Jerry Falwell Died May 15th on Ellen Birthday

 We visited Jerry and Macel Falwell on my Mom Birthday on April 15

 

Ellen a a young age.

 

Ellen with Dad a a very young age.

WHAT IS A FUNDAMENTALIST AND BIBLICAL SEPARATION

I AM A EVERETTE T. WHISNANT, INDEPENDENT, FUNDAMENTAL PREACHER SORT OF

IS THE LATE JERRY FALWELL A FUNDAMENTALIST? I AM A FUNDAMENTALIST AND AS YOU CAN SEE I WOULD CLAIM HIM AS MY FRIEND

.

Well, I am a Independent, fundamental, five point reformed, ten percent Evangelical

and .01 percent Emergent

,

i.e. I continue to grow and move more in the

direction of Biblical policy

as I learn what they are.

WHAT IS A FUNDAMENTALIST AND BIBLICAL SEPARATION

part 4 part three

Biblical Separation

• The same is true for neo-fundamentalists such as Jerry Falwell and the Baptist Bible Fellowship today. When I hear Jerry Falwell standing up boldly for Christ on Larry King’s television program and in other public forums, I am thankful for him and love him in the Lord, but I could not work with him because I am convinced he has determined to walk in a path of compromise and disobedience to the Bible.

http://logosresourcepages.org/Believers/separation.htm

• for the most part, contemporary Christianity cringes when confronted with the word separatist or separatism. Almost immediately a offensive stance is assumed and separatism is attacked as being legalistic, unloving, and a threat to Christian unity. The fact is, most people who throw around the term legalistic or legalism are using a popular, home grown definition that is not biblical. Some define legalism as the presence of rules or standards that a believer should obey. Charles Swindoll says legalism is, "an obsessive conformity to an artificial standard for the purpose of exalting oneself." Both types of definitions of legalism are erroneus! Biblically, the term legalism "describes human attempts to gain salvation and/or spiritual maturity through self-help and conformity to a list of religious laws. A person who sees legalism as a way of salvation and continuing acceptance by God is called a legalist." A good illustration of a legalist, biblically defined, can be found in Luke 18:10-14, the Parable of the Pharisee & the Publican.



• "The world is constantly trying to squeeze believers into its mold--to put the screws on believers, to pressure believers, to make the individual believer just another person of the world." If you are going to resist being conformed to the world and if you are going to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, there are things you will do and will not do! That is NOT legalism. (See Standards: Liberty or Legalism? by Dr. John Cawood in the appendix)



• According to the American Dictionary of the English Language published by Noah Webster in 1828 the general definition of separate is, "To disunite; to divide; to sever; to part; to disconnect; to withdraw from each other; being parted from each other." He goes on to define a separatist as "one that withdraws from a church, or rather from and established church, to which he has belonged; a dissenter…" (Noah Webster; American Dictionary of the English Language 1828 Edition reprint; p. 68).
  \

While these definitions are certainly true as far as they go, they do not adequately define the Biblical Separatist or Biblical Separation.

1. A Biblical Separatist will not cooperate and withdraws from organizations, groups and individual unbelievers and their ungodly philosophies and practices
2. A Biblical Separatist will not cooperate and withdraws from churches, para-church organizations and individuals that are apostate and that propagate apostate teachings and practices
   
3. A Biblical Separatist will not cooperate and withdraws from churches, para-church organizations and individual believers that Aid and sanction apostates by their alignment & cooperation with them \\
4. A Biblical Separatist will not cooperate and withdraws from churches, para-church organizations and individuals that professe to be Christian but disobey & compromise clear Bible Teachings and will not repent.
   
   

A Biblical Separatist is a Christian who withdraws or will not cooperate with an established church (organization or individual) that

• 1) includes unbelievers and advocates godless philosophies and practices, and/or



• 2) is apostate and propagates apostate teachings and practices, or



• 3) those believers that aid and sanction apostates by their alignment and cooperation with them, and/or



• 4) individual believers that profess to be Christians but disobey and compromise clear Bible teachings and will not repent.

