Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Whatever Happened to the Gospel ?
Jun 28th, 2015
Main StoriesArt Sadlier
Categories: Printed Newsletter

In the New Testament we have a simple gospel: Who Christ is and what He has done and a call for repentance and faith. There was a simple invitation and there was a simple, but true response.

What we often fail to understand is the context in which the gospel is declared. The context of the gospel in N.T. times was the holy, separated lives of believers who were totally and unreservedly committed to Christ. In that context the simple gospel had great power. Many responded in simplicity and their lives were transformed. They also became holy, separated and deeply committed followers of Christ, like those who led them to Christ.

We have the example of Paul. Though he preached to those who did not know him, and had no context in which to receive the gospel, his life in their midst became the context of the gospel. (2 Cor. 1:12) His life demonstrated the love of Christ; his conduct was holy and without blame and his sufferings for Christ, at their hands, demonstrated his total commitment to Christ. Paul preached a simple gospel, he gave a simple invitation, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved”, and people responded in simple faith and were gloriously saved and transformed. The context of the gospel released the great power of the gospel, and helped define what the gospel is about and what repentance is.

Today, we have lost the right context of the gospel. In the first half of the 20th century believers proclaimed and shared the gospel in the context of separated, holy lives that were totally committed to Christ. That gospel message was simple, the invitation was simple, and people responded and were gloriously saved.

As the century wore on, something happened to the context of the gospel. After WW II, plenty and pleasure began to fill our lives, good times and good things distracted us. For the most part believers lost separation from the world and with it went holy living and deep commitment to Christ. With that change the context of the gospel was changed. Phil. 1:27a, "Only let your conversation (Life) be as it becometh the gospel of Christ...."

The same simple gospel was declared with the same simple invitation to which some responded, but now, the response largely results in pseudo salvation, the product of powerless easy-believism, and lives which deny God’s Word.

Mass evangelism further destroyed the context of the gospel with apostate liberals on the platform, with movie stars and superstar athletes whose lives were not holy and separated and transformed, and whose commitment to Christ was shallow. TV further destroyed the context of the gospel. The need for repentance is denied by their lives. "Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between then unclean and the clean...." (Ezekiel 22:26).

Today, even when you share the gospel with those who do not know you, they have in their minds a context of the gospel (sometimes from TV and sometimes from carnal Christians) that confuses the message, grieving and limiting the Holy Spirit.

The problem is not the message, not the invitation, but the context in which the gospel is presented. We may not be able to restore a right context in the wider church, but we can restore this context in our individual lives, and in our individual churches and trust God to save some!

Universities Say Earth is Entering a New Period of Extinction
Jun 28th, 2015
Commentaryfbns@wayoflife.org. - David Cloud
Categories: Creation - Evolution

Professors at some U.S. universities are warning that the earth is entering a new period of extinction. They say that creatures are going extinct at alarming rates. Gerardo Ceballos, lead author of a study by Stanford, Princeton, and Berkeley, says, "We are now entering the sixth great mass extinction event. If it is allowed to continue, life would take many millions of years to recover and our species itself would likely disappear early on" ("Earth 'entering new extinction phrase,'" BBC News, June 20, 2015). The scientists are calling for "intensive conservation," but this type of thing is ridiculous at multiple levels. First, if life is a product of blind evolution, it has no meaning or purpose. Man would have no more ultimate meaning or importance than a slug. Second, the alleged previous mass extinctions were not manmade, since man did not exist then according to the evolutionary timetable, and could not have been prevented. If evolution is true, some event will eventually destroy the world, whether it be warming, cooling, drought or deluge. Third, man has not shown himself capable of solving any of the world's big problems, such as war, crime, poverty, disease, and death. Man cannot save himself, let alone the earth. (The first three supposed Mass Extinctions--Ordovician-Sirurian, Late Devonian, Permian-- probably all occurred during the global Flood of Noah's day. When the bogus evolutionary dating systems are rejected as the fallible "science" they are, these "mass extinctions," which consist of massive fossil beds, are powerful evidence for the biblical Flood.)

