THE WEEKLY CHURCH NEWS NOTES
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Pastor Dale Morgan
Jul 10, 2010, 6:35:13 PM7/10/10
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THE WEEKLY CHURCH NEWS NOTES
July 10, 2010
The Weekly Church News Notes is designed for use in churches
THEOLOGIAN SAYS JESUS WAS NOT CRUCIFIED ON A CROSS
Gunnar Samuelsson, a theologian at the Gothenburg University, claims that Jesus was not crucified on a cross. According to the London Telegraph: “He claims the Bible has been misinterpreted as there are no explicit references the use of nails or to crucifixion--only that Jesus bore a ‘staurus’ towards Calvary which is not necessarily a cross but can also mean a ‘pole’. Mr. Samuelsson, who has written a 400-page thesis after studying the original texts, said: ‘The problem is descriptions of crucifixions are remarkably absent in the antique literature. The sources where you would expect to find support for the established understanding of the event really don’t say anything’” (“Jesus Did Not Die on Cross,” Telegraph June 23, 2010). The fact is that the Bible plainly states that Jesus was crucified on a cross by the piercing of his hands and his feet (John 20:20, 25, 27; Psalm 22:16). As for extra-biblical historical evidence, Josephus was an eyewitness to the crucifixion of Jews during the siege of Jerusalem between 66-70 A.D. Further, in 1968 a team of archaeologists discovered the skeleton of a man who had been crucified by the Romans in the first century A.D. The team was led by V. Tzaferis and the discovery was made at Giv’at ha-Mivtar (Ras el-Masaref), just northeast of Jerusalem near Mount Scopus (J. H. Charlesworth, “Jesus and Jehohanan,” Expository Times, Edinburgh, February 1972). The tombs, which contained the bones of 35 individuals, are dated from the late second century B.C. to 70 A.D. when Jerusalem fell to the Romans. A young man named Jehohanan (John in English) (the name is inscribed on his ossuary) died of crucifixion sometime between 7 A.D. and 66 A.D. This was confirmed by Dr. N. Haas of the Department of Anatomy at the Hadassah Medical School (Hebrew University). Nails were driven through his arms and heels. Both his legs were broken at the shins.
TEEN GIRLS DRINKING MORE THAN BOYS
A report by Partnership for a Drug Free America says that teenage girls are drinking more than boys. The number of teenage girls who say they drink is 59%, where it is 52% for boys (“Report Shows Teen Girls Are Drinking More,” Newsweek, June 29, 2010). The same study found a significant increase in drug use among girls. Other studies have shown that girls are increasingly involved in pornography. This is the result of the vile do-your-own-thing pop culture philosophy that has corrupted society at every level, but the foundational reason that the pop culture has succeeded is the apostasy and compromise of the average church. People in the West do not fear God because the fear of God is not preached from the pulpits. The average professing Christian today worships the judge-not idol of The Shack rather than the thrice-holy God of the Bible. Preachers and parents who do not take a clear stand against the filthy pop culture in all of its aspects will answer to God for their spiritual blindness and/or cowardice. In the book Keeping the Kids, which is available from Way of Life Literature, there is a chapter on how to unplug kids from the pop culture so that it does not destroy them morally and spiritually.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH USA ELECTS PRO-HOMOSEXUAL MODERATOR
The following is excerpted from the Christian Post, July 4, 2010: “A pro-gay marriage candidate was elected Saturday to serve as moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for the 219th General Assembly. Cynthia Bolbach, an elder from Arlington, Va., was the only candidate out of six to express unqualified support for same-sex marriage, as reported by the denomination. ‘Who poses the greatest threat to the institution of marriage: Larry King who has been married 8 times or a gay couple (friends of hers) in Washington, D.C., who have been together for 62 years and who got married two weeks ago?’ she said, according to The Layman. The debate over homosexuality has persisted in the PC(USA) for decades. This week, delegates who are meeting for the General Assembly in Minneapolis will consider around a dozen overtures that seek to change the definition of marriage in the PC(USA) Book of Order to be more ‘inclusive,’ allow noncelibate gay clergy to serve, and extend benefits to same-gender spouses and domestic partners. ... [Bolbach said,] ‘Those in favor of the full inclusion of gays and lesbians in our life together--and I include myself in that group--believe that we fail to satisfy the Gospel imperative of inclusiveness as we continue to exclude gays and lesbians from leadership in our church.’” CONCLUSION: Bolbach’s question about who poses the greatest threat to marriage can be answered very simply. Both Larry King and her homosexual friends pose threats to marriage. At least Larry King has married women, which is authorized by the Bible, but when a woman “marries” a woman or a man “marries” a man there is no biblical authority whatsoever and the very concept of absolute morality is destroyed. The Presbyterian Church USA is a filthy, apostate institution, and the “evangelicals” within it are living in blatant disobedience to God’s Word by being yoked together with unbelievers (Romans 16:17; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 2 Timothy 3:5).
