June / July2006
Dear ones,
Many years ago, I stated that, as Americans and as Christians, the greatest
foreign threat we would face in our time would be militant Islam and
that the greatest domestic threat would be from the militant homosexual
agenda. I think most objective observers would agree that both threats
have come to pass. Some grow weary of what they see as "political"
material in the Good Word; but the most compelling political issues
are also spiritual and moral issues, and we need to be informed. In
this issue there is much about homosexual matters, because the Church
and our Christian political foundations are under increasing homosexual
attack. I pray that I am making right choices. (And if, at any point,
you need something fresh and positive, skip to the last articles.)
SURPRISED BY GRIEF
C.S. Lewis gave his written testimony the title, "Surprised by
Joy"; he had a wonderful way with words. Recently, in Philadelphia,
I was surprised by grief. I stopped to refuel as I was leaving the city;
it was a beautiful, clear, cool, April morning. As I walked into the
convenience store to pay, with my mind full of other things, my peripheral
vision caught sight of a mass display of bottled drinking water, shrink-wrapped
on pallets. Instantly, I was back on the ravaged Gulf Coast and it was
early September; I could feel the awful heat, I could smell the death
and the filth, and I could taste the ever-present dust that choked us
and burned our eyes. It hit me from nowhere, stopped me in my tracks
and staggered me; in a millisecond I was there, it was then and, to
my amazement, I had to choke back tears-not for what we lost personally
(I almost couldn't care less about the house now)-but for the totality
of the tragedy along the coast-tens of thousands of homes destroyed,
dreams and plans ripped away and mangled, communities wiped out that
will never recover, many hundreds dead. And I felt very much alone.
I realized that there was no one within 1,000 miles who could understand
what I was experiencing.
Then, just as quickly, I controlled my emotions and walked on into the
store; it was all over in perhaps one full second. And no one but God
and I knew what had happened.
Now, I'm not sure what that private, painful moment in Philadelphia
was about, but perhaps there is a lesson in it for us all. When in a
crisis, we fight through because we must-because others depend on us;
but sooner or later there is the pain to face. So, although from a distance
the crisis on the coast seems to be old news-electricity is restored,
the telephones work and we can now drink the water-it isn't over. Pray
for the people who are still living in the tragedy, still carrying the
pain. Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the crisis is far from over;
it will be many years before things are normal, and in many ways the
coast will never recover. People are still hurting, even those who look
pretty good on the outside. And the same is true of others, everywhere,
who have fought through tragedy, such as the death of a loved one or
the collapse of a marriage; for them the grief may still be there, waiting,
deep inside.
HOMOSEXUAL CANDIDATES FOR CALIFORNIA
BISHOPRIC
On 6 May, the Rev. Marc Andrus was elected Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese
of California; he has been bishop suffragan (bishop's assistant) to
the Bishop of Alabama. Andrus is a prominent liberal activist. Although
heterosexual Andrus was elected, three of the seven candidates for Bishop
were open homosexuals (two homosexual men and one lesbian woman); this
fact alone troubles and offends many conservative Episcopalians. (Episcopal
News Svc/AP, et al)
ADOPTED CHILDREN OF HOMOSEXUALS FOLLOW
EXAMPLE
Although homosexuals have long insisted that adopting children will
not make them become homosexuals, this obviously flies in the face of
reason. Now recent studies by homosexual groups themselves find that
one-third of such adopted children become homosexuals. Since homosexuals
represent only about 2 percent of the population, yet by their own account
33 percent of their adopted children adopt the homosexual lifestyle,
this means that a child adopted by homosexuals is more than 16 times
as likely to become a homosexual. Dr. Paul Cameron of the Family Research
Institute, in commenting on these studies, says that this should come
as no surprise since homosexuality is a learned behavior, and for little
children their parents "are their universe-their total universe."
