They
Say / God
Said
Volume
2
More Quotes from
Prominent Evangelicals,
under the light of
God's Word
IS IT UNFAIR TO SAY that some of today's
prominent evangelicals don't seem to know
their Bibles very well? Would it be too harsh
to further imply that they are misleading others
by contradicting God's Word? Some may feel
that questioning their "spirituality" is divisive,
but Jesus told His disciples to scrutinize--He
taught them "fruit inspection": "Beware of false
prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Mat. 7:15-
16). Let's inspect "their fruits," by examining
what some prominent evangelicals are saying.
After all, the Bible says "To the law and to the
testimony: if they speak not according
to this word, it is because there is no
light in them." Isa. 8:20Does Max Lucado know what he's doing?
Max Lucado is the pastor of Oak Hills Church of
Christ, in Texas. He is also one of the most
popular 'Christian' writers of the last several
years. As of early 1999, he has sold over 11
million copies of his books.
Mr. Lucado is interviewed in the February 8,
1999, issue of Christianity Today, page 66,
during which he was asked the following
question (his answer is italicized):"How would you assess the state of the
evangelical movement at the end of the
twentieth century?
We're struggling to deal with some tough
questions, like abortion. We don't know whether
to be militant against homosexuals or work side
by side with homosexuals. We don't know if it
helps to boycott this need or if we should pray
for this need. We have identified the enemy, but
we don't know how to respond."Why are these "tough questions"? The reason
they seem tough to most evangelicals is because
evangelicalism always tries to stand somewhere
in the middle--between the Bible and the world.
Evangelicalism resists being dogmatic, and
hesitates taking a stand toward one perceived
"extreme" or the other. However, if you sit on a
fence, you'll rip your britches, and if you stand
in the middle of the road you'll get run over!
Trying to take a moderate stand sounds good,
but it always leads to what God hates:
COMPROMISE! Jesus told the church of the
Laodiceans: "I know thy works, that thou art
neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or
hot. So then because THOU ART LUKEWARM,
and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of
my mouth." Rev. 3:15-16The Laodiceans were lukewarm, "neither cold
nor hot." They were not totally denying God,
but they were not "on fire," taking a godly
stand, either. Apparently the Laodiceans were
compromisers, trying to please everyone--God
and man--without offending anyone. They are a
picture of what modern-day evangelicals do as
a general rule.
However, having said all this, the real issue
here is whether Mr. Lucado can honestly say
"We have identified the enemy, but we don't
know how to respond." Does God tell us how to
respond? OF COURSE! That's what the Bible is
for! "For whatsoever things were written
aforetime were written FOR OUR LEARNING,
that we through patience and comfort of the
scriptures might have hope." Rom. 15:4"ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN by inspiration of
God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, FOR INSTRUCTION IN
RIGHTEOUSNESS: That the man of God may be
perfect, THOROUGHLY FURNISHED unto all
good works." 2 Tim. 3:16-17God tells us how to respond
to "the enemy". . .
". . . We don't know whether to be militant
against homosexuals or work side by side with
homosexuals . . ."First of all, God doesn't want Christians to be
militant: "Then said Jesus unto him, Put up
again thy sword into his place: for all THEY
THAT TAKE THE SWORD SHALL PERISH WITH
THE SWORD." Mat. 26:51-52
"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst
of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and
HARMLESS AS DOVES." Mat. 10:16Now, this doesn't mean we are to do nothing
when it comes to sin! God expects us to hate
sin and reach out to the lost sinner held in sin's
bondage. But it must be done in a non-militant
manner: "And the servant of the Lord MUST
NOT STRIVE [fight, argue]; but be gentle unto all
men, APT TO TEACH, PATIENT, In meekness
instructing those that oppose themselves; if God
peradventure will give them repentance to the
acknowledging of the truth; And that they may
recover themselves out of the snare of the devil,
who are taken captive by him at his will." 2 Tim.
2:24By the way, should we "work side by side with
h*m*sexuals"? NO! Reaching them with God's
Word doesn't require yoking up with their sinful
lifestyle. We can love the sinner without having
to love their sin: "Be ye not unequally yoked
together with unbelievers: for WHAT
FELLOWSHIP HATH RIGHTEOUSNESS WITH
UNRIGHTEOUSNESS? and what communion
hath light with darkness?" 2 Cor. 6:14
". . . We don't know if it helps to boycott this
need or if we should pray for this need . . ."God commands: "Be careful for nothing; but IN
EVERY THING BY PRAYER and supplication with
thanksgiving LET YOUR REQUESTS BE MADE
KNOWN UNTO GOD." Philip. 4:6
Does Billy Graham believe God?
In the November 15, 1993, issue of Time
magazine (p. 74), Billy Graham, a prominent
evangelical, stated:"The only thing I could say for sure is that hell
means separation from God. We are separated
from His light, from His fellowship. That is going
to be hell. When it comes to a literal fire, I don't
preach it because I'm not sure about it. When the
Scripture uses fire concerning hell, that is
possibly an illustration of how terrible it's going
to be - not fire but something worse, a thirst for
God that cannot be quenched."First of all, the lost sinner is presently
"Separated from God's fellowship." Does that
mean he/she is experiencing hell, RIGHT NOW?
