Jesus said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. John 21:6

We must learn to obey Jesus' commands if we are to be fishers of men.

Fishers of Men Bayou DuLarge Louisiana

June 18, 1998

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Eventually, you won't be able to catch any fish if you don't spend some time...

MENDING NETS... Contending for what is right among Christian brethren

Our last newsletter dealt with the illegal takeover of the property and funds of a fully cooperating SBC congregation, the Bayou DuLarge Baptist Mission Church (documentation is available). This edition will deal primarily with what many consider to be one of the most devastating betrayals of the Gospel in history.

Generally speaking, Southern Baptists know little about the ECT document. Even though this ecumenical document has been a cause of serious trouble within the LBC, most Louisiana Baptists have little or no knowledge of this. Nonetheless, the ECT (EVANGELICALS AND CATHOLICS TOGETHER; the Christian Mission in the Third Millennium) has created considerable stir among Christians worldwide. The document's foundational premise is that evangelicals and Catholics are Christians together, thus they are on the same mission and believe the same gospel. One major conclusion of the document is that regardless of whether one accepts Christ as the result of a conscious decision or whether the new birth has been conferred in "the sacrament of baptism," in either case a person is to be considered a genuine Christian. Evangelicals such as John Ankerberg, R.C. Sproul, James Kennedy, John MacArthur, and a host of others have publicly denounced the ECT as containing a deceptive endorsement of another gospel.

A Dead Issue?

Sometimes people say that the ECT is a dead issue... just another dumb document on a piece of paper. Something that they don't seem to realize is the potential of that which is written to outlive all of us and affect our children and grandchildren long after we are gone. Such has been the case with many documents throughout history. For instance, consider the US Constitution and Bill of Rights or the Constitution and Bylaws of the SBC. Long after these documents were written, millions of people are still affected by them. Also, consider the diabolical pronouncements issued by the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century. Today, hundreds of years after their issuance, the world is still enveloped in the darkness that these documents proclaimed. (Remember that since they were issued by an official council of the Roman Church, these proclamations can never be changed.) Here are just three examples of what I am talking about regarding these documents, which were officially reaffirmed by Rome's Vatican II council in 1966...

Concerning justification: "If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone, meaning that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to obtain the grace of justification... let him be anathema." (Canon 9; Session VI)

Concerning forgiveness of sins: "If anyone says that after the reception of the grace of justification the guilt is so remitted and the debt of eternal punishment so blotted out to every repentant sinner, that no debt of temporal punishment remains to be discharged either in this world or in purgatory... let him be anathema." (Canon 30; Session VI)

Concerning baptism: "If anyone says that baptism is optional, that is, that it is not necessary for salvation, let him be anathema." (Canon 5; Session VII) [Anathema = excommunicated, cut off from relationship to Christ]

Many people do not realize the potency of these official documents in today's world. For Christian ministries such as ours that present the Gospel in the midst of a culture and society that is dominated by such beliefs, there is a strong dynamic of resistance to the true Gospel. For evangelical leaders to endorse the ECT with its premise that both groups teach the same gospel, is an utter betrayal of mission efforts in many areas of the world. One fifth of the world's population is Roman Catholic. Shouldn't we love them enough to tell them the truth? The ECT tells them a lie!

Even many Roman Catholics are under the delusion that things have changed and that they are no longer required to adhere to Rome's official beliefs. On the contrary, the official teaching of the Roman church declares an anathema on anyone who refuses to believe ANY tenant of Roman Catholic dogma. This is re-emphasized in Vatican II and in the most recent official Catechism (1994), taught to Roman Catholics worldwide. The Roman Catholic leaders involved in the ECT initiative declare that they are "conscientiously faithful to the teaching of the Catholic Church...." It is obvious that Rome takes the ECT initiative very seriously. Other than the Pope, the Vatican's highest ranking ecumenist is Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy. Even though his name has never appeared on any of the ECT's public documents, Cardinal Cassidy and other Vatican representatives continue to be personally present and involved in the ongoing work of the ECT initiative. This involvement was disclosed in the most recent, June 15, issue of Christianity Today magazine.

To consider the ECT as a dead issue or as unimportant is to ignore history, to ignore our Scriptural mandate to oppose any perversion of the Gospel, and to ignore the facts of current happenings around the world.

