PER:Christian Information Bureau February 1988  by Dave Hunt

   Dear Praying Friends;

   Prophecy is a difficult subject. I certainly don't pretend to have
all of the answers - but I do believe we should diligently seek to
understand as much as we can of what God has spoken through His
prophets and through His Son (who had much to say about apostasy, His
second coming, the Great Tribulation, etc.). Some argue that because
there is so much disagreement over prophecy and it is such a confusing
subject, therefore we should forget it. Yet the Book of Revelation
offers a special blessing to those who study, understand and obey what
it teaches (Rev.1:3).

   In a recent Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) newsletter, Paul
Crouch says: "You know, Hal Lindsey [pre-trib Rapture] may be right -
and you know, Bishop Earl Paulk [ no Rapture - Christ returns to rule
the nations after Christians have taken over the world in His name] may
be right." He goes on to argue that it doesn't matter who is right -
i.e. Rapture or no Rapture is not worth discussing. Yet Hal Lindsey,
who says a great deal about the Rapture and prophecy because he
considers it extremely important, has been one of the most popular
guests on TBN (the viewers also apparently consider this topic
important) and has often hosted programs. It seems odd that Crouch
would allocate so much valuable TV time to a subject that he considers
is a waste of time to discuss.

   It is even more confusing that the Holy Spirit would devote so much
of the Bible (about 25%) to prophecy if it doesn't matter what view one
takes. Unfortunately, the desire to avoid disagreement over affects
other areas as well. Crouch writes disparagingly of those who try "to
get their doctrine across instead of doing what Jesus asked us to do -
'Feed my sheep' - 'Love your neighbor' - 'Go into all the world.'" Are
we supposed to leave 25% of the Bible out of the message we take "into
all the world"? Can we feed His sheep without doctrine? And what kind
of "love" would allow one's neighbor to be deceived by false teaching?

   We can all sympathize with Paul Crouch's desire to avoid contention
over doctrine. I do not relish controversy. My inclination would be to
retire from the battle. But we have been told to contend earnestly for
the faith once for all delivered to the saints - and a vital part of
that faith involves the promise of His return. Paul Crouch gives us a
shocking lesson of what happens when one takes a neutral position in
this battle and begins to minimize the importance of sound doctrine.

   The TBN newsletter is titled: "A FALLING AWAY FIRST" and references
II Thess.2:3. The Greek word there is apostasia (apostasy in English),
which means "a falling away from the truth." Having declared that it
matters not how we interpret prophecy, and that doctrine is not worth
discussing, Crouch then defines apostasy as a decrease in giving to
ministries such as TBN! After telling us, in effect, that it doesn't
matter whether TBN broadcasts false doctrine, in the next breath he
asks us to support him, false doctrine or not. And he warns us that if
we are giving less to TBN now than we once were, we have fallen into
apostasy and as a result could come under the "strong delusion" that
God will send upon those "who believed not the truth."

   How can Paul Crouch in one breath demean those who contend for sound
doctrine and in the next breath express a concern about truth and warn
of delusion and Satan's lies? Crouch does a good job of concisely
explaining some of the New Age lies, and specifically identifies the
lie that "All is God and God is all." Yet this very lie was the central
message in the major article in the Summer 1986 issue of Robert
Schuller's Possibilities magazine (p.8). That same article also
declared: "The Christ Spirit dwells in every human being whether the
person knows it or not" (p.12).

   This is the worst heresy possible, the very lie Paul Crouch warns
against that will damn a soul for eternity. And it is only one example
among many that could be given of Schuller's promotion of New Age
teachings and teachers. yet as we mentioned last month, Paul and Jan
recently spent considerable time on TBN absolving Robert Schuller of
promoting any false doctrine. And those who would take issue with false
doctrine are banned by the Crouches from their TBN network. I do not
enjoy controversy, but I do believe the issues are serious and deserve
public notice and discussion.

   While I disagree on many points with Gary North, I appreciate the
fact that he takes the issues seriously enough to debate them publicly.
In his latest newsletter, North ridicules those who see a special
fulfillment of prophecy in the return of Israel to her land in 1948. he
boasts that 1988 will come and go without the Rapture and this fact
will seal the doom o dispensationalism because the Rapture and Great
Tribulation will not have happened within the predicted 40-year-
generation period since the birth of modern Israel.

   I, for one, never put such an interpretation upon Christ's
statement, "This generation shall not pass, till all these things be
fulfilled" (Matt. 24:34). Jesus often referred to the Jews of His day
as a "wicked, adulterous, disobedient, unbelieving etc." generation. I
always assumed that to be the generation that would not pass away -
i.e. that Israel would remain in unbelief and rebellion against God
until Christ returns visibly in power to rescue her (Zech. 12). She is
certainly still in that condition today. There are, however, other
possible interpretations of the "generation" to which Christ referred.

   North's Reconstructionist Dominion Press has just published a book
by Gary DeMar and Peter Leithart titled, The Reduction of Christianity:
Dave Hunt's Theology of Cultural Surrender. It is presumably an
"answer" to what little was said about Kingdom/Dominion and
Reconstruction in Seduction and Beyond Seduction. I have scarcely
addressed these issues yet, but plan to do so, God willing, in my next
book as soon as T.A. McMahon and I finish America: The Sorcerer's New
Apprentice for the secular market. Your prayers for both of these books
are much appreciated.

   Gary North and Gary DeMar plan a visit out here to debate with me,
hopefully in a large church or two as well as on radio and television,
if time is made available. Unlike Crouch, North and DeMar consider
prophecy worth discussing. In my opinion, the Rapture will be one of
the most hotly contested issues in the immediate future. It would be
helpful if the church (and the world) could see such issues discussed
openly and frankly on Christian TV and radio. I think that would be in
the interest of truth, sound doctrine and the edification of the Body
of Christ - but whether it happens or not is in the hands of those few
individuals who dictate what will be presented over Christian media.

   I also hope and pray that, like North and DeMar, others such as
Robert Schuller, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Yonggi Cho et al and
some of the leading Christian psychologists will also be willing to
come forth and enter into public discussion of the issues raised by
some of their teachings. They have been repeatedly challenged to do
this, but so far have not been willing. Your prayers and actions to
help bring this about will be much appreciated and, I believe, in God's
will.

   In Christ's love, Dave Hunt

   This has been put up on the board by the kind permission of the
staff of CIB, and I would encourage you to write to the address that
was at the beginning of this message to order their monthly newsletter
for $12.00 U.S. per year, (subject to change without notice.) Make sure
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   Christian Information Bureau

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