Dr. Robert Sumner passed away in December 2016. The Biblical Evangelist newspaper is no longer being published and the ministry of Biblical Evangelism has ceased operation.

The remaining inventory of his books and gospel tracts was transferred to The Baptist Tabernacle of Los Angeles and may be ordered here.

Incidents and Illustrations (Part 1 of 2)
Evangelist Robert L. Sumner

WHAT IS THE GREATEST THING ABOUT PARIS? Why, the Eiffel Tower, of course; people come from all over the world to see it. Did you know that when it was announced and building had begun (420 meters long, 43 meters high, with an open span of 115 meters), some of France’s leading artistic lights vigorously opposed it? They wrote, signed and sent a letter to the ‘Committee of Three Hundred,’ complaining:

We come, writers, painters, sculptors, architects, passionate lovers of the beauty, until now intact, of Paris, to protest with all our force, with all our indignation, in the name of unappreciated French taste, in the name of menaced French art and history, against the erection, in the very heart of our capital, of the useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower, which public hostility, often endowed with good sense and a spirit of justice, has already baptized the “Tower of Babel.”

After listing several objections, the esteemed writers concluded:

And lastly, when foreigners come to visit our Exposition, they will cry, astonished: ‘What! Is this horror what the French have found to give us an idea of their much-vaunted taste?’ And they will have reason to ridicule us, because the Paris of Gothic sublimity, the Paris of Jean Goujon, of Germain Pilon, of Puget, of Rude, of Barye, etc., will have become the Paris of Monsieur Eiffel.

The exact opposite happened, of course.

Built in 1889 to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the French Revolution, for over 40 years it was the tallest structure in the world – replaced by Manhattan’s Chrysler Building in 1930 (319 meters; still the tallest brick building in the world), and the latter less than a year later by the Empire State Building in 1949 (381 meters). Today’s record holder is the Burj Dubal (800 meters).

Intended to last only 20 years, it stands today, well over a century later, to welcome 7,000,000 visitors (mostly foreign) annually – with a record of well over 250 million since it opened.

Well, the critics have been wrong before and, mark my word, they’ll be wrong again!

THIS IS INCREDIBLE! Susan Chapman teaches math at the Grace Academy in Prosper (TX). She had her lads and lassies make Christmas cards for area wounded veterans convalescing at the Veterans Hospital. Ready for the personal hand-delivery by the kids, she called the hospital to make the final arrangements … and you won’t believe what she was told!

As she described it to the Dallas-Fort Worth Fox television, “I told him my students made cards, we’d like to bring them down for the veterans,” and the reply she heard through her handset was, “That’s great. We’re thrilled to have them, except the only thing is: we can’t accept anything that says ‘Merry Christmas,’ or ‘God bless you,’ or any scriptural references, because of all the red tape.”

You can’t give a Christmas card at Christmas to a veteran if it says ‘Merry Christmas’? You can’t say ‘God bless you’ at the season of the Son of God’s birth? You can’t use a scriptural reference for a scriptural occasion? To what in the world has the United States government degenerated? As someone named Sasser, perhaps with the station, put it, “Targeting the benevolent work of little children for censorship is disgusting … Do the Grinches in the administration of the VA really believe our bravest warriors need protection from the heartfelt well wishes of small children saying ‘Merry Christmas’?”

I would say it is more than disgusting!

AH, A BEAUTY WITH BRAINS! Megan Lynn Young is 23 years old and recently won the 2013 Miss World Pageant in Bali, Indonesia. Megan was born in Virginia to a Philippine mother and an American father, but now lives in The Republic of the Philippines and was a representative of that country in the contest.

In an interview with the Philippines ANC Headstart, she responded to a question about that country’s controversial reproductive law (RH) by saying, “I’m pro-life and if it means killing someone that’s already there, then I’m against that, of course. I’m against abortion.”

Asked about contraception, she responded, “I don’t engage in stuff like that as of now. I think that’s – uh, sex is for marriage. That’s my belief. So, when it comes to the RH bill, as long as my beliefs are no abortion; it should be with your partner for life. Then that’s my stand.”

