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I have read a good amount of material from your web site, and I am still trying to disprove something on there. My former pastor, of a southern Baptist church, found my web site, and he was not too happy with it. A good amount of the material is from or directed to your site.

My question is, how should I handle this pastor or people that are like him?

I updated my Web page slightly by removing his church name and changing the phrase “God is allowing Satan to lead these people” (pastors, church- goers) to “In my opinion, God has sent a Strong Delusion to these people…”

Once again, trying to serve God or stumbling doing it,

B____

Note: Below is B____’s response to the pastor mentioned above, followed by the pastor’s remarks.

B____ wrote:

Your email was forwarded to me,

Your request to have B________ Baptist Church removed from the Bio has been completed. I also edited some passages to reflect my opinion.

I enjoyed your ministry; I have read and understand your view points. As stated on the Web page, ‘Please ask the Lord to show me and/ or you if we (you or I) are wrong.’

Humbly and sincerely in Christ,

B______

Items that bother me about the church here:

The promotion of the 10% tithe.
The past year of hypocrisy we observed at this church.

[ Pastor T__ letter]

My name is T____, pastor of the B___ Baptist Church mentioned in your bio.

My first question is – who wrote this? If you are to make such bold claims about God, people, churches, and ministries openly on the Internet, then the least you could do is be man enough to put your name to it. Satan works in secret, not God.

My second question is – if you’re not Christian enough to tell me who you are, then at least will you be be man enough to remove B________ Baptist Church from your bio. We have no desire to be affiliated with this type of slander and heresy. If this is the direction Satan is leading you, then we have no desire to be associated with your past.

My third question is – what type of Bible are you reading? The things you are promoting are clearly unscriptural. You say Satan is leading us. You might want to check on who is using you. You have taken the truth of God’s Word and twisted it to say what you wish. This smacks of Satan’s tactics when he deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

I don’t know who you are, and I don’t know how you got to where you are theologically, but I can assure you that I know who has taken you there (Satan). I want you to know, I will be praying for you, because Satan poses himself often as an angel of light, and it is clear to me you have been deceived. I love you brother, but you are wrong!!

Whatever you decide to do is your choice. I just ask you as a pastor and as a friend to remove the name B____ Baptist Church from your bio.

Pastor T____

Hi B_____,

Do you think that you are right and all of the orthodox Christian Church is wrong? If that is the case, then you must be doing something right, because now you know exactly how Christ was received by the established “church” of His day. Rest assured it is only just beginning. I know this for a fact because as He is so are we in this world (1Jn 4:17).

How I would handle this man would be to send him a list of scriptures for him to “help” me. I would quote him his offer to ‘help me,’ and then I would ask him to simply be so kind as to give me the correct understanding of the following scriptures.

It would go something like this:

“Dear brother T____,

Thank you for your sincere desire to help me to see the error of my ways. It seems there are so few people who have time to leave the 99 to go out and do the necessary work involved in working or climbing or digging or whatever is necessary to seek and to save that one lost sheep. I am hoping that you are just such a selfless person who doesn’t care what the rest of the congregation or for that matter the entire rest of the world thinks. You are going to leave the 99 and take as much time and effort as is necessary to seek and to save this ‘poor lost sheep.’ You asked, “what kind of Bible are you reading?”  It is very likely the same one you read. The only difference is that in my ‘lost condition,’ I seem to be seeing scriptures that you apparently do not see in your Bible. Maybe you explain a few of these scriptures. It would go a long way toward ‘helping me.’

Here are a few of the verses that just don’t seem to be dealt with while I am in church. Indeed, it seems to me in my ‘lost’ condition that they are completely avoided.

Isa 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Does this verse say “I the Lord … create evil?” What Bible am I in? Is that in your Bible?

Before, you explain away “evil” here as ‘calamity,’ allow me to point out that in my ‘lost’ condition, I have noticed that this is the same Hebrew word translated “evil” in the following verses:

Jdg 9:23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

1Sa 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
1Sa 16:15 And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.
1Sa 16:16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.
1Sa 16:23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
1Sa 19:9 And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.
1Ki 22:23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.
2Ch 18:22 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee.

Are we to believe that these “evil spirits,” were “from God?” Is that in your Bible?

2Ch 33:6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

Now T____, explain for me this scripture:

Rom 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Rom 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

“It is not of him that [ free] willeth… Whom He will He hardeneth?” Is that in your Bible?

Isa 63:17 O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

“Whom He will He hardeneth?” Is this verse in your Bible T____?

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

“God works in us to will?” Where is our ‘free’ will? Is that in your Bible?

Pro 20:24 Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

But man’s goings are “evil always continually” (Gen 6:5). Is this in your Bible?

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

“The Lord… made… even the wicked?” Is this in your Bible?

Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

There T____, this verse explains the very purpose for evil; “God meant it unto good … to save much people alive.” Even those who committed that evil. Is that verse in your bible T____?

Straighten me out on these T____, and then we can get into the thousands of scriptures that tell us poor lost sheep who you want to help that the God who “creates evil” and “makes us to err… and hardens our hearts…,” “will have all men to be saved, specially [ not exclusively] them that believe”(1Ti 4:10).

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Of course you will want to change ‘will’ to ‘desire’ so be sure to consider this verse of scripture:

Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

Any of these verses in your Bible?

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us- ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Rom 5:18 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

“No difference…” between “all” and “them that believe?” Are any of these verses in your Bible, T____?

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

“Also … the whole world?” Is that in your Bible?”

There B___,

You asked what I would say, so I answered. Actually, I truly believe that your answer is probably better for this man than mine. I have no expectation of ever hearing back from him if I were to send him all these plain scriptures. His job and his future and his standing in the community is at stake. Unlike you, I would be surprised if he ever even tried to “help you.”

I have checked out your page B___, and you are doing fine.

I will say that your update to your page is a distinct improvement. God does not scripturally “allow” anything. It is not once so stated in scripture. Rather He “makes us to err…” and  if there is “evil in the city [ then…] the Lord hath done it,” not ‘allowed it.’

Yes, B___, because they received not the love of the truth … for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

God continue to use you in His service.

Mike