of Communications, McDonald’s USA, from the NGLCC Web site. McDonald’s refused both requests.
McDonald’s donated $20,000 to NGLCC in exchange for membership in the NGLCC and a seat on the group’s board of directors. The NGLCC lobbies Congress on a wide range of issues including the promotion of homosexual marriage.
“This boycott is not about hiring homosexuals, or homosexuals eating at McDonald’s or how homosexual employees are treated. It is about McDonald’s, as a corporation, choosing to put the full weight of their corporation behind promoting the homosexual agenda, including homosexual marriage,” said AFA chairman Donald E. Wildmon.
Pat Harris, Global Chief Diversity Officer, Vice President, Inclusion & Diversity at McDonald’s, told AFA the company would “reaffirm our position on diversity.”
Ellis, who is openly homosexual, was given a seat on the NGLCC Board of Directors. Ellis is VP of Communications for McDonald’s USA. He was quoted as saying: “I’m thrilled to join the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and ready to go to work. I share the NGLCC’s passion for business growth and development within the LGBT community, and I look forward to playing a role in moving these important initiatives forward.”
American Family Association is a pro-family advocacy organization with over 2.5 million online supporters.
Posted on July 3, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
Word for Today
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
II Timothy 3:1-6
Posted on July 3, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
On “Bottom Feeders” in the Blog World
I do not, as a practice, answer my blog critics here at Slice. Any time you state an opinion or even point to an established fact, in this day and age, you’d better expect incoming of some kind. It goes with the territory, and long before the Internet was invented, it was the case in Christian radio. People will disagree. Some will be polite, and some will be personally nasty and make fun of your looks, your background, your talent or lack thereof. Some even go so far as to take personal photographs and doctor them up for the amusement of their readers. It’s all part of a day’s work if you open your mouth and say something to a crowd.
There are times, however, when a Christian says something publicly that demands some sort of a response. A man named Rick Frueh, an ordained baptist minister, is just such a person. Rick has publicly positioned himself as my critic both at his blog and the blog that exists to criticize both Slice and Christian Research Network’s Ken Silva. I have ignored for at least two years the insults, the cheap shots, and the highly personal nature of Rick Frueh’s attacks. He won’t say that he is opposed to what I do at Slice, he”ll say that finding a good post at Slice is like “finding a nickel in a spittoon.” He does things like comment on my hair. You get the idea.
Last night I linked to a Fox News story about once Christian singer, Katy Perry, who is introducing a generation of little girls to lesbianism with her song about kissing a girl and liking it. Katy is the daughter of two pastors, and grew up in what she calls a Christian home. She once sang gospel music (as Katy Hudson,) but now has crossed over completely and is putting out spiritually harmful material to a demographic that is described as ages 11-14. She is not a “girl”. She is a 24-year-old woman who has made a choice to be a role model by virtue of her position as a pop star.
Rick Frueh says that it is wrong to oppose this celebrity’s behavior in a public sphere. He says, in his public rebuke, that I am a “bottom feeder” and that the only thing we should do is show grace and pray for the woman, not publicly decry the shame she brings on the name of Christ, and the damage she is doing to little girls. It all sounds highly spiritual, doesn’t it? But wait! Rick Frueh has perpetually decried me and my work publicly for a long time now. He has publicly ridiculed me again and again and again at ChristianResearchNetwork.info. A short trip to the comment section on countless posts will reveal some startling examples of this very thing. (A simple search on my name at that blog will reveal more than you want to know about Rick’s views on me.) One commenter at CRN.info suggested that Rick’s posted comments reveal his hatred of me so much that she expected “I hate Ingrid Schlueter” to be on his grave stone some day. That’s some testimony to your ministry of mercy and grace, Rick.
Never, in his history of writing about me, has Rick ever called for personal prayer for me, for mercy, for grace or for understanding. He believes I am wrong, and has positioned himself as a very public critic. Yet when I point to woman who is publicly bringing shame on Christ’s name and who is harming millions of little girls by introducing children to girl on girl kissing, Rick Frueh, in the most sanctimonious tone, publicly calls me a “bottom-feeder”. No mercy. No grace. Just judgment.