Regarding divorce she bluntly stated, “Divorce. I’m actually against divorce, because I’ve seen, of course, that in my family. So I think that if you marry someone, that should be the person you should be with forever, through sickness and health, through good and bad, you should be with that person.”

She answered a question, “Now, a woman as gorgeous as yourself, how do you say no to sex?” She smilingly replied, “You just say no. If they try to push you, then you step away because you know that that person doesn’t value you, doesn’t value the relationship as much – and if the guy is willing, you know, to sacrifice that, then that [tells you] a lot.”

Amen, Miss World, Amen!

THE DAY THE ENTIRE UNION HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM WAS BENCHED! I mean, the whole kit and caboodle! What was wrong? Did they all get drunk; did they gang rape one of the cheerleaders; or did they hold up the First National Bank? No; none of the above.

According to Coach Matt Labrum of the school in Roosevelt (UT), it was the result of “bad attitudes toward teachers, skipping classes, failing grades, and a serious allegation of cyberbullying.” So he called the team together one night after practice for a lengthy session and when it ended he told all of them (a total of 80) to turn in their jerseys. He said ‘enough already.’ The suspension followed a loss the previous week to Judge Memorial Catholic High School.

After a few ‘first rumblings’ by parents, they stood by the coach.

The fiery coach told his boys they could get their jerseys back if they were men enough to earn the right  to wear them by jumping through some hoops he outlined, including extensive community service. Believe it or not, the lads leaped at the chance. And, as one parent expressed it, “That’s not so bad … I support it. These boys are not going to be hurt by this. It’s a good life lesson … It’s not a punishment. I see it as an opportunity to do some good in the community.” Another father, after meeting with the coach, said: “He’s got my support. I’m encouraging my boy to stand strong, to stand with the team and get through it … If there is not unity with me and the coach, then I become part of the problem.”

Even Roosevelt’s school administrators backed the coach. As High School Principal Rick Nielsen put it: “As I thought about it, I’ve got 100 percent confidence in our (coaching) staff …They are just excellent men. Sometimes we do think we’re bigger than the game.”

Labrum, a Roosevelt alum and former player, said, “We felt like everything was going in a direction that we didn’t want our young men going …We felt like we needed to make a stand.”

And so they did!

Did it work? A few days after the suspension, all but nine of the 41 varsity players had ‘earned’ their way back on this team with a 3-2 season at that juncture and were ready for the big Homecoming game the following Friday. Oh, yes, the lads also elected new captains for the rest of the season.

As senior running back Gavin Nielsen put it, “I still have the love for it and everything, but it helped me realize, it’s not all about football.”

Perhaps a few other high school coaches across the fruited plains should ‘go thou and do likewise!’ After all, high school athletics is primarily about character building, not winning games, isn’t it? Or have they been lying to us all these years?

WHAT A KNOCK OUT! The new game for thugs and punks is called ‘Knock Out.’ The idea is to sneak up on some innocent person’s blind side, then ‘sucker punch’ him (or her), where the victim can’t see it coming.

The day after Beulah Montgomery had a big birthday party (leaving the fifties and hitting the big 6-0 is a huge event in any life), she was approached by seven young punks – these kiddy jerks would never want a one-on-one affair, even with a woman (too risky); and it must be ‘blind side’ of course. It seems they wanted to play Knock Out with this ‘old woman.’

One of them hit her with his roundhouse and another was fixing to do the same when Beulah reached into her purse, pulled out her gun, and fired five times. Two of the hoodlums dropped dead (we are sorry she missed the other five).

It seems Beulah had been mugged earlier and felt one robbery was enough, so she bought a gun and got a permit to carry it. Smart lady!

In describing the latest event she said that after being hit, “All I could feel was pain and I said to myself I had made it to 60 and I wanted to at least see 61. Then I started praying and I asked the Lord to guide my hands.” She added, “It’s a shame you can’t walk through your own neighborhood where you are supposed to feel safe without being assaulted and mistreated.  I purchased the gun hoping I would never have to use it, but I’m glad to still be in the land of the living.”

