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News from Evangelist Mike Gendron October 2019
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Standing Firm Against Opposition to the Gospel
Throughout church history, there has always been a relentless opposition to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The strongest opposition has always come from apostate religions which hold people captive with legalistic burdens and religious pride. In the early church, when there was opposition, the apostle Paul responded, "We did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the Gospel would remain with you" (Gal. 2:5). To the church in Philippi Paul exhorted them to stand firm in "one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel" and not to be "alarmed by your opponents which is a sign of destruction for them" (Phil. 1:27-28).
Opposition Comes in a Variety of Forms
Paul's exhortations to stand firm against all attempts to distort or compromise the Gospel have been a much needed reminder for us. In our 30 years of proclaiming the Gospel, we have experienced continuous opposition from religious zealots. Catholics have picketed our conferences, harassed us with malicious phone calls and slanderous emails, threatened us with physical harm, and disrupted my preaching seminars. One Catholic apologist and attorney was so disruptive during my 3-day seminar in Nebraska, he had to be ushered out of the church by the pastor. The opposition we have faced pales in comparison to the fierce opposition Paul endured. He was ridiculed, criticized, mocked, beaten, tortured, persecuted and imprisoned, yet, by the grace of God, he continued to faithfully proclaim the Gospel.
Some Catholics have done everything they can to have my speaking engagements cancelled. Several have sent slanderous and fallacious letters or emails to pastors. One Catholic actually succeeded in convincing a weak-kneed pastor to cancel my seminar in Buffalo, NY. However, some of our faithful supporters refused to let the adversary keep the truth from going forth. They rented a hotel ballroom and covered our travel expenses, and we had a bigger turnout because of the opposition to the Gospel.
On a lighter note, some brash Catholics threatened to contact the pope and have him shut down our web site if we continued to "spew lies" about Catholicism. I responded to their threat by telling them the battle for the souls of men is ultimately a battle between the truth of God's Word and the fatal lies of false teachers. As Christians, it is our responsibility to proclaim the truth so that people trapped in religious deception can know they have been deceived and be rescued.
Opposition on Social Media
Most recently, we have been harassed with threatening emails because we banned some people from our Proclaiming the Gospel Facebook page. We have made it clear that the stated purpose of our Facebook page is to serve and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping and encouraging Christians to proclaim the Gospel clearly, faithfully and effectively. We also follow our Lord's example who exposed the errors of false teachers (Mat. 15:1-20; 23:2-33). Our love for the people who are trapped in religious deception compels us to expose the fatal errors of Roman Catholicism and apostate Christianity. We respond to unbelievers on social media with the authority of God's Word and the power of the Gospel while pleading with them to repent and trust Christ alone. If they continue to stubbornly reject God's Word and persistently proselytize others with heretical teachings, we have no choice but to ban them from our Facebook page. Following is a summary of some emails.
Mike, you are an even bigger coward than I had you pegged for. Why do you ban people (from Facebook) who refute your misconceptions and lies about the Catholic faith? Who made you the infallible interpreter of sacred scripture? Banning people shows the level of insecurity you have in being able to defend and justify your critique of the Catholic Church. That shows what a total coward you really are, Mike Gendron. Your ministry will be defunct within 10 years, if not sooner. How many times can you go to churches before your message itself becomes as stale as the foundation on which you criticize Catholicism? I hope you come to the midwest sometime in the near future while you still have an inkling of an audience wanting to hear your insane diatribe and passive aggressive rhetoric. You can see me on FB. I hope to meet you face to face so I can express my true feelings for you. Be looking for me, Mike. I will pop up some day when you least expect it and I will expose you. That would be an opportunity for me to see, up close and personal, that passive aggressive smirk on your face that you have in all your postings. I know that your ministry will be short lived. A ministry of two self-righteous egomaniacs so shamed and guilt ridden, that they decide to take on the Catholic church, some 1.3 billion members strong and growing daily. I think you may have saddled the wrong horse, Mr and Mrs G! How could anyone hold any respect for either of you? Your doom is inevitable. Take a good look in the mirror, and place that deceptive, lying face at the Judgement seat. Steven Shea, Internet
What Is The Biblical Response to Opposition?
It is natural to be defensive or combative when attacked with malice, slander and abusive speech, but Christ calls us to respond with love and compassion. He said, "bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you" (Luke 6:28). When I consider my sin and what I deserve, I am humbled by God's mercy and grace. And when I consider my opponents and what they desperately need, I desire to see them come to repentance and faith. We must never forget that we were all once blinded from the light of the Gospel and were enemies of God (2 Cor. 4:4; Rom. 5:10).
Jesus also told us what to do with hard-hearted people. When they do not "receive you or listen to you...shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them" (Mark 6:11). Shaking the dust off the feet is a symbolic gesture that says you have said all that you can say and it is time to spend time elsewhere. Those who stubbornly reject God's Word should not be allowed to hinder the furtherance of the Gospel.
