The Biblical Examiner
An Examination of Biblical Precepts Involved in Issues at Hand

July, 2005

Husbands, Love your Wives

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Ephesians 5:25

Ephesians 5:25 gives a perfect definition of how husbands should love their wives — that is, even as Christ loved the church.

THE love of Jesus — Paul said that the love of Jesus is beyond our understanding. It surpasses any description we might give to it. The love of Christ for His wife, the church, is the most amazing thing under heaven. It is a love that causes even the angels amazement.

If we are told that Christ pities us, that is understandable. When we hear that Christ has mercy upon us, that is understandable.

But here it says that He actually loves us, and that love is so deep that He gave Himself for us – that is not understandable.

How could an infinite God love and give Himself for us poor, sinful finite creatures? I am unable to explain this love to you. Explain that love to me if you can grasp everything it involves.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

In Christ's love for the church, we find the miracle of miracles.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

The love of Christ for us is the example of what the love of a husband is to be for his wife. It is the model of how a husband is to love his wife.

I would never make the comparison of Christ's love for the church and the husband's love for his wife, nor should any other person make such comparison, but the Spirit of God Himself caused Paul to write it.

V. 32, This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

The love of a husband for his wife is a subject that must not be taken lightly, no more than we can lightly consider Christ's love for the church.

We enjoy discussing the "mysteries" of election, sovereign grace, divine providence, eschatology, &c. Not only can we sit for hours discussing these mysteries, but we will attend conferences to learn more of these mysteries.

But Paul tells us in Ephesians 5 that the mystery we should enjoy discussing most of all is how a husband is to love his wife. We should be taking this mystery apart and examining it to see how it applies to our daily lives.

This mystery is not an abstract one, something we can only think about. This mystery is in our daily lives and actions. SOMETIMES IT IS A MYSTERY HOW A WIFE CAN STAY WITH A MAN WHO IGNORES HER OR TREATS HER BADLY. (The world and many Christians joke about marriage in such a way that singles see it as something to be avoided, quite opposite to God's plan.)

The statement about Christ's love for His own is one that must be taken by faith. But the statement of how a husband is to love his wife is one that must reveal itself in daily activity. Maybe Christ's love had an emotion to it (He wept at Lazarus's grave, John 11:35), but far more than that, His love was shown in action – He gave Himself.

Husbands are to give themselves for their wives. If one were to ask his wife if she feels that he gives himself for her well-being, what would she say?

What if Christ's love was the same as the love many husbands have for their wives?

We should never think to make such a comparison of Christ's love and the husband's love had not the Holy Spirit laid it before us, so we need to meditate on the mystery of a husband's love, just as we meditate on the mystery of Christ's love.

Observe these three things: first, how Christ loves the church; second, how he has proved his love by giving himself for the church; and third, how should we think of this wondrous love of Christ?

The husband's love for his wife is a mystery. So we must look at the abstract, Christ and his love for the church, in order to understand this mystery a little:

First, How Does Christ Love His Church?

Christ is love itself – His love is full of kindness and giving to the church. His love is giving rather than taking. He does not see the church as what the church can do for Him, but for what He has done for the church. (In that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us...)

Husbands, our love is to be uniquely for our wives, not for all the women around us. Christ's love is uniquely for His church, not for all of mankind. The husband's love for his spouse is to be special and particular. It is to stand alone – all by itself. Certainly, we are to be kind, giving and generous, but if a husband is kind, giving and generous to other women as he is to his wife, he has violated Scripture, and has certainly been destructive to his wife.

Christ's love is toward those whom the Father gave to Him.

I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. John 17:9

And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. John 17:11

Husbands, God gave us that woman to whom we are married—do we pray for her? We are her protection—do we protect her, stand between her and the turmoil of friends, family and from the world? The husband is the umbrella of protection for his wife.

ILLUSTRATION:

Let us never underestimate nor forget our Lord's love for His own. His love is to be an example to husbands of how they are to show their love for their wives.

How about the little things?

Washing dishes. * Maybe helping with the housecleaning. * Making time for her. * Making her the major part of your life.

The Lord wants us to come to Him for even the smallest thing. Do our wives feel they can come to us with everything?

Let us never forget Christ's amazing love, and as Christ loves us so uniquely, let us feel that we are bound to love Him uniquely. Let us give to Him all our heart's affection, for He is a jealous Savior, and He will have our entire love. So let us render it to Him, not of compulsion, but with a joyous willingness. Love dies under compulsion. Love will wear no chains except its own silken fetters. Love flies on its own strong wings when it perceives it is the object of another's righteous love.

Christ loves His church, so, HUSBANDS, let us love our wives.

The Lord Jesus loves his church unselfishly. That is, He never loved her for what she has, but what she is. He loves the church for what He makes of her as the object of His love. This is not always the case with a husband toward his wife.

Husbands, we can have the kind of wives God intends for us to have, if we will love her as God commands us to love her.

Is our love selfish – what is in it for us? Or is our love for what we can do for her?

Who is to give themselves for whom?

Note what the Lord said about His chosen people:

Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. Isaiah 62:4

In His love for His own, the Lord delights in His chosen people. Men, do our wives know that we delight in them?

The true husband and wife are so united that they share each other's joys and sorrows without making any effort to do so. It comes naturally to them. They cannot avoid it. And the sympathy between Christ and His people is absolutely perfect. If He sees us in sorrow, He feels it at His heart. He was Himself surrounded with infirmity when He was here. He was tempted in all points like as we are, that He might know all the trials of the church He loves. And now in heaven, as He has shared our sorrows, He decrees that we shall share His joys. (Hebrews 4:15.)

If there is anything that is to be a miniature picture of heaven on earth, it is to be a pair of Christians happily united, whose children grow up in the fear of the Lord, and render to them increased comfort and joy every day. The enemy, both in the world and in the church, has worked to present marriage as a joke; he continually makes marriage out as something to be avoided, saying that it is only misery for both parties.

The love required of a husband for his wife is a mystery that is revealed to us in Christ's love for the church. His love is our example.

II. How The Lord Jesus Proved His Love To His Church:

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Christ gave himself for his church when he was born into the world, taking on all the infirmities of the human flesh, even the weakness of death.

After being born, he gave all his life here on earth for us. He did nothing for Himself; it was all for us—for His church. His whole life was for her righteousness, for her example, for her teaching, and for her quickening.

He loved her with no view but the glory of the Father by the salvation of His chosen.

After spending His life for the church, Christ gave himself up to death for our sins.

When a man marries, he agrees to give himself for the wife the Lord gave to him. I have known more than a few men who, not because of illness, required their wives to work so they could pursue the things that pleased themselves. The hope and dreams of many husbands are built around what the husband wants, not what is best for his wife and family.

Many men have the husband - wife relationship all confused. When a young man marries, he gives up doing his own thing, and now his life centers around what is best for his wife first of all, and then his family when children come into the picture. Thus, many young men, not wanting to give themselves, including their self-centered desires, for a wife, fail to marry. (I speak from personal experience.)

But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. 1 Corinthians 7:33

III. How Should We Think of Such Love?

How should we think of the love of Christ? With overwhelming gratitude:

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Psalms 103:1

If there is anything that is to be a foretaste of heaven, it is a pair of Christians happily united, whose children grow up in the fear of the Lord, and render to their parents increased comfort and joy every day. What do we owe to God for the happiness He has brought to our homes? We could never repay that debt, but that does not mean we are to dismiss that debt. We repay that debt by obedience.

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. Ephesians 5:22

I know men who fully expect their wives to obey them, and well they should. But are the same men as quick to obey their head, the word of God?

If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

We repay the love Christ has shown us by keeping His commandments. And we men should be as willing to keep the Lord's commandments as we want our wives to be willing to obey us. If a wife truly knows that she is loved by her husband and that she is the most important thing in his world after the Lord, will not her delight be in making him happy?

How has Christ shown and proved His love to us? Should we not, therefore, delight in making Him happy? Should we not be studying His commandments to find how to make Him happy?

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 1 John 5:3

I do not know how many times my wife has told me that she loves being a wife and a homemaker. She delights in doing the things it takes to make a home. She delights in doing the things she thinks pleases her husband. Why? Because she is confident that I love her, and that she is the most important thing in this world to me after the Lord. Therefore, she delights in doing the things that I would find very irksome. She delights in doing those things that please me, because I delight in doing the things that please her.

There are many more things here that we could go through, but we will not because of time and space.

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; V. 32, This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Ephesians 5

Yes, we certainly enjoy discussing the deep mysteries of the Bible: Election, Sovereignty, Israel's identity, the Church's identity, when and how will all things be drawn to a close and how will the world end. What about the covenant - was it by faith or by works, and how is it continued into our age? Is it confirmed by faith, by baptism, by circumcision?

Many of these difficult questions will never be answered until we see Christ, and they may not even be answered then. These are mysteries that we delight looking into.

But a much more important mystery, a mystery that should consume our time here on this earth as married people is how are husbands to love their wives?

Extra: (Unknown author)

Once more. There is a text which says, "Let the wife see that she reverence her husband." I have sometimes thought that must be somewhat difficult for some wives to do. There has not been very much to reverence in their husbands; still, they are bound to do it as far as it is possible. In this case, there is everything to reverence in our Beloved; there is nothing about him but deserves our profoundest homage. Such an one as he, whose very name has music in it, whose very person is the delight of seraphim and cherubim, — he, the Christ, whom none can conceive of in all his fullness but the Father, — we must reverence him, and bow before him, and extol him. I grow angry, I confess it, when I hear some men speak of Christ.

They talk of my Lord in these days as if he were some common person, and they have "comparative religions" in which they compare him with I know not whom. I love my Lord so well that I must boil over with indignation when his name is disparaged. Our hymn says, —

"Stand up, stand up for Jesus."

It is almost too commonplace an expression in reference to him; still, what it means let us do; let us be ready, like the armed men who were about the bed of Solomon to defend our King against all comers; for, if he loved us so much, we must love him in return.

And what else shall we say? If such be the love of Christ, how shall we think of it but in a way of holiness? Let us seek to be like him; let us try to fulfill his will, that he may purify us, and sanctify us by the washing of water by the Word, that we may be holy as he who hath called us is holy.

Let us think of this love by striving after sanctification; and let us think of this love, above all, by rendering to him now and as long as we live the full love of our heart. We cannot love him without being moved to love him more. We can love the more by thinking much of the person towards whom our hearts are drawn, so think much of my Lord, think of him every day. Get to be familiar with him. Read frequently the story of his life and death. Get alone as often as you can, and picture him before your eyes until you find your heart exclaiming, "I love thee, dearest Lord. Thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee." I find it a profitable form of devotion, sometimes, to sit quite still, and not say a word; but just only think of him.

My heart has burned within me while doing that, and I believe that it is not lost or wasted time, but time most profitably spent, for I come forth from my chamber and feel, "Now I am ready for the service of life, or for its suffering, for I have seen the Well-beloved, and the glances of his countenance have charmed away my griefs, and prepared me to take up my cross, and follow him whithersoever he goeth. "Oh, love the Lord, ye his saints; and as long as ye live, love him more and more, love him to the very utmost, till you die of love! Blessed, for ever blessed be his holy name!

Amen and Amen.

(Actually, I find these things, copy them into a file, and fail to put the source with them.)

True Love Waits... and waits... and waits

Thomas Williamson

Editor's notes are in [text].

"To avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. " 1 Corinthians 7:2.

"Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." - Hebrews 13:4

"It is not good that the man should be alone." - Genesis 2:18.

A new type of ministry among singles, called True Love Waits, encourages unmarried young people to vow not to engage in premarital sex, and to remain virgins until marriage.

While reckless vows that are not scripturally based should be avoided (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6), the vow to remain chaste and abstain from sex until marriage is definitely scriptural and is a proper vow to make.

True Love Waits, and similar "Chastity Challenge" programs, are worthy of support. Those who devote themselves to this type of ministry are to be commended. There certainly is a demand for this type of program, as long as so many of our so-called "Christian" young people have problems committing fornication with the heathen and even with each other.

But getting the singles to agree to abstain from premarital sex is only part of the answer. The ultimate solution to the sin of premarital sex is for singles to get married, as plainly stated in 1 Corinthians 7:2.

To this end, churches ought to provide a positive atmosphere that encourages and provides for the formation of Christian families, as a result of singles pairing off and getting married.

[Churches and parents must teach on the importance of marriage and rearing godly children for the glory of God.]

This encouragement process may involve sponsorship of social events, active matchmaking activities, or even setting up dating or courtship services to help young people in small or isolated churches to meet mates from other churches of like faith.

[Large group social events may be used effectively. However, we must point out about "dating" services—that is, pairing up two people to go have "fun". Dating allows emotions to be set on fire, and many times is little more than preparation for divorce. On the other hand, "courtship" simply gets to know someone as a friend before getting emotionally involved. In courtship, when two find they are going in the same direction with the same goals and with common agreement, then the emotional attachment can develop toward marriage. More often than not, even in good Bible believing and teaching churches, "youth groups" are little more than dating services that lead to pairing up for immoral activities, as emotions run wild. It seems as though parents are unable to remember what it was like being young and single, and someone of the opposite sex paying attention to them, even when the attention is immorally motivated. Sadly, I have found that there are parents, even professed Christians, who willingly permit their children to "sow their wild oats" while they are young. Hosea 8:7, Galatians 6:7.]

For sure, we must avoid any appearance of discouraging marriage and family formation, or of giving the impression that it is unspiritual for singles to take an interest in the opposite sex.

Sometimes, Christian singles are placed at a disadvantage by rules that forbid them to take part in worldly amusements and entertainments, some of which are considered almost a mandatory part of the courtship and mating process by the non-Christian society around us. It is good and commendable for Christian singles to maintain separation from such worldly practices, but shouldn't we replace them with other more wholesome activities that will help our singles to meet and mate?

Christian singles who are living an upright, decent, moral life deserve all the help we can give them to get hitched up with their Better Halves. They are entitled to more than just a smug, sanctimonious lecture on how "All you need is the Lord" or "Think of all the bad things that could happen to you if you get married - you may as well just stay single."

Some may think they do not need to help the teens and singles to find a mate, because that is what Christian college is for. But what about those who have already gone through college and are still single? What about singles who do not need nor want to go to college?