Scripture says:

Romans 16:17 -- "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."

Jude 1:3 -- "Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints."

Titus 1:9-11 -- "A pastor ...must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can... refute those who oppose it. For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced... "

Current happenings:

I recently attended a conference in Dallas, Texas, together with about six hundred others from across the United States and around the world. One of the chief topics of the conference centered around opposition to ecumenism, specifically focusing in on the ECT as one of the greatest signs of ecumenical compromise and apostasy in our day. One speaker framed his address around a comparison of two Southern Baptist pastors... One SBC pastor (Bayou DuLarge, LA) stood to oppose the ECT heresy, and as a result, his South Louisiana church suffered the illegal confiscation of their own building and the loss of their historic relationship to the SBC. Another pastor (FBC Plano, TX) invited a Roman Catholic priest to preach an ecumenical message to his congregation on a Sunday morning and received the praise of many.

Another speaker of international notoriety spoke on this same theme, and quoted a 1994 letter from Dr. Larry Lewis, then president of the SBC Home Mission Board. In his letter, Dr. Lewis spoke of the ECT's approval of baptismal regeneration and admitted that "...it appears those of us who endorsed the document are lending credence to that heresy." But then three paragraphs later Lewis defended his endorsement by saying the ECT "reflects the spirit and emphasis of Vatican II and may be the first formalized expression of that emphasis, i.e., the recognition of non-Catholic Christian bodies as legitimate expressions of Christendom."

What need does the Lord's Church have of the Roman Catholic Church's approval? asked the speaker amidst audible gasps of astonishment at these disclosures of betrayal by a Southern Baptist leader. These lines from Dr. Lewis' letter to HMB directors on May 27, 1994, are identical to those found in a letter he wrote to me on February 17, 1995, only a week after we publicly confronted him for his endorsement of this, the very heresy that he previously admitted to - but "steadfastly refused to repent" of.

One available publication written by a pastor in Texas reminded readers of what was reported by the National and International Religion Report... "Both Richard Land and Larry Lewis signed the ECT but withdrew under pressure. They released a joint statement saying that 'we are not personally rejecting the intent of the document.' " Reprinted copies of the ECT continue to list Land and Lewis with a footnote insuring that "they maintain their strong personal endorsement of the declaration."

(Both Land and Lewis are still employed by the SBC. Lewis is a NAMB employee who, on behalf of the SBC, actually works for Mission America 2000, part of the worldwide ecumenical organization known as AD 2000 & Beyond. This arrangement is an illicit use of hundreds of thousands of dollars of Cooperative Program funds, contrary to the stated will of the SBC brethren as established in Resolution #13, 1996 SBC, New Orleans.)

The president of Tyndale Theological Seminary stated, "To the shock of many of us, outstanding and respected evangelicals put their signatures to this heinous piece of paper (ECT) which claimed the two religious bodies could now finally accept each other as Christians... names such as Charles Colson, Pat Robertson... and representatives of the Home Mission Board and Christian Life Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention."

Be quiet and let it die!

Some say that if left alone, the ECT issue would soon die for lack of attention. I doubt that this can be so, especially considering the notoriety of those who are so actively promoting the ecumenism proposed by this document. (And those involved have promised that more ecumenical documents will follow. Indeed, the second ECT statement was issued in November, 1997, again with Richard Land's name attached!) If silence is the biblical method of dealing with perversions of doctrine, then we should not be openly talking about the need to witness to Mormons - with their other gospel - nor should we be openly opposing homosexuality (Mormons and many homosexuals claim to be Christians, too, you know!). If such important issues will simply die by our ignoring them, then to be consistent we would need to just shut up and not confront sin at all! God forbid. This is pragmatism at it's foolish, unbiblical worst!

Christianity Today is one of the most widely circulated "Christian" periodicals in the world. For the past four years, the ECT and related ecumenical topics have been featured in CT far more than any other subject. Dozens of books have been written with millions of copies marketed; countless debates continue, all related to this topic. Quite obviously the furor is mounting, not diminishing. And how can it be otherwise? Many agree with noted author and apologist Dave Hunt who says, "I believe the document represents the most devastating blow against the Gospel in at least 1,000 years." Author Dr. Gil Rugh labels the ECT as "the Galatian heresy revisited." The Word of God is clear that we are to contend for the Faith, to refute those who oppose sound doctrine, and we are to never tolerate any perversion of the Gospel of Christ. This is particularly true when the offenders are leaders within the Church (note the passages mentioned above as well as Galatians 1&2).

