26 March 2014

Wednesday, March 26, 2014, 22:05

This news item was posted in Presbyterians Week category.

“But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” [Ezekiel 33:6]

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” [Ephesians 6:12]

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Gay Erskine Student-Athletes Come Out

[2] Doug Phillips Threatens Lawsuit against Former Vision Forum Associates Who Had Earlier Confronted Him about His Sexual Sins

[3] Former Houston, Texas Pastor Arrested for Embezzling US$200,000 from City of Refuge Evangelical Presbyterian Church

[4] Go and Tell Evangelism Seminar Based on Heidelberg Catechism Now Available for Free

[5] Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion Available in Afrikaans

[6] News from the Deepest Recesses of Hell

[7] Headlines from Christian Concern

[8] Headlines from The Christian Institute

[9] Articles from LifesiteNews.com

[10] Raging Heathen and Vain Imagining

[11] The Religion of Peace

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[1] Gay Erskine Student-Athletes Come Out

Erskine College is self-described as “Christian,” “evangelical,” “Reformed,” “a gospel enterprise,” and “a Christ-centered environment where learning and biblical truth are integrated to develop the whole person.” Presently, the Mission Statement of Erskine College reads in this manner: “Erskine College exists to glorify God as a Christian academic community where students are equipped to flourish as whole persons for lives of service through the pursuit of undergraduate liberal arts and graduate theological education.” So, how does a “Gospel enterprise” which is seeking “to glorify God as a Christian academic community” square with the URL below?

http://www.outsports.com/2014/3/11/5496256/drew-davis-erskine-college-gay-volleyball-juan-varona

Obviously, the student is attempting to make a statement. No doubt he contacted the Outsports website and provided the details for the story. Indeed, the student wants the publicity. And, if there is a list of private, Christian colleges which are havens for practicing homosexuals, the name of Erskine College is NOW on that sad list. I wonder: what is the student’s endgame? I wonder: how large is Erskine’s gay-lesbian community? I wonder: are the self-professed “Christian” and “evangelical” administrators and faculty members attempting to minister in Jesus’ name to Erskine’s gay-lesbian students? Are they even capable of ministering?

Here are questions the members of the Presidential Search Committee and the trustees might want to ask when they interview the finalists for president:

In a page or less, if hired to lead Erskine College towards becoming the ‘premier Christian liberal arts college of the Southeast,’ how will you deal with the homosexual issue at Erskine College?

In a page or less, what would you expect of faculty and staff members when counseling an openly gay student?

Yes or no, would you allow or support a gay student organization at Erskine?

Yes or no, in order to retain and attract top-quality faculty, would you allow Erskine College and Theological Seminary to extend benefits to the same-sex partners/spouses of employees?

Yes or no, do you believe homosexual practice to be sin?

Yes or no, do you believe the Bible clearly and consistently teaches homosexual activity is sin, and, if no, in one page or less, what do you believe the Biblical teaching to be?

Now, before someone accuses me of being homophobic, let me quote the following from Romans 1”

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. . . For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God . . . and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. . . [and] God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men . . . [and] God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. (ESV, Romans 1:18-28)”

Once again, before you call me homophobic, read what follows. Often evangelicals treat homosexual sins as though they were unpardonable or the most egregious sins on the list. Sin is sin, and all sin is equally under the just condemnation and curse of God.

The list of sins in Romans 1:18-28 (and other such vice-list passages) is both long and sobering. An individual is not under the just condemnation and curse of God because she has a covetousness orientation, but became she has a SIN ORIENTATION. An individual is not under the just condemnation and curse of God because he has a pornography-lust orientation, but because he has a SIN ORIENTATION. Consequently, an individual is not under the just condemnation and curse of God he/she has a homosexual orientation, but because he/she has a SIN ORIENTATION. Sin is the problem – the problem lying at the door of our lives. Particularly, the sin is the self-delusion of pride – the arrogance of self-idolatry. It is the sin of thinking I am the one who determines what the moral and theological compasses of life are. Therefore, I am free to do whatever feels good to ME – ME, the ME-god. This rejects both the God of the Bible who created us and the theological and moral precepts, commands, decrees, and statutes He gave us to inform us who He is and how we are to live before Him righteously.