IF THIS IS THE CASE, THEN I COULD NOT FELLOWSHIP WITH ANY CHURCH.

Every church, local church, I would say has wheat and tares in their flocks.

Charles Spurgeon's Biblical Separation

MAY 15TH 2008 LOOKING BACK

MAY 15TH 2008

One year ago Charity and I traveled to Lyncbhurg Virginia to visit with my Mom and sister and her son Stephen. Mom wanted to go back to Lynchburg to visit and go to Thomas Road Baptist Church and visit with Jerry and Macel Falwell.


Since Stephen wanted to attend Liberty U. this was a good time for Ellen. We had a great time visiting Mom. On Sunday we attended the Thomas Road Baptist Church, the new building was beautiful. The three services that Sunday and we were in the last two. Jerry Falwell preached and was go as he has always been. Following the service I got up enough nerve to go down an visit Macel. She was as gracious as a preacher's wife. We had a great visit with her and then with Jerry. Then we all went out to eat.


Eating and sitting beside Macel and Jerry was wonderful. Who would have known, one month later Jerry would be called hometo be with the Lord. Jerry said that say, "My dream and plans for TRBC and Liberty U will be fulfilled by my sons."


Mom this year 2008 was 86 years old. And we traved to Texas to visit. Ellen had a birthday today and is doing just great.


I am still working on this new computer and hope to be up and running by next Tuesday with some new High Speed. And getting all the software running.

.

THOUSANDS ATTEND JERRY FALWELL FUNERAL

*

Evangelical leaders turn out, but elected officials scarce.

By Andrea Stone: USA Today Wednesday May 23, 2007

* * * * *

Lynchburg, VA. - The black-clad mourners began arriving at 5 a.m., the line stretching for nerly a quarter-mile. They had come to say goodbye to Jerry Falwell, the folksy Southern Baptist minister whose Moral Mojority changed the face of American politics.

*

To them, he was just their spiritual guide.

*

"He was a great, great preacher and he preached theword of God," said Elizabeth Enns, 24, a Lynchburg nurse who graduated from Falwell's Liberty University and brought her 1-year old son, Landon, to the funeral.

*

Falwell, who died of heart failure lasst week at 73 (May 15th) never shield from giving his opinion on moral issues. And that, said Franklin Graham, was what made this "prophet of our generation" divisive.

*

"He believed in the Gospel, That's controversial," said Graham son of of evangelist Billy Graham. "He believed in marriage as a union between a man and a woman. That's controversial."

*

Falwell "was not just some preacher who thought he would dabble in politics. He understood that Christians have a right in this country to be heard." said Jerry Vines, who gave the sermon. "He was criticized and he was villifed and he was unfairly misquoted, but he just kept on smiling and ke kept on speaking the message of morality and the glorious message of Jesus Christ to our culture. And the political landscape of America has been different since that day."

*

About 7,000 people squeezed into Falwell's Thomas Road Baptist Church. An additional 2,000 spilled into Liberty's basketball arena and its football stadium.

More than 33,000 had viewed Falwell's body over four days as it lay in repose.

Falwell spend nearly his entire life in this small town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, but this was no ordinary country preacher's funeral. Schools closed early. Helicipters, hovered as 17 agencies, including Liberty University's own police department, provided security and kept an eye on protesters:

*

Mourners, were given a funeral program that included photos of Falwell on his wedding day, kneeling in prayer and being lifted on the shoulders of Liberty University students. Of the dozen photos, only one hinted of his national fame: Falwell with President Regan, the first national Republican his consdervative Moal Mojority political group helped elect.

*

A video traced the start of Falwell's congregation in 1956 in an old bottling plant to its growth into one of the first megachurches, with 24,000 members; his creation that same year of the Old Time Gospel Hour; and his founding in 1971 of his Christian university, which now has 125,000 alumni.

*

Most of the images of Falwell with national leaders dated from the 1970's and 1980's, when he was at the height of his influence.

