The Country Baptist Church Newsletter
1 Mile south of Interstate 30 on HWY 19
May 06, 2010
Pastor: Bro. Harace Hammond                               Pastor’s E-Mail:
cbcpastor@toast.net
Web Site: www.baptistsonline.org/cbc

“The Voice Of The Country Church”

We Ask You To Pray For:

 

Elaine Woodall, Sis. Angela Lennie, Bro. Charles & Mary Hammond and family, Erik Hammond, Bro. Archie & Barbara Griffin, Waylon & Pat Abercrombie with their daughter and son, Randy & Donna Johnson, Loyce Smith, Roberta Bruce and family, Barbara Fails, Jim & Linda Meier, Tyson & Dina Taylor and The Boys, Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia, Don & Wynell Hammond, Brenda Galusha, Baby Tucker Walker, Helen Stone, Bro. & Mrs. Pinson, Leta Ellis, Chet Reagan, Sidney Strawn, Amanda Tomlin, Helen Rowe, Kimberlee McCool, Stephen and Kaleb McCool, Jeremiah Kelleher, Janiece Stewart, Melissa Smith and Children, Brother David and Anne Shortt, Jewell Mathis, Justin Horne, Janette Sims, Jean and Cheryl, Letha Langford, David Ellis and family, Virgil Young, Gwen Davis, Allison Rodgers Clay, Angela Hutson, Tiffany and Shannon Lemmon, Bob Ellis, Reese Carrington, Jack Whittle, Ronda Douglass, Nancy, Rosa Tomlin, Pastor and Sister Hammond, Katie Fitch and Stephaine, Sarah Dooherty, Scott & Gina Sillivan, Otis Steward, Mark Ralston, Fay Johnson, Bro. Frank Pittman, David Lemmon, Martha Haygood, Kim Stevens, Lit Hatly, Brian Berry, Mike & Sally Leinhauserand, Bro. Curtis Pugh, all of our Troops and their Families.

A Thought For The Week:

From: Another Gospel     By: AW Pink

The apostles of Satan are not saloon-keepers and white-slave traffickers, but are for the most part ordained ministers. Thousands of those who occupy our modern pulpits are no longer engaged in presenting the fimdamentals of the Christian Faith, but have turned aside from the Truth and have given heed unto fables. Instead of magnifying the enormity of sin and setting forth its eternal consequences, they minimize it by declaring that sin is merely ignorance or the absence of good. Instead of warning their hearers to "flee from the wrath to come" they make God a liar by declaring that He is too loving and merciful to send any of His own creatures to eternal torment. Instead of declaring that "without shedding of blood is no remission," they merely hold up Christ as the great Exemplar and exhort their hearers to follow in His steps." Of them it must be said, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Rom 10:3). Their message may sound very plausible and their aim appear very praiseworthy, yet we read of them—"for such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves (imitating) into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing [not to be wondered at] if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works" (2 Cor 11:13-15).

Happy Birthday:                                      Happy Anniversary:

Stephen McCool Jr.   June 06                     Dale and Angela Lennie   June 08

Medina Taylor          June 09

Danger of False Teachers

 

Christian Fiction/Fantasy Part 2

 

II Timothy 4:3-4; “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

 

In the past few years there has been a new fascination with Christian Fiction/Fantasy. With that came a resurgence in popularity of “so called” Christian authors J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. When I say “so called” I do mean “so called”.  Lewis left atheism and went back to the Church of England(Anglican), the church of his youth. This also caused a rift in their friendship for most of their later lives. Tolkien was such a devote Catholic he refused to be friends with someone who was not Catholic.

Tolkien was partially raised by his Baptist maternal grandparents but his mother went against her parents wishes and took her children to the Catholic church. When his mother died at age 34 of type 1 diabetes she left the guardianship of her two sons to the local Catholic priest who raised them as “good Catholics”. He was a devote Catholic the rest of his life.

Lewis on the other hand grew up in the Church of Ireland(Anglican). When he was 15 years old he converted to atheism being influenced by mythology and the occult. At age 32 Lewis claimed to have been converted back to Christianity under the influence of his friend Tolkien. Tolkien hoped that Lewis would convert to Catholicism but Lewis' brother convensed him to join the Anglican church. Lewis came to be a great Anglican lay theologian and apologist. 

There is so much I could say about these two men and others in their day that are considered literary giants the world over, but I am limited here for time and space so maybe later I will right more, Lord willing.

 The fact that these two men were Catholic/Anglican should be enough for us as Christians to stay away from their writings. The sad fact is that those that claim to be protestant and evangelical, those that claim to be against the teachings of Rome, have popularized these two men and their writings. The very people who complain about there not being enough writers of truth out there have given Tolkien and Lewis a stage on which to play their blasphemous stories.

Tolkien's “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” are full of demonic and occultist beings and images. There is nothing Christian about these stories. There is no way a true Christian could have written these stories. There is a strong denial of the true God and weak teaching of a fantasy god in Tolkiens writings. His up bringing in Catholicism is very evident. The Catholic church is very steeped in fantasy and mystery.

Lewis' “The Chronicles of Narnia” is not much different. Although Lewis does attempt to put a Christian like theme to his story. It is still very dark and demonic at best. Lewis deceived many into believing his story was a picture of the gospel. Many churches around the world teach the writings of Lewis as though his stories are truth. I have witnessed myself ministers, claiming to be Baptist, quote from Lewis.

Not only have the writings of these two men been accepted as Christian literature but Hollywood has produced movies, cartoons, and television shows based on the books and stories of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis and the religious world falls for it every time. Hollywood has portrayed these stories as a basic good verses evil to appeal to the religious naive of the day. The action packed versions to hit the theaters have drawn in millions of dollars  to feed the coffers of the Hollywood elite while leaving movie goers more confused about biblical matters than ever.

If an adventure story with lots of action is what you want then why not try reading the word of God. The stories told in the Old Testament of the battles fought by God's people or the stories of the Patriarchs and their struggles and triumphs. What about king David and the kings that followed him and the Prophets. Even the New Testament is full of stories from the Apostles and the first Christians all the way through to the book of the Revelation. There is no excuse for us to stray from the Word of God and go after the writings of man.

II Timothy 3:16-17; “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

Steve McCool