Oral Roberts could Not heal himself. Religion Today (3-2-99) reported the following. Oral Roberts is recuperating from a mild heart attack. The Tulsa, Okla.-based evangelist has been at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, Calif., since having an angioplasty procedure to clear a primary artery two weeks ago, the Associated Press said. "We hope he will be up and going soon," his family said in a Feb. 28 statement. The family did not release news of his illness earlier because they wanted Roberts to be able to recuperate in peace. "He has been inundated with personal phone calls," a hospital spokesperson said. ELB

Canada to Recognize Gay Unions. "Canada is liberalizing its laws regarding homosexuality. The federal government will treat homosexual couples as common-law partners, Reuters said. More than 50 laws in 20 federal departments could be amend ed to extend more rights to homosexuals.... The government is acting in accordance with an Ontario court ruling that said homosexuals should be treated as spouses." (Religion Today, 1-21-99)

Bubba & Hillary Worship as Muslims. "Hillary Clinton marked the end of Ramadan with Muslims at the White House complex. She invited 100 Muslims to the Old Executive Office Building to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, Reuters said. "Eid Mubarak," she said to guests in a traditional Arab greeting. Clinton invited several Muslim leaders to give speeches and set aside a special room for prayer." (Religion Today, 1-22-99). Editor's Note [DeVries]: Both Bill and Hillary claim to be Christians. Bill is supposed to be a Baptist. Yet, this is the second time in six weeks that they have engaged in Muslim worship rites. In Bible days, when a king engaged in the religious activities of the pagans, the Bible said that he "did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD."

Pat Robertson Enters Business World. "Pat Robertson has become a director of a secular company. The Laura Ashley company, a British dress retailer, appointed Robertson as a on-executive director to help revive the company, struggling to overcome mismanagement and over-expansion, the Financial Times of London said. The Christian Broadcasting Network founder and president owned 2 million shares in the company, which lost $80 million in 1997. A senior executive of the firm, asked if prayer would be used to save the firm, said, `if that's what it takes.'" (Religion Today, 1-22-99)

Persecution of Christians in China. Police in China's Henan province arrested 45 underground Christians when more than a dozen officers raided a house church meeting in Fangcheng county Jan. 24. The Hong Kong-based Information Center of Human Rights and Democratic Movement in China said Protestant leader Chu Chang'en was among those arrested. Police in Henan arrested 140 members of the house church movement last December and 10 of them are still unaccounted for, the Information Center said. House churches are illegal in China because they refuse to join the state- controlled Protestant church, the Three-Self Patriotic Movement.

The Church of Satan in Legal Dispute. Anton LaVey's Church of Satan is in disarray. Legal disputes among leaders since LaVey's death two years ago have weakened the organization, Reuters said. Its headquarters, the Black House in San Francisco, is deserted and damaged and followers suspect leaders are bilking them, reports said. LaVey's daughters Karla LaVey and Zeena Schreck reportedly have been locked in a legal dispute with Blanche Barton, his former lover and mother of his 5-year-old child. "The Church of Satan is dead as an entity," an unhappy member said. "Its high priests and magisters have become nothing more than absentee landlords trying to convince those inside and out that they still exist so money keeps coming in." (Religion Today 1-25-99)

Falwell And Charismatics at Todd Meeting. Cecil Todd's 50-year celebration at Branson, Missouri, April 5-9, 1999, features Jerry Falwell, Bob Harrington, Rod Parsley, Jesse Duplantis, and Tommy Barnett as speakers (12/98 Charisma). Jake Hess will perform. A conference last April also hosted by Cecil and Linda Todd featured John Hagee, Jim Bakker, Bob Harrington, John Maxwell, and a couple of TBN Charismatics as speakers (5/1 CC). Calvary Contender, 12-15-98

Charismatic Fraud Goes Under. The following quote is from Religion Today 2-10-99. "The church where televangelist Robert Tilton presided is for sale. The price of the Word of Faith Outreach Center Church in Farmers Branch, Texas, is $9.1 million. It includes the church, school, office space, and warehouse. The church, founded in 1976, once drew as many as 4,000 worshipers on Sunday mornings and had about 11,000 members. Attendance has dropped to about 150 after negative media stories and litigation against Tilton, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram said. News stories have portrayed Tilton as a fraud who lived a lavish lifestyle."