Everyone does not need to go to college. The main purpose of college is to qualify oneself for employment. There are many young people who can establish their credentials for blue-collar or white-collar employment, and sometimes even full-time Christian service, without going to college. So they really do not need to go. Besides, college is an awfully expensive, roundabout and time-consuming method of finding a mate, if that is the only reason for going.

In some of our churches, we have set up for our young people a false standard of spirituality - those who go to college (especially the college the pastor graduated from, or the one where he hopes to land a cushy faculty or administrative position some day) are considered spiritual. Those who do not go to Christian college are regarded as unspiritual mopes. There is no scriptural basis for this. [See our Peru report about seminaries.]

As a result of the big push to ship out all of our best young people to college, some churches export the cream of the crop of their youth, many of whom never return home. Others, who cannot fit into the collegiate straitjacket that has been prepared for them, become discouraged and maybe even drop out of church.

In many cases, young people should be encouraged to go to college, but they should not be pressured to go. (Nor should they be pressured to not go to college if they want to go. These decisions really belong to the young people and their parents anyway, not to the church).

Christian College is usually a positive experience for Christian young people, but it is not the panacea or answer to all of their problems, including the problem of finding a mate and getting married.

Instead of folding our hands and saying "What will be, will be," perhaps we ought to take a more active stance toward helping young people to get married. Without Abraham's matchmaking between Isaac and Rebekah, and Naomi's bringing Ruth and Boaz together, the Messianic line would have died out.

Of course, no matchmaking should be done without the consent of both parties, and no one should be pressured into a relationship they do not want. There are some singles who do not want to be matched, who have made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake (Matthew 19:12). These good folks should be honored, and left alone to enjoy the greater freedom they have to serve the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:32-34).

[There are some singles who just do not want the responsibility of marriage. They are more concerned about pursuing their own self-centered desires. I was one of those for several years. As I have said several times, I was not taught the godly necessity of marriage.]

By providing an encouraging atmosphere for romance and family formation, churches will experience a greater measure of natural church growth, as more children are born into Christian families. We may be "missing the boat" on church growth, if we fail to emphasize love, romance and marriage.

Marriage and family formation are the answer not only to the problems of our lonely and sorely tempted singles, but also to the problems of society as a whole. George Gilder, in his book "Men and Marriage" has documented the fact that married men are much less likely to be involved in crime and other social problems, due to the civilizing effects of marriage.

Meanwhile, if Bible-believing Christians are getting married and having large families, while the liberals and infidels are aborting most of their children, guess which group will inevitably dominate American society in future generations? That's right - liberals are destined for extinction, while the meek Christians literally inherit the earth.

[Have Christians' lost their vision for the future? The future can and must be controlled through our children. The world understands that fact.]

By all means let us get our singles to "Wait," but let us not leave them with the impression that they will have to wait all their lives for "True Love." Let's help our young people to have an opportunity to meet someone, settle down, get married and thus be delivered from the temptations of the single life.

Let's spare them the pious lectures about how they should be content to be perpetually single. Bruce Springsteen was not too far from the truth when he said, "Don't make no difference what nobody says, Ain't nobody like to be alone."

If our young people get the impression that they are waiting in vain for True Love in fundamentalist Christian society, they are probably going to go somewhere else. They may end up "Looking for love, in all the wrong places" and it might even be partly our fault.

By Thomas Williamson, 3131 S. Archer Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60608

Personal

I wrote much of this while we are on a train headed for California for Christina's school graduation trip. The cost was not as much as if we had traveled by car. However, we did not have the freedom to stop as we pleased, as one would with a car. It was more than air fare would have been.

Soon after we mailed the last Examiner, Christina and I went to a Father-Daughter "conference" put on by Vision Forum below Atlanta GA. It was a "sell-out"crowd of fathers and daughters, 450. The emphasis was on the father-daughter relationship— that is, the responsibilities of a father and the glories of being a daughter under her father's protection, and then under her husband's protection.

Several girls also spoke to the daughters about how they had been a "power" girl wanting to do their own things, and how they changed when the Lord dealt with them.

The key-note speaker for the daughters (the fathers were with their daughters) was Jennie Chancey (Bettie's eldest daughter), who told how her father had insisted she go to college (a "Christian" school) though she did not want to go out from under his protection. Though it was a "Christian" school, their professors were very much anti-Christian, and her faith was shaken, and her submissive attitude toward her father was lost. Then she told how the Lord brought her back to where she should be with her parents.

There were testimonies about the wasted years and money by young ladies going to college, for there is no scriptural justification for a young lady to seek a "career" outside of her God established calling, Titus 2. (Obviously, further education is justified as it fits within Titus 2.)

Testimonies from fathers and daughters were accepted from the floor. One father spoke up about how the time he spent on the job almost cost him his children. I wanted to speak up and tell them that pastors especially lose their children, believing the lie that the ministry comes first, and if they will take care of the Lord's work, he will take care of their families. (Bettie, a mission kid, told me that this ungodly philosophy is very prevalent on the mission field in all denominations, and multitudes of mission kids have gone to the devil as a result. The number of pastors and missionaries who have lost their children to that lie is beyond counting.)

The train trip after the father-daughter conference was a good experience, as we met lots of new people. The shipment of America overseas by our politicians' "Free Trade" agreements was especially evident. As we came around the bottom of Lake Michigan through the "rust belt", the death of American industry was all around us. In fact, all along the route we took, that death was evident. Deserted factories along abandoned rail spurs were rusting to the ground, particularly the steel mills.

As we traveled from Chicago to LA through the mountains, there were many miles of double track, and some times triple tracks. It seemed that the trains loaded with cargo containers headed east were spaced about 10 minutes apart. The trains were loaded primarily with sea-going cargo containers. Thus, the formerly powerful manufacturing power of America has been exported to China, as well as other lower cost areas.

Our politicians, from presidents down (Carter gave away the Panama Canal, and China now controls both ends of the Canal, as well as some of the major west coast deep water ports), are doing a fine job of making America a powerless wimp in the midst of a power hungry world. America turned from God, and is very quickly being reduced by God to third world status, totally dependant upon the good will of other nations, particularly Communist China. Look at our horrendous debt to other nations. China is building up its naval power at an alarming rate, and will soon rule the seas, if things continue as they are.

(The fight between Communist China owned CNOOC oil company and US Chevron Corp. over Unocal has revealed some interesting things about China. Communist China has outbid Chevron 18.5 billion to 16.5 billion. China has roughly a $160 billion trade surplus with the US, has amassed $650 billion in foreign exchange reserves, and is plowing much of that money into U.S. Treasury bonds. The Washington Post article ends with this statement: "We invest too much in U.S. federal bonds, and they don't make us much money," said Pan Rui, a professor at the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai. "Now we're learning to invest more wisely, to try to invest in American companies and industries." Our presidents' trade policies have given America to foreigners, particularly Communist China. China Tells Congress To Back Off Businesses – Tensions Heightened by Bid to Purchase Unocal. By Peter S. Goodman. Washington Post Foreign Service. July 5, 2005. I have the entire article in my file. Note: Use Firefox as your browser; free download. Then go to the plugins, and down load Scrapbook. Scrapbook will save any page you desire that is in your browser window, which will retain the page even though the source may be removed from its source.)

I know that I distress many who want to cut the Old Testament out of their Bibles, but Deuteronomy 28 is being fulfilled right before our eyes. Though its primary fulfillment was in 70 AD against Old Israel, it continues to be fulfilled in application against nations who at one time served him. Though modern medicine, science and technology are being used in an attempt to void God's word, that same technology is being used to destroy us. (The multiplied millions being spent by NASA is to disprove the Bible account of creation. "Deep Impact" the $300 million mission, was to find how the solar system was formed. We know how it was formed. God spoke, and it was, period. Too bad our president does not know this, and stop the foolish waste of money.)

12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. 13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: 14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. (Deuternomy 28.)

Christians who refuse to believe the entire Bible and to apply it to their worship and to their lives are leaving a clearly pagan nation to our children.

CALIFORNIA

We spent two days with my brother in Sun City, CA, south of LA. We had not seen them since we met in Brazil at Bettie's sister's house a couple of years ago. Then we went to the home of a pen-pal of Christina's in South Pasadena. We visited there a short time, and they loaned us their Suburban (and two daughters), and we went up to Kaweah, which is at the foot of Sequoia National Park, about 4 hours north. (Gas, 2.52-2.72 a gallon.)

We had been invited to visit another wonderful family on our way up; they had seven children, home schooled, with a family business. They had an almond orchard as well as bees, and were located in the Great Central Valley where everything is irrigated. We spent a night there before going on up to Kaweah Sunday morning.

Back about 1997, Pastor Warren Campbell had driven with his family to the East Coast to visit some sites of Lincoln's War against his own people. He spoke for us at Linden. A short time ago while speaking with him on the phone, he said if we were ever out in his area, to let him know. I did, and he invited me to speak at his church, The Church at Kaweah. We had a wonderful meeting and time with the Campbells. The church is just a few miles from The Sequoia National Park, and we stayed an extra day in order to go into the park. The Giant Sequoias are awe-inspiring, and we greatly enjoyed the day in the mountains.

Then we headed back to South Pasadena, to return the suburban and Merryrose and Keeley to their home.

We then took the Coastal Starlight train up the West Coast, stopping to see a family in Junction City, Oregon. The husband is a preacher, and the wife has a website: ladylydiaspeaks.com. We had a delightful visit with their family before getting on the train again to visit friends in Astoria, Oregon on the extreme northwest coast. I have known this family through the mailing list for several years. They loaned us their car, and we drove along the coast south to Tillamook Air Museum where Bettie's husband was killed in 1997, flying the P-38. It was her first trip back there since that accident, and it was a very helpful experience for her.

When we drove down to Tillamok, we passed monstrous piles of hardwood waiting for shipment to Japan. I understand that Japan has been purchasing fantastic amounts of good veneer wood, as well as other types. They weight it down and sink it under water to preserve the wood.

We then went on up to Kelso, Washington, and caught the train back the northern route to Chicago, and then home.

It was a very good trip, and we were able to see a lot of the US.

A few days after we got home, we left for Sparta NC, to speak concerning our book, Death of the Church Victorious. Then a few days after we returned from Sparta, we left for Peru.

A week or so after we returned from Peru, we had a "Taylor" family reunion. Bettie's parents had 6 children, 5 girls and 1 boy. Because they were basically raised on the mission field, they agreed to have reunions as often as possible. They have met every year but 1 or 2 for the last 40 years. There were 39 folks here starting June 30, and the last ones left July 3 in the morning. (14 more in the States and 6 more in Brazil could not attend!) Then I spoke for Bro Sprinkle as he went to NC to speak for another pastor.

Distress

Since Bettie and I married, we have been extra observant concerning various attitudes toward marriage, and we are observing single men's aversion toward marriage. Here are some observations as to why marriage has fallen out of favor with men. You can place them in their proper order:

1) Marriage is presented by many sources, e.g., jokes, cartoons, friends, as a "ball and chain", preventing the man from doing his own thing.

Biblically, marriage is not two people, each doing his or her own thing. Rather, marriage is two people pursuing the husband's God-given goal. The wife is a help meet – a home maker who supports and helps her husband obtain the goals God has laid on his heart, particularly training up a godly generation.

2) Marriage is compared to hell, or at least one step from hell.

Biblically, marriage should be heaven on earth, or at least one step from heaven. Many modern women observed by young men are self-sufficient, having been convinced that they should prepare to be able to take care of themselves. By the time a young woman may decide to marry, she may have lost her appeal to godly men who are turned off by her independent spirit.

Biblically, a Godly man desires to be the head of his home, and have his wife and family look to God to supply what they need through him.

3) Parents, fathers particularly, have miserably failed to impress upon their sons the importance of marriage, and raising godly seed. Rather, the sons have been impressed to be self-sufficient, on their own, not needing anyone, as I was.

Biblically, one of the major Scriptural requirements is to prepare young men, as well as young women, for marriage. Many Christian families seem to be dedicated in training their daughters to be Proverbs 31 wives, but they seem to ignore training their sons to be husbands worthy of Proverbs 31 wives.

4) The world plays on the fallen covetousness nature of men – bigger and better things to satisfy the lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and the pride of life.

Biblically, covetousness must be controlled — What brings glory to God?

Sadly, I speak from personal experience.

First, my parents, particularly, never even mentioned the importance of marriage, let alone knowingly tried to prepare us three boys for marriage. My dad was concerned that we all have a trade, but it was not so we could support a family, for he never mentioned that motive.

Second, I desired the "good things of life", so my good pay from the construction trades went to pursuing my various desires.

Third, though my father was a Baptist pastor, he was a lay pastor. He was an extremely good fitter and welder. At the start, before WWII, he had saved his money for a welding school. Thus, he always had a good paying job as a welder through the depression. He worked for companies building oil refineries and steel mills — steel mills that are now being allowed to rust into junk.

After the war, he and his brother had a welding and fabricating business, and they traveled a lot. For as long as I can remember, my dad only made it home on weekends and some times mid week to preach. Thus, my "training" was that if you supply a home, food and clothes, the father has done his job. However, our dad did teach us the importance of work. Among other things, he made my younger brother and me purchase our own school books and clothes by mowing yards, gleaning corn, paper routes, and whatever else we could do. He even purchased a milk cow to help train my brother and me.

But he did not tell nor show us that the purpose of hard work was to expand the kingdom of God by providing for a wife and family, both financially and spiritually.

Note: Sadly, my dad's mentality can be found 2 Kings 20:19:

Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?

In other words, as long as I supply for myself and those for whom I might be responsible, I am a godly man. These "last days" will soon be over, so there is no need to be concerned about the near nor far future.

The result is that folks see little or no need to raise up godly sons who take seriously their responsibility to take their place as the head of a godly family, and who train for the future, both near and far.

From my wife's and my experience, Christianity is facing a crisis of a shortage of men willing to take their responsibilities in the Kingdom of God—responsibilities to search out a godly lady, and train up godly offspring for the glory of God.

There must be a revival in Christian thinking concerning the son's place in society. It is not how to learn to be self-sufficient, but how to be a godly leader of a godly family, training up children who desire to serve the Lord and seek first the kingdom of God on earth.

