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BOB LARSON'S PUBLIC IMAGE DOESN'T SQUARE WITH REALITY, SAYS WORLD

DENVER, Colo. (EP) -- Radio evangelist Bob Larson is known as a
courageous battler of evil who takes on the forces of Satan each
day on his syndicated radio program. But according to an
investigation published in World magazine, an evangelical
newsweekly, the behind- the-scenes Bob Larson is a different
story.

Relying on court documents and sources from Bob Larson Ministries
(BLM), the World article by Jay Grelen and Doug LeBlanc paint a
picture of a high-living man who is concerned with donations, not
with helping hurting people.

Much of World's financial information about Larson came from
records filed during his 1991 divorce from Kathryn, his wife of 23
years.  An affidavit of his financial affairs filed with the court
showed that Larson reported $403,310 in income for 1990.

The court records also showed that Larson donates $1,339 per month
to charities -- roughly four percent of his reported income.

At the time of the divorce, the Larsons owned five pieces of real
estate worth $539,200, plus $4,000 worth of porcelain, $13,000 in
ivory, $8,000 in crystal and china, nearly $8,000 in carvings,
$6,575 in jewelry, $3,000 in paintings, more than $4,000 in rugs,
and $8,000 in taxidermy.

At the time of the divorce, the marital assets of the Larsons'
were valued at $1.4 million.

In 1991, Bob Larson Ministries provided its namesake an expense
account of $76,300 -- an amount World notes is more than Billy
Graham's salary.

Even more troubling than Larson's personal wealth are former
employee's tales of the obsession with finances in the ministry.

World spoke with Charlene Erickson, who worked in BLM's donor
services before resigning last August. She said that callers who
dialed the ministry's toll-free "Communicator Club" line were told
to call the "Compassion Connection's Hope Line," a toll-call to a
line that is open only 20 hours a week. "We weren't allowed to
talk to them, because it was an 800 line," she said. "We would be
reprimanded if we were caught counseling. It cost the ministry
money."

Erickson and other former operators told World that on more than
one occasion, supervisors who felt an operator was taking too long
with a call would insist that the ministry employee hang up on the
distraught caller. "I hated that part of the job, hanging up on
someone who was suicidal," Erickson said.

A former BLM employee said the ministry had made an "art form" out
of raising money. A computer screen keeps Larson up-to-date on
donation while he's on the air, and on slow days Larson instructs
operators to contact income-generating victims from previous
shows. More than once, according to World, Larson then told his
audience that God prompted the person to call.

World also reported that Larson lied about giving up the "medical
profession to enter the ministry" -- according to Larson's college
records he dropped out after about two years, and never enrolled
in medical school.

Larson refused to be interviewed by World for their article. But a
statement he released said he was the victim of "an incredibly
vicious attack" directed by a local atheist. Larson called World's
investigation "a vicious article quoting disgruntled and
discharged ex-employees who have invented stories and lies."

Larson added, "Their false allegations are so numerous and
ridiculous they do not warrant a serious response."

NChristians Criticizing Christians: Can It Be Biblical?@
NBy Bob and Gretchen Passantino@

Mike Warnke, whose lucractive career careened through four
marriages and more than one affair, says God will judge
"Cornerstone" magazine for printing a report disproving his
ex-satanic high priest "testimony" and exposing his moral lapses.

Healing movement televangelist Benny Hinn says that god will
attack CRI president Hank Hanegraaff and his family because he
criticizes Hinn and his Faith movement colleagues.

Lauren Stratford's supporters charge Bob and Gretchen Passantino
as agents of Satan because we published evidence that Stratford's
best-selling testimony of satanic ritual abuse was false.

When it comes to Christian criticizing Christians, the battle
lines are drawn.  But are the lines biblical?  It is wrong to
publicly evaluate the teachings of a Christian pastor, expose the
immorality of a Christian leaders, or tell the truth about a
popular Christian media figure?

