Tue. 11-22-04 FreeGoodNews.com E-Letter No. 14

Isaiah 9:6 (A prophecy fulfilled the day our Lord Jesus was born)

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Contents:

1. Next show is "Origins of Christmas"

2. New Apologetics website

3. Replays for "Church Greed" and summary of show

Hi friends-

Next Show: Origins of Christmas. I'm preparing for Christmas... On my next show (12/1/04), I'll answer some of the following questions about Christmas:

-- Where did Santa and his supporting characters (elves, Rudolf, etc.) come from?

-- Where did "Frosty the Snowman" come from?

-- Why a Christmas tree?-- Why gift giving?

-- Why is there always a legal struggle in society over religious symbols in public places during these holidays?
-- What Scripture references are relevant to the Christmas season?

New Apologetics website.I have a volunteer (Tim Mainwaring) working on an Apologetics website for the FreeGoodNews.com ministry. How is it different than others?

1. We're not selling anything. (Most ministries supply only their own info, so people buy their product and don't leave their website; our purpose is to provide the best and free internet resources. We are supported only by donations, not by the profit on the sale of product.)

2. Most of the material is linked to other ministries, which have the best answers for a given topic. Tim also provides some overview and evaluation.

Click here to see it. It's now available. As we get donations for this specific project, we can develop it further.

Replays for "Church Greed" and summary of show. If you live in Washington County in the Portland area, you can see the re-runs from the "Church Greed" show. Click here for show times.

How did it go? Again, I didn't have time to show all of my material, but I did bring-up many Scriptures and trust that God's Word will touch people... those with an open heart, at least.

.....Bernie

http://www.FreeGoodNews.com

"Providing free materials for spiritual growth"

Free Offers:

1. Free Book "Between 2 fires" (regarding life and ministry in the occupied Palestinian territories)

2. Free audio Bible on MP3 by AudioTreasure.com

3. E-Sword Free Bible and Bible Study Software (Bibles, Bible Dictionaries, Commentaries, Maps, etc)

Tue. 11-16-04 FreeGoodNews.com E-Letter No. 13

Titus 2:7-8 (Apostle Paul writing)

In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

Contents:
1. "Greed" show tomorrow
2. blog articles
3. Internet webcasting

Hi friends-

"Greed" Show Tomorrow. The next TV show is viewable everywhere in Portland on Wed. Nov. 17th on Ch. 11 cable, 8-8:30 pm. Topic: Church Greed. Click here to see some of my info (I will present some of this info, mostly the Scriptures). Update on TV Evangelist Pastor Hagee-- I found out I was wrong when I said he made $500K per year, it was actually $900K.

Blog Articles. I have a few articles now, click here to read them:"Greed: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly""Greed: Case Study in Good: NW Medical Teams""Greed: Case Study in Bad: CRI""Greed: Deception 1: Get Rich To Bless Others"

Internet webcasting. I'm still building up the necessary collateral for webcasting, along with the other ministries at oneplace.com . Click here to see my prototype

....Bernie
http://www.freegoodnews.com/"Providing free materials for spiritual growth"

Free Offers:

1. Free Book "Between 2 fires" (regarding life and ministry in the occupied Palestinian territories)

2. Free audio Bible on MP3 by AudioTreasure.com3. E-Sword Free Bible and Bible Study Software (Bibles, Bible Dictionaries, Commentaries, Maps, etc)

Thur. 11-12-04 FreeGoodNews.com E-Letter No. 12

John 3:20-21 (Jesus Talking)

Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Contents:

1. Response from last e-letter (Campus Crusade for Christ)
2. Plans on my next show

Hi friends-

Response from last e-letter (Campus Crusade for Christ). Some people were upset with me because of what I wrote about Campus Crusade for Christ. Although I mentioned that they did good work (and they do, remember I said that!), I was frustrated in trying to get their financial info. I mentioned that they may be "hiding" behind "church" rules ("Churches" don't need to file tax returns, but para-church organizations do).

I finally found out why they don't file a form 990 tax return (it was not easy to find out). I called the President's office at CCC, and spoke to the secretary. She called someone else, and was told that they don't have to file because their organization is too large. I let them know that that was not a valid legal reason. She transferred me to the person she talked to, and this person thought also that CCC was classified as a "church." She passed me on to the top guy, who told me the real answer, finally. They are a "religious order" (yes, they are also a para-church ministry). As a "religious order," they have their own training and missionaries. "Religious Orders" are exempt from reporting taxes, just like churches.

