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FACEBOOK: THE DEVIL’S MIXING BOWL
(Friday
Church News Notes, November 16, 2018, www.wayoflife.org,
fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Facebook is a two-edged sword. On
one hand, it has benefits such as advertising churches and legitimately
keeping touch with friends. On the other hand, it is one of the greatest
tools of the devil to foster spiritual compromise. It has great
potential to corrupt through evil communications (1 Corinthians 15:33).
Facebook is the devil’s mixing bowl. It tends to mix everything
together, the holy and the unholy, the spiritual and the worldly. The
following observation is from Brian Snider, “Most people in our circles
do not have the discernment, discretion or courage to stand against
things that are wrong. For instance, when someone leaves a good church
and goes down a worldly or wicked road, many people continue to remain
friends with them and ‘Like’ everything they do. They will approve of
things on Facebook that their church and pastor plainly stand against
including immodest attire, worldly activities, wrong relationships,
wrong marriages, rebellion against church, bad doctrine…you name it.
They hear these things preached against on Sunday, but Monday morning
they approve of them on Facebook. They will not clearly and plainly
separate from folks who are going in a direction that contradicts the
doctrine of their own church. This encourages the one who is doing
wrong, weakens those who would stand against that behavior, and signals
to others that these wrong activities are okay. In doing this, they seem
to care more about the feelings of rebels than they do the feelings and
concerns of a pastor who loves and cares for them. From that
standpoint, I believe that Facebook has done untold damage to churches. I
have friends in independent, fundamental churches around the world and I
have observed that this takes place everywhere.” CONCLUDING NOTE:
Spiritual victory in the age of social media is the same as it has been
since the days of Job, who loved God and wanted to honor Him and
therefore made a covenant with his eyes (Job 31:1). The victory is in
being born again (not just a sinner’s prayer), abiding in Christ in my
everyday life, having a pilgrim mindset so that I am aware that I
presently live in a strange land filled with spiritual and moral
dangers, and having a testing mindset to guard against those dangers and
keep them out of my life. It is a continual and daily battle. It is a
mindset whereby I refuse to be manipulated by the world system and its
technology. It is the mindset whereby I will use the technology for the
glory of God within biblical boundaries, but I will not be controlled by
it and negatively influenced by it, whatever that entails, even if it
means having no Internet and no smartphone and no
social media. If I can use a technology for the glory of God without
being harmed by it, then I can use it. If not, then I don’t need it. I
am in a spiritual war, and I am fighting to win. “For the weapons of our
warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of
strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians
10:4-5).SCOTLAND BECOMES FIRST COUNTRY TO REQUIRE LGBTI INDOCTRINATION IN SCHOOLS
(Friday Church News Notes, November 16, 2018, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Scotland to Embed LGBTI,” The Guardian, Nov. 9, 2018: “Scotland will become the first country in the world to embed the teaching of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex rights in the school curriculum, in what campaigners have described as a historic moment. State schools will be required to teach pupils about the history of LGBTI equalities and movements, as well as tackling homophobia and transphobia and exploring LGBTI identity, after ministers accepted in full the recommendations of a working group led by the Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) campaign. There will be no exemptions or opt-outs to the policy, which will embed LGBTI inclusive education across the curriculum and across subjects and which the Scottish government believes is a world first. ... Scotland has regularly been ranked as one of the best countries in Europe in relation to legal protections for LGBTI people ... In 2016, the former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale described the country as having ‘the gayest parliament in the world’: at the time four of Scotland’s six party leaders (Dugdale, the Conservatives’ Ruth Davidson, Ukip’s David Coburn and the Greens’ Patrick Harvie) identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual.”
BENNY HINN’S NEPHEW RENOUNCES THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL
(Friday Church News Notes, November 16, 2018, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Benny Hinn Is My Uncle,” Christianity Today, Nov. 20, 2017: “Growing up in the Hinn family empire was like belonging to some hybrid of the royal family and the mafia. Our lifestyle was lavish, our loyalty was enforced, and our version of the gospel was big business. Though Jesus Christ was still a part of our gospel, he was more of a magic genie than the King of Kings. Rubbing him the right way—by giving money and having enough faith—would unlock your spiritual inheritance. God’s goal was not his glory but our gain. His grace was not to set us free from sin but to make us rich. The abundant life he offered wasn’t eternal, it was now. We lived the prosperity gospel. ... We lived in a 10,000-square-foot mansion guarded by a private gate, drove two Mercedes Benz vehicles, vacationed in exotic destinations, and shopped at the most expensive stores. On top of that, we bought a $2 million ocean-view home in Dana Point, California, where another Benz joined the fleet. ... doubts would surface. What about unsuccessful healing attempts? I learned that it was the sick person’s fault for doubting God. Why would we speak in tongues without interpretation? ‘Don’t quench the Spirit,’ I was told. ‘He can do what he wants.’ Why did many of our prophecies contradict the Bible? ‘Don’t put God in a box.’ Despite the questions, I trusted my family because we were so successful. ... After graduating college and returning home, I met my wife, Christyne. I had no idea that God would use her in bringing about my salvation. In fact, my family and I were nervous because she didn’t speak in tongues. ... one day she pointed to a verse I had never seen: 1 Corinthians 12:30 (‘Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?’). I was shaken to the core. There it was plain as day—not everybody has to speak in tongues. Soon, the domino effect began. Other longstanding beliefs were failing the biblical test. No longer did I believe that God’s purpose was to make me happy, healthy, and wealthy. Instead, I saw that he wanted me to live for him regardless of what I could get from him. ... I am thankful that my wife was willing to question my insistence on speaking in tongues and that my pastor loved me enough to disciple me out of prosperity gospel confusion.”
UNITED BIBLE SOCIETIES: UNHOLY HANDS ON GOD’S HOLY WORD
(Friday Church News Notes, November 16, 2018, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The United Bible Societies (UBS) and the World Council of Churches have published a book that discussed the Bible as an ecumenical tool. It is called Your Word Is Truth: The Bible in 10 Christian Traditions. “The publication revives a long history between the WCC and UBS of working together to nurture engagement with Scripture as a unifying element in ecumenical, inter-confessional relations” (Christian Newswire, Nov. 8, 2018). The only way that the Bible can be a unifying element in ecumenical relations (Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox) is to misuse it. If it were interpreted literally and accurately, it would destroy the ecumenical movement. The Bible says, “... earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). Fighting for the one true faith of God’s Word is the very opposite of ecumenical unity. If I stand up, for example, for the gospel of the grace of Christ without works or sacraments as taught in God’s Word, then I destroy unity with those who preach a sacramental gospel. If I stand up for the literal interpretation of Bible prophecy, I destroy unity with those who hold to an allegorical method of interpretation. If I stand up for the cessation of apostolic sign gifts, I destroy unity with those who claim to exercise those gifts. In truth, the World Council of Churches and the United Bible Societies are enemies of the Bible. they together because they are unified in error. They have a false christ, a false gospel, and a false spirit. For evidence of this, see the free eBooks Unholy Hands on God’s Holy Book and The World Council of Churches, available at www.wayoflife.org.