Sadly, there seem to be a great many American pastors today who are serving mammon far more fervently than they are serving God. The Word of God speaks about the love for the things money can purchase:

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Pastors have become greedy for money and influence, so they have compromised the gospel in order to gain the numbers and the huge offerings.

Pastors in the US are finding that there are millions of dollars to be made in religion. The May 23 issue of Business Week had an article titled, Earthly Empires. In it, they told of the multiplied million dollar empires being built in the name of God. These pastors find what the people want to hear, and they give it to them. The crowds fill the churches and the offering plates. <http://www.businessweek.com/@@YZacDIQQ6E2qyBoA/magazine/content/05_21/b3934001_mz001.htm>

Twelve Days in Perú

By Hector Crespo (PICTURES)

June 2, 2005: Our team members (Ovid Need [see below], Bettie Need, Christina Need, Hector Crespo and Teresa Crespo Vargas) met at the airport in Miami, Florida.

June 3: We arrived in the airport at Lima, Perú at 4:45 AM and were met by César Cabezas and Pastor Francisco Neyra of Iglesia Bautista Pan de Vida, also Uber, a printer from Pan de Vida, and Marcos Antahurco, who were waiting for us the entire night until we arrived. These 4 men took us to a Christian school for the deaf called EFATA where we stayed for the 12 days of our ministry in Perú. When we got to the school about 7:00 AM, all the students (boys and girls from ages 8 - 12) said hello in their sign language and some of the children understood all the signs I made, even though I didn't understand all they were trying to tell me. We didn't do any preaching this day - it was a time for rest.

June 4: Saturday morning. I woke up at 6:00 and around 7:00 AM we went to the Pan de Vida church for breakfast. We had papaya juice, milk with coffee, breaded chicken and french bread. At 8:00 AM a pastor named Walter came looking for us and he took us to another district called Chorrillo. After an hour's drive we got to the church and everyone was still eating breakfast and again we ate. We drank tea and chicken soup. After eating, the service started -they sang many hymns I knew and we heard a few testimonies of the pastors of how the Lord had answered their prayers. Then Pastor Ovid preached and I interpreted with 2 breakfasts in our stomachs. We finished the service by the grace of God. The same day we went back to Villa El Salvador (the neighborhood where the deaf school is located) and that night Christina gave her testimony, and Bro. Ovid and myself preached again to the young people. We arrive at our lodgings late at night.

June 5: At 9:30 we arrived at the Pan de Vida church. There were many children there, since they have a very active Sunday School. Then the service started, Bro. Ovid preached and I was able to interpret the message, which was on the subject of "Others are Watching You." The people were very receptive. Pastor Francisco gave an invitation at the end and many people came forward. I saw some of the people with tears in their eyes. That evening we went to another church in the district of Coma. We preached at 2 services; first on salvation and the second was the same as we used that morning. The pastor was happy with us and took us to a Chinese restaurant and we ate well again. We arrived at the school at midnight and slept until 8:00 AM.

June 6: We decided to walk from the school to the church, and the ladies with Marcos our guide took a taxi. And again we ate a big breakfast. We considered going to a tourist place but Bro. Ovid preferred to work on his sermons so he worked on his computer and I went to sleep. That evening we went to make photocopies of the sermon outlines for the people. The majority of the people were very nice and seemed to be of a good character. Although they said there are lots of thieves, and during our walk we saw some violent fights, nevertheless the people were very open to the gospel, especially the poor. I hope and pray that with the teachings and written material provided by us, we are being a part of training a new generation. One man came to us, Raul R. Chavez, and his wife. They told us that after reading the booklet "The Other Jesus - The Gospel Perverted," his thinking took a different direction concerning salvation. He said, "I don't know why some people don't understand this teaching." We arrived home by 10:30.

[As Bro. Hector and I walked to the church in the mornings, we would stop and get fresh squeezed pineapple juice for maybe 30 cents for a large glass full. It would take a whole pineapple to make a glass of juice. Boy, was it good!]

June 7: Tuesday, Bro. Ovid worked on his sermon, and I went to the Old City of Lima, to a section called Victoria. Here we went to a market called "El Hueco" (the hole). Clothing, movies, DVD's, all these were for sale at a very inexpensive price. It brought back to my mind the place where I am from, Mexico City. I bought a few things and then we spent the rest of the day at the school.

June 8:We had a very busy day and an interesting one like all the others. We preached from 3 to 6:30. At 4:00 we had a small break and at the end of every sermon we had a question and answer time. One of the questions was, "Does the Temple of Israel still need to be rebuilt" and the answer was No, we are temple of God, based on First Corinthians. At 8:00 we started another service, and Bro. Ovid preached on Ephesians 5, about how a man should love his wife. We arrived home by 10:30 PM.

June 9: Every day was the same to me. I say this because I didn't know it was my birthday until after breakfast when we were exchanging some dollars for "soles" (the Peruvian currency) and my daughter Teresa told me "Happy birthday, daddy." I said no, today is not the 9th but the 8th, and I asked the bank teller for the date and she said it was the 9th and I said "Oh." That day I preached at 8:00 PM on "Dreams that don't come true." Bro. Ovid, his family, my daughter and Pastor Francisco had a surprise birthday cake for me, sang happy birthday, and told me to bite the cake and when I did it, somebody pushed my face into the cake. Little Dorcas, the 3-year-old pastor's daughter, screamed and cried and ran away.

June 10: We started at 3:00 and ended at 6:30, with breaks in between. That night the pastor of Pan de Vida preached, then Bro. Justo invited us to eat roasted chicken and it was delicious. It was past 10 when we ate, and got back home at midnight.

June 11: We got up early and did not eat very much. Our first preaching service started at 9:30 AM and we continued until 6:00 PM, with breaks for lunch and dinner. At the end my stomach was hurting me. We saw a documentary movie on the computer, provided by the church, which exposed the falsehoods of the modern Pentecostal movement, with all the pastors from the different churches present, as well as part of the congregation. After the conclusion Marcos went with me to pack up my laundry. On the way my stomach was so bad that I told Marcos to keep going, and all the food from the previous day came out of me. Terrible, but I felt little better after, and at night I got sick again. I felt very sick but the Lord sustained me.

June 12. (Sunday) I didn't eat anything during the morning, and didn't feel weak, but not too strong either. We went to another church, "Canaán." Bro. Ovid preached and I interpreted but this time they had only one microphone, so I preached, raising my voice louder, and the Lord strengthened me. I heard about a missionary with the Inca Indians called "Yaminagu Yora" and felt compassion for the needs of these dear souls, for they do not even speak Spanish. I would like, if it is God's will, to be a missionary among them or at least send somebody or visit them. May God's will be done. This day all I ate was a little bit of fruit and chicken soup.

After lunch the church took us on a ride in a mass transit train - this was a short distance, because the transit system is not completed yet, after 10 years of work. On our way a man started to preach on the train, with many people saying Amen and yelling Glory to God. Afterwards, Bro. Cabezas said, "Bro. Hector, you preach now" Because I had previously done street preaching, I had experience in that type of ministry, so I preached a short message on the train. Then we sang some songs, and then I preached again. We passed out some tracts and a young man approached us and asked to know where our church was, to that he could come and attend. It was a blessing, as people gave us a farewell. They were very sweet, sincere, but a little bit reserved. I had a very good impression of them.

June 13: Today (Monday) we went to Pachacamac - here we saw the ruins of a part of an Inca culture who worshiped the sun and had a temple. Then we saw a monastery of the Incas where some old ladies, called Mamacuna, trained the young ones to take care of their husbands and children, and also some of these young girls where chosen to be sacrificed to their pagan god. This was an interesting day - we saw the Pacific Ocean, then we went to another busy part of the city.

June 14: The last day, Justo, a young single man, who owns a jewelry business, invited us to preach to his workers. We arrived there around 10:00, saw how they made some of the jewelry, then we had a nice hall where we waited, and waited and while waiting we were eating and eating again. It was about 11:30 and everyone of his workers came down to this hall, chairs were placed against the walls, family members were there, people from the street came in thinking it was a church service. A young man from Pan de Vida was there, who was a song leader, and I asked him to lead us in the singing, which he did. Afterward I preached, using Ephesians 2:8-9, and gave my testimony of how and from where the Lord saved me. And then we concluded, and the people seemed to rejoice and then they went back to work. What a blessing the Lord had for us. Bro. Ovid dismissed us with a word of blessing.

We did not get to see the magnificent ruins of Cuzco and Macchu Pichu, neither contemplated the beautiful Andes Mountains. But we did experience the magnificence of God and the beauty of God in the souls of the people, the deaf, people in EFATA, the church members who invited us to live and eat with them, to meet their families and feel the warmth of their household. And also we finally saw the sun after 11 cloudy, foggy days in Lima. But above all we saw the grace of God working in the lives of the Peruvian people as well as working in our lives, so that we might be a blessing to others. Amen.

Hector Crespo, 1639 N. Monticello, Chicago, Illinois 60647

Peru

By Bro Need

Note: The following is speaking from our very limited contact with small Baptist churches in a small poor area, Villa Salvador, a suburb of Lima. The spiritual vacuum in Peru is astounding and distressing, for it allows false teachings of every description to find ready ears and hearts. I am confident, however, that there are other groups of Godly Christians who are also seeing God's spirit move as they offer the word of God to the people.

ARRIVAL

Five of us went to Lima: Myself, Hector Crespo (see above), a Reformed Baptist pastor from Chicago who was born in Mexico, but is a US citizen, Bettie and Christina, with Teresa, Bro Hector's daughter who is married to a pastor and lives in Puerto Rico. We all met in Miami, and flew down to Peru together.

We were there during the Peruvian winter, so the temperatures were from the mid 40s to the mid 60s. None of the buildings where we were had heat, so we were always cold and damp. The only time I got warm was in a hot shower. In their summer, December, January and February, it might get up in the 80s, with clear skies. Being close to the ocean, the area was like living in a cloud. We did not see the sun until two days before we left, and even then, we could not see the horizon, which may have been partly caused by the terrible pollution. At least we could see what we were breathing!

It seldom rains in Lima. In fact, many kept saying it never rains, but the church had gutters to help drain the water off of the unfinished second story. Few of the buildings in our church's location had roofs. The buildings are left open so additional floors can be added as funds become available. From what I understand, if there is an empty lot, whoever builds on it can claim it.

Though open food was everywhere, like in Anapolis, Brazil, we saw no flies nor bugs, though rodents are common.

Peru's beach is very long and wide. Lima was settled by the Spanish, and built next to the beach. As people move down from the mountains looking for work (there is little or none), they settle on the sand beach. Thus, most of the outlying parts of Lima are built on the sand. (At night when the light is just right, it looks like snow everywhere.) Though the Pacific ocean beach is about a mile from where we were, we did not have time to check it out. (Peru is in the Eastern Time Zone, and they are smart enough to leave "fast" time alone.)

Lima has 10-11 million people, and we were in a suburb. It is an area where people are moving out of the jungle, hoping to find jobs. Of course, there are no jobs, so they turn to all kinds of devilment. Gangs are bad enough to make it dangerous even to drive through some areas. While a car is moving, they will break windows and steal what they want. It happens so fast that the passengers are caught by surprise, and do nothing. Even passing strangers on the street warned us when we had something exposed that could be grabbed.

One of the first things we did when we arrived in Lima was meet with the men who invited us down. The pastor of the church, "Bread of Life, Bible Baptist Church", Francisco Neyra, assigned a very intelligent young man, Marcos, who was unemployed at the time, as our guide. He remained with us at all times while we were there, and he knew his way around the city. Although he spoke no English, he tried to learn some words.

The committee who invited us took us to Efata, a school for the deaf, where lodging arrangements had been made for the 5 of us, plus Marcos, our guide It was a large compound surrounded by high walls. The accommodations were nice, but no heat. Though heating and maybe AC would be nice, there was neither where we were. The school was an oasis of grass and nice buildings in the midst of never-ending sand and dust. It was about three quarters of a mile from the church through the crowded street vendors, and we walked it at every opportunity. Bettie's knees would not let her walk it every time, so when the pain was too much, Marcos got a taxi for her and the girls.

We found that the people were greatly impressed that we would walk whenever and wherever we could, and were content with whatever we had. They were particularly surprised that we would eat on the street with them. At meal times, all kinds of small street vendors would be set up to serve food. The church folks told Teresa about pastors who would come down on mission trips, and would be very demanding about their transportation and food. When they started naming names, she was surprised that she knew many of them as pastors from Puerto Rico.

We saw no canned goods except in the large supermarkets in the better part of town, where we went one time. We heard some comments about how much better off we are because we have canned foods. Where we were, they had no refrigeration in their homes, so they had to shop every day. Fresh fruit and vegetables of all kinds were everywhere, and unbelievably cheap. We pointed out how lucky they were to have fresh food all the time with no chemicals, salts and sugars in their food. They have no cancer there, but the life expectancy is only about 65 years. This could be due to the terrible air pollution. Everyone drinks bottled water.

The street shops had everything one would need. In Villa Salvador, there were very few private cars, so shops would set up all the way to the streets where parking would normally be, with just enough room where the sidewalks should be for maybe two people to pass. In fact, at the traffic circle, the shops would set up in the street, leaving just enough room for maybe two vehicles at a time to get through. Though many shops are set up on the dirt next to the street, the people try to keep the dirt clean. They sweep it every evening when they take down their shops.

As far as we could find out, only one man in the church had a private vehicle. He was a printer. Everyone traveled by taxi. We found on our trip from the airport to the church that one takes his life in his hands when riding a taxi. They have what is called "motor taxis", or one cylinder motorcycles made into a tricycles to hold three or four passengers. In Villa Salvador, the vast majority of motor taxis were Hondas. The majority of taxi cars and vans, as well as private vehicles, were Toyotas.

There is no parking problem in Villa Salvador, for no one has a vehicle. Buses were everywhere. Marcos, our guide, saw that we were on the right bus or taxi to get where we were to be.

Though the people there have very little, they joyfully share with others, and seem to have a joy in all they do. We never heard one complaint from anyone about not having enough of anything, as they joyfully use what they have for the Lord.