The problem at Erskine is this: not only do most of the folks on the administration, staff, and faculty not know how to deal with the sins of homosexuality; they do not know how to Biblically address the other sexual sins on the Biblical sin-list. And, if I may be so bold, let me mention two: internet-pornography and heterosexual promiscuity. According to national statistics, these problems are rampant on the campuses of colleges calling themselves “Christian.” And, according to students who have spoken with me, Erskine is not an exception. And what do the folks in charge at Erskine do? Look the other way!?!

Other than hypocrisy, what is accomplished by a college calling itself “Christian” and not teaching and expecting Christian behavior? And therein lies the problem at Erskine. The folks at Erskine talk about Erskine being a “gospel enterprise”; however, talk is all they do. Or, as a friend of mine from Texas says, “It’s a big hat but no cattle syndrome!”

Actually, the problem is even more acute than what I have said. It is my observation that both the theological statements of faith and the Christian behavioral expectations are not the heart-actuated affirmations of most of the administrators, staff, and faculty, at Erskine. Theirs is Christianity by acquiescence. The theological statements of faith and the Christian behavioral expectations have been imposed on Erskine by the General Synod. As I said, this is Christianity by acquiescence. For many of the Erskine folks, their Christianity is not about a faith-journey to Christ but a philosophy externally imposed – and, for many professional academics needing a salary, outward conformity to a philosophy is job protection. And, if what I have described is not true, how does one explain the moral morass Erskine has been over the last forty years?

With the “outing” of two gay student-athletes on the internet, the gay and lesbian issue is now front-and-center at Erskine College. Do Acting President Brad Christie and his administrators, staff, and faculty have the Biblical convictions, understanding, and rectitude to competently and Christianly address the gay and lesbian issue at Erskine? Well, if past performance by Erskine presidents, administrators, staff, and faculty is any indication of future performance, I do not think so!

My prediction is this disaster is going to be a fine and glorious misery left for a new president to suffer! Indeed, the questions I started this article with are most relevant!

+ ARPTalk Blog, 864-882-6337, wilson6114@bellsouth.net

+ Erskine College, 2 Washington Street, Due West, South Carolina 29639, 864-379-2131, Fax: 864-379-2167, nbc@erskine.edu

+ Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, 1 Cleveland Street Suite 110, Greenville, South Carolina, 29601, 864-232-8297, Fax: 864-271-3729

[2] Doug Phillips Threatens Lawsuit against Former Vision Forum Associates Who Had Earlier Confronted Him about His Sexual Sins

A 21 March 2014 article by Jamie Dean in World titled “Set Adrift” reports that the attorney for Doug Phillips, former head of Vision Forum Ministries, who resigned 30 October 2013 after confessing to a “lengthy, inappropriate relationship with a woman”, on 13 March 2014 sent a letter threatening a lawsuit to three former friends and Vision Forum board members saying:

“the three of you have conspired together, and with others, in an attempt to destroy Doug Phillips, his family and Vision Forum Inc.”

The editor commends the World article to readers as a thorough account of the scandal.

+ World Magazine, 85 Tunnel Road, Suite 12, Asheville, North Carolina 28805, 828-232-5415, Fax: 828-253-1556, mailbag@worldmag.com

+ Vision Forum, 4719 Blanco Road, San Antonio, Texas 78212, 866-440-0022, 210-340-8577, Contact Page

+ Spiritual Sounding Board, SpiritualSB@gmail.com

[3] Former Houston, Texas Pastor Arrested for Embezzling US$200,000 from City of Refuge Evangelical Presbyterian Church

A 25 March 2014 Houston Chronicle article by Craig Hlavaty titled “Arrested Houston Pastor Accused In $200K Theft of Church Donations” reports that Russell Thompson Jr., former associate pastor of the City of Refuge Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Houston, Texas, was arrested the week of 17 March 2014 on charges of stealing US$200,000 in donations from the church. The thefts occurred between March 2011 and January 2013 according to court documents.

