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| Assassination Used to Conquer Nation |
| 26.8.05 |
This story comes from the NKJV newswire, it is from a few years ago:And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. Then he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and Amalek, went and defeated Israel, and took possession of the City of Palms. So the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.
But when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Ehud made himself a dagger (it was double-edged and a cubit in length) and fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh. So he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.) And when he had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried the tribute. But he himself turned back from the stone images that were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.”
He said, “Keep silence!” And all who attended him went out from him.
So Ehud came to him (now he was sitting upstairs in his cool private chamber). Then Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” So he arose from his seat. Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. Even the hilt went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly; and his entrails came out. Then Ehud went out through the porch and shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.
When he had gone out, Eglon’s servants came to look, and to their surprise, the doors of the upper room were locked. So they said, “He is probably attending to his needs in the cool chamber.” So they waited till they were embarrassed, and still he had not opened the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them. And there was their master, fallen dead on the floor.
But Ehud had escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the stone images and escaped to Seirah. And it happened, when he arrived, that he blew the trumpet in the mountains of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountains; and he led them. Then he said to them, “Follow me, for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him, seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over. And at that time they killed about ten thousand men of Moab, all stout men of valor; not a man escaped. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.
I guess Israel didn't have that policy about assassinating leaders. Neither did God- ole Patty should have used his Bible to provide a defense, not run and hide. |
posted by pregador27 @ 12:56   |
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| I'm Sorry, So Sorry... |
| 25.8.05 |
Thank you Patricia Robertson for being a spineless big mouth: US evangelist apologizes for Chavez remarks
Reuters - Wed Aug 24, 4:37 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Conservative U.S. evangelist Pat Robertson apologized on Wednesday for calling for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, saying he spoke in frustration earlier in the week.
Sometimes predicting these things is so easy. I feel like writing more, but these quotes take the cake: "Is it right to call for assassination? No, and I apologize for that statement. I spoke in frustration that we should accommodate the man who thinks the U.S. is out to kill him," Robertson's statement said.
"I didn't say 'assassination,'" Robertson clarified during a broadcast of his "The 700 Club" Wednesday morning. "I said our special forces should go 'take him out,' and 'take him out' could be a number of things, including kidnapping."
And finally: (From the Fox New Story) However, during the original "700 Club" broadcast Monday night, Robertson clearly mentioned assassination.
"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we are trying to assassinate him, we should go ahead and do it," Robertson said Monday. "It's a whole lot easier than starting a war, and I don't think any oil shipments will stop."
'Nuff said. |
| posted by pregador27 @ 08:47 |
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| Pat Robertson Calls For Chavez' Death |
| 23.8.05 |
In this report from Fox News, Pat Robertson says that the USA should use covert action to "take out" Hugo Chavez- the President of Venezuela.
While he might be right strategically, I bet he backs off of this statement within days. He and other "Christian" leaders have a habit of saying something controversial and then backing off and spinning it or just apologizing. I say if you mean it stand by it, if you don't mean it don't say it. |
| posted by pregador27 @ 08:05 |
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| Decision Time... |
| 20.8.05 |
Pretty soon we are going to have to decide on where to go from here. Many big changes are on the way. We will probably move out of Florida within the next six months or so (Lord willing). Ministry will change and so will our short-term plans.
I am planning on moving to Manaus and probably seeking to join the Brazilian Baptist Convention so that I can pastor one or more of the churches that are needing a pastor in the Amazonas state. Before that, however, we have to pay off the bills. The house will help cover a chunk of the bills.
My friends, please pray for us- for direction and keeping with God's plan for our lives. More later... |
| posted by pregador27 @ 10:48 |
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| Women and the Southern Baptist Convention |
| 13.8.05 |
I will preface this post by declaring that I am a Conservative Southern Baptist who holds to the Baptist Founders' Reformed theology.
However, I see a great double standard and hypocrisy with Southern Baptist circles. We will not ordain women, or let them teach or preach. However, I feel that we (collectively as the SBC) are quick to use women for our own purposes.
What in the world are you talking about Pete? I know this risks going against some of my friends' convictions, but I cannot stay silent about it.
Look at the two most popular special offerings in SBC life: Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon. Here is the North American Mission Board's story about Annie Armstrong:
The Annie of the Offering
Each year, we honor the life and work of Annie Walker Armstrong (1850-1938) when we give to the annual offering for home missions named after her. As a tireless servant of God and a contagious advocate and supporter of mission efforts throughout the world, Annie Armstrong led women to unite in mission endeavors that ultimately led to the formation of woman's Missionary Union, for which she served as the first corresponding secretary.
Annie believed in Christ with all her heart, but it was her hands that expressed that belief in tangible ways. She spent a great amount of time typing and handwriting letters in support of missions. Many of these letters were quite lengthy and all were filled with conviction that more could and should be done in our mission efforts. In 1893 alone, she wrote almost 18,000 letters! Annie also never hesitated to use her hands to reach out to hug a child or distribute food and clothing and the Word of God to those in need. Her hands held her own Bible as she studied to know how best to share Gods love with others. And, most important, Annie was a woman of prayer, folding her hands in prayer to intercede for the missionaries and for those they were helping discover Christ.
Annie rallied churches to give more, pray more, and do more for reaching people for Christ. As we continue to unite to make her vision a reality in North America today, we can be confident that her legacy will also be ours.