We were invited to eat in the home of two single ladies—one never married with children, and the other whose husband abandoned them. It was a very small place with nine people living there, including grandparents. It had a small LP gas camp type stove on the floor. They served all 6 of us a normal Peruvian meal of potatoes (3,800+ varieties of potatoes in Peru, and multiple kinds of rice), rice and a piece of meat. One of the ladies had a small shop where she invited us to eat some rice pudding with her a few days later. Then the night before we left, she insisted on feeding us again. She took a total of 8 of us plus some others with her to a roasted chicken restaurant and paid for it all. One can get a very good 1/4 roasted chicken, a large plate of fries and a salad for a little over $1 US. But there the cost is about Soles$4. It was a very expensive meal for the lady to provide.

The people seemed to be very hard workers. Saturday was just another work day around us, as the construction continued on the buildings around the church. If a builder needs sand, he has a truck load dumped in the street with just enough room for taxis and trucks to get around the pile. Again, with no cars, there was no need for parking.

THE CHURCH

Bread of Life Church will be a nice building when they are finished. The church has beautiful carved wood doors, which remain open all the time during services, and passers by would stop and listen. (No flies!) This is the first time I have spoken where dogs (and a drunk) had to be run out of the building during the service. (Dogs are everywhere, but cats are very scarce. We saw only two cats. I heard that they eat cats, but not dogs, though they might sell dog meat for goat meat. When I was asked what I would eat, I told them I would eat about anything except cats, guinea pigs --a delicacy there--, and raw fish.)

We found that the people love the Lord, and are seeing many families saved. Bread of Life Baptist Church had been without a pastor for over three years, and Bro. Neyra had only been there a few weeks before we arrived. The plans for us to come down had already been made, and he agreed to them or we would not have gone. We did all we could to encourage him, and his people.

We discussed the work at the church where we were, and they told us that the hunger for the gospel among the poor of the community is astounding. The churches that are preaching the gospel are seeing great growth, and the people wanting to serve the Lord with their hands, work. All of the small churches we came into contact with are expanding as they have the funds to purchase material. The men of the churches do the construction themselves.

SCHEDULE

We got there early Friday morning, so we had Friday to ourselves after breakfast, with a chance to look around. (Anna, Pastor Neyra's wife, cooked three meals a day for us while we were in Peru– we had very tasty meals.) Saturday morning, the Lord gave the opportunity to speak with a group of about 35 pastors. (A few of them had brought their wives, and Bettie had a chance to visit with them.) Several men came up afterwards, and said they understood my warning, and they too had the same concerns as they see the gospel turned into no gospel.

(I was particularly impressed by the "Christian Flag" on the platform. It was a very stark reminder that though in Peru with Peruvian preachers, we were members of the same nation, serving under the same Commander, and working for the same cause. We were all seeking to advance the kingdom of our God.)

At the preacher's meeting, they served chicken soup for breakfast. I understand that chicken soup is a common meal there. Every bowl has a good piece of chicken and a hard boiled egg. (The chicken is normally tough, for they do not use hormones.) We have a picture of the ladies cleaning up after the lunch. They are sitting in the middle of the floor of the woman's restroom with large containers of water where they washed the dishes. They had to get the water from a large sink in the men's restroom.

That Saturday morning opportunity to speak was unexpected. Saturday evening, Christina and I spoke to the young people.

Our evening sessions ran from 8 to 10 PM, and then people asked questions until we would say "enough." We seldom got back to our rooms before midnight. (The experience for all of us was precious, and more than worth what little effort we put into it.) It was reasonably safe to walk on the streets to or from church until maybe 8:00 PM, after that, we had to take a taxi.

We found that the promises of God are very much active there. A Christian who is dependable and willing to work hard can make a good living by Peru standards.

We did not have time to go into the main part of the city, though on the last day, Marcos did take us to where we could purchase some nice things for a very reasonable price. Bettie got a beautiful Alpaca poncho for the price we had to pay for three sandwiches and a drink in the Miami airport!

YOUTH MINISTRIES

The Baptist churches were the only ones we came into contact with, and they are having an impact. (As are the Pentecostal churches with their emotionalism – from what we saw on a video provided by one of the men in the church, the emotions are based primarily on the occult and demon possession. There are also entertainment based "churches" that report huge memberships.) All of the small churches have young children's ministries, or Sunday Schools. The churches regularly take offerings to purchase food for the community children, and feed the children a little something when they come to Sunday School. They also have youth meetings for the young people from ages14 to 30, who are single.

Because of the poverty or maybe because of the spiritual hunger (both?), the youth meetings are all very well attended. The meeting where Christina and I spoke the first Saturday night had about 30 young people. The church where we spoke to the pastors on Saturday commonly had over 150 children in Sunday school. They give the kids something to eat, which packs them in. It might be compared to what it was like here in the U.S. 100 years ago. Today, young people's ministries here are used more as baby sitting services, or as mating services for the teens.

The children's works are effectively used. The word of God is offered, and many children are saved. I questioned two pastors about the effectiveness of their children's ministries, and they said that a large percentage of the parents are reached and saved. The mothers are reached, and then the fathers. Then lives change at home. The fathers quit their evil ways, spend what little money they have wisely, get jobs, and live like Christians. Their economic conditions start to improve as the Lord prospers them. The strong families then make strong churches.

In fact, the gospel was so effective in a section of Lima that it started closing bars, gambling places (there are many big, beautiful gambling halls–it is a big tourist area), and the whore houses (there is currently a bill making its way through the legislative process to legalize prostitution, so it is overlooked in various areas of the city). The gospel was closing down those places, and causing the prostitution business to lose money. The city started citing the churches for excessive noise, and then closed down the churches in that section. However, when the city moved against another section, the churches united, and the city backed off.

The five of us were impressed to see the power of the gospel at work, when in the States it seems powerless.

How much can be attributed to the poverty? The people where the vacuum is so great and the word of God is so powerful have little or no money to spend pursuing the lusts of the flesh. Thus, they have time to either create havoc or to serve the Lord. After they are saved, they spend their time serving the Lord. However, the false gospels, which are no gospels, have made huge inroads. The Lord gave us many opportunities to confront it with the truth. (American missionaries have come down with some strange ideas about salvation. One we spoke with said he felt it was not important that people understand the gospel when they make a profession, and that they will understand later. I don't know how he explains Romans 10:9ff.)

I am continually reminded of Matthew 7:21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

The receptiveness among the adults and young people was astounding to us who are used to the hardness in the United States. In the young peoples' meeting, almost all the young people, lost and saved, had a Bible and used it. We noticed that those who had Bibles anxiously turned to the scriptures if they had time, and those who came to the sessions brought note books and took notes. (We had the verses printed out in our notes to save time.)

The pastor said there was a lack of communication which is the reason there were not more pastors at the meetings. There were maybe 10-15 pastors and missionaries (Peruvian missionaries who work with the Indians) in the meetings for pastors. They were very receptive, and took a lot of notes. There were about 15 to 20 women in Bettie's sessions for women. The Lord is a God of small things. He uses a little leaven to leaven the whole lump. The church recorded some of the meetings, and will make the tapes available.

We continually emphasized that they read and study Scripture.

SEMINARY

Almost all of the young men want to go to seminary, as do the young ladies. Pastor Neyra wants to start a seminary (Bible School), so he can control what the young men are being taught. He will use whatever biblical material we might be able to send down in Spanish.

Seminary... We spoke with young men who wanted to go to seminary. We asked them "Why?" The answer was so they could learn the word of God and be a pastor or missionary. However, when we enquired further, asking how many times they had read the word of God through, the answer was always "None", with various excuses as you would find here in the States. Bro. Hector and I were quite hard on the young men with this answer: "You are not qualified for anything like seminary if you do not even read Scripture on your own."

I do not know how the idea of seminary has become so ingrained in the people, other than through missionaries. Young men feel they must attend seminary to be a godly man, and young ladies feel they must go to seminary in order to marry a godly young man. (I am suspicious of the Hyles' mentality, for I have heard him speak very strongly in support of that thinking.)

Admittedly, pastors and missionaries are sorely needed, but committed Christian husbands and fathers who labor with their hands as unto the Lord are needed more, for they are the salt that preserves a society from corruption. Sadly, the "Full Time Christian Service" mentality is there, teaching that in order to be in full time Christian service, one must be a pastor or missionary. I tried to deal with that ungodly notion (which can be traced directly to J.N. Darby) in the short time we had, continually pointing out that all life is to be full time Christian service, 1 Corinthians 10:31, &c.

I do not know about other areas of Peru, but I wonder what missionaries are teaching in the Lima area. Evidently, they ARE NOT teaching the practical aspects of the Christian faith of how godly men and women are to act.

Thankfully, we had two translators, one for me and one for Bettie. The ladies all loved Bettie and what she was trying to share with them. One pastor's wife wanted her to come teach their ladies. Of course, time would not permit it. (Though we did not have time to deal with all the material we had with us, I believe we were able to accomplish our two goals: emphasize salvation and deal a little with the strange Jewish influence in the church. The material I used is posted.)

I took the Wednesday evening session of 2 hours and taught on men loving their wives. They had never heard anything like that.

The churches there are being greatly influenced by Rick Warren's unscriptural New Age teachings, and no one is warning them. See <http://www.discernment-ministries.org/DeceivedOnPurpose.htm>

We could see the American missionary influence in that all the churches where we were gave long invitations.

The first Sunday night, we were scheduled to speak twice at the church that has the seminary Pastor Francisco Neyra attends – he will finish in a couple more months. It was in a much better part of the city, and the church was very large. It was maybe 90 minutes away. (Almost every one here travels by bus or taxi. You certainly take your life in your own hands in either.) They had two services, and we spoke at both. The attitude there was quite different than at Pastor Francisco's church. The pastor took us out to dinner at one of the best Chinese restaurants we have ever been to. One of the pastor's daughters had gone to school with Teresa, Bettie's translator, in Puerto Rico. They knew each other.

We were all thankful that the Lord sent us to those who have little or nothing, though there are some prosperous, by Peruvian standards, men in Bread of Life Baptist Church.

The first Sunday morning, we spoke at Bread of Life, a young man came to us with a question. He has a jewelry business in which he provides work for poor women. The Lord has greatly blessed his business, and he now exports to several nations, including the US. His jewelry is very attractive, primarily earrings. He has ten ladies working for him in his shop, and many more working at home. He put out a plea in the last Friday evening service for 30 more workers. He would supply the training and needed tools and material, and they could work from home. (A lady in our church is inquiring about marketing his jewelry. If you are interested in obtaining this hand made jewelry, let us know.)

He asked us what he should do concerning having women under his authority when he is not their father nor husband. He is single, and 32. We thought on it awhile, and the next time we saw him, told him he should get married, and put his wife in charge of the women. He immediately saw the Biblical logic, and, striking his forehead with the palm of his hand, said "Of course!!"

We warned him of the danger of a young lady putting on an act until they married for a piece of the business. His answer was, "It is not my business, but my father's." He spoke of his heavenly Father. His goal with the business is to support God's work as well as to help those in need.

He is a very fine Christian young man. He had us come preach to his employees Tuesday before we left on Wednesday morning. Bro. Hector preached so we would not have to translate. The door was open on street level, and a man passing by heard something, so he came in and sat down to listen to the preaching and singing.

The young jewelry maker is an Inca Indian, from Cuzco, where his family still lives. He has several uncles who work as guides in MACHU PICCHU. If we get to go down again, he will take us there. Cuzco is 20 hours by train or bus from Lima, and MACHU PICCHU is another 4 hours by train. For double the price, one can fly to Cuzco in less than 2 hours. We also found that there are many Baptist Churches in Cuzco, and we could have spoken in several if we had had more time.

We found that sports is also a god in Peru. Peru was playing soccer one night, and the small attendance at church showed it.

As Pastor Francisco Neyra and I discussed various issues, we found that we agreed on almost everything, including the Hyles mentality (though I am sure he has never heard of Jack Hyles) and the need of the local church to train its own young people. We found that everything I said basically confirmed what he is already doing. Bread of Life was very unique, not only in Peru, but in the US also. They had more men than women, the only church like that in the area.

The pastor's goal is to have only husband-wife teams working in every area of the church: Sunday School, young people, &c. The husband takes charge, and the wife is his helper who works with the girls in those areas. It is the biblical way if one is going to have youth ministries.

We pray we can get good Spanish material into his hands. From what I could gather, he will teach almost exactly what I would teach if I were there. What encouragement!!

I believe he is pre-mil, though we never discussed that point. However, a couple of his key men did come up and tell me they were a-mill. I think though that they have never been exposed to anything else other than the standard Scofield ideas.

The pastor was attending the seminary at the large, well-to-do church where we spoke. (The pastor of that church had recommended him to this church.) Brother Francisco, his wife Anna and his fourteen and two year old daughters live on the second floor of the church's unfinished building in poverty in order to work full time with his people. They fed us in one of the Sunday School rooms. The pastor's wife is an excellent cook, and it was a joy to know her, as she continually had a joyful serving spirit.

The days were far too short to deal with things that needed to be dealt with. Bettie and I had very little time for anything except to prepare and teach. The results were exciting for us both. It was a joy to have a part in the work of Pastor Francisco. If he will remain true to what he wants to do, Bread of Life Baptist Church will be a tremendous work. He realizes the need to keep men always before the people in leadership positions, and thus teach by actions that God's work is also men's work. By God's grace, he plans to raise up young men over the next several years to carry out his vision in Lima and in Peru.

We met a young man with five children at the deaf school, 30, called to be a missionary in Peru. Shane & Kathy Rice (www.rices2peru.com) He prepared in the States, and rather than getting his training under a pastor here, he wanted to go to the field to get his practical training under an established missionary. I did not have much time to speak with him, but we were like minded in everything we discussed, including our common opinion of the Hyles mentality. He was from Ohio. I have not had time yet to continue contact.

He told us of having sent out some men to do survey work in an area. They asked a man if he had a Bible. He said yes, and hurried home, bringing back a book of Mormon as his Bible. The men immediately gathered together 1,000 bibles and passed them out in the village. The young man's goal is to go out into the small villages and establish Baptist churches. He seems as sound as a real silver dollar.

On our last Sunday morning, I was able to speak at the church of the head pastor of the pastor's fellowship we attended on the first Saturday. After that service, I have no doubt we could have spent another couple of months there speaking in different churches all over Peru. It took a week to realize what needed to be dealt with from the pulpit, and how to deal with the needs. After we became a little familiar with the culture, and spoke accordingly, we could have easily spoken in as many different churches as we would have had time.