By the way, I just received an email to my question to them (I had submitted it to their website) about why they don't file a form 990, and it's answer is because they are a "church," which of course is an official "wrong" answer. I guess this just proves how most people, even the ministry workers, aren't aware of nonprofits and what a form 990. I guess I'm at the fore-front of showing people how they can be good stewards in checking out an organization's finances. If more people did this, we wouldn't be seeing the ridiculous extremes (in my view) that exist today in some "ministries."

Since CCC is classified this way, I guess there's no way to check their financials, beyond what they want to show in a sanitized report. It may be impossible to see what their executives make. Some say it is real low, but who knows? Billy Graham has a reputation for living modestly and with a low salary, but the truth is he was paid over $400,000 in the last form 990 his organization submitted. So I guess it's a faith issue.

Personally, the only reason I see for not submitting a form 990 is to withhold info for accountability. I don't think it takes any additional significant time to prepare-- they should have all the info already for their annual reports, etc. I think it's just a matter of disclosure, but that's me. Youth for Christ is a similar in operation to CCC, and they file form 990's. Maybe they don't know they don't have to, or maybe they want to. But when you see what the Youth for Christ directors make in pay, you'll feel sorry for them-- it's low. In fact, it's a motivator to want to support them!

I know the many missionaries (who raise their own support) working for Campus Crusade for Christ are also struggling financially. But this doesn't say anything about the Corporate exec's. As a donor, I'd like to know, and I prefer to give to those organizations who want to disclose form 990's. That's just my opinion, and something I think worth sharing.

Summary: The missionaries for CCC do good work, and desperately need your support. I'm just disappointed that CCC doesn't file a form 990, which they could if they wanted to (there's no law saying they can't, just that they don't need to, because of the classification that they chose to operate under).

Plans on my next show. I was arguing with my seminary professor this morning. It made me realize that I need to back up a notch on my "greed topic." I assumed we were all on the same page, and I could launch into some current-day examples of excessive compensation. But now I see that most people aren't aware of greed. I'm going to back-up and go over the many Scriptures and our Lord's teaching to establish the point that our culture is immersed in the love of money and "the finer things of life." I think our church culture has been successfully invaded by the love of money, from two sources:

1. Capitalism (deeply embedded into the minds of those in the USA)

2. The "Prosperity Gospel"

How much is too much for a minister? My (Leadership class) Professor says the amount doesn't matter; it's the heart that counts. The Bible doesn't say how much is too much. What about half a million dollars (like John Hagee)? That's too much. So where do you draw the line? I guess it just wasn't thought out... maybe my show will start people thinking about these things...

I hope to throw in a few modern examples, and again show others how to look up this information for themselves. Since looking into these form 990's, there are some organizations that have really turned me off (like "The Bible Answer Man"), and some others that have really impressed me (like "NW Medical Teams").

...Bernie

http://www.freegoodnews.com/

"Providing free materials for spiritual growth"

FGN: 11-1-04 update, Israel and Evangelical Christianity

Summary: (3) part series avail. to listen free online, for about 15 more days. It's a fascinating discussion, and something you have to listen to more than once to understand.

Go to: http://www.oneplace.com/Ministries/bible_answer_man/Archives.asp

Details:

FYI, I did a few shows recently about the Israeli/Palestinian crisis in Israel.

What does Evangelical Christian theology have to say about Israel? Are Jews God's chosen people? A lot of it depends on your theology, and there are different camps. One camp is relatively small, but it has the biggest influence. It's called "Dispensationalism."

There was an excellent interview by Hank Hanegraaff with the historian/author of the following book. It touches on "end times theology," interpreting the book of Revelation, the Left-Behind book series of books, rapture theories, etc.

Hardcover BookOn the Road to Armageddon:

How Evangelicals Became Israel's Best Friend Author:

Timothy WeberPublisher:

Baker Books:

Description (320 pages).

Seldom does a day go by without news coverage of violence-plagued Israel and American foreign policy regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict. The United States has been one of the biggest supporters of Israel since its formation more than fifty years ago, and American evangelicals have played a major role in that support. In On the Road to Armageddon, Timothy Weber explores the historic relationship between evangelicals and Israel, the relationship's dispensational theological roots, and implications for the future.

