July 9, 2001
TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM:
Left behind
___I am shocked to read Peter Chattaway's article, "What theology has been Left Behind in best-selling novel series?" (June 25).
___He obviously hates what our Lord said in John 14:1-3 and what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51.
___I wonder if God was surprised to learn that "it is a relatively recent doctrine with littlebasis in Scripture" as Chattaway says. Those of us who believe "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God" are offended by his caustic, amillennial remarks.
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___I wonder where Chattaway will be when Christ snatches the church out of the world. It sounds like he will be "left behind."
___ Julian Dyer
___ Lexington, Ky.
Clear response
___Finally, we hear a clear response to "Left Behind."
___How long will it take for the evangelical world to wake up from the dreams of Hal Lindsey, John Walvord, Dwight Pentecost and such "luminaries"? Their schemes have derailed the faith of several and will lead to pessimistic, anti-Christian attitudes when the "Day of the Lord" does come and they are not spared the persecution.
___Read balanced, historical theology by Southern Baptists--Ray Summers or John Newport--and get informed, historical perspectives.
___Rapture frenzy may scare people to convert or stimulate conversation, but it betrays the message of the kingdom, minimizes Revelation's original purpose and elevates political Israel to "magic kingdom" status.
___"Left Behind" should be left behind. Thanks for printing the article.
___ Ben Macklin
___ Fort Worth
Make disciples
___I am proud to be an American. I am thankful for the freedoms we have; however, I am more thankful for the freedoms we Christians have in Jesus.
___I spent a week in Poland at the annual meeting of the central and eastern European mission of the International Mission Board. The mission covers primarily the former Soviet Union and spans 13 time zones. All of these missionaries have a heart to see everyone in the world know Jesus.
___I spent one morning in the Amsterdam airport. I was impressed by the announcements in various languages and by the continual scurrying of a mass of people. My heart was heavy because statistics show most of these people don't know who Jesus is and don't care. Bold Mission Thrust shows some very impressive statistics, but 5,624,018 overseas members of Baptist churches are less than 0.1 percent of the world's population.
___We need to get on with the task of making disciples who will then make other disciples both here and abroad.
___ Bill Wilkerson
___ Henderson
Tares with wheat
___It seems the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is struggling with homosexuality much as other mainline denominations.
___Even though most CBF churches reject homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle, they have too many within their fellowship who think it's OK.
___The CBF could be a great Baptist denomination; however, there are too many tares among the wheat. As Christians, we must be careful to avoid doing what is "right in our own eyes" (Book of Judges).
___ Jeff Hancock
___ Mesquite
Good news
___I've watched and appreciated Bill Tinsley since he and my son, Dick, were roommates in Baylor. He wore a becoming shyness and evidenced a spiritual commitment "a cut above" his peers. Bill's parents were of the "good as gold" variety hailing from Corsicana.
___He just quietly bided his time, learned the ways of his calling and earned the confidence of his fellow Baptists. Bill never promoted himself unless it was when he wooed and won his attractive wife, Jacqueline. She was chosen to walk by his side whether at The Colony, the fast-paced Denton Association or gathering a Baptist force for God in the land to the north.
___Now Bill Tinsley is coming home. He has been a "chosen vessel" selected by a thoughtful search committee and given the embracement and sanction of Charles Wade, our Texas convention leader (June 11).
___Bill has been elected the new associate executive director, and no one need be afraid. He will not dishonor or embarrass our convention. He will be greatly loved, and, in time, greatly honored. I'm glad Tinsley's coming home. Texas Baptists need a man of his caliber.
___Now and again something fine and good comes out of the work of a prayer-bathed committee. It is true in this case--the return of Tinsley to Texas! We've been needing some good news, and now we have it.
___ BO Baker
___ McKinney
Prayerful time
___On June 2, my prayer partner and I headed east from Palestine to be a part of the Texas borders prayerwalk, sponsored by the BGCT. Driving through the beautiful pineywoods of Rusk, Nacogdoches and San Augustine, we came to the long bridge over Toledo Bend Reservoir, which connects Texas to Louisiana.
___We arrived just in time for a beautiful sunset, and already a spirit of prayer had settled upon us as we began to lift up to our Lord the needs of the people around us.
