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And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them
power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all
kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.
Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon,
who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of
Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew;
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus,
and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite,
and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. Matthew 10:1-4
Even though Judas was a disciple of Jesus and later became an
apostle, he still betrayed Jesus. He was a thief who had
the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. So it
was easy for him to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
The bible records:
"The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would
have been good for that man if he had not been born." Matthew
26:24
Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve,
and one of you is a devil?" He spoke of Judas Iscariot,
the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one
of the twelve. John 6:70-71
So it possible to be a disciples of Jesus, an apostle and a devil?
After all apostles are only human beings, disciples of Jesus,
who have been given power over unclean spirits, to cast them
out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.
For God s word is unchanging:
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ
to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things
spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many
who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were
healed. And there was great joy in that city. Acts 8:5-8
Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and
Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through
them among the Gentiles. Acts 15:12
Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with
all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. For
what is it in which you were inferior to other churches, except
that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong!
2 Corinthians 12:12
The signs of an apostle was that he demonstrated the power of
God in signs and wonders and mighty deeds?
But there are those who deny that apostles and prophets exist
today because they are false. For God s word is unchanging:
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into apostles of Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:13
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as
there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring
in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them,
and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow
their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will
be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with
deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been
idle, and their destruction does not slumber. 2 Peter 2:1-3
Bob Jones University in South Carolina, a fundamentalist Christian
college and a bastion of Independent Fundamental Baptists,
had banned interracial dating and has been attacked
by critics for anti-Catholic views. The school lost its
tax exemption in 1983 after a 13-year battle with the Internal
Revenue, when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an IRS decision critical
of its discriminatory practices. BJU now admits blacks
but keeps the ban on interracial dating based on a biblical interpretation
that God created people differently for a reason.
Bob Jones University leaders have criticized the pope and labeled
the Catholic church a ``Satanic cult'' say that the pope is the
antichrist, forbid interracial dating, and teaches that speaking
in tongues as a result of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is of
the devil!
The Associated Press reported that Bob Jones University first
president, the Rev. Bob Jones Sr., was the son of
a Confederate soldier and a self-declared anti-Catholic and segregationist.
He was quoted at the school's founding saying, "I would
rather see a saloon on every corner than a Catholic in the White
House. I would rather see a n- as president."
But bigoted books anti catholic books published by Bob Jones
University are used in many Southern Baptist Christian schools
furthering intolerance and hatred of others. All of this
is not surprising considering the fact that the members of the
Southern Baptist denomination whose roots was founded in
racism prior to the Civil War when they split from the Northern
Baptists because of the slave issues, were singing in the choir
on Sunday and were burning crosses on Monday as active members
of the Klu Klux Klan. Only recently have the Southern Baptists
admitted to their racists sins and bigotry.
Even though a President of an Evangelical Ministry must be blameless,
the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior,
hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, and
not greedy for money, Ned Graham the son of Billy Graham, Southern
Baptist minister, president East Gates International, a group
that distributes Bibles in China told Christianity Today in an
interview that he had abused alcohol and spent an "inappropriate
amount of time" with two women on his staff.
Grace Community Church, Southern Baptist Convention, in Auburn,
Washington-which counted Ned Graham, his wife, and their two
sons as members established in 1999 the fact that Ned Graham
was an adulterer, alcoholic, wife abuser, and drug user and revoked
Graham's ministerial credentials. It directed Graham to stop
using the title reverend.
Yet in a style reminiscent of Jimmy Swaggart, who refused to
be defrocked by the Assembly of God denomination, Ned Graham
left that congregation for another church.
Most of the staff and board members of East Gates International
resigned amid controversies. East Gates, in Sumner, Wash., withdrew
its membership in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
after Ned replaced the board members with his sister Ruth Graham
McIntyre, brother-in-law Stephan Tchividjian, and business leader
Peter Lowe.
Although it's the public right as well as each donor's right
to know and ask questions about the total remuneration of Southern
Baptist Billy Graham, including special privileges and expenses
in his North Carolina home paid by BGEA, including support staff.
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Samaritan's Purse, and
Campus Crusade For Christ have developed the art of stonewalling
when it comes to special remuneration and expenses of it's chairmen.
Many prominent Baptist evangelists in America, such as Billy
and Franklin Graham, belong to the Evangelical Council of Financial
Accountability that purports to work on behalf of the donor but
in reality exists for the spenders. Although ECFA has in its
possessions the total salaries of all the religious evangelical
non-profit organizations that belong to it, it will not disclose
them. Christian News Today requested such information from ECFA
but to no avail, although the hypocritical motto of ECFA is
"For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in
the eyes of the LORD, but also in the eyes of men"
On Nov 8, 1999 the Southern Baptists in Texas admitted
that at least 10 percent of their pastors sexual use their sheep.
