The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) have authorised the release of a statement condemning the Scottish Government’s decision to legalise same-sex marriage and warning of the consequences. They point out that the decision goes against the finding of the Government’s own consultation and against God’s revealed will. They urge those who made the decision to honour God and to abandon the legislation, saying that they will continue to fight against the proposal.

In particular:

— It is a great evil to rewrite a divine institution. The Scottish Government is acting against Scripture and against nature. God made us male and female expressly for marriage.

— Same-sex marriage can never be true marriage. The two sexes are designed to complement each other in the marriage union and procreation is one of the ends of marriage.

— Same-sex marriage has no place in a civilised society. Scotland is a Christian nation and the Scottish Government should uphold the Christian view of marriage and not subvert it.

— Same-sex marriage will place Christians and others in a difficult position. The Government plans to proceed with its legislation before protections for those who disagree with the new relationship are in place.

— Same-sex marriage is by no means the end of the road we are travelling as a nation. If this demand is conceded then others of a similar or even worse kind are likely to follow.

+ Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), Rev. John MacLeod, Free Church Manse, Portmahomack, Ross-shire, Scotland, principalclerk@fccontinuing.org.

[2] Free Church of Scotland Moderator’s Statement on National Church Debates

The Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland has said he believes the existence of the Christian Church is pointless ‘if it can so easily re-write” the Bible.

Reverend Dr. Iain D Campbell made the comments in the context of the controversial debates facing the UK’s national churches.

At its recent General Synod, the Church of England continued to wrestle with legislation which would introduce women bishops, and the Church of Scotland is to report at its 2013 General Assembly whether gay ministers should be ordained to the ministry.

The Kirk already allows practising homosexuals, who were ordained before May 2009, to be inducted to parishes.

Reverend Dr. Iain D Campbell, who is minister of Point Free Church on the Isle of Lewis, said: “I am interested in the directions in which the major denominations of the United Kingdom will take in the debates before them.

“These debates have already shown that there are not just different views, but different theologies, within the Churches: a secular theology grounded on a rejection of the Bible, and a scriptural theology that is subject to the Bible.

“I hope that I will always have the latter.”

Dr. Campbell continued: “The statements of the Bible are clear: those who deny the faith should not hold office in the Church; women should not occupy teaching positions in the Church; homosexuals should not marry nor be ordained to ministry.

“When the Church spends an inordinate amount of time arguing over the legitimacy of positions which the Bible itself forbids, then the debate is not about the issues at all, but about the status we give to the Bible as our ultimate authority.

“And if we are prepared to reinterpret it in order to justify our positions, then we have already sold the pass.

“What does the Christian Church exist for if it can so easily re-write its holy book?”

You can read Dr. Campbell’s full article on the Reformation 21 website by clicking here.

+ Free Church of Scotland, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, Scotland EH1 2LS, 0131-226-5286, Fax: 0131-220-0597, catherine@freechurchofscotland.org.uk

+ Reformation21 Blog, r21@alliancenet.org

[3] Mormon Glenn Beck’s ‘Restoring Love’ Mocks the Real Jesus of the Bible with Help of High Profile Christians He Has Bought and Paid For

Bill Keller, founder of LivePrayer.com, says that Mormon cult member Glenn Beck’s upcoming rally in Dallas makes a mockery of the real Jesus Christ of the Bible with the help of some of the top names in Christendom!!!

In his recent statement, Keller said, “Sadly, [Saturday July 28], many high profile and well known Christians will sell out the faith to stand with a known cult member who denies the Bible as the only Truth and propagates a false gospel that is leading millions of souls to hell! It is difficult to see so many Christians taken in by this wolf in sheep’s clothing that has exploited so many good people simply looking for hope in these difficult times!”

Keller continued, “At Beck’s ‘Restoring Love’ rally in Dallas [Saturday July 28], he has successfully bought and paid for some very well known men and women who decided that helping Beck perpetuate his LIE that he is a Christian when Mormon doctrine is 100% inconsistent with Biblical Christianity, is more important than advocating Biblical Truth and the Biblical Gospel message.”

Keller went on, “Make no mistake, Beck has three goals this week. Making millions of dollars, helping to make his Mormon cult mainstream, and insuring his fellow cult member Mitt Romney becomes the next President. Beck will mix good works (that those in his cult erroneously believe will help them become ‘god’ upon their death), polytheistic spirituality, and conservative politics, in order to accomplish these goals this weekend!”

The occasion in which many high profile Christians will share the pulpit with satanic cult member Beck is billed as a ‘spiritual re-awakening.’ Keller asked, “How can there be a ‘spiritual re-awakening’ outside of the Truth of God’s Word and the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Beck and those in his cult believe their ‘god’ was once a man and they too will die and become ‘god,’ they deny the deity of Christ and believes he is the brother of Lucifer, view the Bible as flawed and incomplete, and Biblical Christians as infidels. According to the Bible, those who buy into Beck’s false gospel will die and end up in hell!”