Weber begins with an examination of the dispensational movement of the nineteenth century, outlining its analysis of the coming apocalypse and the role that a formalized nation of Israel would play. He describes the Zionist movement and events that led to the formation of Israel in 1948, including the Balfour Declaration and the increased support for a nation of Israel following the Holocaust. His concluding chapter, "Self-Fulfilling Prophecy," speculates whether ongoing dispensational support for Israel may be helping prophecy to happen.
A major work on an ever timely theme, On the Road to Armageddon is recommended reading for anyone interested in American-Israeli relations, history, theology, and politics.

About the Author: Timothy Weber is currently the president of Memphis Theological Seminary. Before going to Memphis, he served as Vice President and Dean at Northern Baptist Seminary outside Chicago and taught church history at Denver Seminary and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. He is also the author of Living in the Shadow of the Second Coming: American Premillennialism, 1875 to 1982.

...Bernie

http://www.freegoodnews.com/

"Providing free materials for spiritual growth"

Thur. 11-4-04 FreeGoodNews.com E-Letter No. 11

Philippians 4:12 (The Apostle Paul writing)

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Contents:

1. Seeing the spiritual
2. Last show on tithing, comments
3. Next show on "greed" again
-- Benny Hinn
-- Campus Crusade for Christ
4. Blogging

Hi friends-

Seeing the spiritual. It seems like every time my show comes around, the work I do for my secular job simultaneously gets more demanding. After the show, I got a few hours to sleep, and had to arrive at work for a 3 am shift. This is very unusual for me, but it seems like something like this always happens around show time. Last time I got sick just in time for the show (a scratchy throat made it very difficult to speak)... This is one of the major reasons why I remain a believer; the supernatural gets revealed to me in these shows (spiritual oppression & victory). I have lots of stories about this from the shows I've done over the years...

Last show on tithing. The show went well. Again, there was only time for presenting about 25% of the info I had. However, this time I started with an overview and made sure we had a summary. I feel compelled to do another show on the topic, since I have so much material, and tithing is one of the biggest misconceptions and dangers in the Evangelical church today (Doug and I believe). On the one-hand, people feel guilty for not being able to tithe 10%, and on the other, they feel smug if they give 10% or more. The whole truth of "grace" and "stewardship" are totally missing or severely distorted.

I got four research books about tithing from the Seminary library, so I've been learning a lot about all of the aspects of tithing. It is a very deep subject, and it's interesting how it relates to many other subjects (such as grace, generosity, blessing, etc.).

The show was on Ch. 11 (throughout all Portland). The repeat schedule will be posted to the web, and repeats are shown in Washington County only (Ch. 21, Friday 3 pm and Sun. 10 am). In a month or two, they will all be on the web (video & MP3).

Future Shows. I'm going to make another attempt at my "church greed" on Nov. 17th. I've uncovered more info. One of the most flamboyant "ministers" is Benny Hinn, on TV. Ever wonder how much he makes? Some estimate between $500,000 to $1 million per year. Why estimate it? Because he doesn't disclose it, like other para-church ministries are required by law. Churches are exempt, so you can't find out how much your Pastor is paid. Benny's hiding inside the church, so people can't see him. I think it's a scandal. He may be a minister, but his primary income isn't coming from his congregation. He's using the rules to hide. You can be sure that if the IRS goes after him, he'll be claiming that he's being "persecuted."

A few people have asked me to look into "Campus Crusade for Christ" as a positive role-model. I know their work, and have supported missionaries with them. I think they have a good ministry. However, I can't get their financial info. Apparently, they are also hiding behind the "church rules" (they may claim to be a denominational ministry, which is protected just like churches). All I know is that they aren't disclosing their info publicly. I called them (and I'm still a donor), but I couldn't get to their business office, and they haven't returned a phone call from my voice message. Strange. I would like to know what's going on here...

Some of the best financially-managed ministries are "Focus on the Family" and "NW Medical Teams." Thank God for role-models! (I'm referring just to the financial aspect of executive compensation.)

Blogging. I'm working on creating a blog. They are really neat! It is a separate website with a format where I can post "hot topics" and people can leave comments regarding them.

See this website for setting-up a free one.

Some people usually these to write a book. For example, on tithing, I could write 5 articles, and revise them as I go. People can leave feedback, which I consider and use as desired. After a few months, the articles can become chapters, and there you have your book or pamphlet.

...Bernie

http://www.freegoodnews.com/

"Providing free materials for spiritual growth"