A Dangerous Judge Not Ecumenism

A SPECIAL EDITION ARTICLE
by Bishop Felizardo D. Abanto

One of the favorite arguments of those who want to change or those who want to compromise is "Judge not." An example is Rick Warren of the "Purpose Driven" fame. Warren says, "God warns us over and over not to criticize, compare, or judge each other. ... Whenever I judge another believer, four things instantly happen: I lose fellowship with God, I expose my own pride, I set myself to be judged by God, and I harm the fellowship of the church" (Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life, Zondervan: p. 164). Those who agree with him say that we should not judge them according with regards to wearing pants for women, men sporting long hair, the kind of music they use, cooperating with the ecumenicals like Franklin Graham on evangelism, the version of the Bible they use, etc., etc.

"In typical New Evangelical fashion Warren makes no distinction between judging hypocritically (which is forbidden in Matthew 7) or judging on the basis of personal preference in matters not commanded in Scripture (which is forbidden in Romans 14) and judging on the basis of the Bible.

"Actually, the child of God has an obligation to judge everything by God’s Word. The believers at Corinth were rebuked because they were careless in this regard and were tolerant of false teachers (2 Cor. 11:1-4). The Bereans, on the other hand, were commended because they carefully tested everything by the Scriptures (Acts 17:11). The Bible says “he that is spiritual judgeth all things” (1 Cor. 2:15) and Jesus taught that we should “judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). We are to judge preaching (1 Cor. 14:29) and sin in the churches (1 Cor. 5). We are to try the spirits (1 John 4:1).

"To test preachers and their message carefully by God’s Word is not a matter of pride, but wisdom and obedience" (David Cloud, "Rick Warren's Judge Not Ecumenism," O Timothy, June 2004, p. 15)

Members and brethren we should not be intimidated by the accusation that we are judgmental. As long as we hold and continue in the "things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them" (2 Timothy 3:14), we are safe and sound in the faith.

They Aren't Genius But...

by Bro. Elijah E. Abanto

When my father told that the children should be with their parents in the worship service by giving an example of a child from our church, a man answered and said, "That kid must be genius. And not all kids are geniuses." I could not but both smile and be sad at the same time.

I smiled because it was such a good compliment for a child. Everyone who knows that child will be happy if she was called "genius." But in my heart I was sad because that description was used to justify the separation of kids from the actual worship service. This is not a good justification to the practice of separating children from young people and adults. Anyone who thinks will say that this man did not think what he said.

But I cannot point a finger to those who think like this man. It is because first and foremost, The first generation of believers and members of the church were grown-ups--meaning, they were saved as adults or in teens. And because of this, they are more familiar how to treat their own age, because they could understand them better. On the other hand, the fruit of this situation is that they do not know how to treat the children in the church. They were not children when they were drawn to church; they don't know what to do if this happens and that happens. So the method they derive into to remove the disorder the children make in the worship is to do what was done to them before they were saved--in other words, when they were just children--to be separated from adults. Or, they depend upon the child psychologists or experts for knowledge on how to cope with them. And in the beginning, it seems plausible enough, no problem--because really, the nuisance will be eliminated--they can worship God without "disturbance." But when the time comes we become perplexed, "Why did they become like that?"

But, with honest humility, I can say (through God's grace) that I know more on how to treat the children in the church--because I grew up in the church, in the pastor's family. I was saved as a child, I was baptized as a child--and here am I, by the grace of God, standing for and serving Jesus with all my heart and mind.

Did I have to be a genius in order to behave properly in the service, to listen, to take notes, and say, "Amen"? No. Children know and do as they learn. I learned to worship because I was raised to worship with my family in the church. I learned to read my Bible and pray because I was raised reading it, and not just listening to a Bible story in Sunday school and pray simple "Dear Lord Jesus" prayers. I was taught, that's why. I learned theology even though I was a child back then. I just needed to be saved to understand. And taught. I was never separated from them. Thank you, Daddy and Mommy. You always include me. Isn't it beautiful?