*

A generation after he ended evangelicals' wariness about getting involved in politics, there was a noticeable dearth of public figures at his funeral. No 2008 Republican presidential candidates were in the church. Among the former GOP presidential hopefuls, who attended were Alan Keyes, Gary Bauer, and former senator George Allen of Virginia.

*

Republican leaders in Washington said congressional voting kept senators and House members from making the three-hour drive to Lynchburg.

*

Tim Goegiein, the president's liaison to religious conservatives, was not listed in the program but spoke briefly. He called Falwell "a great friend of this administration. A force of nature." He said that in a conversation a month ago, the minister was thankful for being able to train "a new generation" of Christian conservatives, many of whom now work in the Bush administration.

*

Joleen Sharp, 19, a Liberty senior who hopes to attend its law school, said, she expected Falwell's legacy to be felt for years. "There are professionals going in all areas who, once they graduate, are going to be very influntia," she said, holding a Bible.

*

Many at the funeral recalled an approachable, good-humored pastor, not a lightning rod on issues like abortion and gay rights.

*

"Those who did not know him or didn't go to his church didn't know the real Dr. Falwell," said Sabrina Ugron, 36, a Lyncbhurg computer technician who was married by Falwell, who also married her parents. "The real Dr. Falwell was personable, caring, loving, generous, dedicated and a lot of fun. He was funny."

*

Gary Thompson, 43, of Rustburg, VA met Falwell only a couple of times since joining the church in 2000, but he took a vacation day from his heating and air conditioning job to attend the funeral. He said he will always remember "his charism, his unwavering principles on the Bible and sticking up for the truth of God's word."

*

If elected officials were in short supply for the man who shephered Christians to the polls, the funeral presented a who's who of evangelicals.

*

At the end of the 9- minute service, 10 pallbearers wheeled Falwell's black, gold-trimmed coffin to a hearse. The procession passed by a giant "LU" carved atop the mountain Falwell rechristened for his university and took him to a private burial on the grounds of his Christian campus.

• I typed this from the USA newspaper. I could hardly keep my emotions while typing this. Say what you will about Jerry Falwell, but if its not good, do not talk to me about it. I will not address what you didn't like about him, or about what he did in this life.

• Charity and I and my mom (Pauline Whisnant) and sister Ellen and her son sat down with him and his wife for dinner April 15, 2007 at O'Charlie's and he and Macel were two gracious, loving, people we have been around in some time. The above article was well and correctly written.

Charles E Whisnant,

DR. JERRY FALWELL AND DR. JOHN MacARTHUR, JR

Today was the Funeral of Jerry Falwell

I have been in a dialog with Jim over at OldTruth.Com about the Church Growth Movement and the Megachurch methods of doing ministry.

Jim writes:
"As far as TRBC is concerned, I don't want to argue this out on the heels of Jerry Falwell's death. He truly was a good defender of the Gospel on TV, as I acknowledged in an earlier post. But in the end there is only so far I can go in giving a man accolades who essentially defined such men to be heretics as Spurgeon, Edwards, Whitefield, the Puritans, and the founders of the SBC. Charles, those are *your* beliefs that he spoke of as being a heresy as well, and I think if you were as aggressive in fighting wrong ideas from TRBC as you have been in your objections here on Old Truth over the past several weeks, you would come across as being more consistent. Some of your points on large churches are valid, but I think TRBC is far from being a good model for us." Jim at Old Truth

What would I consider the wrong ideas from TRBC?

I really am trying to make a rather serious point without being ungracious or obstinate.
I have no objections with the discussions on Old Truth.

Every church is viewed by another group of churches as been "heretics" and teaching heresy. I have to defend all the time John MacArthur’s position on "the blood of Christ."

I listen to preachers often about how he is wrong on "Lordship Salvation," and his position on Revelation. Even the other day someone said he holds one position on music and then allows it in the Youth ministry. Of course, he has never called a group of people "heretics" for believing in the Reformed Covenant Positions. I personally hold to the positions that John MacArthur holds, thus I don’t think he is a heretic.