Tony Campolo and Former Christianity Today Editor Come Out in Support of Homosexual Christianity
Jun 28th, 2015
Daily Newsfbns@wayoflife.org. - David Cloud
Categories: Apostasy

More "evangelicals" recently came out in support of the heresy of homosexual Christianity. Influential teacher and author Tony Campolo issued a news release saying, "I am finally ready to call for the full acceptance of Christian gay couples into the Church." Though this has been framed by many as a major change of stance, Campolo has long been wishy-washy on the issue of homosexuality, and like the good emerging church leader he is, he is adept at the miracle of facing two ways. For many years he has stated that homosexuality is a birth condition and not a "volitional" matter. When I interviewed Campolo in 2008 at the New Baptist Covenant Celebration in Atlanta, he was wearing a rainbow scarf in support of homosexual rights. Campolo's wife, Peggy, is a national leader of the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB), which urges Baptist congregations to receive homosexuals into full membership privileges. At the New Baptist Covenant Celebration, I interviewed an AWAB council member named Kathy Stayton who said that she rejects the first three chapters of Genesis as literal history, does not believe that marriage is a divinely-ordained institution or that homosexual acts, even outside of "committed relationships," are sinful. The AWAB booth distributed an article by Peggy Campolo entitled "Some Answers to the Most Common Questions about God's GLBT [gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered] Children" from the Summer 2000 edition of The InSpiriter. Agreeing with Campolo's recent statement was David Neff, retired editor of Christianity Today, who said on Facebook, "God bless Tony Campolo. He is acting in good faith and is, I think, on the right track." Neff told Christianity Today: "I think the ethically responsible thing for gay and lesbian Christians to do is to form lasting, covenanted partnerships. I also believe that the church should help them in those partnerships in the same way the church should fortify traditional marriages" ("Does Campolo Announcement Signal Move," Christian Newswire, Jun. 12. 2015).  (The current senior editor of Christianity Today, Mark Galli, quickly reaffirmed the magazine's official stance against same-sex "marriage," though in typical New Evangelical fashion, Galli also stated that they won't condemn or distance themselves from those who differ.) Neff's position is impossible to reconcile with two clear teachings of Scripture. First, any sexual relationship outside of holy matrimony is sinful and under God's judgment (Heb. 13:4). Second, holy matrimony is restricted to a covenant between one man and one woman (Gen. 2:18-24). This was affirmed by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 19:4-6. "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge" (Heb. 13:4). The issue of homosexuality is revealing the apostasy of a large number of "evangelicals."

More Homosexual Intolerance of Civil and Religious Rights
Jun 28th, 2015
Daily NewsChristian Post
Categories: Persecution

This month, the Christian owners of the Gortz Haus Gallery in Grimes, Iowa, announced that they were closing their business as a result of attacks by homosexual activists and a ruling by the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. In 2013, Richard and Betty Odgaard refused to allow a gay couple to rent their facility for a wedding. The couple sued the Mennonite couple and the Civil Rights Commission ruled that they had discriminated and ordered a $5,000 settlement. "Inspired by their experiences, the Odgaards have organized God's Original Design Ministry, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, to advance Christian teachings, Biblical ordinances and natural laws as God intended, the gallery's website announces" ("Another Christian Family-Run Business Closing after Refusing to Host Gay Wedding,"

Let the Headlines Speak
Jun 28th, 2015
Daily NewsFrom the internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

‘Gay Marriage’ Ruling: Evil with a Silver Lining
...five judicial imperialists perched high atop the U.S. Supreme Court bench called the Supreme Being a liar. They presumed to invent, out of thin air and through judicial fiat, a “constitutional right” to sin-based “gay marriage.” (Father God, as you exact Your perfect justice on America, please have mercy upon Your faithful.)  

Jindal SCOTUS Is 'Out of Control, Let's Just Get Rid of the Court'
“The Supreme Court is completely out of control, making laws on their own, and has become a public opinion poll instead of a judicial body,” the 2016 presidential candidate said in a statement.  