Rick does not have to agree with me. He doesn’t have to like me and what I write. But if he is going to call for a spirit of mercy and grace for one who is presenting deviant sexuality to millions of girls after years of being a “Christian” singer and role model, he needs to be consistent and show mercy to a Christian blogger he disagrees with. Rick Frueh has never been consistent. That is just one of the problems here.
I will go further and say that there was a vicious public attack today on my Christian brother and colleague, Ken Silva at the same website Rick Frueh frequents. The attack came from Pastor Carlos Shelton (who goes by the commenter name “Iggy”,) and author Richard Abanes who sneeringly announced the “truth” about Silva’s work in apologetics. (I wonder if Harvest House is aware of their apologist author’s conduct online?) Abanes’ gross distorting of Silva’s record in defending the faith in his ministry life was deliberately damaging. Pastor Carlos Shelton’s comments were as personally below the belt as they come. (Pastor Shelton publishes an insult blog called the “Online Discernmentalist Mafia”. The title speaks for itself.) The blog publishers at CRN.info wrongly have a policy of refusing to remove this kind of slanderous material, even at the request of those who repent of their conduct. As such, they perpetuate the slander and the damage continues. My policy on deleting posts is this: If I have been mistaken or wrong in something I have written, it comes down. The damage needs to end. If I published it, I am responsible for removing the sin. Pastor Carlos Shelton and Richard Abanes intended to hurt Ken Silva and his reputation with their comments. There was no other reason for those words to be posted. They held no redemptive value whatsoever. The comments are still there, and they are deliberate slander of someone’s integrity and life’s work. Whether or not you agree with Ken Silva’s views, slandering him is always wrong.
As for Katy Perry, yes, pray for this woman in the dangerous path she is on, and pray for the little ones who are being led down that same path by her rebellion against God. Pray also for those who are so blinded by hatred that they can’t see the ugly fruit of their own bitterness.
“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.
–Jesus Christ in Mark 9:42
For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. –Ephesians 5:5
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
–I Corinthians 6:9-11
Posted on July 2, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
Larry DeBruyn Talks about “The Shack” on Crosstalk
Pastor Larry DeBruyn will be discussing the wildly successful novel by William Young called, The Shack on Crosstalk today. I received an email from a young reader a couple of days ago, and she sincerely wondered how the “Christ” in The Shack was a counterfeit Jesus. Many are being moved today by emotional stories, but are not looking closely, through the lens of Scripture, at who the Jesus is that writers are talking about. This program will alert Shack fans that the Jesus presented by William Young is not the Jesus of the Scriptures. Tune in at 2pm Central time to hear the show live . The mp3 of the show can be heard here. Here also is the article just published yesterday by Pastor DeBruyn on this subject.
Posted on July 2, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
Jesus Speaks
And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
–Luke 12:16-40
Posted on July 2, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
Obama Supports Non-Faith, Faith-Based Outreach
The headline in the New York Times reads, “Obama Seeks Bigger Role for Religious Groups”. Nice try, editors wearing Obama 08 buttons. Here’s what the article really says about the involvement of religious groups getting government funds.
But Mr. Obama’s plan pointedly departed from the Bush administration’s stance on one fundamental issue: whether religious organizations that get federal money for social services can take faith into account in their hiring. Mr. Bush has said yes. Mr. Obama said no.
“If you get a federal grant, you can’t use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help and you can’t discriminate against them — or against the people you hire — on the basis of their religion,” Mr. Obama said. “Federal dollars that go directly to churches, temples and mosques can only be used on secular programs.”
So, Mr. Obama, what’s the point? Why would I turn my church into a secular social service agency to get your tainted government money? Why would I agree to refuse to share the Gospel with those we would seek to help? Why would Christians put themselves in a position where they have to hire those who violate every tenant of their religious beliefs? Mr. Obama’s “faith-based” charity position is a joke. There will always be mainline churches who don’t preach the Gospel anyway who will grab those federal dollars with gusto. Those that are true Christian churches will never deny Christ to get government money.