(ANS)
CATHOLIC CHARITIES: "NO HOMOSEXUAL
ADOPTIONS"
Boston's leading Catholic charity, its adoption agency, says that it
will shut down and cease to function in Massachusetts rather than place
adoptive children with homosexual parents. This strong stand for moral
and spiritual standards has been forced by a pending new Massachusetts
law requiring all adoption services to place children with homosexual
parents. About this issue, there is no ambiguity; Pope Benedict XVI
recently called homosexual adoptions "gravely immoral." (
PWB)
TIME-TESTED WISDOM
"Religion is indispensable to private morals and public order...and
no man of sense will attack it." (Cicero, Roman philosopher and
political leader)
PARENTAL NOTIFICATION REDUCES ABORTIONS
It should come as no surprise that when parents are notified of the
intention of their daughters to have an abortion, the number of abortions
is reduced, but it is useful to have scientific studies which confirm
this. A five-year study of teen abortions in Texas found that in the
first three years after enactment of the Texas parental notification
law, abortions among girls ages 15-17 were reduced by an average of
16 percent per year. (PWB)
NOTORIOUS ABORTIONIST IS IN TROUBLE
Notorious Kansas abortionist George Tiller ("Tiller the Killer")
is facing a grand jury investigation into the death of a mentally retarded
19-year-old girl following an abortion. Tiller specializes in late-term
abortions, especially the barbaric partial-birth abortion. (ANS)
THE REAL MEANING OF ROE V. WADE
According to a study conducted by the pro-life group, Real Women's Voices,
only 29 percent of Americans are aware that if Roe v. Wade is overturned,
it will not automatically make abortion illegal in the United States
Planned Parenthood, NOW, NARAL, and other pro-death groups continue
to preach that if Roe is overturned it will make all abortions illegal
in the United States. This is not true. What the Roe decision did was
to make it illegal for a state to have a law against abortion. If Roe
is overturned, the legality or illegality of abortion will then be up
to each state to decide for itself. (ANS)
PLANNED PARENTHOOD'S CRUEL MOTHER'S
DAY
Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion business, is raising
money by offering to send a Mother's Day card to anyone designated by
each donor. This is both cynical and cruel. It is cynical because Planned
Parenthood is the enemy of motherhood, killing millions of babies before
they are born (and, in many cases, after); and it is cruel, because
many of the card recipients will have had abortions, and the most difficult,
painful days each year for such a woman are the day her baby would have
been born, and Mother's Day. (ANS)
THE DEATH OF REASON
In the far-advanced madness of our collapsing culture, a girl cannot
be given an aspirin tablet at school without a parent's permission,
yet in most places she can be taken from school to have a life-threatening
surgical procedure (abortion), without so much as a nod to the parents,
before or after.
THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES: ANTICHRIST
IN THE OPEN
For most of my life, the World Council of Churches (WCC) has been a
supporter of left-wing political causes and has preached the false gospel
of inclusiveness. Always leaning to the left, the WCC has been a heavy
promoter and supporter of bloody Marxist "liberation theology."
At times, the WCC has actually provided arms and ammunition for Marxist
revolutionaries in Third World countries. The formerly "mainline"
Protestant denominations, such as the United Methodist Church, Presbyterian
Church (USA), United Church of Christ and Episcopal Church (USA) all
belong to the WCC and provide it with money and political support. The
American subordinate organization, the National Council of Churches,
is the umbrella organization for American denominations.
In its pursuit of "unity," the WCC has opposed free markets,
and promotes worldwide redistribution of wealth and the inclusion of
pagan religions.
But now, this mammoth organization has come even farther out into the
open with its antichrist positions. The WCC met in its Ninth World Assembly
in February, in Porto Alegre, Brazil (Feb. 14-23). To no one's surprise,
resolutions were adopted affirming homosexual marriage and denouncing
the U.S. war on terror; but the WCC has now gone on record as affirming
that the Holy Spirit works in and through non-Christian religions.
Russell D. Moore, Dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
in Louisville, Ky., summarized the situation. He said, "The WCC
has long been a boutique of paganism in Christian garb....Regenerate
believers across the world, whatever their denomination or communion,
recognize the spirit of the World Council for what it is: the spirit
of antichrist." (BP/WCC Web site)
WHY ARE THE OLD, "MAINLINE"
DENOMINATIONS DYING?
Since about the middle of the 20th Century, the large, old, "mainline"
denominations have experienced a steady decline in attendance, membership,
income and influence. More and more congregations are closing the doors
permanently on empty buildings; the buildings are sold to independent
congregations or converted to other uses. Dioceses, conferences, synods
and other hierarchies have ceased to exist as consolidations are driven
by shrinking numbers and organizational income. In recent times the
financial crisis has been made much worse by revelations of long-standing
clergy misconduct and resulting lawsuits. Although these denominations
still control most theological seminaries, have vast amounts of money
invested, and operate from large, plush headquarters, they are rapidly
losing their once-great influence on their parishioners and on the culture.