___The Sabine River not only flows into Toledo Bend from the north, it forms the boundary between Texas and Louisiana from that point all the way to the gulf. We prayed for God to move along this river, touching each town and its leaders, schools, families, churches.
___Especially, we prayed that pastors would preach the word of God and not compromise the truth. We prayed that a spirit of revival would break out and that souls would be saved!
___We were tremendously aware of his presence and his peace with us. Also, we felt the oneness of spirit with the thousands of other intercessors as we all joined together in this awesome spiritual assignment. There is a strength here in the body of Christ, for we know "that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4).
___ Jane M. Fransen
___ Palestine
Seek reconciliation
___A letter stated: "We are heartbroken by strained relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ. If attacks on the BGCT continue and churches are confused by false reports, what have we gained? We will have two separate but weakened conventions. We will have young leaders who choose to carry out their ministries outside of Baptist life because they want no part of the infighting."
___As a graduating senior from one of our Texas Baptist universities, preparing for seminary and a lifetime of ministry, I can testify to the prophetic nature of this statement.
___I feel driven (along with classmates) to forsake both bodies, state and national, which I love so much as a Baptist and a believer in Christ. Let us labor toward reconciliation! Messengers, relay the message, so far fallen upon deaf ears, that your future pastors are shouting. We are being betrayed with a kiss!
___ Name withheld
Insure children
___Even though religions in America differ in their fundamental philosophies, the one philosophy that is common to all of them is their compassionate concern for the health and well-being of children.
___President Bush expressed this common philosophy during his campaign with this promise: "No child shall be left behind."
___The stark reality is that in the richest nation on Earth and at a time of unprecedented prosperity and the largest surpluses in our history, 11 million children do not have health insurance. I trust you agree with me that this simply must not be permitted to continue!
___As American politicians are very attentive to the wishes of the religious community, please urge President Bush and federal lawmakers to support providing health insurance for America's uninsured children this year. Of course, our goal should be to provide health insurance for all of America's 43 million uninsured citizens.
___No advanced civilized nation has earned the right to call itself great so long as just one of its children does not have quality health insurance. All other advanced industrialized countries already have provided government-assured health insurance for either all or 99 percent of their citizens, and this includes our neighbor Canada.
___Please help President Bush's campaign promise, "No child shall be left behind," become a reality this year as it relates to health insurance for America's 11 million uninsured children.
___ Milton A. Braun
___ Dallas
Set free from premillennial error
___We were taught in Baptist churches in Texas the premillennial rapture view and tried to buy into it, but something seemed wrong with it.
___ A plain reading the of the Bible didn't reveal the premillennial plan and rapture.
___ Someone shared several books like "Rapture Cult" and others by another author Kenneth Gentry, and also Gary North. Those books made sense. We saw where the premillennial rapture doctrine came from, from MacDonald's prophecy in England and consequently Darby's spreading the word and then Scofield, who propagated it in the footnotes in his edition of the Bible. People tend to take his footnotes as Scripture.
___ We were set free from error.
___ Thank you for doing such a fine piece on the ridiculous, money-making "Left Behind" series. Also, maybe you could do an expose' on that even more ridiculous Hal Lindsey. Apparently TBN, where Lindsey has a regular broadcast, finds he brings in the funds for them as well. Money is to be made by playing on people's emotions and fears.
___ Charles and Sandra Mosley
___ Palestine
Rapture not a new teaching
___ I was saddened to see your article which attempts to debunk the imminent return of Christ for believers in what we refer to as the "rapture" (June 25).
___ Rather than citing the untrue statement that the rapture is only a recent belief, all you
___ There are numerous biblical reasons for believing in the pre-tribulation rapture, and the sad thing is that you are playing into the hands of those who will scoff at its reality, and you are helping to fulfill the prophecy of those unbelievers who will say, "Where is the promise of his coming?"
___ Rather than quoting and relying upon the beliefs of men, why don’t you stick to the word of God, analyze it, quote it, interpret it. Don’t be like the Pharisees of old who refused to accept the "new" teaching of Christ when he came along. They would cling to their traditional misguided beliefs and refuse to accept the truth from Christ himself.
___ Jim Yancey
___ Marietta, Ga.
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