Posted on July 2, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
Jerusalem Post: Third Temple Preparations Begin with Priestly Garb
Here’s an interesting story from the Jerusalem Post today.
On Monday, the Temple Institute started preparing to build a Third Temple on Jerusalem’s Mount Moriah, the site of the Dome of the Rock and the Aksa mosque, by inaugurating a workshop that manufactures priestly garments.
Posted on July 2, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
“Christian” Tween Star: I Kissed a Girl and Liked It
A caller on the Adam McManus show today on KSLR in San Antonio mentioned that there was a song out by a pop star whose fan demographic is 11-14-olds. The song has the line, “I kissed a girl and liked it.” I did not realize at the time that the caller was referring to former Christian singing star Katy Perry (formerly known in the gospel world as “Katy Hudson.” Fox News reports on yet another slap in the face of Christ by an entertainer professing to be a Christian. Here’s a quote:
The middle child of two pastors, Perry grew up listening to gospel music and singing at church in Santa Barbara, CA, but “the heavens opened my eyes when I stumbled upon a Queen record and I was forever saved,” she says with a laugh. “Their musicality and lyrics were so flamboyant and fun and cheeky, I’d never heard anything like it before. I think I draw from wanting to be Freddie Mercury.”
(From MusicRemedy.com. FYI. Freddy Mercury was a honosexual who died of AIDS)
Posted on July 1, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
*KSLR Radio Update*
At 3pm Central time, I’ll be live on KSLR, AM630 in San Antonio, Texas, filling in for Adam McManus for the next 3 days. Our guest in the first hour will be world renowned abstinence speaker, Pam Stenzel. We’re going to talk about the sad facts that don’t make the entertainment news sites when it comes to sexual promiscuity and sex before marriage. We’ll address the hidden epidemic in this country and the terrible consequences of ignoring God’s clear instructions in His Word.
In the second hour, our guest will be Stephen Bloom, a Christian attorney who has written, The Believer’s Guide to Legal Issues. He addresses the litigious nature of Christians today and how Christian attorneys often help along this sin by refusing to practice with Christian principles in place. He’ll give advice on how Christians should handle conflict and other legal matters like bankruptcy, divorce and estate planning.
In the third hour, (5pm Central), our guest will be Joe Bardwell from Angel Pictures. I posted on his opinion piece earlier today on Slice. He will fill us in on how he desires to see more excellence in Christian film making, but also his belief that sin is too sanitized in Christian motion pictures. He’d like to change that. It will be an interesting discussion.
Tune in live at the KSLR website and call in if you have a question or comment. The toll-free number is 877-630-5757.
Posted on July 1, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
The Case for “Sin” in Christian Films
Joseph Bardwell, Chairman and President of In Jesus’ Name Productions, sent out an op-ed piece today. He runs a Christian film company, and he’s unhappy that Christian filmmakers aren’t including enough sin in their productions. I want to preface what he says by saying that I grew up seeing countless Christian films. They were shown in the churches I attended and at the monthly youth rallies sponsored by my father’s ministry. I can’t even count the number of films I saw that were produced by Christian filmmakers and that contained a gospel message of some kind. In every one of them, the destruction that sin wreaks in someone’s life was very evident. As a child, I remember scary scenes in many movies where there were realistic portrayals of sin. Always, the films contained the gospel as the solution to man’s sin problem. While the films were of varying quality, without doubt, sin was portrayed for what it was.
So as I see Joseph Bardwell’s plea for cinematic sin by Christian filmmakers, I am led to believe that he means something else altogether. Is he saying that sin scenes aren’t lingered upon sufficiently? What Christian movies are all “nice and pure” as he puts it? There seems to be the same call in the publishing world. Some Christian novelists have decided to include sex scenes and other coarse references now to be more “realistic”. There’s an actual push for this in some chick fiction cranked out by evangelical publishers. One such book featured two (married) women out shopping for thong underwear. Oh, how realistic that is. Maybe it should have been an entire women’s Bible study out shopping for unmentionables. (One can only wonder how much more successful Jane Austen’s novels would have been if she could have written about thong shopping.)