Keller had a heated email exchange with Beck’s mentor, a high priest and lifelong Mormon cult member Pat Gray, in which Gray called Keller a ‘charlatan,’ ‘a phony,’ ‘a fraud,’ and ‘liar,’ because Keller has been in the media for years exposing Beck and his true motives for many years now which is to advance his cult and insure the first Mormon cult member becomes the President of the United States in accordance with the “White Horse Prophecy” of the Mormon cult’s founder Joseph Smith.

Keller concluded, “I am saddened to see some of these names willing to compromise their great ministries to give credibility to the lies of Beck’s Mormon cult simply for being able to access Beck’s large audience and whatever monetary gain they will achieve. People like James Robison, Ravi Zacharias, David Jeremiah, Tony Evans, Franklin Graham, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, John Hagee, Ken Hutcherson, Richard Land, Bishop Harry Jackson, Jim Garlow, David Barton, Rick Scarborough, Tony Perkins, Ralph Reed, along with several high profile Roman Catholic Priests, Jewish Rabbis, and Muslim Imams. Christians should be outraged and shun these gutless men and women who compromise and sell out the faith to stand with a true minion of Satan!”

+ Liveprayer.com, 6660 46th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33709, Contact Page

+ Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 50 East North Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150, 801-240-2640, Contact Page

[4] Threats by Islamic Extremists Cause Christian Reformed Church-Sponsored Radio Ministry to Close

A radio ministry in the Kashmir region of the Himalayas that was supported by the Christian Reformed Church through Back to God Ministries International has been shut down after workers at the station and their families were threatened by Islamic extremists.

The shutdown leaves Christians in Kashmir without access to a local Christian radio broadcast.

“With a heavy heart, we had to discontinue our Kashmiri program,” reports the Back to God Ministries outreach leader in India, whose name is being withheld out of concern for safety.

“The situation in Kashmir became very dangerous for Christians and for our staff in particular. Islamic fundamentalists keep threatening them with dire consequences if they do not pay obeisance to their beliefs and ideologies.”

The broadcasts had been part of a partnership of Back to God Ministries International (BTGMI) with local ministries, delivering the message of the Gospel to people in the region through media outlets.

The Kashmir region borders India, Pakistan and China and has been the scene of civil unrest for more than 20 years, making life difficult and dangerous for Christians.

The outreach ministry leader characterized this as being a “critical phase” and said the state government is working to guarantee that the rights of Christians are respected and that their welfare can be ensured.

But the outreach leader said that the radio station’s producer and his family have been threatened, forcing them to seek safety elsewhere.

Workers are attempting to reclaim studio equipment and relocate to a new facility outside of Kashmir.

“Our hearts go out to the people of Kashmir and especially to our Christian brothers and sisters who are going through a very difficult time,” the Back to God ministry leader said.

“Please pray for our Christian brothers and sisters in Kashmir,” the leader said. “Pray for safety and that our ministry in that region may resume.”

+ 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] Index of Online Bible Commentaries Available at the Deeper Study Website

Among several useful resources available at the DeeperStudy website is an index of online Bible commentaries in canonical order. Other available resources include the Bible in original languages, writings of the church fathers, and church history writings.

+ DeeperStudy, 1446 Redbud Lane, Garland, Texas 75042, 972-272-9648, deeperstudy@verizon.net

[6] Headlines from the Christian Institute

— United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron’s Gay Marriage Slur against the Church

— Scots Government Ignores Public, Gives Gay Marriage Go-Ahead

— Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair: West is Asleep on Islamic Extremism

— English Law Trumps Sharia, Rules Appeal Court Judge

— Study: Sexual Movie Content Linked To Earlier Sex for Kids

— United Kingdom Green Party Counselor Faces Expulsion for Vote against Homosexual Marriage

+ 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

[7] Headlines from Christian Concern

— United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron “Absolutely Determined” To Introduce ‘Gay Marriage’ By 2015

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

[8] Headlines from LifeSiteNews.com

— ObamaCare Regulations Decree Unmarried Homosexuals ‘Are Treated As Family Members’

— Jim Henson Company Withholding Muppets Toys From Chick-Fil-A over CEO’s Pro-Family Stance

— International Homosexualist Groups Enraged At Ukraine Bid to Ban Homosexual Propaganda

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

[9] Raging Heathen and Vain Imagining

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

— 70,000 North Korean Christians ‘Locked in Concentration Camps’

— Muppets Attack Chick-Fil-A over CEO’s Biblical Marriage Stance