So... why the Silence?

Why is it that most Southern Baptist leaders have had so little to say publicly about the ECT? If this is such an offense to the Gospel, such a hindrance to mission work, then why do our leaders not address it as the heresy that it really is? The answer may be found in the fact that SBC executives Larry Lewis and Richard Land (as well as respected Southern Baptists such as Charles Colson and Timothy George) have been closely involved in this ongoing ecumenical fiasco. After letting this go on for all this time, if SBC leaders were to now openly confront the ECT heresy, would this not reveal an embarrassing neglect of their responsibility to hold our SBC executives accountable to the Word of God?

Those who are now in positions of responsibility within the SBC have been placed there by their Southern Baptist brethren because they have declared their belief in the absolute authority of the Word of God. In effect, our SBC leaders have risen to positions of responsibility and influence... such as seminary presidents, executives, trustees, and convention presidents... all through their bold proclamation of the authority and inerrancy of the Word of God. It has now been over four years that the Gospel has been so publicly betrayed by the ECT endorsers. Responsible leadership and a call for repentance in this area is in order. All denominational politics aside, our SBC leaders may not rightly claim to adhere to the inerrancy of Scripture and then refuse to obey its clear teachings... to do this is an open contradiction of the Word of God.

So... those of us who continue to call for correction... do we love our SBC brethren any less? I have been taught that to be honest with people is part of truly loving them. To tolerate among the brethren that which is wrong, this is dishonest and not loving the Lord's people.

What you can do...

It is always important to become informed before we speak! There are a lot of good books concerning this subject. First of all, though, I recommend that you obtain a copy of the ECT for yourself and read through it. Just comparing what the ECT says to what Scripture says will help you to understand much about the problem. We will gladly mail you a copy of the ECT, lists of SBC leaders to contact, and lists of books to read. Since you have the Internet you can find all these thing on our website just by clicking them right here in this paragraph. You can also find them on our Home-Page.

Down on the Bayou... (Cindy thinks I ought to put this part first.)

When I was just a boy I wanted nothing more than to one day live far out in the country, to have a big garden, to have room to raise as many farm animals as I wanted, and to generally have a quiet and peaceful life. Well, when you think about it, three out of four things isn't all that bad. And I do have peace in the Lord, even if everything is not always peaceful around me. All in all, though, most of the time we do have a peaceful and quiet life. God has blessed us richly, and we are grateful to the Lord for all He has done for us. We are grateful for you and all the many wonderful friends and spiritual family members we have.

Joseph's surgery has been rescheduled for July 9. I think he was pretty much the star pupil in Adult Education this year. The teachers enjoyed him fixing their computers and explaining to them how to run various programs, etc. By the way, Joseph has an ability in mechanical stuff, electronics, motors, and the like. His shaking doesn't seem to inhibit him from trying, and eventually he can fix most things he works on. Right now he is trying to rebuild motors on our two garden tillers. If you have any old Briggs & Straton motors laying around that you are not using, especially the kind with a side-shaft, Joseph could use them.

Joshua is working off shore and doing well. He and Jeremy just got back from a mission-construction trip to Mexico. Jeremy will be going back in the Fall to stay for an extended time in order to do evangelistic work.

Cindy's grandmother passed away two weeks ago. Cindy has always been particularly close to her grandma Shockley and credits her Christian witness with leading her to Christ.

The church folks here are doing well, in spite of difficulties. (Everyone has difficulties to overcome. Isn't this part of walking with Christ? Yes, of course!) Our folks are such resilient people, the Lord working with them. Every week there is something new to encourage us. Some have made public commitments to Christ recently, and we will have baptism again soon. Our people are working. The shrimp season is off to a pretty good start for most. The fish are biting if you know how to fish for them. I have enjoyed a couple of afternoon trips lately, fishing in the marsh out of a pirogue. I don't believe there is any restaurant in the world that could match our daily fare! With redfish on the grill, shrimp Creole, fried oysters, fresh sweet corn, cucumbers, and tomatoes out of the garden... well, what more could you ask for!