Now we have a call for more sin in films. But why? No filmmaker could even tell a story without references to sin. I remember one film in the late 70’s called, “My Son, My Son” which told the true story of Christian author, Bernard Palmer’s prodigal son. It was heartbreaking and tragic to watch how this boy’s rebellion ultimately took him to the bottom before he was finally converted on his death bed. Sin was conveyed without celebrating it. It was realistic and gripping, but without sex scenes, vomiting drunks and the whole 9 yards. Why? It wasn’t necessary. The story was told with enough skill that it was not necessary to get close up shots of the guy heaving his guts out in a toilet. I say, give viewers some credit for intelligence. In the golden age of film, there were no bedroom scenes. A closing door implied what the writers intended. Why are we hearing calls for more sin scenes from Christian filmmakers of all things? Is sin cool? Is it fun to produce those kinds of scenes?
The fact is, all of us are sinners and those who have lived in open sin hardly need a filmmaker to tell them what sin’s destruction is like. Do we really need to see David and Bathsheba committing adultery? The Bible tells the story in stark, simple terms. It does not cover up sin, but it doesn’t give prurient detail either. Again, I have yet to see films that don’t address sin, but perhaps not in the fashion that Mr. Bardwell envisions. Just what he envisions is what worries me.
Here is his piece.
Christian Movies: To Sin or Not to Sin?
By Joseph Bardwell
Many Christians are uncomfortable with sin being shown in “Christian films”. Hence, many Christian filmmakers avoid showing the darker side of our world to people because they believe showing sin cannot possibly bring glory to God. They believe Christian films should be distinctive from Hollywood and lift up only what is good, pure, holy and sacred.
The answer to whether or not Christian films should show sin is very important when we consider the effectiveness of Christian films and how they will speak to people, both seekers and believers.
Consider a good Christian testimony. What are we supposed to cover? Our life before Jesus, how we came into a personal relationship with God through Jesus, and how our life has been changed since. The reason this format works is it shows contrast. “I was lost and now I am found”.
Now consider Christian films. What happens when sin is removed and everything is nice and pure? The life is taken out of the film because the contrast is removed. Movies work because the characters are insightful reflections of ourselves, our conflicts and inner struggles. If Christian movies do not show sin or conflict, they will not speak well to the hearts of the people, neither seekers nor believers. Our movies, like our evangelists, must be honest that man is sinful. Only when we are honest about who man is can we show the truth and hope that is found in Jesus Christ and His Gospel message.
However, some are concerned God will not be pleased or glorified if we depict sin in our Christian films. They are concerned we will become exactly like the world - using sin for entertainment purposes. This, I believe, is what should be the big difference between Hollywood films and Christian films. Christian films should show sin, but never entertainment purposes or to tempt anyone. Rather, Christians should be even more honest about sin by showing it for what it is: a destructive, deceitful force that destroys people, marriages, families and our world. People’s hearts will resonate when we show sin for what it is due to the fact that even an unbeliever inherently knows he is in bondage and seeking to be set free. The power of a Christian film should be to show the answer to sin by demonstrating that Jesus came into this world, not just to save us from the penalty of sin, but also to give us power through the Holy Spirit to overcome the destructive power of sin in our lives.
This is not to say we should gloss over the fact that many Christians struggle deeply with sin even after they have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Again, being honest about the power of sin is important, even in the lives of believers. Only then can the deeper teachings of discipleship and growth in the power of the Holy Spirit be truly understood and appreciated.
Consider the following story and decide if you would feel comfortable seeing it in a Christian film. A prominent ministry leader finds himself beginning to lust after a married woman. He craves her and begins to obsess about having sex with her. The unthinkable happens. He secretly sleeps with her. He has now committed adultery. His world has turned upside down. He is a hypocrite, yet all that matters to him is to have this woman as his own. He begins to fantasize about how great it would be if her husband would die. He conceives a plot to have her husband killed in a way that would look like an accident. The murder is committed. He should be remorseful but all he can see is the woman he desires. She becomes his wife while he continues as a prominent ministry leader. The world is completely unaware, but God knows what this man done, and God will come after him…
This is a pretty raw story, yet I didn’t write it. It is the true story of King David and Bathsheba, written in the Bible. The holy God of the Universe was comfortable and pleased to write this account of David’s horrible sins in His Bible, one of God’s most prominent leaders. Why not just keep this secret between David and God? Why expose it to the whole world?
