PER:Christian Information Bureau May 1987  by Dave Hunt

   Dear Praying Friends;

   Paul urged Timothy: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth (2 Tim. 2:15). We learn several things from this simple
statement: (1) Each one of us has a personal responsibility to know
what one believes and why on the basis of an individual knowledge and
understanding of God's Word; (2) this responsibility has been placed
upon each of us by God Himself and cannot be pushed off on anyone else;
(3) the knowledge God requires does not come miraculously or by osmosis
but only through diligent study; (4) nor can one merely accept what
others have learned from their study, but each must think the issues
through carefully the common questions of life that confront all
generations; for clearly the Bible is not to be studied in a vacuum as
though it were abstract theory, but must be pracically applied to all
aspects of daily life.

   One of the besetting sins of mankind is to elevate unduly those whom
one admires - to fear them, to seek their approval, to grant them a
special status, to let them do our thinking for us and eventually to
follow, honor and worship them instead of God. That is one of the
problems at some of the more visible TV ministries where the Christians
who have given millions of dollars have no real representation, but
those in leadership control for their own interests vast properties
bought with the sacrificial giving of the Body of Christ. Jim Bakker
needed correction years ago, but there was no one to give it to him.
Where was the Board, the Church, or the Assemblies of God under whose
cover Bakker supposedly operated? He was so idolized by his followers
that many refused to believe the facts even when they were revealed. No
less serious is the long record of obviously false prophecies by
Christian leaders who are highly honored instead of being corrected.

   We all need correction. We need to lovingly correct one another, to
think for ourselves, to follow the Lord and not men and not to allow
any leader to get in a position where, like a Hindu guru, he cannot be
accountable. And those who show an unwillingness to be corrected should
be disqualified from leadership. Some, such as Earl Paulk, insist that
ordinary Berean Christians have no right even to question the prophets.
That is heresy. We not only have the right, but we have the obligation
before God to hold Christian leaders accountable.

   In exposing the guruism in the church that has placed certain
leaders on pedestals of infallibility, I run the risk of being set up
as a guru by those who begin to follow me and take my word without
question. I see this tendency in many of the letters we receive, in
which questions are asked for which the questioner ought to have taken
the time to search out the answer for himself. In one sense the very
name of Christian Information Bureau indicates that we exist to inform
the Body of Christ. However, we must not do your thinking for you.
There are deep issues involved that must be thought through carefully
by each of us. We want to help you, but we don't want to become a
hindrance to your individual spiritual growhth by functioning as an
answering machine that automatically spouts out information that you
could and should dig out for yourselves; or answers that you must think
through carefully for yourselves instead of looking to us.

   We want to encourage you to do your own research and to provide
information for us to organize and have ready for those who need it. I
am grateful to the many who do provide information that I could never
take the time to dig out myself, information from many places I have
never visited, from newspapers and books I have never read. I want to
make that information available in books, videos and other means. But
we are still receiving hundreds of letters asking questions that the
writers could have researched for themselves were it not so easy to ask
us.

   We want to help when that help is needed; and we want to assist you
in your understanding and growth as we hope you will assist us. But
there is a depth of understanding, a solid purpose of heart and
assurance that can only come through your own hard as you study to shew
thyself approved unto God ... I want to encourage you to do that,
because I am convinced that we live in very dangerous days. The
apostasy and seduction is going to get much worse, and only those who
walk closely with the Lord and are daily in His Word and aware of the
growing delusion around them and thinking issues through for themselves
under the leading of the Holy Spirit will stand the servere tests
ahead. May our Lord protect and give you grace to stand firm in your
commitment and rescue many others!

   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. Make sure that chegues are on a U.S. money
order and payable to:

   Christian Information Bureau

   PO Box 3120

   Camarillo Ca 93011
