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February 1988
Dear Praying Friends;
. Prophecy is a difficult subject. I certainly don't pretend to
have all of the answers - but I do believe we should diligently seek
to understand as much as we can of what God has spoken through His
prophets and through His Son (who had much to say about apostasy, His
second coming, the Great Tribulation, etc.). Some argue that because
there is so much disagreement over prophecy and it is such a confusing
subject, therefore we should forget it. Yet the Book of Revelation
offers a special blessing to those who study, understand and obey what
it teaches (Rev.1:3).
. In a recent Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) newsletter, Paul
Crouch says: "You know, Hal Lindsey [pre-trib Rapture] may be right -
and you know, Bishop Earl Paulk [no Rapture - Christ returns to rule
the nations after Christians have taken over the world in His name]
may be right." He goes on to argue that it doesn't matter who is
right - i.e. Rapture or no Rapture is not worth discussing. Yet Hal
Lindsey, who says a great deal about the Rapture and prophecy because
he considers it extremely important, has been one of the most popular
guests on TBN (the viewers also apparently consider this topic
important) and has often hosted programs. It seems odd that Crouch
would allocate so much valuable TV time to a subject that he considers
is a waste of time to discuss.
. It is even more confusing that the Holy Spirit would devote so
much of the Bible (about 25%) to prophecy if it doesn't matter what
view one takes. Unfortunately, the desire to avoid disagreement
affects other areas as well. Crouch writes disparagingly of those who
try "to get their doctrine across instead of doing what Jesus asked us
to do - 'Feed my sheep' - 'Love your neighbor' - 'Go into all the
world.'" Are we supposed to leave 25% of the Bible out of the message
we take "into all the world"? Can we feed His sheep without doctrine?
And what kind of "love" would allow one's neighbor to be deceived by
false teaching?
. We can all sympathize with Paul Crouch's desire to avoid
contention over doctrine. I do not relish controversy. My
inclination would be to retire from the battle. But we have been told
to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the
saints - and a vital part of that faith involves the promise of His
return. Paul Crouch gives us a shocking lesson of what happens when
one takes a neutral position in this battle and begins to minimize the
importance of sound doctrine.
. The TBN newsletter is titled: "A FALLING AWAY FIRST" and
references II Thess.2:3. The Greek word there is apostasia (apostasy
in English), which means "a falling away from the truth." Having
declared that it matters not how we interpret prophecy, and that
doctrine is not worth discussing, Crouch then defines apostasy as a
decrease in giving to ministries such as TBN! After telling us, in
effect, that it doesn't matter whether TBN broadcasts false doctrine,
in the next breath he asks us to support him, false doctrine or not.
And he warns us that if we are giving less to TBN now than we once
were, we have fallen into apostasy and as a result could come under
the "strong delusion" that God will send upon those "who believed not
the truth."
. How can Paul Crouch in one breath demean those who contend for
sound doctrine and in the next breath express a concern about truth
and warn of delusion and Satan's lies? Crouch does a good job of
concisely explaining some of the New Age lies, and specifically
identifies the lie that "All is God and God is all." Yet this very
lie was the central message in the major article in the Summer 1986
issue of Robert Schuller's Possibilities magazine (p.8). That same
article also declared: "The Christ Spirit dwells in every human being
whether the person knows it or not" (p.12).
. This is the worst heresy possible, the very lie Paul Crouch warns
against that will damn a soul for eternity. And it is only one
example among many that could be given of Schuller's promotion of New
Age teachings and teachers. Yet as we mentioned last month, Paul and
Jan recently spent considerable time on TBN absolving Robert Schuller
of promoting any false doctrine. And those who would take issue with
false doctrine are banned by the Crouches from their TBN network. I
do not enjoy controversy, but I do believe the issues are serious and
deserve public notice and discussion.
. While I disagree on many points with Gary North, I appreciate the
fact that he takes the issues seriously enough to debate them
publicly. In his latest newsletter, North ridicules those who see a
special fulfillment of prophecy in the return of Israel to her land in
1948. he boasts that 1988 will come and go without the Rapture and
this fact will seal the doom of dispensationalism because the Rapture
and Great Tribulation will not have happened within the predicted 40-
year-generation period since the birth of modern Israel.
. I, for one, never put such an interpretation upon Christ's
statement, "This generation shall not pass, till all these things be
fulfilled" (Matt. 24:34). Jesus often referred to the Jews of His
day as a "wicked, adulterous, disobedient, unbelieving etc."
generation. I always assumed that to be the generation that would not
pass away - i.e. that Israel would remain in unbelief and rebellion
against God until Christ returns visibly in power to rescue her (Zech.
12). She is certainly still in that condition today. There are,
however, other possible interpretations of the "generation" to which
Christ referred.
. North's Reconstructionist Dominion Press has just published a
book by Gary DeMar and Peter Leithart titled, The Reduction of
Christianity: Dave Hunt's Theology of Cultural Surrender. It is
presumably an "answer" to what little was said about Kingdom/Dominion
and Reconstruction in Seduction and Beyond Seduction. I have scarcely
addressed these issues yet, but plan to do so, God willing, in my next
book as soon as T.A. McMahon and I finish America: The Sorcerer's New
Apprentice for the secular market. Your prayers for both of these
books are much appreciated.
. Gary North and Gary DeMar plan a visit out here to debate with
me, hopefully in a large church or two as well as on radio and
television, if time is made available. Unlike Crouch, North and DeMar
consider prophecy worth discussing. In my opinion, the Rapture will
be one of the most hotly contested issues in the immediate future. It
would be helpful if the church (and the world) could see such issues
discussed openly and frankly on Christian TV and radio. I think that
would be in the interest of truth, sound doctrine and the edification
of the Body of Christ - but whether it happens or not is in the hands
of those few individuals who dictate what will be presented over
Christian media.
. I also hope and pray that, like North and DeMar, others such as
Robert Schuller, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Yonggi Cho et al and
some of the leading Christian psychologists will also be willing to
come forth and enter into public discussion of the issues raised by
some of their teachings. They have been repeatedly challenged to do
this, but so far have not been willing. Your prayers and actions to
help bring this about will be much appreciated and, I believe, in
God's will.
In Christ's love, Dave Hunt
. This has been put up on the board by the kind permission of the
staff of CIB, and I would encourage you to write to the address below
to order their monthly newsletter for $12.00 U.S. per year, (subject
to change without notice.) Make sure that checks are made out on a
U.S. money order and payable to:
. Christian Information Bureau
. PO Box 3120
. Camarillo Ca 93011
. Sysop of the Christian BBS ...Dave Geauvreau
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