WHEN SEPARATION IS FIRST REJECTED
The rejection of separation begins softly and quietly. It is something that is difficult to put one’s finger on, something not easy to identify. And those who are at the outset of rejecting separatism are offended when someone challenges them that this might be happening. The rejection of separation begins with a mere change in mood toward a more positive emphasis, a greater tolerance of error. It is a gradual loss of militant zeal in the defense of the faith. The first step in the rejection of separation can be identified not so much by what a preacher or a church or a Bible College does or says as by what it fails to do and neglects to say. The following questions can help identify whether or not an institution is giving up on separation: Does it ever host a conference on separation? Does it invite strong separatist preachers to blow the trumpet against compromise in a plain way? Does it publicly and clearly identify itself with separatists? Does it recommend literature on separation to its members? Or is separation something that was once preached, talked about, and practiced but now, for the most part, is left out of the agenda? Is the institution affiliating with those who use Contemporary Christian Music and contemporary Southern Gospel (which is no different in character from CCM) and perhaps moving toward adopting this music itself? If so, this is a loud warning, because CCM is not just music; it is a philosophy of Christianity that is diametrically opposed to separatism and CCM and a separatist stance cannot and will not live in harmony for long.
GENETIC RESEARCH FOOLISHNESS
- Two items in the news last week reminded us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10) and the average scientist lacks this fundamental attribute. Genetics is the cutting edge of biological science, and though the past quarter of century has witnessed an impressive leap in the knowledge of the genome we are reminded that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. The first news item is about the mapping of Ozzy Osbourne’s DNA to find out “why decades of substance abuse didn’t take down the Prince of Darkness” (“Hard Rocker Ozzy Osbourne,” CNSNews.com, July 2, 2010). In fact, the issue has nothing to do with DNA. Osbourne is alive (though crippled) only because he stopped abusing drugs and alcohol and became “something of a health nut.” In other words, he started following God’s laws in the physical realm, even while he continues to sing about breaking them! There is nothing in Ozzy’s genes that caused him to survive substance abuse. He came very near to dying on numerous occasions, and today he bears the marks of that abuse in his palsied condition and slurred speech. The second news item pertains to a study of the genetic traits of centenarians. The authors of the study claim that they can now “predict with 77 percent accuracy whether someone would live to be at least 100” (“Discovery May Lead to Test for Longevity,” Seattle Times, July 2, 2010). This is nonsense on its very face. These scientists have not demonstrated that they can predict longevity. They are guessing, and they are treating a guess as a fact, which is typical for evolutionists. This is global warming “science” at the level of genetics. The researchers found that “40 percent of supercentenarians [those over 110] had three genetic signatures in common.” That means that 60% did not! It is common knowledge that longevity has something to do with genes, because it can run in families to some extent, but in reality it is only a small part of the picture. And the fact is that everyone dies, whether at age 10 or 110, and the Bible tells us why people die. Death is the wages of sin (Romans 6:23), and science can do nothing to solve this problem. Only through repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can the sin problem be healed and death overcome, and it is only by the grace of a compassionate God that such an option exists.
SCIENTISTS ARE NOT GODS
“Outside their narrow field of expertise, scientists are often no wiser than the drunk at the end of the bar in your local saloon. In fact the are often more foolish than this drunk, because with the power of science, commissars often become intoxicated with the notion that knowledge and intellect in one field empowers them to speak with the authority of gods in all fields” (Dr. Lowell Ponte, “Science Wars,” FrontPage Magazine, Feb. 27, 2004; Ponte is former Science & Technology editor for Reader’s Digest).