Was she addressing churches? Yes! How? I wonder. She sounds like someone who was driven and passionate for the Lord's work. But she was a woman! She did "share God's love with others." I hope not to a man, because we all know women should not teach a man. Paul said so. A woman is not allowed to lead. (Forget Deborah, that's OT) How can a woman witness to a man? Isn't that going against the way should things should be? She is taking spiritually authority over the man if she is teaching him about Jesus. Alas, I digress.
Lottie Moon was a missionary to China. She was relegated to a school teaching about 40 children. She was not satisfied. She fought to be able to plant churches, evangelize and teach anyone- male or female. The International Mission Board does not get into this on it's site. It has a long-winded three-part story about her, but it is minus any of the stepping over boundaries.
My final point in this post: Beth Moore. She is achieving almost a god-like status among Baptists. She has several books including at least one devotional. She is called "a leading Bible teacher." Who is her audience? Christians- and I have seen that it is male and female. Should SBC's bookstore (Lifeway) be promoting a female Bible teacher? Maybe only if she is specifically for women's ministries.
These are three examples- two from the 1800's and one from modern times, that are cherished by Southern Baptists. However they are women doing what is often forbidden by the SBC.
I want to go further here. These women were/are not feminists. Feminism is usually meant to usurp a male's role and to bring males down to meaninglessness. They were/are passionate, well-studied, driven women who are offering their gifts for the Gospel.
I have seen it in Brazil. Rosa and Rosalene, two Baptist missionaries, have had to plant churches and keep them going until the Baptist organizations would send a pastor to shepherd the work. My wife, who has been rudely rejected by some Southern Baptist preachers- even though she has done more for the Gospel than they have, and than I have, before she and I were married in 2000. She was a missionary and worked tirelessly to reach people for Jesus. I have seen some of the fruit when I have gone on missions trips to Brazil. Should she just take off her shoes, cook for me and have my babies? I think not.
This post is not meant to be a defense of women ministering. If it were that, I would refer to Scripture and show a lot more specifically regarding the defense of that position. This post is a shot at the SBC (of which I identify- and I do love being a Southern Baptist) for what I see as a blatant inconsistency. Using Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong to generate funds, but, in practice, negating their work in a sense by preventing other women from being able to follow the same drive and calling. And to accept Beth Moore as "a leading Bible teacher," I think it becomes confusing. |
| posted by pregador27 @ 11:26 |
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| My Comments Are in The Florida Baptist Witness |
| 10.8.05 |
Here is the post, you can find it online too. It was in the print version, I would have missed it, but a pastor from Ft. Lauderdale left a message on my telephone about it saying basically that he appreciated it.
‘Romanist’ church | I was reading Don Walton’s article on Pope John Paul (April 28). As I read I wondered why so many Baptists refuse to confront the lies and dangerous teachings of the Catholic church. In previous times, the great evangelists termed the Catholic church “Romanist.” The “Romanist” church teaches a gospel of works, a second chance in “purgatory,” baptismal regeneration, Mary being virgin-born, papal infallibility and substitution for Christ (which fits the description of anti-Christ) and much more. We cannot consider the Roman church as a partner in the Gospel. It rejects the Gospel and incorporates paganism. It leads people to hell. It is more popular to stand against homosexuality and liberalism (as we should), but Romanism is just as bad and deadly. | Pete Garbacki
Spring Hill | |
| posted by pregador27 @ 00:21 |
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| Catholics, evangelicals Common Ground Article |
| 5.8.05 |
Well, I cannot find this article online, but the July 30, 2005 issues of the St. Pete Times had an article entitled, "Catholics, evangelicals find common ground." It speaks of "an increasingly warm relationship between Catholics (Romanists) and evangelicals." The subject is a book by Mark Noll and Carolyn Nystrom called Is the Reformation Over? An Evangelical Assessment of Contemporary Roman Catholicism.
In the article, Noll praises the Second Vatican Council, the joint evangelical-Romanist stance against abortion, Papa Frita- JP2's stand against Communism (which Ronald Reagan toppled via aggressive policies) and JP2 "for speaking effectively on behalf of Christian tradition."
It also addresses William Shea, a Romanist apologist with a book called The Lion and the Lamb: Evangelicals and Catholics in America. He says, "The admiration for John Paul II (Papa Frita)is simply astounding given (evangelicals') historic real hatred for the papacy."
The article ends with the following:
Yet both Noll and Shea believe the evangelicals are much closer to Catholicism (Romanism) on central Christian teachings that more liberal Protestants.
So does this mean the Reformation is over? Noll summarizes: "The answer is not yes, but it's moving in the direction of yes."
As for Romanists being closer to "evangelicals" than liberal Protestants, I am reminded of my favorite quote by former Buccaneers coach John McKay: "I can't pick the best out of two worsts."
And the real answer to the question "Is the Reformation over?" would be "it's time to have a new one."
I AM GOING ON RECORD THAT I AM NO LONGER CONSIDERING MYSELF AN EVANGELICAL- I AM DIRECT OPPOSITION TO MOST OF THE EVANGELICAL WING- INCLUDING BILLY GRAHAM, TIMOTHY GEORGE, TBN (EVEN THOUGH THAT IS A STRETCH) AND ANY OTHERS WHO ALIGN THEMSELVES WITH THE WHORE OF ROMANISM. I AM A 1689 CONFESSION SOUTHERN BAPTIST.
The Bible is clear:
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
" I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people."
Therefore
" Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you."
"I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the LORD Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6.14-18 NKJV)
As a Bible-believing Christian, I have no place being tied to Romanism.
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| posted by pregador27 @ 11:49 |
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