On our last Sunday night at Bread of Life Church, we had between 80-90 in attendance. I believe we left a good impression, good enough that we can teach them the practical aspects of Christianity, including a correct non dispensational view of Scripture.

We did get to visit one archaeological site, dated before the time of the Spanish. It is a few miles outside of Lima. We have pictures of the site of some major temples where human sacrifices took place. I am greatly impressed that almost within the shadow of those human sacrifice altars, there is such a desperate hunger for the truth of God's word. (Too bad that within the shadow of America's human sacrifice altars, abortion centers, there is not a hunger for the truth of God's word. Maybe in 500 years, as in Peru.)

The grace of God is astounding, and we are glad to have had a small part in spreading His grace.

We are praying toward returning again in a year and a half. We will see what the Lord works out.

Our God is a God of small things. The little leaven leavens the whole lump, and the leaven is the gospel in the context of that passage. (Matthew 13:33.)

We left 200 Spanish copies of the 1689 London Baptist Confession, 75 Spanish Bibles and various Spanish titles from Chapel Library there. We are fully expecting the little leaven of God's Word we planted in Peru to leaven a very large lump.

HELP

Translators are needed. There is excellent material available, but I do not know what is available in Spanish, for I cannot read the material. I do know what is needed in the area where we were, and I do know that the material Bro. Hector or I would provide would be used by this small group. However, this small group is very evangelistic and teaching orientated, and the small things we could provide would have a very large impact over time. (They would love to have the Examiner in Spanish, which would be a major translation project.)

Teresa agreed to translate the Examiner, as well as some other material, such as Spurgeon's Catechism. Chapel Library said they would print the Catechism. Such basic material is sorely needed in Spanish areas. However, working in a store in the past caused problems in Teresa's shoulders, and she is now unable to spend much time at a computer. Remember her in prayer.

Do you have or know of good Spanish material that will counter the "Christian fluff" influence among those whom we met?

BOOKS

Rushing through some verses one night, particularly Romans 12, I mentioned that I did not have time to deal with tongues, but I did have book on the Biblical teaching of tongues. A man came up to me after the meeting, and said he would see that the book was published there if I could get it translated. It is about 30 8 ½ x 11 pages, and needs editing. If we could post it in Spanish, it would have an impact.

They need good material on biblical family living. They need good material on simple practical Christian living, dealing with the particular problem that full time Christian service does not require one being a pastor or missionary, nor marrying a preacher or missionary.

The truth concerning salvation – No man has a corner on the truth of the gospel, but every man will be held accountable according to the true gospel.

A young man who had a book table at the meetings asked, "What can I sell?" as Bro Hector and I looked over his books, pointing out the errors in what he was offering. He told us that though there are good books in Spanish exposing the modern Charismatic errors. the people there told us that the bookstores in Peru refuse to sell them. Many stores are owned by the Charismatics. Also, there is big money in Charismatic and fluff (pietistic) books, e.g., Chuck Swindol, Rick Warren, &c. Christian bookstore owners do not want to pay the price by carrying books with hard truth in them.

Why work with this small group? Pastor Francisco seems to have his "head on right". He understands that a strong church must be founded upon strong families, with every area of service in the church being covered by married men. The men are to be in charge of each area, and the wives are the husbands' help meets. The pastor desires to train young men, and the training he wants to give is very much like what we of the "reformed faith" would give if we had the opportunity. Where will he get the necessary training and material when he is the only one who sees the need? Missionaries to these people are not the answer; the answer is training those who want to reach their own people.

Bro. Neyra and his wife have a very dramatic salvation testimony. The Lord certainly reached into the depths to redeem this man and his wife. Their backgrounds are anything but Christian, and the amazing grace of God is quite evident in their lives. Obviously, the pastor has a lot to learn, but he seems to be willing to learn.

There is a tremendous spiritual vacuum in Peru, which is being filled by everything you can imagine, particularly the tongues crowd. Even radical Muslims are making great inroads as they spread their version of "spirituality".

THANK YOU

We are so thankful to those of you who made the trip possible. I did not get "thank you" letters to all who helped financially, so THANK YOU! The opportunities are limitlessness, and it seems that Divine Providence could not have placed us with a better group – a pastor who wants to obey scripture, and is slowly making changes in this church to bring it into conformity with scripture, such as husbands with their wives as helpmeets in every area of leadership.

We were with a wonderful group of people. It was exciting to see our Lord's words, "And the common people heard him gladly", in action. (Mark 12:37.) (No doubt all who make mission trips to third world countries have experienced the same receptiveness. It is so refreshing and encouraging after experiencing such hardness and indifference to the truth here. There is nothing "third world" about the people we met. All 5 of us would be "proud" to know them anywhere in the world. The more we visit nations like this, we find that it is Romanism and high level corruption that keeps the people in poverty.)

The answer now is to get good Spanish material on the web. The men will download whatever we put up, now that we have made the contact. Everyone has access to the web, even if it is a storefront. Use of the web is very cheap at those storefronts, maybe 15 cents US an hour. We have the prospect of two translators, one Teresa, and another, Sandy Groves in Front Royal, who is also from Puerto Rico. The Lord will provide more.

God is good, and we expect him to bless the efforts there in which so many have had a part. We even now look forward to a return trip to follow up with more practical teaching, e.g., family, Christian living, &c.

Two letters from Brother Cesar Cabezas--the man who made the contact and arangements for us to go down. Translated by Sandy Groves.

Dear Pastor Lloyd Sprinkle - Providence Baptist Church:

I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in representation of our Institution, Prodic-Jireh, our Pastor Francisco Neyra from the Biblical Baptist Church "Pan de Vida" (Bread of Life) and of all the members of our local church.

We thank God for using you and your congregation as a vehicle of faith to make possible Brother Ovid Need's, his wife Bettie's and daughter Christina's as well as the translators Pastor Hector Crespo's and his daughter Teresa's trip to our country. We know that you all have prayed for this missionary trip and have financed the costs for our dear brethren. For this we are very grateful.

It fills us with excitement to know that in other parts of the world there are always hearts willing to work for the Lord and you and your congregation are one of them. Thanks for trusting what God put in your hearts to make this trip possible. It was definitely a worthwhile effort and God's will was done.

In the same way, we thank our missionary brethren for always keeping a heart willing to follow God's calling, leaving the comforts of their country, home and family to take the word of God to where He has led them. We truly spent a wonderful time sharing with them, their lives have been of positive encouragement for all of us. They have left with us a great example of a Christian life that is founded on the Word of God.

Thanks for your support, dear Pastor Lloyd. I want you to know that here in Peru you have a great family praying for you, your family and all the members of your congregation. We also know that God will facilitate the time and all that is necessary for you to be able to visit us.

May the Lord keep you and always fill you with blessings.

Brother Cesar Cabezas.

Dear Brother Ovid:

I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that God keeps our paths and that you have arrived home with His protection. Forgive me for not writing before, this past week has been busy with work and other activities.

Thanks for your words, it encourages us to know with what excitement your congregation received your experiences in our country.

We, the pastor and members of our church, had a beautiful time with you all and we give thanks to the Lord for that. It really was a blessing to have you here, it was very enjoyable. Give our greetings to Sister Bettie, Sister Christina, Sister Teresa and Pastor Hector.

We are very thankful for the desire that our Lord has placed in your hearts to support your Peruvian brethren and thanks for the time and efforts you will be investing translating your website articles to Spanish. They will be a blessing to us. We will also make these articles available to all the servants of the different Baptist churches in the Southern Region of Lima, Peru.

We know that physically we are very far away, but spiritually we are joined by the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and it is He that will keep us together in communion for ever. Pray for us, Brother Ovid, as we have many plans with the only purpose of fulfilling the great commission of going to preach the sound doctrine to all creatures so the name of God be glorified by the multitudes.

May our Lord continue to bless you immensely,

Brother Cabezas

CAFTA

BUSH'S NEXT STEP IN THE DESTRUCTION OF AMERICA

ROB PORTMAN IS THE LATEST ESTABLISHMENT FREE TRADE "GOLDEN BOY"

"It's time to meet Rep. Rob Portman, President Bush's recent pick to replace Robert Zoellick as US trade representative. Since 2000, Portman's home state of Ohio has lost 201,500 manufacturing jobs. The US Business and Industry Council gives Portman the lowest rating of any member of the Ohio delegation for his dismal record protecting state jobs. When he first ran for Congress in 1993, Portman was nicknamed "Prince Rob" because of his close ties to corporate interests and work as a trade lobbyist in the 1980s.

Portman has gotten where he is today – a seven-term rising star in the Republican Party – largely because of his close connections to the Bush family. He served as a legislative assistant in Bush 41's White House and became the lead spokesman for the latest Bush campaign in Ohio. As the liaison between Congressional Republicans and the White House, Portman was dubbed ‘Bush's man in the House,' by The New York Times."

NAFTA TOOK 880,000 U.S. JOBS

" ‘I've asked him to take on a bold agenda,' Bush said of Portman, who supported twelve free trade agreements in Bush's first term. Now he'll have to sell a skeptical Congress and American public on a controversial round of new trade deals, starting with the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). As the younger sibling of 1993's NAFTA – which the Economic Policy Institute estimates cost the US 880,000 jobs – the new agreement with six Central American countries already faces fierce opposition at home and abroad."

NEXT: CAFTA THEN: FTAA

"The usually pro-trade state agricultural commissioners recently overwhelmingly voted against endorsing CAFTA, which they view as a stepping stone to bigger deals like the hemisphere-wide Free Trade Area of the Americas and Doha's worldwide agricultural round. A majority of Americans also disapprove, according to recent polling, with opposition particularly intense in red states ravaged by de-industrialization." Source: Ari Berman, The Nation, 4/11/05 issue

CAFTA IS A PRO-RED CHINA GIVEAWAY OF U.S. JOBS

Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-N.C. (3rd CD) says " ‘I am deeply concerned about the trade deficit in this country. I care about American workers, and I have yet to see how these trade agreements, from NAFTA on, have helped Americans. Since NAFTA was signed, my home state of North Carolina has lost over 200,000 manufacturing jobs. The U.S. as a whole has lost over 2.5 million manufacturing jobs. CAFTA allows Central American countries to take in fabric from China, assemble it and then ship the finished goods into the U.S. duty free. The last thing we need is to allow China preferential treatment into our market. We've already outsourced 1.5 million jobs to China in the last 15 years. It is time we focus on the American worker.'

"The current U.S. trade deficit stands at $617 billion, with China accounting for 25 percent of that at $154 billion. If CAFTA were to pass, those numbers would undoubtedly increase. …"

WILL U.S. FLAGS DRAPE OUR HEROES IN CHICOM FABRIC?

" ‘I remember distinctly the memorial service we held here at the Capitol after September 11th. Every member was given an American flag to hold, and at one point during the service I turned it over only to see a tag that said, "made in China." I have since found out that there is only 1 company left in the United States that makes American flags. I fear that someday soon our men and women who die fighting for our freedoms will come home in a coffin draped in a flag that was not even made in the country they died for. We cannot allow that to happen. It is time we learn from our past mistakes and stop CAFTA.' " Source: US Fed News from Rep. Walter Jones press release, 4/20/05

[Howard Phillips Issues and Strategy Bulletin #764.

CAFTA advisory:

Convince your Congressman to Vote "NO" on CAFTA !

The US Senate passed CAFTA 54-45 on June 30; globalist President George W. Bush is pushing hard for passage; the best hope is now the US House, which will likely vote on CAFTA sometime between July 11 after returning from the recess and the end of the month.

Why is CAFTA destructive to the US? See: http://www.jbs.org/artman/publish/cat_index_1.shtml#433

Letters

Ovid:

I enjoy reading the Biblical Examiner and hearing about all the activities that you have going on in your "retirement". Your book is remarkable. It took me several weeks this summer to get through it while we were at Fran's farm place in Alberta. It changed my understanding of evangelical history. I discuss the subject among some from our church and Friday morning breakfast study group. And I want to buy a couple copies to give to our pastor and another friend - I've enclosed a check and hope that I'm not too late to get them. I really liked all the details and approaches that you provided to view the-subject from different aspects. You did a wonderful research job and I admire you for all the effort that you put into the book. It is deserving of your Doctor of Theology degree program. You certainly have followed 2nd Timothy 2:15 to study to show yourself approved.

For several years now, I've questioned the impact the Roman Catholic Church after Constantine had on the beliefs of today's Christians. The RC had so many popes who really did evil to so many during many centuries of history and who in recent times simply tried to cover it all up. But I thought that with all of Paul's books in NT things might be kept straight. Now after studying your book, I find that I question so much including Paul's start that I had always taken for granted. Some of the recent writings and interpretations on the Dead Sea Scrolls are troublesome to me. There are so many books available that only touch on subjects and don't seem to dig deep as you have done with "Death of the Church Victorious" Two sources that I do like to read and study are: Hugh Ross' "Reasons to Believe" books and writings and Center for Theology and Science's "Theology and Science" journals.

Anyway, I'm happy to hear that your family is working to get back into your area to be closer to you. Your area in Virginia looks very scenic and you seem to be fairly close to where things seem to be "happening" for you. For many years, commercial Christmas has not meant much to me. I recall all the effort my mother put forth for my sister and I to have a Christmas like other kids. She worked so hard and didn't have much happiness in her life. Now it just makes me sad to think about all the Santa Claus stuff then and now. Basically I celebrate the real Christmas everyday of my life - which is over 70 years now.

Bob Matkins

[Death of the Church Victorious. Trade paper, 506 pages. Sovereign Grace Publishers, Lafayette IN. Forewords by R.J. Rushdoony and Dave MacPherson. $26, post paid. Or through Amazon.com. We also have Dave MacPherson's The Rapture Plot. $20, post paid. A complete list of our books is posted on our web site. Check them out.

Greetings Folks:

Just wanted you all to know that I appreciate you sending me the Biblical Examiner. I really enjoy the articles, and I've learned things and found answers to questions I've had. Thank you for blessing me.

Several other brothers in here with me also enjoy reading the newspaper. Anyway, we just wanted you to know that your paper touches a number of folks here in this prison.

Take care, and may our God bless you all, and may he have mercy on America.