As the opposition to the Gospel intensifies, may God give us all the grace to stand firm and patiently proclaim the Gospel truth as long as people have ears to hear. May He also give us wisdom through His Word as to how we respond to the growing opposition to His Gospel.
We must be more like the apostles who were bold, fearless, faithful and dogmatic. They were intolerant of false teaching, unaccommodating of error, and inflexible concerning the truth. More than ever, we need to be
Contending for the Gospel for the glory of Christ and the sanctity of His Church!
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Why John MacArthur Fights for the Truth?
John MacArthur recently exhorted the students and faculty at The Masters Seminary Chapel to earnestly contend for the faith. He said, "I don't think I understood in seminary how relentless the battle would be, and how much discernment it would take, and how it would affect relationships." He continued, "I watch my life as it comes to an end being stripped of relationships with many evangelical leaders because, at some point, they're unwilling to stand where I stand."
Listen to the message here.
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Letters to Edify and Encourage the Saints
Mike, "Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" (Prov. 27:17). Thank you for your unashamed and open defense of the truth of the Word of God and saying what needs to be said. To God be the glory as He has used you to encourage me to say something to pastors about Francis Chan and Beth Moore. Your
Contending for the Gospel book is a great encouragement for me to see someone who does not mince words, does not tone anything down, and is not afraid of offending anybody for the truth of the Word of God. Not afraid of offending anybody is another way of saying that you fear God more than you fear man. T.M., Stony Point, NC
Mike, Where in the Catholic Catechism does it state that if a person LEAVES the Catholic religion they are condemned to hell. I told this to my mother but she wants proof. L.M., Apalachin, NY
L.M. The teaching comes from paragraph 846 which states, people "could not be saved" who, knowing the Catholic Church was founded by God, "refuse either to enter it or to remain in it."
In response to your
August 2019 Newsletter where you wrote: "Unless they are confronted with the truth, they may never know they have been deceived. One day they may hear the most terrifying words anyone could ever hear when Jesus says: 'I never knew you; depart from Me'" (Mat. 7:23). Through the years, the Lord had me consider the question, "How do I know if the Lord knows me? The answer is found in Nahum 1:7, "The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him." What a joy to be one who is learning to trust Him daily and be known by Him!
B.G.
,
Kalamazoo, MI
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Exposing Myths about Sin and Salvation
One of the most popular messages by Pastor Mike Fabarez of Compass Bible Church is a timeless message that may challenge your thinking. His powerful message exposes the myths about sin and salvation and is entitled,
But I Have Always Been a Christian. After you hear the message, you can pass it on to your loved ones along with our DVD
False Converts in the Church.
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Biblical Responses to Statements by Catholics
Statement:
Catholics cannot know for sure they are going to heaven. That is because their Catechism teaches that those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell.
(CCC para. 1035)
Response:
God has made it possible for every believer to know, right here and now, that they have in their possession, the gift of eternal, everlasting life with our Savior. John wrote his first epistle to give believers that assurance. "
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13). Every believer's assurance is confirmed by the power of God (1 Pet. 1:5), the promises of God (John 6:37), the perpetual intercession of Jesus (Heb. 7:25), God's unconditional love (Rom. 8:35), the protection of the Good Shepherd (John 10:27-30), and the permanence of divine gifts (Rom. 11:29).
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Pope Invites World Leaders to sign "Global Pact"
In a renewed and enthusiastic endorsement of globalism, Pope Francis has announced he is hosting an initiative for a "Global Pact" to create a "new humanism."
The global event is set to take place at the Vatican on May 14, 2020. T
he Pope is inviting representatives of the main religions, international organizations and various humanitarian institutions, as well as key figures from the world of politics, economics and academia, and prominent athletes, scientists and sociologists to sign a "Global Pact on Education" so as to "hand on to younger generations a united and fraternal common home."
Read more.
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A Catholic Identifies "The Fool in the Vatican"
William Marshal, a Catholic and a contributor to Townhall, American Thinker, and The Federalist, wrote: "I never thought I would refer to a Pope as a fool, but it has come to that. If in so doing my fellow Catholics condemn me as somehow blaspheming against the Mother Church or God, so be it. But after reading an [
article in the Wall Street Journal], which has the pontiff saying that it would be 'an honor that [conservative Catholic] Americans attack me,'for not standing up for traditional Catholic teachings on marriage, sexuality and bioethics, while instead opining on climate change and migration, I can't hold my tongue."
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May we all glorify our Lord Jesus Christ by sharing His Gospel within our circle of influence and beyond!
Mike & Jane Gendron
(817) 379-5300
2829 Veranda Lane, Southlake, TX 76092
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