Evangelicals warn people about the false teachings and practices
of the cults, which claim compatibility with Christianity and yet
deny cardinal Christian doctrine.  Our standard is truth and our
judge is Scripture.  Yet when apologists turn to false teachings
within the Christian church, some evangelicals apply a different
standard.  Frequently heard objections include, "Jesus said it's
wrong to judge," and "Criticism is unloving and divisive."

Christians who voice these protests fail their own test - they
criticize and judge other Christians for criticizing and judging
other Christians.  Furthermore, these critics fail to understand
that without such scrutiny, Christians are misled into heresy and
duped by those whose public ministries promote false teachings
and/or hide private immoral behavior.  Careful, biblical criticism
expressed true Christians love and affords essential safeguards to
faith.

Good discernment and moral accountability should be practiced
among believers.  The Old Testament established this pattern.
Instructions concerning false prophets in Deuteronomy 13:1-5
assume the prophet arises from the congregation of Israel.  People
are admonished to banish idolatry from their families: "If your
very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love,
or your closest friend..." (v.6).  Deuteronomy 13 instructs the
Israelites how to practice good discernment within their
communities: "You must inquire, probe and investigate it
thoroughly."   If the community is idolatrous, it must be dealt
with publicly (v.14).  Psalm 50:18 states that one who sees a
crime and doesn't report it has moral culpability.

The New Testament continues the theme of good discernment within
the believing community, most notably when the Bereans test Paul's
teachings (Acts 17:11) and the Thessalonians are commanded to test
all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22).  Judgment is not excluded,
but unrighteous judgment is.  Jesus declared, "Stop judging by
mere appearances, and make a right judgment." (John 7:24).

Jesus expelled the money changers from the temple, denounced the
Pharisees and scribes, and rebuked the teachers of the law.  He
reprimanded Peter in front of the other disciples (Matthew
16:22-23).  Paul followed Jesus' example, naming false teachers in
the church (2 Timothy 2:14-19) and openly criticizing Peter
(Galatians 2:11,14).

When immorality occurs in the church (Titus 1:15-16), the Bible
says to deal with it truthfully and constructively.  The procedure
for public leaders caught in false teaching or immorality is for
them to be rebuked publicly "so that the others may take warning"
(1 Timothy 5:20).  A congregation member who sins privately
against another Christian is not to be exposed publicly unless he
(or she) persists in sin, in which case he is to be rebuked before
the church and we are to "treat him as you would a pagan or tax
collector" (Matthew 18:15-17).  Paul followed this procedure
concerning the Christian who persisted in sexual immorality (1
Corinthians 5:3-12), and affirmed that judgment belongs to the
church.

Christian leaders are accountable to God's people, whom the
leaders serve, and should be "above reproach,"  "respectable," and
"able to teach" (1 Timothy 3:2).  A Christian leader who is a
false teacher or immoral should be rebuked to encourage reform
(Titus 1:13), and cannot separate his ministry from his life,
expecting God to bless his preaching while privately he sins; he
is "disqualified for every good work" (vv. 15-16).

Telling the truth about false teaching or immorality in the church
corresponds with the ethisc and truth which are to characterize
the church.  The church is the "salt of the earth" and "the light
of the world" (Matthew 5:13-14) only if characterized by
truthfulness (v.11) and righteousness (v.16).

The Christian leader has an obligation to "hold firmly the
trustworthy message as it has been taugh, so that he can encourage
others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it" (Titus
1:9).  No Christian is happy when false teaching or immorality
arises, but we cannot neglect responsibility for doctrinal and
moral accountability.

Christians sometimes are uncomfortable with criticism within the
church because they assume that public criticism, since it is
painful, is also destructive.  On the contrary, the "pain" of
biblically conducted confrontation produces individual growth (1
Timothy 4:16), encourages others to Christian maturity (1 Timothy
5:19-20), promotes church strength  (Ephesians 4:15), and
preserves the church's reputation in the world (1 Peter 2:12).