Phil Strickland, director of the Southern Baptist convention's
Christian Life Commission, said research shows that 10 percent
to 12 percent of "ministers of all faith groups have engaged
in extramarital sexual relations with members of their congregations."
He said that, according to the American Association of Pastoral
Counselors, about 15 percent of ministers violate sexual ethical
boundaries. He said his office receives calls nearly every couple
of weeks reported the Dallas Morning News
"We have a deep concern about the way this issue is treated
in many Baptist churches," he said. "We have run into
instance after instance in which there has been a clear sexual
abuse by a minister, and the response of the church has been
to sweep it under the rug." And for the first time in the
convention's history, ministers were urged to sign a covenant
of sexual ethics.
Christianity Today founded by Billy Graham did not report on
one of its own pastors Ollin Collins of Harvest Baptist Church
in Fort Worth, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's
board chairman. A man who resigned amid sexual misconducts allegations
when he was accused of having sexual relationships with two women
who sought counseling.
But it did report about the adultery of a black man and a National
Baptist but not about the adultery of a white man and Southern
Baptist. An adultery that was more hideous and gross because
Collins raped unsuspecting trusting women, while Lyons adulterous
relationships were consensual. It has been said that Lyons will
go down in the history books as "Hugh Hefner of the New
Testament."
Now concerning the fallen hero, the church had suspended Pastor
Collins with pay pending an investigation. He resigned from his
board position one day after a story in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
reported the women's allegations and their intent to sue. Southwestern
is the world's largest evangelical seminary, with 3,000 students
on eight campuses.
But of course neither the Seminary nor the Church did anything
for the real female victims but they did help and console the
aggressor? Just like Billy Graham stated about Bill Clinton
"I forgive him . . . because I know the frailty of human
nature, and especially a strong, vigorous young man like he is.
"He has such a tremendous personality that I think the ladies
just go wild over him." In other words it was the
fault of the victims not the victimizer?
At the annual meeting of the National Baptist Convention in 1998,
the Rev. Henry Lyons of St. Petersburg, former President of the
National Baptist Convention and personal friend of President
Bill Clinton, admitted to an ``inappropriate relationship'' -
an increasingly popular euphemism for adultery - with a woman
employed by the nation's largest black church group. He said
he was sorry and asked for forgiveness and they forgave him.
Rev. Henry Lyons saw his troubles begin in July 1997 with arson
at a home he is alleged to have owned with a woman other than
his wife. After a series of reports by the St. Petersburg
Times and an investigation by state prosecutors, Lyons was charged
with racketeering and grand theft. He had pleaded innocent but
was found guilty on all charges by the jury of his peers. Even
though the National Baptist leaders, such as "Born Again"
Senior Pastor E. V. Hill did not accept Lyons guilty verdict
charging that jury was racist.
The St. Petersburg Times and the Tampa Tribune reported almost
daily about "lying Lyons." The "Born Again"
Rev. Henry Lyons, former head of the National Baptist Convention,
was sentenced to 5 ½ years in prison for his convictions
on state charges of racketeering and grand theft. Lyon,
had been one of the most influential black religious leaders
in the United States, overseeing one of the largest church organizations
of African-Americans.
Lyons was convicted in February 1999 of swindling more than $4
million from companies that wanted to market life insurance,
credit cards and cemetery plots to his convention members. Prosecutors
said Lyons padded the convention's mailing list with names randomly
selected from phone books across the country. Even a grand dragon
of the Ku Klux Klan was on the list.
Judge Schaeffer ordered Lyons to pay $2.5 million in restitution
to the companies who bought his phony mailing lists and to pay
$97,000 for the cost of the state probe into his dealings. Lyons
and his alleged mistress, convention publicist Bernice Edwards,
were accused of spending much of the ill-gotten money on a lavish
lifestyle, including fancy cars, jewelry and a pricey waterfront
home.
Edwards was acquitted on state charges, but she pleaded guilty
in federal court to tax evasion. A few weeks after Lyons was
convicted in state court, he resigned as head of the National
Baptist Convention. He pleaded guilty to federal charges of tax
evasion, fraudulent activities and lying to officials.
On his income tax, as a preacher, Lyons only declared $ 110,000
as gross and $ 20,000 as net when $ 4.5 million went through
his hands.
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/webextra/bfa/index.html
http://headlines.yahoo.com/Full_Coverage/US/Henry_Lyons
- http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/9te/9te026.html
- http://tampatrib.com/News/GreaterMinistries.htm
http://www.sptimes.com/News/102699/TampaBay/Edwards_sentenced_to_.shtml
http://sptimes.com/News/080701/TampaBay/Church_leader_gets_27.shtml
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