When I first became a believer and read the Bible, I came to believe the Bible was inspired by God, not man. There were all the usual reasons of fulfilled prophecies, consistency across 66 books written by 40 different authors over hundreds of years. But one further reason was the honesty of the Bible concerning the failings of its people, including its leaders like David, and Paul and Peter, etc. I saw in this honesty my own failings and sinfulness. Rather than taking away from God’s glory, His glory was enhanced because the more I knew myself, the more holy I saw God to be.
Our Christian films must be honest; more honest than Hollywood’s films. Let’s show sin for what it is and then let’s show the answer that God has provided for sin in Jesus Christ and through power of the Holy Spirit living within us. To God be the glory!
About Joe: Joseph Bardwell was led to Christ in 1991 while trying to break into Hollywood as a screenwriter. God had other plans for Joe, which led him to the Washington DC metro area of Virginia. Joe has worked for over 20 years in the IT industry. During this time, he also served as a lead Bible teacher and evangelist within his church’s teaching ministry. After being involved first hand in mobilizing the body of Christ around “The Passion,” God began to call Joe back to film and solidify the vision for a Christian Motion Picture Studio.
Posted on July 1, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
Helping Churches Think Biblically About Worship
There is a very fine website called Religious Affections Ministries that addresses in detail issues in Christian worship. (I’m not just saying that because they posted my husband’s article today either!) I have interviewed Scott Aniol before and have a great deal of respect for his biblical treatment of this topic. Does the Bible give us a guide for corporate worship? Are we really left to make things up as we go? The numerous articles at his website will be a great help in this area. Scott is also coming out with a book on this topic, and I am in possession of a prepublication manuscript. It is, in a word, excellent. There is much superficial treatment of these issues and argumentation is often based in personal preference and ignorance of what God’s Word says about worship. Scott’s book, like Paul Jones’ book on this issue, is anything but superficial. Rev. Aniol’s book will be a much needed addition to this whole area of the Christian’s life.
Posted on June 30, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
**Adam McManus Show Alert**
This Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I will be guest hosting for Adam McManus’s drive-time show on KSLR in San Antonio, Texas. Adam’s show reaches a huge swath of South Texas. The show airs from 3-6pm Central time. One of the topics we’ll be discussing on Wednesday’s show is the popular novel, The Shack, and the false Jesus it presents. I’ll post an update when I have guests firmed up. You can listen live at the KSLR website.
I invite Slice readers to weigh in on some of the important topics you think should be discussed during the 9 hours of radio this represents. There are so many important things I could address, it is a matter of triage. Email me at ingrid@vcyamerica.org if you want to share your thoughts.
Posted on June 30, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
Henri Nouwen: Patron Saint of Evangelical Seminaries?
If evangelical seminaries canonized saints, Henri Nouwen’s name would surely be first on the list. I interviewed a guest on Crosstalk who described hearing chanting in the next room while attending a class at a well-known, supposedly conservative seminary. He was in a class with a handful of others studying the Scriptures. Next door, the room was packed out for a class on, you guessed it, St. Henri.
But what about Henri Nouwen? What are the teachings that so fascinate hordes of evangelical seminarians, authors and teachers today? What did Henri Nouwen espouse and promote? Who did Nouwen look to for inspiration and teaching on meditation? This piece from Apprising Ministries discusses Nouwen’s views on meditation. It is helpful to see what Nouwen actually believed, and ask ourselves how any of this lines up with the Bible.
Posted on June 30, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
TIME: More Evangelicals Believe All Paths Lead to God
John Hendryx from the Reformation Theology blog weighs in on the recent Time Magazine article on Christians and tolerance. The headline in Time is: Christians: No One Path to Salvation. Universalism, in the name of compassion, is being increasingly found in evangelical churches thanks to years of seeker, circus-church foolishness substituting for biblical teaching, as well as the tireless efforts of some in the emerging church movement. Some emergent leaders won’t even answer when pressed as to whether those who don’t know Christ will go to hell. “We’ll let God decide that,” they say. Well, God already did decide that and recorded his decision in his Word.