THE MOSQUITO’S TOOL KIT
The following is from A Closer Look at the Evidence by Richard & Tina Kleiss. This daily devotional, which is packed with interesting scientific facts, is available in a KJV version from Bethel Print Ministry, www.bethelbaptist.ca. “The female mosquito needs a supply of blood before fertilizing her eggs. As soon as she lands on her victim, she goes to work with a special set of tools tucked inside her proboscis (mouthpiece). This mouthpiece has a syringe for injecting numbing and anti-thickening chemicals, two tiny spears to start the drilling operation, both a coarse and fine-toothed saw for cutting through different skin thicknesses, and a syringe connected to a pump in her head through which she can suck up to four times her body weight in blood.”
HATING FATHER, MOTHER, WIFE, CHILDREN, BROTHERS, SISTERS
“If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). What did Jesus mean when He demanded that we “hate” our nearest and dearest loved ones? We understand this by comparing Scripture with Scripture. Consider a companion passage in Matthew 10:37. When Jesus said we must hate our father, mother, wife, children, brethren, and sisters, he was saying that we must not love them more than Him and His will. The Lord requires that we put Him absolutely first in our affections and that we live to please Him above all else. Family relationships are important and God’s Word instructs us to care for our loved ones (1 Timothy 5:8; Colossians 3:18-21). At the same time, the call and work of God takes precedence over any human relationship. Down through the centuries many have resisted the call of God because of family ties. There are powerful forces at work here. I am reminded of the man who led me to Christ. When God called him to preach, his wife gave him an ultimatum that she would leave him if he did not stop preaching. He pleaded with her to stay, but he refused to stop preaching. Eventually she did leave him and took their young son with her. The man was brokenhearted, but he refused to stop obeying God’s command to preach the Word of God. Many, faced with such a choice, have turned their backs on God’s call.
CONCLUSION: The Weekly Church News Notes is designed for use in churches. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this obviously does not imply an endorsement. We trust that our readers will not be discouraged. It is God’s will that we know the times (1 Ch. 12:32; Mat. 16:3) and that we be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The News Notes remind us that the hour is very late, and we need to be ready for the Lord’s coming. Are you sure that you are born again? Are you living for Christ? “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Rom. 13:11-14).
July 10, 2010
The Weekly Church News Notes is designed for use in churches
THEOLOGIAN SAYS JESUS WAS NOT CRUCIFIED ON A CROSS
Gunnar Samuelsson, a theologian at the Gothenburg University, claims that Jesus was not crucified on a cross. According to the London Telegraph: “He claims the Bible has been misinterpreted as there are no explicit references the use of nails or to crucifixion--only that Jesus bore a ‘staurus’ towards Calvary which is not necessarily a cross but can also mean a ‘pole’. Mr. Samuelsson, who has written a 400-page thesis after studying the original texts, said: ‘The problem is descriptions of crucifixions are remarkably absent in the antique literature. The sources where you would expect to find support for the established understanding of the event really don’t say anything’” (“Jesus Did Not Die on Cross,” Telegraph June 23, 2010). The fact is that the Bible plainly states that Jesus was crucified on a cross by the piercing of his hands and his feet (John 20:20, 25, 27; Psalm 22:16). As for extra-biblical historical evidence, Josephus was an eyewitness to the crucifixion of Jews during the siege of Jerusalem between 66-70 A.D. Further, in 1968 a team of archaeologists discovered the skeleton of a man who had been crucified by the Romans in the first century A.D. The team was led by V. Tzaferis and the discovery was made at Giv’at ha-Mivtar (Ras el-Masaref), just northeast of Jerusalem near Mount Scopus (J. H. Charlesworth, “Jesus and Jehohanan,” Expository Times, Edinburgh, February 1972). The tombs, which contained the bones of 35 individuals, are dated from the late second century B.C. to 70 A.D. when Jerusalem fell to the Romans. A young man named Jehohanan (John in English) (the name is inscribed on his ossuary) died of crucifixion sometime between 7 A.D. and 66 A.D. This was confirmed by Dr. N. Haas of the Department of Anatomy at the Hadassah Medical School (Hebrew University). Nails were driven through his arms and heels. Both his legs were broken at the shins.