For Faith and Freedom, Robert Crabb D79433, 3B-3-117, PO Box 3466, Corcoran CA 93212

ENGLISH

Okay, I've decided to give up on English. This is why:

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce.

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture.

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

7) Since there's no time like the present, it's time to present the present.

8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

13) They were too close to the door to close it.

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

18) After a number of injections my jaw got number.

19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Let's face it: English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose; 2 geese. So one moose; 2 meese? One index; 2 indices? Isn't it crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.

If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?

If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital, ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How about this? You park in the driveway and drive on the parkway?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all.

That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible; but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS. Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick"?

(Copied)

Death of an Antichrist

Editor's note: Since our last issue, Pope John Paul II died. Those of us who love God's word and the Lord Jesus were quite distressed to see the praise heaped upon this evil man by those who claim to love God and his Son, Jesus Christ. We continue to be saddened to see Mr. Bush, who claims to be a good Christian, worshiping at the feet of these pagans, standing tall at the pope's funeral. The following is from The Trinity Foundation, and is reproduced as a reminder of the truth. Quoting:

Dear Friends,

One of the last absolute monarchs on Earth died last Saturday, April 2, John Paul II. Although he ruled over a tiny city-state, his empire circled the globe.

Praised as a great defender of freedom and democracy, John Paul II was actually an advocate of socialism and autocracy. It would indeed have been remarkable if an absolute monarch had been a defender of freedom and democracy, but John Paul II was not.

In the realm in which he held absolute power for 26 years — the Roman Church-State — there are no free elections, and John Paul II made no move to institute any. No Catholic congregation elects its own priest, and no diocese elects its own bishop. Priests are appointed by bishops, bishops are appointed by cardinals, and cardinals are appointed by the pope. Power flows from the top down, and it has for the past 1500 years, the entire history of the church. The Roman Church has no government "of the people, by the people, and for the people," but it is an autocracy ruled by an absolute monarch. No one should confuse it with the church founded by Jesus Christ.

Rather, the Roman Church is a grotesque parody of the Christian church. ...

Not only did John Paul II fall under the condemnation that Christ pronounced on the religious leaders of his day [Matthew 20:25-28, ch. 23], but he did not preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Roman Church condemned Christ's Gospel at the Council of Trent in the 16th century, and no pope since then has disagreed with that condemnation. Through the centuries the Roman Church has persecuted millions of Christians, and that persecution continues to this day. ...

As the world focuses it attention on the papacy, we ought to recall Lord Acton, the great Roman Catholic historian of the 19th century. Many have heard the aphorism, "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely," though it is usually misquoted as "Power corrupts." Few who have heard it, however, know who its author was: John Emerich Edward Dalberg, better known as Lord Acton. Fewer still realize that Acton used the aphorism in opposing the papacy, the absolute monarchy of the Roman Catholic Church.

Acton's criticisms of the papacy and the Roman Church are some of most damning ever leveled against those institutions, and they are virtually unknown today. Yet to anyone seriously concerned about religious and political freedom, Acton's views on the Roman Church, his own church, in particular his condemnation of the papacy, ought to be of great interest. Unfortunately, contemporary theological correctness has a taboo against criticism of Catholicism.

Acton kept a notebook on the Inquisition in which he wrote:

"[The] object of the Inquisition [was] not to combat sin – for the sin was not judged by it unless accompanied by [theological] error. Nor even to put down error. For it punished untimely and unseemly remarks the same as blasphemy. Only unity. This became an outward, fictitious, hypocritical unity. The gravest sin was oned, but it was death to deny the donation of Constantine. [The Donation of Constantine was a document forged in the eighth century in which the Roman Emperor Constantine willed the Western Roman Empire to the Pope. The Roman Church taught that the Donation was genuine, and the legal basis for the pope's civil authority, for centuries. – JR] So men learnt that outward submission must be given. All this [was] to promote authority more than faith. When ideas were punished more severely than actions – for all this time the Church was softening the criminal law, and saving men from the consequences of crime: – and the Donation was put on a level with God's own law – men understood that authority went before sincerity."

Acton believed that the Inquisition was the institution by which the medieval papacy had to be condemned or acquitted. Just as a man charged with murder is judged for a single act, though be may be kind to his mother and a great philanthropist, so the papacy must be judged for the Inquisition. ...

After studying the history of the popes, Acton wrote:

"The papacy contrived murder and massacre on the largest and also on the most cruel and inhuman scale. They were not only wholesale assassins but they made the principle of assassination a law of the Christian Church and a condition of salvation.... [The Papacy] is the fiend skulking behind the Crucifix."

[For more information and documentation, go to www.trinitylectures.org and www.trinityfoundation.org.Trinity Foundation. Post Office 68 — Unicoi, Tennessee 37692. #423.743.0199]

TENNESSEE TEMPLE HOSTS CHRISTIAN ROCK CONCERT.

Friday Church News Notes, May 6, 2005 (Fundamental Baptist Information Service, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Tennessee Temple University and Highland Park Baptist Church of Chattanooga, Tennessee, hosted a Christian rock concert on April 21 featuring Bebo Norman, Fernando Ortega, and Sara Groves. It was held in Highland Park's main auditorium. (http://www.tntemple.edu/misc/ong_tour.html).

Bush, the Messiah

For all of you who believe Bush is the Messiah, check this out:

FYI, I hope you'll go to Iotconline.com/aview for our latest nationally-syndicated radio show "The America View" which is an in-depth look at Mr. Bush and Company telling conservatives Christians to shut up and drop dead re: the Supreme Court, Gonzales and the pro-life issue;comments appreciated. God bless you all.

John Lofton, recovering Republican.

Doug Wilson on Gay Marriage

Douglas Wilson has been one of the most provocative thinkers on the conservative Christian landscape. A Calvinist with theonomist leanings, he did a huge service in bringing back classical Christian education, and has offered some excellent teachings on the family. However, his book, "Reformed is not Enough" is the most confusing book this editor has ever tried to read, as Mr. Wilson tries to tear down the classic Reformed doctrines on baptism (with which this editor does not agree) and justification. Now Wilson is staking out a surprising new position in the debate on homosexuality and gay marriage. (His article is found at <http://www.credenda.org/issues/16-2memorandum.php>

In an article entitled "Owning the Curse: Re-Thinking Same-Sex Marriage," written with Douglas Jones in the journal Credenda/Agenda, Wilson makes the following argument: (1) Homosexuality, according to Romans 1, is God's judgment on societies that reject Him. (2) Christians should not reject God's judgments, but take responsibility for them so as to repent. (3) Homosexuality is a particular judgment against the Church, for failing to promote Biblical fatherhood. (4) Homosexuality may well be genetic—as are other sins from our inherited fallen nature—and Christians should treat homosexuals kindly, as victims of bad fathering. (5) Christians should let gay marriage happen, as God's judgment on our culture. (6) The only remedy for this judgment is restoring "right worship" and recovering Biblical fatherhood.

Let me deal with Wilson's argument as posted point by point (all quotes are his, unless otherwise noted. "[text]" are my comments.):

(1) "Homosexuality is a judgment from God."

Homosexuality is not a typical sin that cultures face like theft, lying, or murder, but it is apparently a very symbolic sin through which God reveals His anger. The Apostle Paul described homosexuality as what happens when God gives up on a nation's normal idolatries: "For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful" (Rom. 1:26,27). Widespread homosexuality is a sign that the society in question is not living under normal chastisements; it is the sign of God's abandonment of us—Ichabod. (Emp. added. <http://www.credenda.org/issues/16-2memorandum.php>)

Is sodomy God's curse upon a nation, a society as implied by Wilson?

NO! Sodomy is God's judgment upon the men of Romans 1:18, 21. Men – human beings, whether male or female. Cf. V. 23, 2:1, 3, 5:12, &c. (See The New Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon.) These individuals suppress the truth of God that is known to them from creation itself, vv. 19, 20. If God had meant nations, he would have used nations, as he did elsewhere, e.g., Matthew 28:18, 19. If he had meant a local assembly, he would have made that clear as he did in 1 Corinthians 5.

Romans 1:19, them refers back to the men of v. 18. Likewise, v. 20, they are without excuse. V. 21, though they, the men of v. 18, knew God, they glorified him not as God, which is the cause of the individual's problem – though nature itself speaks of God, even his eternal power and Godhead, they refuse to glorify him as God, resulting in their foolish heart being darkened by God. V. 22, themselves, they became fools because God darkened their foolish hearts that had rejected their inner knowledge of God, v. 21. V. 23, they changed the glory of God because of v. 22.

V. 24, them, their, their, speaks of the individual men, not of nations as Wilson is asserting. V. 25, the men of v. 18 changed the truth of God into a lie; the men worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, the knowledge of him is in the heart of every individual, v. 20. V. 26, God gave them, the men of v. 18, up unto sodomy. He abandoned the sodomite to his vile affection.

It is impossible to construe that nations, as Wilson understands the word men, left the natural use of the women, and burned in their lust one toward another. If the men of v. 18 means nations, then v. 27, men, must also mean "nation with nation" working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves, that is, the nations, that recompence of their error... V. 28, they, their, them all must refer back to the men of v. 18, as must those of vv. 29-31. V. 32, it is the men who know what the judgment of God is against their sodomy, for even nature itself has taught the truth of that wickedness, vv. 20-26. They know the natural use of women, and changed that into that which is against nature. V. 32 tells us that not only are sodomites worthy of death, but also those who know the judgment of God against sodomy, yet seek to justify the practice.

God's harsh words against those who know the judgment of God, yet refuse to enforce God's judgment against the sodomites, includes his words against preachers, such as Wilson.

In other words, the context of Romans 1 absolutely forbids any understanding that open sodomy is God's curse upon a nation or social order. Sodomy is clearly an individual matter. God's judgment is seen when churches and pastors refuse to name the sin, and to take the stand required by God against the evil.

The unregenerate man, the man in warfare against God, is hostile to God and hates Him; such a man "is not submissive to God's law; in fact, cannot be so" (Rom. 6:7, BV). Such people pursue a course of Religious lawlessness (Rom. 1:18-32). They suppress the truth because of their unrighteousness and worship the creature rather than the Creator. (RJR, Institutes of Biblical Law, vol. I, p. 383.)

... the Bible is without reservation in its condemnation of homosexuality:

Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination (Lev. 18:22.)

If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. (Lev. 20:13.)

There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. (Deut. 23:17.)

This certainly is clear enough, and there is not a single text in all the New Testament to indicate that this penalty has been altered or removed (in Romans 1:32 St. Paul in fact confirms it), yet virtually all theologians by-pass this law and disregard its requirement. In fact, St Paul cited homosexuality as the culmination of man's apostasy (Rom. 1:18-32. [Note: The death penalty is reserved for men, who have the greater responsibility, Hosea 4:12]). St Paul's description of the act is revealing:

And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet (Rom. 1:27).

The verb "burned" is ekkaio, "to burn out."28 Homosexuality is thus the burning out of man; hence, to cite Wuest's translation of the latter half of this verse, they receive "in themselves the retribution which was a necessity in the nature of the case because of their deviation from the norm."29 [It is not the nation that receives God's curse against sodomy. It is the man.]

Homosexuality is thus the culminating sexual practice of a culminating apostasy and hostility towards God. The homosexual is at war with God, and, in his every practice, is denying God's natural order and law. The theological aspect of homosexuality is thus emphasized in Scripture. In history, homosexuality becomes prominent in every area of apostasy and time of decline. It is an end of an age phenomenon. (Ibid, pp. 422, 423.)

God's penalty is death, and a godly order will enforce it. Not surprisingly, a culture deeply infected by homosexuality will remove the penalties against it. (Ibid, p. 425. Note: A church or pastor deeply infected by the evil will also find reasons not to enforce God's harsh words against sodomy.)

...

When a people reach a certain level of moral depravity, punishment ceases to be particular and becomes national. The civil order has lost its ability to act for God, and God then acts against that order. In other words there is punishment, but the punishment is from God and the people or nation shall fall. Homosexual cultures are at war with God; in this war, there are no negotiations possible. That the modernist and the open unbeliever should be in the enemy camp comes as no surprise, but what shall we say of the ostensible evangelicals who hold that "the individual homosexual would appear to be more sinned against than sinning," because his condition is either genetic or environmental in nature and thus not his fault! ... It is well to remember the words of St. Peter, that "judgment must begin at the house of God" (I Peter 4:17.) [Wilson blames the sodomite's sin on the man's father, #5. The sin lieth at the door of the sodomite, not the father nor the church. Genesis 4:7.]

When the church has so ungodly a position, we must not be surprised at the position taken by other institutions.... ["Bible believing" Pastors and churches fail to enforce God's word against sodomy, and we are surprised when the world accepts sodomy. See #7.]

[T]he goal of psycho-therapy, [is] to sin without guilt and shame. The ungodly have at least their openly anti-God attitude to justify their position. This certainly cannot be the defense of churchmen whose vows require them to proclaim the word of God [against the sin of sodomy]. (Ibid, pp. 425, 426. [Wilson's article reads as though a psycho-therapist wrote it in order for the sodomite to have proper self-esteem.])

Paul describes churchmen who refuse to pronounce God's curse against the sodomite and against sodomy: They have forsaken God, exchanged God's truth for a lie, and though professing themselves to be wise, they become fools. (Romans 1:22-25.)

St. Paul is not at all speaking of nations in Romans 1, but to individuals. He is telling us why individuals are given over to sodomy.

V. 26, "For this reason..." What reason? The men, not nations, of v. 18 rejected what they knew of God. "Gave them up..." Gave who up? The men of v. 18. There is no hint of nations in the context. Wilson assumes that Paul is referring to nations rather than to individuals. However, the context of Romans 1 is clear — Paul is speaking of human beings, male or female. Sodomy is chastisement against those individuals who have turned from God.

Widespread homosexuality is a sign that the society in question is not living under normal chastisements; it is the sign of God's abandonment of us—Ichabod.

Wilson offers no Scriptural support for his statement, other than a gross misuse of Romans 1.

Though Wilson's theology is in serious error, contrary to God's word, at its very start, corrupting the rest of his argument, we will continue to examine the rest of his points.

2 Peter 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Beware of those who twist Scripture to fit their theology.

How many of US read Scripture in the light of what we want to believe?