With that said, you might say, "How can you mention TRBC and Grace Community Church in the same breath?" Do they have anything in common with each other that would make them look like they are alike?

John MacArthur said at the Shepherd’s Conference in 2007 "Every Reformed Calvinist should not be a Amillennialist" He further asserted that, of all people, Calvinists should be the most enthusiastic about premillennialism. And Jerry Falwell said, those who believe in Calvinism are teaching heresy. And he said we do not teach that here at Liberty, but I know too many people at Liberty and teachers at Liberty who do believe and teach the doctrine of grace.

Both John and Jerry preached on the danger of the Emerging Church Movement.

Both have Sunday School, both have only a Sunday Morning Worship Service ( not Saturday night), both have Sunday Evening Service. Both do not have the Lord’s Supper every Sunday. Both are on TV and Radio. Both agree on Israel and the Revelation. Both have the same position on the Bible.

Everywhere they go to speak they have men who travel with them, maybe not body guards but they make sure they are protected. They both have a College/University.

Now with all that said, would I rather go to Grace or TRBC? Would I rather hear John or Jerry preach? Would I rather send my students to Liberty or the Master’s College? I am glad there are more than two choices. Would I pattern my ministry after Jerry’s or John’s? Do I like Eldership over Congregational Rule, or Pastor/Deacon Rule? Do I teach regeneration before faith, or faith before regeneration?

Is a church not biblical if they do not have Eldership Policy? Is a church biblically wrong if the pastor does not preach expositionally? Is a church biblically wrong if the pastor gives a open invitation to come to Christ? Is a pastor wrong if he has a body guard? (Jack Hyles had one every time he was in the church). Is the church wrong if they don’t have the Lord’s Supper every Sunday. What if the pastor does not teach out of the KJV? And what if the church allows Southern Gospel Singers to sing on Sunday, is that biblically wrong? Do I prefer one over the other? Very much so. Do I think both are wrong, no?

John or Jerry don’t cuss when they preach. They don’t drink beer when they go out to eat. When they preach they always wear a suit and a tie. They both believe in the total authority of Scripture.

One is a Fundamentalist and the other is Evangelical. Would I do all that either one does?
In the first place, I couldn’t attempt to do what the Lord has allowed them to do.

Who is to say that there are more unbelievers in one of their churches. My wife said, "Charles, the way you teach about salvation, do you believe any member of our church is really born again?" How many in our churches have made decisions for Christ and are really superficial Christians? Spurgeon was afraid a lot of those were in the Tabernacle.

Could I mention in the same breath Dan Kimbell and Perry Noble with John Piper and Mark Dever? Don’t ask Phil Johnson that question.

My wife said, "Charles, you find fault with something in about every church you attend, is there any church you really like? Charles


Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant May 22, 2007 The Funeral of Jerry Fallwell Today at Lynchburg VA

MY GOOD FRIEND ALL MY LIFE DR. JERRY FALWELL HAS DIED AT THE AGE OF 73 IN LYNCHBURG VIRGINIA.

May 15th 2007

Charity and I and my mother and sister Ellen and and her son Stephen just had dinner with Jerry and his lovely wife on my mothers 85th birthday on April 15, 2007

Charles

I will post again on Friday. Time to reflect upon the lost of our good friend. We are praying and thinking about the Falwell family. Mrs. Falwell and the children and their family and grandchildren.

Jerry was given 50 years of ministry at Thomas Road Baptist Church, that was a real blessing. He started and died the same, working for the Lord. Every day and every moment he serviced the Lord. The Lord used Jerry to provide the encouragement for me to serve the Lord with all my ability.

LYNCBURG, MOM, MY SISTER ELLEN AND HER SON STEPHEN

Charity and I make our annual trip to see mom each year in Texas. This year though, mom wanted to go to Lynchburg, Virginia, for her 85th birthday. My sister Ellen was going to take her son Stephen to visit Liberty University so this was going to be a good time to go to Lynchburg. With mom being 85 years old, the trip was going to be a challenge. To our surprise, mom was rather spry, considering the wear and tear this trip took on everyone.