TEEN GIRLS DRINKING MORE THAN BOYS
A report by Partnership for a Drug Free America says that teenage girls are drinking more than boys. The number of teenage girls who say they drink is 59%, where it is 52% for boys (“Report Shows Teen Girls Are Drinking More,” Newsweek, June 29, 2010). The same study found a significant increase in drug use among girls. Other studies have shown that girls are increasingly involved in pornography. This is the result of the vile do-your-own-thing pop culture philosophy that has corrupted society at every level, but the foundational reason that the pop culture has succeeded is the apostasy and compromise of the average church. People in the West do not fear God because the fear of God is not preached from the pulpits. The average professing Christian today worships the judge-not idol of The Shack rather than the thrice-holy God of the Bible. Preachers and parents who do not take a clear stand against the filthy pop culture in all of its aspects will answer to God for their spiritual blindness and/or cowardice. In the book Keeping the Kids, which is available from Way of Life Literature, there is a chapter on how to unplug kids from the pop culture so that it does not destroy them morally and spiritually.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH USA ELECTS PRO-HOMOSEXUAL MODERATOR
The following is excerpted from the Christian Post, July 4, 2010: “A pro-gay marriage candidate was elected Saturday to serve as moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for the 219th General Assembly. Cynthia Bolbach, an elder from Arlington, Va., was the only candidate out of six to express unqualified support for same-sex marriage, as reported by the denomination. ‘Who poses the greatest threat to the institution of marriage: Larry King who has been married 8 times or a gay couple (friends of hers) in Washington, D.C., who have been together for 62 years and who got married two weeks ago?’ she said, according to The Layman. The debate over homosexuality has persisted in the PC(USA) for decades. This week, delegates who are meeting for the General Assembly in Minneapolis will consider around a dozen overtures that seek to change the definition of marriage in the PC(USA) Book of Order to be more ‘inclusive,’ allow noncelibate gay clergy to serve, and extend benefits to same-gender spouses and domestic partners. ... [Bolbach said,] ‘Those in favor of the full inclusion of gays and lesbians in our life together--and I include myself in that group--believe that we fail to satisfy the Gospel imperative of inclusiveness as we continue to exclude gays and lesbians from leadership in our church.’” CONCLUSION: Bolbach’s question about who poses the greatest threat to marriage can be answered very simply. Both Larry King and her homosexual friends pose threats to marriage. At least Larry King has married women, which is authorized by the Bible, but when a woman “marries” a woman or a man “marries” a man there is no biblical authority whatsoever and the very concept of absolute morality is destroyed. The Presbyterian Church USA is a filthy, apostate institution, and the “evangelicals” within it are living in blatant disobedience to God’s Word by being yoked together with unbelievers (Romans 16:17; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 2 Timothy 3:5).
WHEN SEPARATION IS FIRST REJECTED
The rejection of separation begins softly and quietly. It is something that is difficult to put one’s finger on, something not easy to identify. And those who are at the outset of rejecting separatism are offended when someone challenges them that this might be happening. The rejection of separation begins with a mere change in mood toward a more positive emphasis, a greater tolerance of error. It is a gradual loss of militant zeal in the defense of the faith. The first step in the rejection of separation can be identified not so much by what a preacher or a church or a Bible College does or says as by what it fails to do and neglects to say. The following questions can help identify whether or not an institution is giving up on separation: Does it ever host a conference on separation? Does it invite strong separatist preachers to blow the trumpet against compromise in a plain way? Does it publicly and clearly identify itself with separatists? Does it recommend literature on separation to its members? Or is separation something that was once preached, talked about, and practiced but now, for the most part, is left out of the agenda? Is the institution affiliating with those who use Contemporary Christian Music and contemporary Southern Gospel (which is no different in character from CCM) and perhaps moving toward adopting this music itself? If so, this is a loud warning, because CCM is not just music; it is a philosophy of Christianity that is diametrically opposed to separatism and CCM and a separatist stance cannot and will not live in harmony for long.