(2) "Homosexuality is primarily a judgment against the Church."

...in our North American and European context, with its deep Christian roots, God's curse of homosexuality is a special judgment against His people, not against typical secular idols.

Again, there is no Scriptural support offered for the assertion that sodomy is God's judgment upon the church that fails to be light and salt. God does, however, teach that God's judgment against the unfaithful church is the removal of his presence and power. (Revelation 2, 3.) God's judgment is to give shepherds after the hearts of the people. (Isaiah 24:2, Jeremiah 5:25-31, Hosea 4:6-.) A pastor who tolerates sodomy to a people who tolerate sodomy.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. (Hosea 4:6.)

The context of v. 6 requires that the lack of knowledge is a lack of doing the law-word of God. Though one knows the penalty of God against sodomy, he refuses to enforce God's law-word against it. The result is that God forsakes the children of those who lack knowledge.

(3) "Curses are removed by our repentance, not denunciations of ‘them.'"

Denunciations of homosexual sin tend to place the speaker in the position of cleanliness: "we are judge over you." But if this is our curse, then there is no corporate room for such a stand. ...

Building upon the wrong premise that sodomy is a curse against a nation and church, he reaches a wrong conclusion again and again. Wilson gives no Scriptural justification for his radical statement. God did not place a curse against sodomy. He placed the death penalty upon sodomy. (One will find the curses and blessings of God in Deuteronomy 28, 29 and Matthew 5.)

Sodomy must be denounced by every man of God, if that man is who he claims – God's man delivering God's message to sinners. God is clear, and we must judge righteous judgment against sodomy. (John 7:24.) Sodomy has the death penalty against it, and must not be overlooked nor justified, q.v. Those who seek to gloss over or nullify God's strong statement against sodomy have united with the enemy.

Romans 1 is clear: Sodomy is not a curse, but an individual sin problem. It is not the church's nor societies', unless either or both fail to uphold God's laws against sodomy. Sodomy is God's judgment against the individual for turning from God. The church's and the preacher's responsibility is to cry against the evil, call to repentance, and warn the sinner of God's righteous judgment. (Hebrews 13:4.) It must not be tolerated in the slightest.

(4) "We should, therefore, ‘own' homosexual sin."

Wilson thus places the blame for sodomy not on the sinner as Paul did in Romans 1, but on the church: "we Christians are the cause..." Wilson then says that the sin can be removed by "confession and right worship". He does not define "right worship", nor does he refer to Proverbs 28:13, 14, confession and repentance involves turning from sin.

(5) "Homosexuality is about resentment."

At its root, homosexuality is a love of sameness rather than difference.

God makes it clear throughout his word: Sodomy is about sin in the individual's life.

In a theological context, we understand that homosexuality is a deep longing for communion with the masculine, a longing that has been trampled by neglectful or abusive fathering.

Romans 1, &c. Sodomy is not the fault of a bad family nor church life. It is a deep war against God's created order, beginning with the family.

(6) "Christian fathers are a primary cause of the curse of homosexuality."

See answers to this strange assertion above.

(7) "Homosexuality will only pass when Christian fatherhood is pleasing to God."

Wilson plays the world's blame game as he places the blame and guilt for sodomy on fathers rather than on the sinner, as Paul does in Romans 1. #7 is built upon #6, which is a false premise. Actually, all of Wilson's points are based upon the false premise of men being nations in #1, which destroys his whole thesis.

Admittedly, the church is the major promoter of sin in society, for the church refuses to exercise proper discipline against wickedness. Though the evil doer cannot be put to death by a church, he can be treated as a dead man, as Paul instructed in 1 Corinthians 5:5. Not only is the fornicator to be cast out and turned over to the devil for the destruction of his flesh, but also the covetous, extortioners, idolaters, railers, drunkards, &c. We are commanded to judge men according to their deeds, and remove the wicked persons from the church, 5:8-13. Wilson overlooks this judgment of removal. See point #3.

(8) "Our repentance lives under a curse."

Instead of duplicating the sins of the past by dealing with fruit rather than with roots, i.e., denouncing the spread of homosexual marriage and culture, we need to own the cultural curse. By this, we mean we must accept the fact of it as just. Pointing to "their" corrupt fruit does not address our corrupt root. This is the core failure of neglectful/domineering fathers and husbands. Given these circumstances, we ought live in exile, as Jeremiah's Israel did, until God Himself lifted the curse. Jeremiah said to "seek the peace of the city" (Jer. 29:7), not protest pagan legislation. Under a curse, we should own the curse of same-sex marriage and not fight it so far as it concerns them. That is not our calling.

Jeremiah 29:7 is used to teach that God's people are not to condemn sodomy and sodomite "marriages". Rather, they are to seek peace, which can only be achieved by failing to speak out against sodomy. However, he fails to mention that Israel was carried away from his own land into Babylon. Wilson has already made the point that the West where sodomy is so openly accepted had a firm Christian foundation at one time. He overlooks the fact that we have not been carried off into a foreign land as was Israel. Thus, the sodomites are invaders in our own land, and all men of God are required to speak:

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. (Isaiah 58:1)

Wilson calls upon husbands and fathers within the family and within the church to accept sodomy and sodomite marriages as God's curse; we are to embrace the curse, for the sin is ours in the first place. (We all know of distressing situations in families where the parents, particularly mothers, refuse to let their children take any blame for their bad actions. The tragic results are all around us. Is not Wilson doing the same thing for sodomites?)

Following Wilson's logic, God's people cannot protest abortion, for it is God's curse against a Christian community that hates children. See The Biblical Examiner, 2/05.

(8) "Our repentance must defy all attempts to make our repentance illegal."

This means that within the boundaries of faithful families and churches, the absolute authority of Scripture over sexual and marital matters must be held inviolate and must be publicly acknowledged, taught, preached, and practiced.

"Absolute authority of Scripture..." This is indeed a strange statement from a theologian who has corrupted Romans 1, ignored 1 Corinthians 5, and has spent many words destroying God's harsh words against sodomy. However, it is typical of Wilson's writing. I found in "Reformed is not Enough" that Wilson would make a totally unscriptural, off-the-wall statement, and then he would return to something Scriptural to "smooth the waters".

Proverbs 28:13, 14, repentance is the sinner confessing his sin of sodomy, and turning from that sin. Repentance in the church must be repentance for not preaching and teaching God's word against sodomy, and for not casting the sodomites out of the church, q.v. (1 Kings 14:24, 15:12, 22:46, 2 Kings 23:7.)

(9) "We must have reformation in the Church."

Agreed! However, Wilson's reformation is different than God's reformation:

At the same time as offering no resistance in the civil realm, we increase the fight within the Church. Worship is the key to reality, and we lead with our confession of failed fatherhood followed by protections for those Christians within the church who are threatened by this disintegration of the civil order. False and corrupt worship brought sodomy to us, and genuine worship leads to national reformation. This reformation includes the necessity of preaching that the nation as a nation must submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. (Wilson.)

"False and corrupt worship... genuine worship leads to national reformation." Again, statements are made with absolutely no Biblical basis. In fact, his method of reasoning does not even follow a logical order. (Again, "Reformed is not Enough" contained extremely few logical agreements that one could follow.) It appears that Wilson is saying that if we follow some mystical, magical formula in our church rituals, national revival will take place.

National reformation will take place only when God's men will once again boldly proclaim God's law-word against sins such as sodomy, and cast out the sinners as commanded by God.

(10) "Side issues about science"

Wilson grants that sin is genetically based. Romans 5:12. Again, his argument is not consistent. He blamed the fathers and the church, and now he says that sodomy is a result of individual sin. What does he believe?

(11) "Language"

Wilson justly condemns name calling against sodomites. However, in #3, he also condemned judging the sodomites as God judges them. Agreed – they are neither queer nor gay. They are sodomites, and should be identified as God identifies them. Certainly, the church should work at reaching sodomites, even welcoming them into the services as it would any other sinner. But the church cannot, must not allow a sodomite to be a member.

(12) "The destruction of our civil order"

In true repentance, we should invert as many contemporary categories as we can—own the curse of homosexuality upon our parenting, grant the science, and explicitly embrace God's transformation of our civil order. True repentance in the Church, not trust in civil coercion, will either restore that order or establish a different order. So we openly accept homosexual marriage in the civil realm as God's means of undermining that civil realm, and we accept that He has done this in judgment for wicked fathering within the Church.

Sodomy is not a curse for church nor national sins. It is a curse against those who refuse to glorify God as God. Romans 1:21. It is an individual sin requiring capital punishment. God's curse is against the pastor and the church who refuses to identify sodomy as God identifies it, and deal with it as required by God's word, 1 Corinthians 5.

Social orders are destroyed because spiritual leaders will not stand on God's law-word. Rushdoony pointed out "a culture deeply infected by homosexuality will remove the penalties against it." We can thus safely say that a church infected by sodomy will also remove the penalties against it. The penalties can be removed by wresting (torturing) the word of God to make him say something he did not say. (2 Peter 3:16.)

On the other hand, "God's penalty is death, and a godly order will enforce it." A godly church will avoid the blame game, and enforce 1 Corinthians 5.

Note: My personal experience has been that when someone is trying to justify his overlooking something, he will present a theological excuse for doing so. Is Wilson covering for someone or something?

9-11, a Planned Pearl Harbor?

WTC Basement Blast And Injured Burn Victim Blows ‘Official 9/11 Story' Sky High; Eye Witness Testimony Is Conclusive That North Tower Collapsed From Controlled Demolition WTC janitor pulls burn victim to safety after basement explosion rocks north tower seconds before jetliner hit top floors. Also, two other men trapped and drowning in a basement elevator shaft, were also pulled to safety from underground.

http://www.arcticbeacon.com/articles/article/1518131/28031.htm

America ‘Pearl Harbored'

Fanatical Warhawks Drafted Blueprint for Bloody U.S. World Domination Years Ago

The cabal of war fanatics advising the White House secretly planned a "transformation" of defense policy years ago, calling for war against Iraq and huge increases in military spending. A "catalyzing event — like a new Pearl Harbor"—was seen as necessary to bring this about.

Exclusive to American Free Press. By Christopher Bollyn

http://www.americanfreepress.net/12_24_02/America_Pearl_Harbored/america_pearl_harbored.html

[Google "another event like Pearl Harbor" and you will be surprised at what you find.]

Filibuster Fluff

Matt Chancey

For months now, I have been besieged with hundreds of letters, phone calls, e-mails, and radio ads asking me to call my senators and demand an end to the filibuster of President Bush's judicial nominees.

For months I have refrained and still refrain from action—but not because I agree with the filibuster. The Constitution does demand that the Senate approve or disapprove judicial appointments made by the president. Although the Senate does have the power to enact rules for its governance, those rules are subordinate to the Constitution itself. So, I agree with the logic of the Republican position.

I hate being the skunk at the garden party, but I wish the zealous action taken by Republicans on behalf of the Constitution for these judicial conferees was translated into other areas of government as well. If I stopped to think about it, I could probably spend the entire day simply listing all the things the Senate does that are unconstitutional.

I believe the filibuster debate is a huge diversion to get conservative minds off the fact that the most egregious court decisions made of late have been at the hand of a Republican-appointed Supreme Court.

The famous Lawrence v. Texas decision that declared a constitutional right to commit sodomy was decided by a Republican-appointed Supreme Court. This is the same Supreme Court that rejected Chief Justice Roy Moore's appeal, sealing his fate as the first constitutionally-elected official in America removed from office for acknowledging God.

"But Bush's appointments will be different," the saying goes. I'm not convinced. One of President Bush's nominees who was recently confirmed, Bill Pryor, was Attorney General of Alabama during the Ten Commandments battle in that state.

According to an affidavit sworn out by former Alabama Governor Fob James, Bill Pryor was appointed to Attorney General on a promise to the governor that he would stand against unlawful decisions of judges on the Ten Commandments issue—a promise he later broke.

Pryor not only reversed his position on non-compliance to unlawful federal orders, but, as Attorney General, he even went so far as to nullify a state law against partial birth abortion. The state legislature had banned PBA, but Pryor, believing the law would be overturned in federal court, preemptively ordered the law to not be enforced. Pryor evidently believed that, as Attorney General of Alabama, he was actually working for the federal courts.

As Attorney General, Pryor vigorously prosecuted Chief Justice Roy Moore, asking Moore three times on the witness stand if he would acknowledge God even if a court told him not to. Upon hearing his answer, Mr. Pryor declared the Chief Justice "unrepentant"— he actually used that word— and successfully demanded his expulsion from office, thus making Mr. Pryor the first man in American history to oust a sitting chief justice for his Christian faith.

As a nominee before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, Mr. Pryor argued in effect that, although he personally opposed abortion, he would enforce Roe v. Wade because the most important issue was not life, the law of God, or the Constitution, but the decision of judges, which he terms "the rule of law."

Finally, as acting federal judge with the 11th circuit, Bill Pryor voted against the life of Terri Schiavo by refusing to consider new evidence in the case.

I mention all this background on Bill Pryor to illustrate the point that just because a judicial nominee has an "R" next to his name, it doesn't mean he's Moses ready to take us to the Promised Land.

What really upsets me about the judicial confirmation debate is all the energy and money being spent by both sides to win on this issue. Judges never were intended by our Founding Fathers to be the High Priests of our Republic. Judges have exerted far more power than the Constitution lawfully gives them. Many have become virtual dictators. But the Republican response has too often been "Let's get our own judges into office and then we'll have conservative dictators."

I don't know about you, but I don't want Democrat or Republican dictators. No federal judge— I repeat, NO FEDERAL JUDGE— of any political persuasion should have the unlimited power possessed by the black-robed priests in our judiciary today.

There is a bill before Congress that would strip away many of the powers that judges have unconstitutionally assumed over the past 50 years, yet we hear precious little from conservative organizations about this legislation. I fear the reason is because, deep down, many conservative leaders really and truly believe in the heretical doctrine of judicial supremacy—they just don't like the current plantation owners.

This is the great tragedy in the current filibuster battle: no matter who wins, the dangerous doctrine of judicial supremacy will remain unchallenged and dominant in our political scene.

[Matt Chancey is married to Jennie Chancey, Bettie Need's oldest daughter. With their 5 children, they reside in Virginia. Matt is now on the staff of Brad Philipps' Persecution Project, working to relieve the suffering brought about by the Arab (Saudi) Muslims against the Christians in the Sudan.]

