e-Newsletter

Volume Nine, Issue Nine
6/25/03



Volume 9, Issue 9
"DECEPTION IN THE CHURCH" e-Newsletter
6/21/03

Dear DITC E-Newsletter subscribers,

Greetings from the islands in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!

NEW BOOK REVIEWS PAGE

Check out our new Book Reviews page on DITC.  It is an alphabetical directory of book, video, newsletter and course reviews by title.  This is a handy research guide of reviews by the best apologist authors.

FEATURE ARTICLE

The feature article in this DITC e-Newsletter is "Does TBN Represent Jesus?" by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 2003.  It is time for people, whether Christians or non-believers, to turn off TBN.  Here is a quote from the article:

"If TBN (and others like it) went off the air we would for the most part have a great improvement in the church. This may seem harsh to say but there is a good reason for this. Many would stop filling their hearts and minds with falsehood, they would stop depending on these teachers and prophets influencing their spiritual life. Some would have to finally get involved and do the work instead of depend on the few to reach the many from the boob tube. The money that has been leaving the church would go back in it and we would see hands on ministries in our community flourish. It would become necessary for people to grow in their understanding  and knowledge and become personally involved. That's the way I see it, either Christian TV changes or we do."
I have been telling people to tune out of TBN and CBN for years due to the heresy being presented on those networks.  In my opinion TBN represents anti-evangelism.  They are ruining the good work of missions and churches worldwide.  Millions of people in India, for instance, who have never heard the gospel have their first exposure to Jesus Christ through false prophets like Benny Hinn.  A person cannot come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through the false gospel presented, by in large, on TBN by a multitude of heretics, and they can certainly not be brought to maturity in Christ. TBN presents another "easy believism" gospel, another Word-Faith Jesus, another "transferable" spirit on a daily basis to millions of viewers worldwide.  The few good teachers left on TBN should have left years ago because they are only helping people get hooked up with heretics, give TBN credibility by association, and cause good men to become compromisers.

Even good men like Chuck Smith, who have been on TBN many times, are leading Calvary Chapel down the road of compromise.  Here is the text of an email sent to Zola Levitt's web site explaining Chuck's position on TBN:

"The Apostle James wrote that if we bite and devour one another, let us beware lest we be consumed by one another. It is true that I have sought to distance myself from TBN, but the reasons are personal, I have not made a public issue of them, and do not intend to do so. They are reaching thousands of people for Jesus Christ and in this I rejoice and praise God. I pray for Jan, for she is going through some serious physical trials at the present time with cancer. We are asking God to heal her, and would encourage you to pray for her. In Christ love, Pastor Chuck"
Four issues are ignored in Chuck's response.

(1) Jesus Christ and the Apostles also called us to test, discern and judge between right and wrong.  We are to stay away from false prophets, rebuke heretics and reject them if they are unrepentant.

(2) Since Paul made a public issue warning Timothy and the churches to avoid heretics, should we not emulate the Apostles instead of practicing unscriptural "tolerance" gained from worldly values?

(3) TBN is reaching millions of people.  But they are, by in large, reaching them with heresy.  Those who might happen to tune in to one of the few who actually preach the Gospel on TBN are in grave danger of having that seed taken away by the birds on the very next program!

Case in point: I tuned in tonight (6/24/03) to TBN and saw that the Praise The Lord show was to be followed by the Greg Laurie program.  I caught the end of the Praise The Lord program featuring Benny Hinn slaying people in the "spirit" and running around the stage acting like an idiot.  That program mercifully ended and the TBN logo came up.  Then another TBN logo came on the sreen and the announcer stated something like this: "The following program is now being aired worldwide due to your gracious donations."  Then the Greg Laurie program started.  It is obvious that Greg Laurie's airtime is now being funded by donations to TBN through their fundraising efforts on shows like Praise-A-Thon. Some of the most unscrupulous fundraising techniques I have every witnessed in the Christian or secular world have been used to raise money for TBN programming. Yet Greg Laurie seems to be glad to accept this tainted money in order for his program to be aired worldwide. Can God bless a program that uses money fleeced from the poor, the widows, and the weak-willed with promises of everything from health to getting debt free to salvation?  I think not!  TBN is using Greg Laurie to justify and lend itself an air of integrity. At the same time Chuck Smith is using Greg Laurie's show on TBN to justify the heresy and fundraising scams being done on TBN.  This is a perfect example of what happens when good men hang out with heretics and get financially involved with them!

(4) It is possible that Jan Crouch is in serious shape with cancer.  Eventually the truth will come out.  But this situation is a testament to the inability of ANYONE on TBN to heal anyone with a serious illness.  Why hasn't Benny Hinn healed her?  Don't Benny or Jan have enough faith?  I thought the whole idea of them vaulting themselves to a high position in Christendom was the fact that they are the first and foremost examples of the force of "faith" and the "anointing"?  Why didn't Hinn or Rodney Howard-Browne heal Browne's daughter who died recently?  Why didn't Browne, who brought his dead daughter's body to his study so she could be brought back to life, lay her instead in front of the TV while Benny was preaching so she could be resurrected?

Benny Hinn on Paul & Jan Crouch's TBN said people are going to be raised from the dead watching TBN. He said "People are going to be canceling funeral services and bringing their dead in their caskets, placing them before a TV set, waiting for God's power to…touch them." He said they would be raised from the dead by the thousands (11/22/99 Chr. News)
Howrad-Browne's daughter is still dead.  This just proves that the leadership at TBN are false healers, false teachers and false prophets.

I'm glad Chuck is known for his merciful spirit, but you would think that, given this golden opportunity to speak out on TBN, he would have had some choice things to say in rebuke of what they are teaching and doing. I'm glad Chuck has proven many times over he is a man of compassion, but what about compassion for the millions of people being fleeced by false teachers on TBN and sold false doctrines and practice on a daily basis?  The fact that Chuck did not use this opportunity to speak out bodes ill for Calvary Chapel and next generation of leadership that he mentored.

Jacob Prasch, though roundly criticized and even demonized for his sermon at a Calvary Chapel, has been proven entirely correct in his message called "A Chink In The Armor".  It's time for Christians who want to obey the Lord Jesus Christ to get away from the wolves at TBN!

Read this article about TBN also!

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Excellent Resources!

Timely!

LETTERS TO THE CHURCH is a fitting manual for the Revelation Christian. All the precepts are in the seven letters in Revelation 1:9 - 3:22 to help us keep the faith, stay in sound doctrine, and reach out to those who are perishing. I hope and pray that this book will help the reader to be an “overcomer”.

Go here for more details and how to order! 

Demolish Arguments!

Want to be able to see your way through to clear biblical discernment? Want a set of tools that will allow you to disciple your loved ones so they will stand firm in the Faith? Want to sort out many of the false arguments and teachings that have invaded the churches? Then DISCERNMENT TOOLKIT is for you!

Go here for more details and how to order!

Important Video Information 
On Benny Hinn!

SPIRIT OF TRUTH OR SPIRIT OF ERROR?
PART 1 - BENNY HINN 
features Jacob Prasch, Mike Oppenheimer & Sandy Simpson and tons of video showing the teachings and prophecies of Benny Hinn.  This is a proven tool to keep people away from heresy. 

Go here for more details and how to order!

In His hands,
Sandy Simpson
Apologetics Coordination Team (ACT)