Constitution Protects Illegal Aliens But Not The Unborn - Two years after the appointment of Justice Harry A. Blackmun, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, he ruled in favor of abortion in the Roe vs. Wade case in 1972. He left this life recently and he now knows why conception constitutes a person. (Jer. 12:5) As a result of Justice Blackmun's decision partial birth abortion is permitted by law. (In partial birth abortion the baby is delivered feet first leaving only its head within the mother's body. Its head is then punctured and the brain suctioned out.) President Clinton vetoed a law that would stop this murder of babies. Blackmun's interpretation of our constitution in Roe vs. Wade set a legal precedent that fetuses, though human, are not constitutionally "persons." The 14th Amendment, Section 1 reads, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States..." are legal citizens. Blackmun's interpretation is this: "All persons [who became persons by being] born....." (Mary Mostert, Analyst, Original Sources, 3/10/99) He considered the unborn a non-person so long as any portion of the unborn was within the mother. Something is amiss when the Constitution is construed in such a manner to protect bugs, beast, and birds and kill the unborn yet permit illegal persons to enter our land and immediately have more protection, preparation, and provisions than the unborn. The State of California alone has some 500,000 illegal aliens in the public schools because the Supreme Court has ruled that the protections of due process and human rights extend to those who are not naturalized citizens, even to illegal immigrants. But no protection for the unborn. Judgment is surely coming. - (W. W. Mosley)

Many Christians In South Asia Tribal Group - It seems that many years ago Baptists had made an inroad into a South Asia tribal group with the Gospel of Christ. This group was noted for severe persecution of Christians even unto death. Those who were saved and taught continued to reach out to their lost tribal members until now there are 100,000 believers in this tribe of 1 million people. (BP, 2/18/99) Although they are now asking for outside help in teaching, etc. they are very likely to be exposed to a new method of "church planting." If the Lord's Church will do what the Lord commands (sheep producing sheep) this could happen in the USA. Remember what happened even "in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world" (Phil. 2:15b) when "These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also," (Acts 17:6) - WWM

White House Book Touts Homosexual Accomplishments - A booklet entitled "The Clinton-Gore Administration: A Record of Progress for Gay and Lesbian Americans," has recently been released by the White House. (Baptist Press, 1/13/99) The booklet publicizes the Clinton/Gore administration's exaltation of the lifestyle and rights(?) of sodomites. It is dated October 1998 on the White House's Internet site. Both men have ended many of their speeches with "God bless America." God cannot nor has He ever blessed any nation that encourages or indulges in sodomy. God blesses all who honor and serve His Son, Jesus Christ, and bless His people, Israel. (1 Kings 15:11,12; Gen. 12:2,3) - WWM

Stem Celling - Stem cells are human embryos that scientist use to produce human body parts. Recently members of the U.S. House of Representatives have asked Clinton appointed Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala "to reverse a decision to fund cell research that requires the destruction of human embryos." (Washington [BP], 2/15/99) The argument for this action? The embryo, when removed and used for research is destroyed. The common definition for embryo is a pregnancy during the first 8 weeks. From that time to the moment of birth it becomes a fetus. Is it a human only after delivery? Justice Harry A. Blackmun thought so. This is not my personal definition of either nor does this definition come from God. "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." (Jer. 1:5) Cf. (Luke 1:41-44) President Clinton declined the opportunity to defeat the slaughter of the unborn by a simple stroke of the pen. By his personal life he may need the law of abortion on his side some day. There will be a day of reckoning! (Ex. 21:22) - WWM

Alcoholism Another Threat To Russia - The number of Russian teenager alcoholics is on the rise. Nearly 2% of Russia's 146.3 million population are officially registered alcoholics. The actual number is probably much higher according to Deputy Health Minister Gennady Onishchenko. (Tampa Bay Online, 3/10/99). Russian's consumed 3.6 gallons of alcohol drinks per capita last year. This is about the same as France, the world leader. "Official figures also apparently don't include bootleg vodka that often causes fatal poisonings." (Ibid.) Because of the availability of alcohol for any age group in America surely makes our nation close behind. "Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!" (Hab. 2:5; cf Prov. 20:1) - WWM