A child doesn't need to be a genius to be included in the service or serve the Lord. To encourage you, here are some examples from our church:

• Joshua, when he was just a baby, could be silenced while in the service by command of the pastor. Jemima, who was barely two years old, has just sang the whole "Jesus Loves Me" in the church as a special number.
• Daniel Joseph (also barely two years old) will always say "Amen" at the important points of our pastor's preaching. Also, other kids same age as he close their eyes while praying.
• Justin (who has just turned 7) know how to sing complicated hymns with just reading the words in the song book, like "When the Saints Go Marching In" and "Make Me A Blessing" with no mistakes. The kids in our church love hymns just as choruses.
• In our church kids 3 years old are joining the visitation, and giving out tracts. Examples: Jhona (4) and Joshua (3). Many of our children ages 12 below know the 13 points of witnessing (Operation Go), and actually, two have done it in the field: John Mark (12) and Jisilyn (10). The only reason why the others can't do it in actual was because they are shy.
• Kids are included in the Bible quiz with the older ones! And they score!
• By the way, all these kids are behaved in the worship service. We have approximately 40 children in our service, members and non-members.

That and many other examples can prove that. That starts in how these people look at these little ones: the pastor, the parents, the members. They barely know doctrine, but they can be taught. They barely know issues, but they can be taught. They are naturally disorderly, but theycan be ordered, if they are taught and trained. We need to just teach them!

Sincerely Yours, Job (Series Part 2)

by Bro. Elijah E. Abanto
Based on Charles R. Swindoll's message, What Job Teaches Us About Ourselves

One of the things that we really don't want to experience is suffering. We would like to die instantly instead of going through a series of loss--of possessions, family, health, and friends. But if there are people who really need to experience that, it is us, the Christians--and that is exactly what happened to Job which we will study today.

Let's read Job 1:6-19:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. ⁷And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. ⁸And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? ⁹Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? ¹⁰Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.¹¹But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.¹²And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

¹³And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:¹⁴And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:¹⁵And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.¹⁶While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.¹⁷While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. ¹⁸While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:¹⁹And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

From the Job's good standing in life would Satan come to God for to accuse him. We all know that Satan is our accuser, and even our good intentions he will give a different color before God just to hurt us. And we will read that, that's it, God allowed what happened to Job. First principle: We never know ahead of time what God plans for our lives. We cannot be sure that because we are serving Him blessing will come to us the way we expect it, or we cannot say that punishment will come to those who disobey the way we expect it to be. From out of nowhere Job's life was stormed with different unpleasant events--in just a moment. So from this there's a lesson: Be ready for everything, whether blessing or trial, because we do not know. We do not know.

From Job's reaction we will know the second principle:

²⁰Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,²¹And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. ²²In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

A vertical perspective prevents horizontal panic. In all the possible reactions of Job to these successive events, he still managed to worship and praise God. God will probably understand if Job got angry with Him, because He knew what kind were the things that happened, but, here was Job, praising and worshiping God! Why? Because he saw God's perspective, that He makes all things happen as He pleases, whether it be blissful or painful--because He is the Creator of all things, and that he is one of those whom He created.

As we go through the next chapter we can again see Satan hopping to God's presence and giving a new accusation to Job. The result: Job would have a terrible disease, but he would not die. And that was it. And for his wife, it was already enough. She could not keep herself anymore as she saw Job's suffering, so:

Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. (v.9)

What a reasonable advise from a loved one, and Job had all the reasons to "curse God"--besides, it was his wife who said that! But look on the next verse:

But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. (v.10)

Now let's not point a finger on his wife. Anyone who sees this kind of suffering, with all our sinful humanity, have a great tendency to react as she did. But anyone who thinks clearly will know that this advice was wrong--but when you are now in that position, how could you? Third principle: Great discernment is needed to detect wrong advice from well-meaning people. It must be hard for Job to say this to his wife, but because he remained in right thinking, he was able to see her mistake.

Fourth: When things go from bad to worse, sound theology makes you sound and stable. If Job didn't know doctrine, he would not have remained stable at this point of trial. We, as Christians, must be knowledgeable of the Bible and doctrine, because we can hold on to it when the time comes, as Job had.