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THE ENSIGN MESSAGE

GOSPEL DEFENCE LEAGUE

By

P O Box 587, SEA POINT, 8060 RSA

TEL/FAX (021) 510-6854

Email:  dscarborough@telkomsa.net

 

October/November/December  2015

Dear Friends,

On October 8, 2015, the general synod of the great Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa voted in favour of same sex unions to be solemnised in the Church. It also approved homosexual ministers to be ordained. This decision had been preceded by much discussion in its publication  “Kerkbode “.  The Church stated:   “The General Synod reconfirms the equality of all people  irrespective of their sexual orientation and  commits herself to maintain the human dignity of all people. “(Pt. 2.1) – “The General Synod declares that hetero- and homosexual persons who live in a personal faith-obedient relationship with the Lord canfully participate  in all the privileges  of the Church as a covenant community. ” (Pt. 2.2)

Are Sinners equal with  Saints?

The whole of South Africa was stunned. “Who could have thought,” wrote Ds Jan Louw, a retired DRC minister, “that there should come a day when the NG Kerk would decide that practising homosexual men and women could be ordained as ministers? How could it have happened that the NG Kerk in its important policy synod would take such a decision with 114 votes against 63 (a majority of 64%). It is clear that during the last number of years the leaders of the NG Kerk have put much planning into the ‘design’ of Synods.” He goes on to tell how, with the help of slanted Bible study, noble sounding concepts, loaded interpretation of ‘love’, with pictures and music, the delegates were emotionally manipulated into making a fateful decision. “Experienced facilitators” had most carefully and successfully applied methods of group dynamics to direct the thinking of the delegates. 1) But a month later, the latter woke up, appealed against the ruling, and froze the whole process for the next two years. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season… and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Psalm 1)

The Bible states that homosexuality  is an abomination.  It destroys family, religion and culture and has led  to the demise of civilisations, “even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving  themselves over to fornication,   and going  after strange flesh,  are set forth  for  an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” (Jude 7) To speak, therefore, of a homosexual “faith-obedient relationship with the Lord”, is absurd.  To grant homosexuals  “all the privileges  of the Church as a covenant community”,  is not in line with God’s will.  Activist ministers like Laurie Gaum and his father,   Frits Gaum, a former editor of  “Kerkbode “,  merely show that they have exchanged the religion of LIFE for   a religion of DEATH.  2)

Homosexuality  aids Population Control

It is well known that the promoters of the New World Order want to reduce the world’s population to a fraction of its present size. They discourage procreation in every shape or form. Claiming that there are 7 billion people “overpopulating” planet earth, they want them to be reduced to 500 million, since man, they say, is a plague ravaging the planet. Among the depopulation prophets are Ted Turner, the founder of CNN, Mikhail Gorbatchev, Al Gore, Bill Gates, David Rockefeller and many more. Ted Turner said: “A total population of 250-300 million people, a 95% decline from present levels, would be ideal.” Mikhail Gorbatchev said: “Cut the population by 90% and there aren’t enough people left to do a great deal of ecological damage.” The New York Times claimed: “The Earth is full.” (Internet)

Family and Church

Marriage between a man and woman was established at Creation by God. He appointed the family as the first Church and basic building block of human society.  Without the family there can be no true  religion and no civilisation. Marriage is meant to be a picture of the Gospel – a husband laying down his life for his wife:  “Husbands, love your  wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave  himself for  it.”  (Ephesians 5:25) It is chiefly among peoples who hold to this God-given pattern, who have Christian roots, that the depopulation apostles spread their propaganda, using noble concepts for destructive ends, claiming   to save the planet, to strive for justice, and to establish human dignity. But where, in this psychological war, are those who should give the truth to the deceived?  Where are the shepherds?  Are they busy debating the merits of sin while their flock feeds on poison?

How many homosexuals and their activist friends know that they are but pawns in the hands of ruthless and avaricious men?  that they are being  used to  ‘voluntarily’ fulfil a political agenda? –  Does not God  offer us better things?  “In Him  (Jesus) was life, and the life was the light of men.  And  the light shineth  in  darkness, and the darkness comprehended  it not.” (John  1:4-5)  Jesus Christ is the Lord of Life.  To  anyone who comes to Him in repentance and faith, He gives Life in abundance!  –

Gender  Mainstreaming

Closely aligned to and promoting homosexuality is another modern ideology,  “Gender Mainstreaming. ” It is a sophisticated way of destroying a person’s faith and identity. Social engineers claim that gender is not God-given but acquired.  A child, they say, is not a boy or girl by birth.  He or she must choose for himself  or herself whether to be male or female. This type of teaching is applied from kindergarten onwards, and it so thoroughly confuses the identity of young people that they become disorientated and pliable in the hands of ruthless manipulators. Jesus said: “Whoso shall offend  one of these little ones which  believe in me, it  were better for  him that a millstone  were hanged  about his neck, and that he were drowned  in the depth   of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6) Gender Mainstreaming  was first put forward at the 3rd  UN World Conference on Women in Nairobi 1985, further developed at the 4th UN-WCW in Beijing and finally implemented  in  the Amsterdam Treaty of the European Union. In 1999, the EU declared “GM” mandatory for its member states, and  “gender studies”  were introduced at the universities as a new subject.

Part of their brief is to develop a “gender-neutral language” and do away with such words as father, mother, brother, sister, girl and boy. Radicals are now demanding a “Bible in just language, ” a gender­ neutral  translation  which  eliminates words  such as  “Lord”, “Father”, and “Master”.

 The Word of God is above everything

What Ds Jan Louw says about the Dutch Reformed Church applies to most other denominations, too. The crisis in the DRC, he says, “is about much more than just a highly controversial decision. It is about a Church which has degenerated into a pretence of piety . It is about leaders who maintain that they are faithful to the Word of the Lord, but who act deceitfully. It is about a theology which has become the doctrine of men.

We thank God that He is calling the Dutch Reformed Church to reconsider its calamitous decision. It now looks as if the homosexual issue will be put on hold for the next two years, until the next synod. Martin Luther said: “Since the Word of God is above everything it has to be held absolutely free and unbound in all things, as Paul teaches. The Word of God is never subject to any man’s whim to lower its importance or challenge it, no matter how great, how numerous, how learned, and how holy the men are. This is true to such an extent that St Paul in Galatians 1:8 dares to exclaim and reiterate, “if we or an angel from heaven should preach  to you a Gospel (contrary to that which we preached  to you), let him be accursed …” Luther continues: “You must judge everything solely in the light of the words of Christ the Lord; for it is written: ‘Listen to Him.’ (Matthew 17:5) 3) – Bishop JC Ryle, too, exhorts the Church to stand firmly on the Word of God.  It must do the work of Christ upon earth.  Her members, he says, “shake the universe; these are they who change the fortunes of kingdoms by their prayers, these are they who are the active workers for spreading the knowledge of pure religion and undefiled; these are the life-blood of a country, the shield, the defence, the stay, and the support of any nation to which they belong. This is the Church which shall be truly glorious at the end.

May God bless you richly,

D Scarborough.

Footnotes:

  • Jan Louw, Glo die Bybel, Emosionele manipulasie by die Sinode, 8. 11.15
  • ioL news, 16.10.2015: Laurie Gaum, “It’s OK for me to have  sex.”
  • Iain H Murray, The Reformation of the Church, pp 29 & 33

 

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