If all paths lead to God, then why not just turn out the lights at our churches, lock the doors and join the local Bahai’s or Sikhs down the street? What was the point of Jesus dying a brutal death on the cross if all paths ultimately lead to salvation? He could have saved himself a whole lot of trouble. Do we see now the ugly fruit of abandoning sound biblical preaching in our churches? We now have professing Christians accepting rank heresy because it feels better to say all paths lead to God. Holy Scripture is clear:
This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
–Acts 4:11-13
It’s time for some holy boldness among those who still believe the immutable truths of God’s Word, and it is time to expose these heretical evangelical churches for the shams that they are.
Posted on June 30, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice!
It is so helpful to stop and reflect on what God has done for us in Christ. No matter how many false prophets and enemies of the Gospel attempt to thwart God’s work, we have reason to rejoice. Thy right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power. In Christ, sin, death and hell were conquered.
1. Dear Christians, one and all, rejoice,
With exultation springing,
And, with united heart and voice
And holy rapture singing,
Proclaim the wonders God hath done,
How His right arm the victory won;
Right dearly it hath cost Him.
2. Fast bound in Satan’s chains I lay,
Death brooded darkly o’er me,
Sin was my torment night and day,
In sin my mother bore me;
Yea, deep and deeper still I fell,
Life had become a living hell,
So firmly sin possessed me.
3. My own good works availed me naught,
No merit they attaining;
Free will against God’s judgment fought,
Dead to all good remaining.
My fears increased till sheer despair
Left naught but death to be my share;
The pangs of hell I suffered.
4. But God beheld my wretched state
Before the world’s foundation,
And, mindful of His mercies great,
He planned my soul’s salvation.
A father’s heart He turned to me,
Sought my redemption fervently:
He gave His dearest Treasure.
5. He spoke to His beloved Son:
‘Tis time to have compassion.
Then go, bright Jewel of My crown,
And bring to man salvation;
From sin and sorrow set him free,
Slay bitter death for him that he
May live with Thee forever.
6. This Son obeyed His Father’s will,
Was born of virgin mother,
And God’s good pleasure to fulfill,
He came to be my Brother.
No garb of pomp or power He wore,
A servant’s form, like mine, He bore,
To lead the devil captive.
7.To me He spake: Hold fast to Me,
I am thy Rock and Castle;
Thy Ransom I Myself will be,
For thee I strive and wrestle;
For I am with thee, I am thine,
And evermore thou shalt be Mine;
The Foe shall not divide us.
8. The Foe shall shed My precious blood,
Me of My life bereaving.
All this I suffer for thy good;
Be steadfast and believing.
Life shall from death the victory win,
My innocence shall bear thy sin;
So art thou blest forever.
9. Now to My Father I depart,
The Holy Spirit sending
And, heavenly wisdom to impart,
My help to thee extending.
He shall in trouble comfort thee,
Teach thee to know and follow Me,
And in all truth shall guide thee.
10. What I have done and taught, teach thou,
My ways forsake thou never;
So shall My kingdom flourish now
And God be praised forever.
Take heed lest men with base alloy
The heavenly treasure should destroy;
This counsel I bequeath thee.
Dr. Martin Luther, 1523
Titled: “Nun freut euch, liebe Christen g’mein”
Tune: “Nun freut euch”
1st Published in: Etlich’ christliche Lieder
Town: Wittenberg, 1524
From: The Lutheran Hymnal Online
Posted on June 30, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter
Todd Bentley and the Beautiful Side of Evil
Berit Kjos has written a new article on the paranormal phenomena at Todd Bentley’s Lakeland “revival”. Those who are convinced that the manifestations they are seeing are of God forget that there is a beautiful side of evil. Satan doesn’t manifest himself as a hideous creature trailing clouds of sulfur when he wants to attract followers. He comes as an angel of light. How often we forget that.
Posted on June 30, 2008 by Ingrid Schlueter