Secondly, when the Lord Jesus Christ described
Hell, He meant a LITERAL FIRE! He said:
n "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as
a branch, and is withered; and men gather them,
and cast them into the fire, and THEY ARE
BURNED." John 15:6
n "Then shall he say also unto them on the left
hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into
EVERLASTING FIRE, prepared for the devil and
his angels." Mat. 25:41
n "it is better for thee to enter into life maimed,
than having two hands to go INTO HELL, INTO
THE FIRE THAT NEVER SHALL BE QUENCHED."
Mark 9:43Does John Stott believe, period?!
John Stott, while not as well known in the
mainstream as Billy Graham, is described by
Christianity Today magazine, January 8,
1996, p.25, as having an influence among
evangelicals that is "of international
proportions." He was "The key framer of the
historic Lausanne Covenant (1974), which
serves almost as an evangelical apostles' creed
in many Third World settings." Some have even
called him "An evangelical thought leader" and
an "evangelical Solomon." Here is what Mr.
Stott said in the above mentioned issue of
Christianity Today magazine:"In Evangelical Essentials, I described as
"tentative" my suggestion that "eternal
punishment" may mean the ultimate annihilation
of the wicked rather than their eternal conscious
torment. I would prefer to call myself agnostic
on this issue, as are a number of New Testament
scholars I know. In my view, the biblical teaching
is not plain enough to warrant dogmatism."Webster's New Dictionary defines an agnostic
as: n. one who holds that we know nothing of
things outside the material world. A strange
position for any professing Christian to take. But
then again, it's not surprising that Mr. Stott is
agnostic, when in his opinion, "The biblical
teaching is not plain enough to warrant
dogmatism". (Since evangelicals as a whole are
not openly challenging his agnostic view, they
must be agreeing with him to some extent.)
Incidently, according to John Stott, Jesus Christ
would be a lousy evangelical, since Christ would
insist that HIS biblical teaching IS plain enough
to warrant "dogmatism." Christ clearly taught
that Hell does exist and IS a place of "ETERNAL
CONSCIOUS TORMENT" when He said:n "The Son of man shall send forth his angels,
and they shall gather out of his kingdom all
things that offend, and them which do iniquity
[SIN]; And shall cast them into A FURNACE OF
FIRE: there shall be WAILING AND GNASHING
OF TEETH." Mat. 13:41-42
n "And in hell he lift up his eyes, BEING IN
TORMENTS, and seeth Abraham afar off, and
Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said,
Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send
Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in
water, and COOL MY TONGUE; for I AM
TORMENTED IN THIS FLAME." Luke 16:23-24
n "And these shall go away into EVERLASTING
PUNISHMENT: but the righteous into life
eternal." Mat. 25:46
n "But the children of the kingdom shall be cast
out into outer darkness: there shall be WEEPING
AND GNASHING OF TEETH." Mat. 8:12
n "Where their worm DIETH NOT, and THE FIRE
IS NOT QUENCHED." Mark 9:48
n "...For I have five brethren; that he may
testify unto them, lest they also come into this
PLACE OF TORMENT." Luke 16:28You would not expect God to prepare a "non-
place," yet the Bible says He prepared Hell:
"Then shall he say also unto them on the left
hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, PREPARED FOR the devil and his
angels" (Mat. 25:41). Hell is a literal place.Do you believe God?
My friend, take a moment to ask yourself: Are
YOU listening to the compromising statements
of the evangelical movement instead of taking
heed to what Jesus Christ said? Maybe you've
assumed all along that you were in the same
movement that Christ would join if He were on
earth today. But apparently, based on the
subject of Hell alone, Jesus would be too
dogmatic to be considered an evangelical. He
might even be considered an embarrassment to
the movement. Yet, Jesus said:n "For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and
of MY WORDS, of him SHALL THE SON OF
MAN BE ASHAMED, when he shall come in his
own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy
angels." Luke 9:26
n "...And if I SAY the truth, why DO YE NOT
BELIEVE ME? He that is of God heareth God's
words: ye therefore hear them not, BECAUSE YE
ARE NOT OF GOD." John 8:46-47
IF you were to die today, are you 100% SURE
you would go to Heaven? The Bible says
YOU CAN BE SURE (1 John 5:13).BUT FIRST, you must realize that what keeps you
from going to Heaven are your sins, because:
"...your iniquities [sins] have separated
between you and your God," Isaiah 59:2.
In fact, in God's eyes YOU ARE A SINNER: "For
all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23.SECONDLY, you must realize that there is
NOTHING you can do to save yourself and earn
Heaven: "For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: Not of works, lest any
man should boast." (Eph. 2:8-9). Baptism, good
deeds, church membership, self-righteousness are
all examples of good works that cannot save you,
because: "Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he [Christ] saved
us," Titus 3:5.THE ONLY WAY you can get saved is through
Jesus Christ. He said: "I am the way,
the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father, but by me." (John 14:6). THAT'S
WHY: "...while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us." Romans 5:8-9THEREFORE: You must REPENT (change your
mind); admit that you are a Hell deserving sinner
and can't save yourself. And call upon Christ, and
Him alone, to save you. "if thou shalt confess
with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [REPENT], and
shalt believe in thine heart [TRUST] that God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved." Romans 10:9SEND THE LIGHT
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