Most such dying churches consist of dwindling numbers of older members,
who can remember better days. They continue to come to church and give
their money, because it is what they have always done, refusing to hear
the truth about their leaders and radical, anti-Bible, anti-family,
positions taken by their denominations. Time passes, the older ones
die, and the younger people look elsewhere for answers. Any farmer knows
that if there is feed in the trough the sheep will come to eat; but
they will not linger long at a trough that remains empty, or one that
is filled with sawdust made to look like feed.
While the dying denominations steadily lose members and influence, the
opposite is true of others. Some are growing in numbers, are greatly
blessed financially, and are thus in a position to reach out with evangelism,
humanitarian aid, and effective ministry. These are the Bible-believing,
evangelical denominations such as Southern Baptists, Pentecostals, Charismatics
and conservative, Bible-believing, splinter groups such as the Presbyterian
Church in America (PCA) and the new Episcopal and Anglican groups which
have left the "old line" denominations. One must wonder why
leaders of the old denominations, presiding over the slow death below
them, don't get the message.
FEW PROFESSIONS OF FAITH
An example of a once-vital denomination that is dying from within is
the United Methodist Church. The hierarchy continues to spend its time,
money and influence on social, political and cultural issues (always
left-wing issues), and while it tolerates (or encourages) encroaching
paganism (as in the "Re-imagining" conferences by the United
Methodist Women, with altars dedicated to, and worship of, the pagan
goddess Diana), membership and attendance steadily decline and churches
are closed and bishoprics are abolished as shrinking ones are combined.
This should come as no surprise, since Methodist leaders and seminary
faculties long ago abandoned the Bible as the final authority for faith
and practice, and abandoned the Great Commission and discipleship as
the mission of the Church.
In March, the UMC Board of Discipleship reported that the denomination
is in trouble. Bishop Michael Coyner, board president, noted that in
2004 (the most recent year for which there are records) 43 percent of
UMC congregations did not receive a single new member by profession
of faith! Bishop Coyner observed that, with membership, attendance and
giving in steady decline, year after year, the 43 percent figure for
churches with no new professions of faith "is the one number in
our denomination which keeps going up." The Board also noted that
the average age of UMC members is between 57 and 62, while millions
of young people living in the same towns with Methodist churches "continue
to avoid going to our churches and to similar denominations," but
are attending house churches and other non-denominational churches.
I suspect that Bishop Coyner understands all this perfectly, but hasn't
the power to do much about it; may God help him, and others like him.
(United Methodist News Service/ANS)
HOMOSEXUAL BISHOP IS ALSO ALCOHOLIC
The openly homosexual Episcopal Bishop Vickie (and, yes, that really
is his name) Robinson, whose appointment as Bishop of New Hampshire
has created great controversy and schism within the Episcopal Church
USA, entered an institution in February to be treated for alcoholism.
While many see his alcoholism as further evidence of his unfitness to
hold the office of bishop, the denomination's public affairs arm is
praising him for being "a courageous example to us all." (BP,
et al)
TIME'S LIST OF 100 HEROES
In May, Time Magazine presented its list of 2005's Top 100 "men
and women whose power, talent or moral example is transforming our world."
(They actually listed 109, but who's counting?) With 109 possibilities,
Time could only find two Christian leaders: the Pope and Archbishop
Akinola of Nigeria. Even Billy Graham, whom the secular world loves,
failed to make the list. Who did make the list? We don't have space
to list them all, but included were the Dixie Chicks, shock jock Howard
Stern, lesbian Ellen DeGeneres, Hillary Clinton, Katie Couric and Al
Gore. Without doubt, the number one story of 2005 was Hurricane Katrina,
yet the leaders of the two agencies that plunged immediately and courageously
into the chaos and dangers with help were the Salvation Army and Baptist
Disaster Relief forces. Neither got a mention; but then, how could their
contributions be compared to those of the Dixie Chicks and Howard Stern?
(Time/ANS/W)
RED CROSS CAUGHT AGAIN
The president of the American Red Cross resigned earlier this year,
amid fresh criticism of the huge and wealthy organization. Her salary
as president was $468,599 per year. That is more than twice the pay
of the President of the United States, and more than eight times the
pay of the national commander of the Salvation Army. Congressman Bernie
Thompson stated that "this congressionally chartered organization
is dysfunctional," and called on Congress to reconsider its charter.