For the Parents

Preparing Sons and Daughters for Marriage

By Bettie Need

In the past, a girl dreamed of the day when she would have her own little white cottage with a picket fence, rambling roses, and a Prince Charming coming home from work to a cozy dinner prepared by her own hands.

A boy would dream of finding a beautiful young lady who needed his protection– one whom he would place on a pedestal as queen of his domain, and to whom he would swear eternal allegiance and protect from all harm.

Where have those young people gone? We live in a day when girls are looking forward to a career– and still looking for a Prince Charming, but one who will let them do what the girls want to do! And the young men are anything but men, as they live in perpetual boyhood, playing games with life and with girls, never planning for marriage or family.

As parents committed to the biblical pattern of family, it can be discouraging to look around in despair at the immaturity of the young people around us. We are raising our children to be godly men and women who take God's Genesis 1:28 mandate to be fruitful and multiply seriously.

We take seriously God's command for parents, especially fathers, to teach their children according to Deuteronomy 6,

6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

And Psalm 78,

2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: 3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. 5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: 6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: 7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: 8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

Most of the families that are obeying God's commands in training their children are those who are committed to teaching their children at home, far from the outside world's influence. The father supports his family, and the mother stays home and stretches the finances from the single income. The parents teach their children God's word and life principles, and the family grows in godliness and maturity.

Sounds too good to be true? Well, it works out to be true by God's grace in many cases! But even families thus committed may fail to prepare their children for marriage. We need to understand the difference between a boy's heart and a man's heart, and the difference between a girl's heart and a woman's heart. And we need to train our children toward adulthood and its responsibilities.

What are the differences in a child's heart and an adult's heart? A child thinks like a child: the universe revolves around him or her, and the world is viewed from the perspective of what is important to the child, what he/she wants– usually right now! For boys, it is "My hunger, my toy, my pleasure, my way!" For girls, it is "My hunger, my toy, my feelings, my pleasure, my way!"

In early childhood, it is important for parents to teach children patience and self-control, along with contentment with delayed gratification (or no gratification, depending on their attitude!). The Bible is replete with scripture verses commanding us to be content with what we have, not to steal (or grab away), to consider others first, to be kind, etc. Ephesians 4:14- 6:18, is a handbook of family teaching on character qualities to learn.

As soon as a child can understand the difference between parent and child, we should be teaching them that one day the child will grow up to be a daddy or a mommy. Remind your children of God's command to be fruitful– in their labors and in producing children who know and love God's word.

Paul writes in I Corinthians 13:11, When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. According to this, there are only two stages in life: childhood and adulthood; not childhood, and an unending adolescence which may or may not lead into adulthood! Our children (and we!) need to know there is no division in maturing called adolescence. It takes all of childhood to prepare for being an adult the rest of our lives.

Boys should learn to treat the opposite sex with gentleness and respect– not treating girls like "one of the boys!" Help your sons understand their calling in life necessitates having a godly wife who is worth more than rubies. By teaching them through the book of Proverbs about the foolish man and the loose woman, help them commit to godly, chaste behavior, saving their purity for the godly wife they expect to have one day. Teach them to discern between the foolish women and the godly women, and to choose the godly.

It is the task of parents to teach their sons that they cannot waste their income, but that God has placed the responsibility upon them to one day provide for a family. Sons should know I Timothy 5:8, But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

It is an indictment against the training of our children if our sons grow up unprepared for this task. It is sad to hear so many young Christian wives tell that their husbands do not want them to have any more children because they want them to go out to work to help support the home; this is not biblical, and maligns the word of God. Working two jobs -- one at home and one outside the home– is not fun. There are women whose hearts are broken because they must leave their precious newborn babies, and go back to work, leaving a care giver to discover the first smile or first tooth.

In her own family, a woman has prestige, power, and praise beyond anything the outside world could offer. A woman at home who manages her time well can do most anything she desires in her sphere. Home decorating, excellent cooking, making beautiful clothing for herself and others (as Dorcas in the Bible did), planting and gardening are just a few of the things women are free to do.

A woman who is privileged to be a "keeper at home" is queen of her domain and a mover and shaker of the future. There is nothing like the joy of being a lifelong mate and companion to one man who cherishes and values you. Anticipating what he wants before he even thinks of it, and providing comfort and counsel when he asks for it is infinitely better than being secretary to an important man who takes your work for granted.

The husband whose wife stays at home receives great benefits. He usually gets good home-cooked meals. He is greeted by squealing children rejoicing that "Daddy is home!" He does not have to listen to his wife complaining about her terrible day at work and her terrible time preparing dinner with the children screaming for attention.

Usually, the wife is ready to comfort and soothe her husband's stressed nerves, grateful she has a hard-working husband and that she does not have to face the battles he does. The home atmosphere is generally more peaceful when the wife has had time to get her chores done and prepare the children for a cheerful homecoming for their father. The husband of a wife at home is the beneficiary of her freedom to be the queen of her castle.

The wife who stays at home is also in a position to open her home to friends, neighbors and even strangers. She can make the time to invite other women to study the Bible with her and encourage one another in the faith.

(When one of my sons-in-law was thirteen, his mother overheard him telling his brothers and friends that he wanted to marry young and have children right away, so his grandfather would get to know his great grandchildren! Even at that young age, Matt was planning for long range goals! In March of 2005, Matt was privileged to go with his grandfather along with his own seven year old son to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the World War II landing on Iwo Jima-- a grandson and great-grandson honoring a godly patriarch! God has blessed Matt's early commitment to a biblical family with a "stay-at-home wife" by increasing his income with each increase in the number of children.)

Girls should learn that boys are different and that one day they will marry one, hopefully a mature one like daddy. Teach your daughters to serve their father and delight in helping their mother in homemaking. Help the girls to dress modestly to avoid deceiving young men and dishonoring God who made them.

Teach your daughters how to be frugal and manage a household well with the money their husband brings home from work. Teach them to be content with what God provides through their father, and they will be content as wives. Teach them a skill, like sewing, that can be a benefit to themselves and others, and may even be a home business under their husband.

A woman looks ahead, sees the needs, and plans how to meet them. Teach your daughters to think ahead as did the Proverbs 31 woman who rose early each day to prepare the work for her servants (and children). Teach them to look for ways to help make things run smoothly in the household, even while they are still in their father's home.

Teach them to love children, as Paul commanded older women to teach the younger in Titus 2. If there is no child younger than a daughter, encourage her to help another mother with small children so she can learn how to care for her own. Teach them not to be afraid as the world is about childbirth. Perhaps a daughter can learn midwifery and assist in childbirths.

Teach sons and daughters about God's joy in our fruitfulness in having children. Our children belong to God, and we must train them up in God's ways and designs in order to please Him.

Psalm 127:1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. 3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. 128:1 Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. 2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. 4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. 5 The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. 6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel.

Teach sons and daughters that the difference between a childish heart and a mature heart is that a childish heart is concerned only with what happens to itself, whereas a mature heart is centered on the needs and desires of others.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man [or woman] on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Philippians 2:3

Childhood is brief and preparatory, and adulthood is intended to be lengthy, mature and productive; so let us diligently prepare our children to succeed in a biblical, mature life, in which God is revealed to the world with joy!

Celebrating Birth – A Lost Art!

By Doran Richards

In Biblical times women and families celebrated the conception of a child. They rejoiced in the fact that God blessed them with this gift and reward. They prayed for children if they were barren. The contrast for how we view conception today is startling!

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face evermore!" ~ Psalm 105:3,4

Why can't/don't we celebrate pregnancy and birth? There are many factors surrounding the lack of celebrating that bombard us in today's culture. Fear, stress, bodily health and lack of support are just to name a few. Just think about it; when is the last time you saw a seven month pregnant woman who was joyful and rejoicing in her pregnancy whether her first or fifth? It is a rare scene, sad to say.

We cannot celebrate when we are overwhelmed. Women are so overwrought with stress and work that we cannot take time for important issues in our lives, let alone pregnancy. We should take the time. We should set aside time to just acknowledge what is happening inside us and around us. Taking 5 minutes a day, while pregnant, to talk to our tummies would be a great start in the process of celebrating and rejoicing.

Keeping healthy mind, body and spirit is another way we are able to celebrate. Surrounding ourselves with positive messages about birth; seeking out women and families that can give you positive images and discussions about childbirth and pregnancy! Placing ourselves in a position to get adequate exercise, even if it is just a 10 minute walk each day, is a key for a healthy mind and body. It produces endorphins that lift us up, and give us energy.

Lastly, but most importantly, staying focused on the spiritual aspects of being with child is of utmost importance! Find rest for your souls through prayer, scriptures and meditation, remembering that we teach those around us about this time of life, impacting the generations to come on what it is to be "with child". Being pointed to Christ through reading of the Word and the Power of the Holy Spirit is the only way we can obtain spiritual rest and peace.

Not all women are called to have children. Not all women desire children. But for those of us that are called and do desire – please know that how you respond when pregnant can have an extensive impact on our culture's view. No wonder pregnancy and childbirth is viewed as an illness --- Who got us there? I would suggest that we did.

We can change the way our culture views pregnancy and childbearing one mother at a time. Begin by celebrate with me in my 5th pregnancy! Pray for a healthy, joyful pregnancy and birth. Help me to teach others that we can celebrate birth in many different ways! We all know that having a joyful, happy mind and spirit will only produce better birth outcomes in this world.

"Women, theologians argued, especially ought to welcome pregnancy as a ‘merciful visit' from the Lord, a sign of His blessing, and an opportunity to cooperate in their own redemption."~ Childbearing in American Society: 1650-1850 by Catherine M. Scholten

All praise, honor and glory be to Him who sits on the throne!

Doran Richards, (wife to Daniel and mother to 5 beautiful blessings thus far)

Blessing God's Way, Co-author of A Celebration of Pregnancy!

www.blessingGodsway.com rejoice@blessingGodsway.com

[Editor's note: Psalms 128 is very clear: Children are a sign of God's blessing. As Christians disdain large families, so does society. The result is the removal of God's blessings from the family, the church and from society. The lack of enough children in a nation to maintain its population is not a sign of God's blessing. It is interesting that it was Israel's increase in size by natural birth that caused Egypt to say, Israel is more and mightier than we... (Exodus 1:9ff.) The world no longer needs to say that about God's people today. Doran's husband, Daniel, lives in Front Royal. He is a general contractor for building homes. He takes their oldest son, 8, with him on the job at every opportunity, teaching him the home building trade.]

History of Math

Last week I purchased a burger for $1.58. The counter girl took my $2, and I was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies, while looking at the screen on her register.

I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me two quarters, but she hailed the manager for help. While he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and cried.

Why do I tell you this?

Please read more about the "history of teaching math":

Teaching Math In 1950

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

Teaching Math In 1960

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

Teaching Math In 1970

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?

Teaching Math In 1980

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment:

Underline the number 20.

Teaching Math In 1990

By cutting down beautiful forest trees, the logger makes $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the forest birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down the trees. (There are no wrong answers.)

Teaching Math In 2005

El hachero vende un camion carga por $100. La cuesta de production es.............

And we wonder why jobs requiring intelligence are being outsourced??

Editor's comment: I asked a girl at Wal-Mart to change a $20 for me. She was totally confused, and said she could not without the cash register (which figures the change for her).

Excellent, High Paying Careers Without College

Skilled Workers Can Have Their Pick of Jobs In the Understaffed Construction Trades

By Jenalia Moreno, Washington Post Staff Writer,, May 15, 2005; F01

...

Today, although fewer parents persuade their kids to grow up to be crane operators, those workers who do find seats in the crane cabs continue to earn healthy paychecks. Haley [a crane operator] makes up to $100,000 a year, a salary that helped him raise three children.

"It's a good business to get into," said Haley, who has worked for Manassas-based Williams Industries Inc. for the past 15 years. But, the Stafford County resident added, "it's hard to find guys."

That's a lament similar to those expressed by employers in the automotive, residential construction and home repair industries. Employers are struggling to recruit workers, and that is stifling their expansion.

"We could grow and do more business if we could get more installers," said Steve Joss, owner of the Vertical Connection Carpet One in Columbia, where skilled carpet installers earn more than $50,000 a year.

Skilled laborers find themselves in demand and often enticed by higher hourly wages and even signing bonuses — at least here, an area that's enjoying construction and renovation booms, and at least now, while the wallets of those who control that kind of capital expenditure are open. Times have been good for the hands-on trades since the mid-1990s, said Frank E. Williams III, chief executive of the construction firm Williams Industries. And the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that between 2002 and 2012, the construction industry will create nearly 1 million new jobs [with very few young men to fill them]. ...

Videos, Books

Warriors of Honor

The Faith and Legacies of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.New Liberty Videos, DVD.

The Revolutionary War united America. Less than one hundred years later a bloody Civil War divided it. Most Americans believe that Southerners fought to preserve slavery; however, a much deeper divide existed between the North and South. Two drastically different cultures had emerged on the American landscape.

This documentary places the war in its historical and cultural context. It guides the viewer through the causes and the major battles of the Civil War while providing insight into the lives of two stalwart men who fought for the South. Both were masterful generals, brilliant strategists and, above all, faithful Christians. The faith of these "Warriors of Honor" governed their lives on and off the battlefield, and their legacies continue even today.

Order from The Biblical Examiner. $20 each, post paid. [PO MO preferred, or make personal checks out to Bettie Need.]

ONLINE BIBLE V. 2.0

Best Bible program on the market, regardless of price, guarenteed or money back. 2 CD set, $40, post paid.

Sprinkle Publications

20% off, post paid

Complete list from Sprinkle Publications

http://www.biblicalexaminer.org/Sprinkle%20Books.html

Death of the Church Victorious.

Trade paper, 506 pages. Sovereign Grace Publishers, Lafayette IN. Forewords by R.J. Rushdoony and Dave MacPherson. $26, post paid. Or through Amazon.com. We also have Dave MacPherson's The Rapture Plot. $20, post paid. A complete list of our books is posted on our web site. Check them out.

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Set of Dramatized NT audo cassett tapes. FREE, but you must pay postage. $10 each. (I had to pay postage here, and you must pay from me to you.) Order from us.