My sister held up very well under all the stress of this trip, and Stephen provided the necessary help to mom and Ellen as well. The exhaustion has been real for sure. Mom did so well, but I have not talked with them since they went back to Texas.

This trip to Lynchburg was about mom. We would have been happy and overjoyed just to see mom and Ellen and Stephen. Mom was the reason for the season. April 15th . She has been the rock of our family. She has remained true to her faith in Christ. She has remained strong in her resolve. She has battled several major illness and yet she has come through very well. When my dad died in 1966, she resolved to continue in her love for the Lord and her family. When we were falling apart in our lives at times, mom would step in and provide the necessary love to bring us back together. More than once one of her children was back home for a while until we got back on our feet. Mom’s will do that you know. This is for another article and another day.

Our trip was great. Charity again was able see the West Virginia Turnpike. And then we got into Virginia. From I-65 we took Route 501. It was 37 miles to Lynchburg. If you had a straight road the distance would have been four miles, I believe. (Ha) Blue Ridge Mountain roads are turning and twisting and climbing for sure. We were glad we had day light so we could see the mountains and valleys below. (Way below!)

JERRY FALWELL'S MESSAGE ON THE EMERGENT CHURCH MOVEMENT

I had a few probing questions for Jerry. He spoke on the Emergent Church movement. (A most informative lesson. He has sat down and talked with the founding preachers of this movement.) I asked how he is continuing to reach new people after fifty years of ministry in Lynchburg, and yet has not compromised his biblical position. I inquired how Liberty University is still reaching new young people in today’s cultural climate. I asked how he has been able to see growth in the University not only in number but in quality of education. Stephen asked how he was able to see the sport’s program go Division 1. The Debate Team at Liberty accomplished something no other University has ever done. They won first place in all three major debate contests. How did they do that? Great! I looked at their new church facilities, 6,000 seat auditorium, filled four times on Sunday. (This is not counting Liberty Students who have their own services) I looked carefully how the building was designed. The foyer of the church, amazing. Beautiful. People didn’t mind staying after the services to fellowship. How does this happen I asked? Two hundred people in the choir who don’t drink beer, or smoke, but live godly Christian lives. How does that happen? A praise team that are in love with the Lord. How? How have you been in Lynchburg for 50 years and you still have a desire to see much more accomplished before you die? How do you still preach out of the KJV? How do you have the music that youth will listen to, yet you don’t personally like it? How has he been able to attract some of the best Christian teachers and coaches in the nations? The church and school have 3500 employees.

I didn't want to get into a lot of things with Jerry at O'Charlie of dinner. Charity and I were happy to be eating with Jerry and Macel.

And while I was asking question, I asked another five or six people on staff their opinion about the ministry. I asked ushers questions.

I asked Mae Arrington who sings in the choir if Jerry was correct about the choir? She said they all love singing, and loved the Lord. She has known Jerry and Macel most of her life, and she said he and Macel are as real a Christian as you will ever want to know.

I talked to the sound tech director, he said, "We designed the building around the sound system. There was not a limit as to cost. And Jerry said, do it right."

I asked, "Jerry how is it that so many churches and pastors are failing to reach people for Christ, and so many of their members are leaving the church?’

Then I asked him, "How is it that you drive your own car with your wife?" I didn’t ask him but I thought it: "How is it that you have sat with Presidents of the U.S. often, and yet today you and your wife are sitting here at O’Charleys eating with my sister, her son, my mother, and Charity and me, for over an hour?" And at no time did I feel uncomfortable.

In both Macel and Jerry Falwell, there was true humility. A very unique quality for those who are in their position.

I must say Charity and I have never been so well treated.

When I recover from this trip and the emotions of Virginia Tech, I am going to take an attempt to put this experience is perspective and post the article on GROW BY LEARNING. And that is how you learn.


Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant April 18, 2007 Proof Checked by Charity April 19th 2007