+ Houston Chronicle, Post Office Box 4260 Houston, Texas 77210, 713-362-7491, news@chron.com

+ Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 17197 North Laurel Park Drive Suite 567, Livonia, Michigan 48152, 734-742-2020, Fax: 734-742-2033, webmaster@epc.org

[4] Go and Tell Evangelism Seminar Based on Heidelberg Catechism Now Available for Free

The Go and Tell evangelism seminar by Pastor Jim Halstead is now available for free at http://www.fortwaynecrc.com/.

Go and Tell is an easy and practical way to equip you to become a fisher of men (Matthew 4:19) based on the Heidelberg Catechism. This seminar will provide you with the tools to “be active in sharing your faith” (Philemon 6) with others. The Go and Tell free resources (video, booklet, testimonials, etc…) have helped many to become equipped to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others.

+ Community Christian Reformed Church, 3434 Lahmeyer Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46835, 260-493-2398, Contact Page

+ Christian Reformed Church in North America, 2850 Kalamazoo Avenue Southeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49560, 616-241-1691, Fax: 616-224-0803 crcna@crcna.org

[5] Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion Available in Afrikaans

An Afrikaans translation of Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion is available for free here:

http://www.cjbf.co.za/pdfboeke/1559.html

The translation was made by Professor H.W. Simpson with the help of Professor L.F. Schultze and Dr. C.M.M. Brink.

+ Calvin Jubileum Book Fund

[6] News from the Deepest Recesses of Hell

– U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor Compared Abortions to Vaccinations, Blood Transfusions in Hobby Lobby Case

– Shocking Report Shows 15,000 Aborted Babies Incinerated to Heat British Hospitals

– Abortion Activist Says It’s Okay to Use an Aborted Baby’s Ovaries to Create New Children

– Abortion Clinic Found Storing Remains of Aborted Baby in Fridge With Medications

– Poland: Midwife Ordered to Pay PLN50,000 after Opposing Abortions at Her Hospital

– Planned Parenthood Does One Abortion Every Ninety-Five Seconds

+ LifeNews.com, Post Office Box 270841, Fort Collins, Colorado 80527, news@lifenews.com

[7] Headlines from Christian Concern

Headlines of the past week from Christian Concern:

– U.K. Supreme Court Judge in Striking Admission of Problems for Christians under Equalities Law

– Guinness Drops Sponsorship of U.S. St. Patrick’s Day March after Threat by Stonewall Inn

+ Christian Concern, 70 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8AX, England, 020 7935 1488, Contact Page

[8] Headlines from The Christian Institute

Headlines of the past week from The Christian Institute:

– U.K. MP: Strip Christian Weddings of Legal Status

– Joni Eareckson Tada Slams Belgium’s Child Euthanasia

+ The Christian Institute, Wilberforce House, 4 Park Road, Gosforth Business Park, Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 8DG, England, 44-0-191-281-5664, Fax: 44-0-191-281-4272, info@christian.org.uk

[9] Articles from LifesiteNews.com

Articles from the past week from LifesiteNews.com:

– Reinstate Lesbian Teachers Caught Having Sex in Classroom, Manhattan Appeals Court Orders School

– Abortion Zealot: Babies Are ‘Time-Sucking Monsters,’ I Will ‘Totally’ Abort if Birth Control Fails

+ LifeSiteNews.com, Incorporated, 4 Family Life Lane, Front Royal, Virginia 22630, 888-678-6008, Contact Page

[10] Raging Heathen and Vain Imagining

Articles from the past week regarding kings and rulers setting themselves against the LORD and against his anointed:

– Mother Tries to Help Sick Child at School, Gets Arrested

– Report: Americans Commit an Average of Three Felonies a Day

– Nabisco Ad: Homosexuality ‘Wholesome’ “For Every Wholesome Family.”

– Christian Converts in Laos Told to Leave Faith or Face Expulsion

– Bill Maher Calls God a “Psychotic Mass Murderer”