No tsunami threat, shaking felt from 5.0 Big Island quake
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the south eastern portion of the Big Island near Pahoa Saturday evening, shaking nearby communities.  

Earthquake felt throughout southern Israel
An earthquake reported to be between 5.1 and 5.5 magnitude was felt in southern Israel. No damage or injuries were reported in the earthquake that struck on Saturday afternoon. The epicenter of the earthquake reportedly was in the Sinai Peninsula. The temblor was felt in Eilat, Beersheba and Ashdod in the south and also in Tel Aviv, Hod Hasharon, Holon, Netanya, and Jerusalem, according to reports.  

Rocket alert sirens sound twice in 30 minutes in northern Golan Heights
Rocket alert sirens sounded twice in a span of 30 minutes in several communities throughout the northern Golan Heights on Sunday afternoon. Following the first round of rocket sirens that went off at approximately 2:40 p.m. on Sunday, the IDF said the sirens were triggered by internal Syrian battles between rebel groups and Assad government forces.  

Mild earthquake jolts country
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS) an earthquake of magnitude 5.6 on richter scale struck Assam in India on Sunday morning at around 6.40am. Tremors were felt in Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal and eastern part of India.  

Sandstorm, 5.2 magnitude earthquake hits Eqypt
n what could be called unstable weather conditions Egypt faced a sandstorm in the northern part of the country followed by 5.2 magnitude earthquake. The earthquake was centered in the Sinai peninsula. The impact of it shook buildings more than 200 miles away in Cairo.  

Overthrow the Judicial Dictatorship
Commentators have missed the real significance of Justice Antonin Scalia’s dissent in the gay marriage case. He calls the decision a judicial “Putsch,” an attempt to overthrow a form of government—ours. His dissent, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, was written “to call attention to this Court’s threat to American democracy.”  

For many black Americans, Confederate flag debate a distraction
As calls grow to remove the Confederate flag from public spaces across America's South, Vanessa White says she questions whether that would mark real progress for black Americans like her. The 57-year-old Compton, California construction worker has seen and endured too much, she says, to be excited. Over the years, five members of her family have been killed by guns: her two brothers, at the ages of 28 and 38; her nephew, at 19; her niece, at 16; and her niece's mother, at 28. All of them had dropped out of school in their teens.  

DJ Gary Ganja Hopes To Hit New High With ‘Music For Stoners’
It claims to be the first radio station of its kind in the United States and its getting a lot of different listeners. “We’re like 420 friendly, we play music for stoners, we have marijuana comedy, this summer we’re giving away trips to Amsterdam and Jamaica,” Gary Ganja said as he started a show in mid-June.  

Suicide bombers kill at least three in northeast Nigeria
Two suicide bombers killed at least three people and injured 16 in the capital of the northeastern Nigerian state of Borno on Saturday, the latest in a string of deadly attacks by suspected Islamist militants.  

Activists: IS fighters kill 200 civilians in Syrian town
Islamic State fighters who launched a surprise attack on a Syrian border town massacred more than 200 civilians, including women and children, before they were killed or driven out by Kurdish forces, activists said on Saturday.  

A North Dakota Oil Boom Goes Bust
In a field of brittle yellow grass and clotted mud about five miles north of Dickinson, North Dakota, stands a cemetery of sorts. Drilling rigs stretch into the sky like tall skeletons. The occasional lone truck rattles along a dirt road. Otherwise, the location is deserted.  

Eurozone Rejects Greek Bailout Extension: All Bailout Programs Expire On June 30, Referendum Moot
In effect, and very symbolically, Greece is already out of the Eurogroup. Worse: the referendum is now moot as the programs will expire on Tuesday night and Greece won't have anything actionable to vote on next Sunday.  

French terror suspect took selfie with beheaded victim
The top suspect in the beheading of a businessman that French authorities are calling a terrorist attack took a "selfie" photo with the slain victim and sent the image via WhatsApp to a Canadian mobile phone number, officials said Saturday.  