Being grateful for what we have helps to make the difficult things more tolerable. It doesn't change reality, but it helps us to put our minds on how good God is to us, rather than to focus on the negative side of things. If you need to get grateful, just go visit a hospital for crippled children, or a nursing home, or maybe someone who lives in poverty and can't help it. I often find myself being impatient with injustice. But then really, what else could we expect out of life in a fallen world. If in this world we know Christ, then that reality alone makes us the most blessed of all people, and all the injustice of this world can not overcome that reality.

In our last newsletter I asked you to write to our LBC Executive Director, Dr. Dean Doster. I don't know how many did write, but some sent copies of their letters to me. Several others have called or written to investigate further before pursuing this subject with Dr. Doster. That I am aware of, there has been no change in this situation. People in our former sponsoring church, in our association, and all across this state still have not been told the truth by LBC leaders regarding the illegal confiscation of our property, building, and funds. Anyway, on the next page I have included just a few excerpts from letters I have received over the past couple of months...

Our Readers Write...

"We praise God for your faithfulness in serving our Lord. You have done so under some very trying conditions. Your devotion to the Lord has been a great encouragement to us.... I understand your heart's desire for righteousness and truth to prevail. We are asking for the Lord to be with you and to bless your efforts in bringing about fairness and justice." -- Baton Rouge

"The way that you and your congregation have been treated is a sin against Jesus Christ and His Kingdom cause. I agree with you when you wrote -- 'stealing is stealing, embezzlement is embezzlement, deception is deception'. I want to go on record as opposing any use of the 'Cooperative Program and other funds being held in trust' by the church which is using your facilities. Those facilities should be returned to you and your congregation.... Also, not only should these corrections be made, but apologies are in order. They have violated the 'sacred trust' of the moneys given to Bayou DuLarge Baptist Mission Church from all sources.... It would grieve many Louisiana Baptists to see the doors of communication and correction of this problem closed. Thank you for your efforts. Others would have given up by now and turned to our court system to settle this matter. Louisiana Baptists and other Christian groups will join you in prayer that this wrongful aggression toward your church will be corrected." -- LBC pastor

"May God richly bless you and your family for all the work you are doing at Bayou DuLarge. We need more men like you who will stand for what is right." -- Southeast Louisiana

One of the strongest letters I have seen throughout this whole thing came from a deacon of our former sponsoring church. Among other things, his letter to our LBC Executive Director stated,

"I affirm the fact that Jerry Moser has been telling the truth about these things.... I was aware of the LBC Missions Department's influence in our pastor's attack on the mission church.... What happened was wrong.... I understand that last year an agreement was reached for LBC leaders to come to our church and tell our people the truth. This still has not happened. Why not? Why will the LBC not correct these problems created by its employees? We need help. It isn't just Bayou DuLarge that is hurting over this -- our church is hurting, too. We need healing for the hurts, but healing can't come until we all face up to the wrong we have done. I want to see reconciliation. Please help us." -- Houma, Louisiana

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HELP NEEDED! We are trying to gather up enough help to do some repairs on four houses belonging to elderly folks. Some work is inside, some outside. One job is to replace a roof (shingles). We have the materials for two of these jobs. This is a good opportunity to serve others, witness for Christ, and to enjoy some good fellowship with fellow Christians.

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Have you ever wondered why repentance is so difficult?

Well, it is a fact that we humans resist repentance. Presidents, politicians, everyday Christians, preachers, denominational workers... it seems no one is immune! All my life I have watched a particularly sad scenario played out. Sometimes I have been guilty of this same thing myself. It goes something like this... A person will get caught up in doing something that is wrong. God sees to it that his sin finds him out. People who see the problem urge him to correct his wrong, but he denies personal responsibility. Rather than to simply repent and be forgiven, he attempts to excuse and cover up his wrong. In his trying to find someone else to blame, he destroys friendships and close relationships. Eventually, if he can not convince others of his innocence, he takes a back door out so as to avoid having to face up to the embarrassing truth.

What a sad scenario! What an unnecessary waste! Why is it so difficult to face up to the truth? Why is repentance always so hard? Why is it assumed that others will not forgive and love all the more? God's way of repentance offers healing for all of us and all of our broken relationships. But now, lest we assume a superiority above anyone else, my observation is that we ALL seem to be subject to falling into this trap! This is why the Scripture says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed." (James 5:16)