GENETIC RESEARCH FOOLISHNESS
- Two items in the news last week reminded us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10) and the average scientist lacks this fundamental attribute. Genetics is the cutting edge of biological science, and though the past quarter of century has witnessed an impressive leap in the knowledge of the genome we are reminded that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. The first news item is about the mapping of Ozzy Osbourne’s DNA to find out “why decades of substance abuse didn’t take down the Prince of Darkness” (“Hard Rocker Ozzy Osbourne,” CNSNews.com, July 2, 2010). In fact, the issue has nothing to do with DNA. Osbourne is alive (though crippled) only because he stopped abusing drugs and alcohol and became “something of a health nut.” In other words, he started following God’s laws in the physical realm, even while he continues to sing about breaking them! There is nothing in Ozzy’s genes that caused him to survive substance abuse. He came very near to dying on numerous occasions, and today he bears the marks of that abuse in his palsied condition and slurred speech. The second news item pertains to a study of the genetic traits of centenarians. The authors of the study claim that they can now “predict with 77 percent accuracy whether someone would live to be at least 100” (“Discovery May Lead to Test for Longevity,” Seattle Times, July 2, 2010). This is nonsense on its very face. These scientists have not demonstrated that they can predict longevity. They are guessing, and they are treating a guess as a fact, which is typical for evolutionists. This is global warming “science” at the level of genetics. The researchers found that “40 percent of supercentenarians [those over 110] had three genetic signatures in common.” That means that 60% did not! It is common knowledge that longevity has something to do with genes, because it can run in families to some extent, but in reality it is only a small part of the picture. And the fact is that everyone dies, whether at age 10 or 110, and the Bible tells us why people die. Death is the wages of sin (Romans 6:23), and science can do nothing to solve this problem. Only through repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can the sin problem be healed and death overcome, and it is only by the grace of a compassionate God that such an option exists.
SCIENTISTS ARE NOT GODS
“Outside their narrow field of expertise, scientists are often no wiser than the drunk at the end of the bar in your local saloon. In fact the are often more foolish than this drunk, because with the power of science, commissars often become intoxicated with the notion that knowledge and intellect in one field empowers them to speak with the authority of gods in all fields” (Dr. Lowell Ponte, “Science Wars,” FrontPage Magazine, Feb. 27, 2004; Ponte is former Science & Technology editor for Reader’s Digest).
THE MOSQUITO’S TOOL KIT
The following is from A Closer Look at the Evidence by Richard & Tina Kleiss. This daily devotional, which is packed with interesting scientific facts, is available in a KJV version from Bethel Print Ministry, www.bethelbaptist.ca. “The female mosquito needs a supply of blood before fertilizing her eggs. As soon as she lands on her victim, she goes to work with a special set of tools tucked inside her proboscis (mouthpiece). This mouthpiece has a syringe for injecting numbing and anti-thickening chemicals, two tiny spears to start the drilling operation, both a coarse and fine-toothed saw for cutting through different skin thicknesses, and a syringe connected to a pump in her head through which she can suck up to four times her body weight in blood.”
HATING FATHER, MOTHER, WIFE, CHILDREN, BROTHERS, SISTERS
“If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). What did Jesus mean when He demanded that we “hate” our nearest and dearest loved ones? We understand this by comparing Scripture with Scripture. Consider a companion passage in Matthew 10:37. When Jesus said we must hate our father, mother, wife, children, brethren, and sisters, he was saying that we must not love them more than Him and His will. The Lord requires that we put Him absolutely first in our affections and that we live to please Him above all else. Family relationships are important and God’s Word instructs us to care for our loved ones (1 Timothy 5:8; Colossians 3:18-21). At the same time, the call and work of God takes precedence over any human relationship. Down through the centuries many have resisted the call of God because of family ties. There are powerful forces at work here. I am reminded of the man who led me to Christ. When God called him to preach, his wife gave him an ultimatum that she would leave him if he did not stop preaching. He pleaded with her to stay, but he refused to stop preaching. Eventually she did leave him and took their young son with her. The man was brokenhearted, but he refused to stop obeying God’s command to preach the Word of God. Many, faced with such a choice, have turned their backs on God’s call.
CONCLUSION: The Weekly Church News Notes is designed for use in churches. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this obviously does not imply an endorsement. We trust that our readers will not be discouraged. It is God’s will that we know the times (1 Ch. 12:32; Mat. 16:3) and that we be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The News Notes remind us that the hour is very late, and we need to be ready for the Lord’s coming. Are you sure that you are born again? Are you living for Christ? “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Rom. 13:11-14).
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