Tunisia weighs new security approach as tourists flee
Thousands of tourists fled from Tunisia on Saturday after the country's worst terrorist attack killed 38 people — including 15 Britons — as the government struggles to prevent future jihadi attacks against the all-important tourism sector.  

Jindal: Scotus is 'Out of Control, Let's Just Get Rid of the Court'
Jun 28th, 2015
Daily NewsTown Hall
Categories: Today's Headlines;Moral Decline

Goldman Sachs Forces Employees to Accept Homosexual Agenda
Jun 28th, 2015
Daily Newsfbns@wayoflife.org. - David Cloud
Categories: Moral Decline

In a corporate note to its employees, the Goldman Sachs investment banking firm warns that they must "help create an environment for open and honest dialogue." This so-called open dialogue requires inclusive language and frowns upon descriptors such as "wife," which should be replaced with "partner" ("Goldman Sachs Tells Employees 'Wife' Insults Gays and Transgenders," Breitbart, Jun. 21, 2015). The corporate document also tells employees to "explore your personal beliefs, increase your awareness about issues impacting the gay community, include LGBT issues in your everyday life, attend events that celebrate diversity and inclusion, and speak out against hurtful comments." In truth, an "open dialogue" gives liberty for the airing of all sides of an issue. There is nothing open or free about the homosexual agenda.

Belfast Pastor Facing Prosecution for Sermon Calling Islam -Satanic
Jun 28th, 2015
Daily Newsfbns@wayoflife.org. - David Cloud
Categories: Persecution

The following is excerpted from "Islam is a doctrine spawned in hell," The Blaze, June 19, 2015: "An evangelical pastor in Northern Ireland is under fire and will be prosecuted after calling Islam 'satanic' and claiming that its doctrine was 'spawned in hell' during a controversial 2014 sermon that streamed over the Internet. Pastor James McConnell, 78, of Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle in Belfast, Northern Ireland, made his comments--which included calling Islam 'heathen'--in a sermon delivered last May, the BBC reported. ... 'Now, people say there are good Muslims in Britain. That may be so, but I don't trust them.' McConnell continued, 'Islam's ideas about God, about humanity, about salvation are vastly different from the teaching of the holy scriptures. Islam is heathen. Islam is satanic. Islam is a doctrine spawned in hell.' He initially defended his comments, but relented and apologized for offending anyone after a public outcry; the police were subsequently called to investigate him for a potential hate crime. McConnell, who is accused of violating the law, reportedly denied the issuance of an 'informed warning,' which is not a conviction, though it stays on a person's criminal record for the period of one year. Accepting the informed warning, though, would have prevented the pastor from being prosecuted in court. A representative for the Public Prosecution Service in North Ireland told the BBC that McConnell had violated the Communications Act 2003 and that his offence was 'one of sending, or causing to be sent, by means of a public electronic communications network, a message or other matter that was grossly offensive.' But McConnell--who retired from Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle following the controversy--isn't backing down, proclaiming in an interview that he is 'not going to be gagged.' 'The police tried to shut me up and tell me what to preach. It's ridiculous. I believe in freedom of speech. I'm going to keep on preaching the gospel,' he said, according to the Guardian. 'I have nothing against Muslims, I have never hated Muslims, I have never hated anyone. But I am against what Muslims believe.'  McConnell continued, 'They have the right to say what they believe in and I have a right to say what I believe.'"

Abc News' Global Warming Predictions for 2015 Were Wrong
Jun 28th, 2015
CommentaryNewsBusters.org
Categories: Contemporary Issues

In 2008, ABC began hyping the documentary Earth 2100, which predicted that by 2015 New York City would be engulfed by water, flames would cover hundreds of miles, a gallon of gas would cost more than $9 and a gallon of milk $13. The predictions were wildly inaccurate, because they were based on bogus science. New York City is not covered with water, flames cover nothing, gas is $2.75 a gallon, and milk is $3.39. "Seven years later, the network has quietly ignored its horribly inaccurate predictions about 2015. When it comes to global warming claims, apparently results don't matter for ABC"