The Democrat Staff of the House Committee on Homeland Security recently
released a report on the Red Cross titled "Trouble Exposed"
in which it cited numerous examples of the Red Cross's failures during
a wide range of emergencies. A particularly revealing charge was that
the Red Cross has more than once failed to send in relief workers to
help for several days, saying that the site was still too dangerous,
yet has sent public relations teams in immediately to get film footage
for use in raising money. The committee report observed that "this
presence allows the Red Cross to take credit for services that it does
not render...perpetuating an image of immediate service that simply
does not exist."
The same day that Miss Evans resigned, the Oversight Subcommittee of
the House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on how charities responded
to the Hurricane Katrina disaster that focused largely on the shortcomings
of the Red Cross. (WND)
THE RED CROSS AND KATRINA FROM MY VANTAGE
POINT
Congress, of course, didn't call me to testify; but if I had been asked
I could testify that my experience following Katrina, until now, has
been that The Salvation Army, Baptist Disaster Relief, other Christian
denominational relief groups, local churches, Protestant and Catholic,
banded together, courageous linemen from all over the country, and a
steady stream of Christians coming from everywhere (at their own expense)
have done all the work, while the Red Cross got all the publicity and
money through national TV interviews and ad campaigns. Late in the game,
the local Red Cross chapters geared up and provided food south of the
railroad track in Long Beach; but, in my experience, the National Red
Cross was a no-show from the start on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. And,
incidentally, the Christians are still coming.
"IT WASN'T A MAN"
We grow up on the stories of the heroes of the Bible, men like Noah,
Moses, Gideon, David and Elijah. But we must never forget that there
were also courageous women, those who stepped up when men's courage
failed, or when only a woman could meet the need. With this in mind,
consider the following:
It wasn't a man who risked her life to preserve the baby Moses until
he was adopted by the daughter of the king;
It wasn't a man who protected the Israelite spies in Jericho and made
possible their escape;
It wasn't a man who led the Israelites to victory when Barak's courage
failed him;
It wasn't a man who, when starving, fed Elijah with her last bit of
food;
It wasn't a man who said, "Whither thou goest I will go...and thy
God shall be my God";
It wasn't a man who risked everything to save all Israel, believing
that she was born "for such a time as this";
It wasn't a man who gave her all, casting in the widow's mites;
It wasn't a man who broke an alabaster box of costly perfume to anoint
the Savior in extravagant worship;
It wasn't a man who washed the Savior's feet with her tears, dried them
with her hair, and kissed his feet;
And it wasn't a man who in faith surrendered her will to a mystery,
saying, "Be it unto me according to thy word," and gave birth
to the Savior of the World.
(With thanks to Bob Bartell, whose poem gave me this idea.)
A POINT TO PONDER
Europeans may be becoming an endangered life form. Why? Because the
birth rate among European women has fallen to 1.5 babies per woman,
and is dropping toward a rate of 1.0. With two people involved in every
birth, whether married or not, this means that the population is not
replacing itself. When the birth rate drops to 1.0, the native population
will be reduced by half in each generation. Meanwhile, native Europeans
are rapidly being replaced by Muslim immigrants from Turkey, Iran, Iraq
and other Middle East countries. These Muslims, who are allowed as many
as four wives by the Koran, also tend to have very large families. Selah
(pause and reflect on this). (ANS)
A FINAL WORD
Treasure and use each day as if it were your last, and never give up
hope; God has a limitless supply of new beginnings, and He makes beautiful
things out of broken pieces.
You are precious,
(Sources: AFAJ-American Family Journal; AFRN-American Family Radio News;
ANS-Agape News Service; AP-Associated Press; BP-Break Point; BPr-Baptist
Press; C-Charisma; CBN-Christian Broadcasting Network; CR-Congressional
Record; CSN-Calvary Satellite Network; DR-Drudge Report; EP-Evangelical
Press; Fox (Fox News); FOF-Focus on the Family; FRC-Family Research
Council; GN-Good News Magazine; HC-History Channel; LAT-L.A. Times;
Mil-Military Magazine; NR-National Review; NewsMax.com (NM); NW-Newsweek;
NYP-New York Post; NYT-New York Times; PBS-Public Broadcast System;
PWB-Pastors' Weekly Briefing; RTLB-Right to Life Education Foundation
Bulletin; RTLGC-Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati; USAT-USA Today;
USNWR-U.S. News and World Report; VOM-Voice of Martyrs; W-World Magazine;
WND-World Net Daily; WT-Washington Times; WW-Washington Watch.)