So far, it seems that all the Knock Out victims have been white and all the attackers black, so don’t expect to see Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton getting involved – unless it is to start a petition to put Beulah in the electric chair! Oh, did we mention, Beulah is a member of her neighborhood watch!

THE N. Y. DAILY NEWS CALLED HIM ‘WEALTHY BRAT!’ And that is probably how most people saw the story.

We refer to 16-year-old Ethan Couch of Newport Beach (CA) who, last summer, got pie-eyed out of his gourd on alcohol, climbed into his rich kid’s car, drove ‘blacked-out drunk’ 70 mph down a rural road in Texas, hit another car head-on, and killed its four occupants (a wreck described by first responders as “violent and gory as a plane crash”). So did Ethan get the three years in juvenile detention and 17 years in an adult prison for his crime, as any other teen would have received?

Not exactly! You see Ethan’s folks have the big bucks needed to hire a high-powered team of attorneys and a fancy psychologist who came up with the usual ‘this poor kid was raised in a dysfunctional family, was neglected, had a horrible home life, was ignored by mother and father – so give him a break.’ Really! The defense was that he and his family were too wealthy for him to be responsible since he had never had to face accountability in his entire sixteen years of life.

According to Jacquielynn Floyd, writing in the Dallas Morning News ­– not from whom I got the story, but obtained the details – this was apparently standard fare for Ethan. She reported, “It wasn’t the first screw-up for this model young citizen. According to trial testimony, he has been arrested on other alcohol-related charges. At one point, he was caught with an under-aged girl, undressed and passed out, in his car.”

At any rate, thanks to his family’s big bucks and a feminist juvenile judge – State District Judge Jean Boyd, who is fortunately hanging up her black robe when her current terms expires in 2014 – he was sentenced to (are you ready for this?) probation! As that Daily News article put it: “[The] spoiled Texas teen … dodged prison and was sentenced to probation instead after defense lawyers argued his wealthy parents never taught him right from wrong.”

In this case, we think it would be fitting to go back to the days of ‘the rack!’ What do you say?

WHAT TO DO IF YOU DON’T HAVE REALITY! They had quite a Sunday service in Los Angeles the other day. The Associated Press release about it noted in its opening: “It looked like a typical Sunday morning at any mega-church. Hundreds packed in for more than an hour of rousing music, an inspirational sermon, a reading and some quiet reflection. The only thing missing was God.”

God was missing? Yes, this was a service – imitating action in England – of atheists to mimic Christian worship. For examples, instead of ‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,’ the unbelievers sang such secular hits as ‘Lean on Me,’ and ‘Here Comes the Sun.’ It was started by a couple of comedians – Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans – the latter are now in the States and Australia trying to raise $800,000 to get the movement off the ground (and doing it in 40 days and 40 nights, mimicking the biblical time of prayer and fasting). The atheists have as their motto, “Live Better, Help Often, Wonder More.”

Jones says he got the idea while leaving a Christian Christmas carol concert. The movement appeals to those who miss the camaraderie of church but didn’t like the Bible preaching. In short, it is an imitation ‘fake’ church. One atheist, Michael Luciano, doesn’t much care for the fake, saying, "The idea that you're building an entire organization based on what you don't believe, to me, sounds like an offense against sensibility." He added, “There's something not OK with appropriating all of this religious language, imagery and ritual for atheism." It does seem weird, doesn’t it?

Actually, even atheists feel a need to worship. It is innate in the bosom of all men. God placed it there!  

PELOSI SHOULD FISH OR CUT BAIT (RELIGIOUSLY)! A top Roman Catholic official, Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, publicly stated that prominent Congressional leader Nancy Pelosi should be denied communion in the Mass because of her support of abortion. He was especially upset when Mrs. Pelosi publicly refused to comment on the wicked and evil killer of the unborn (and born), Kermit Gosnell, instead merely saying “as a practicing and respectful Catholic, this is sacred ground” for her.

The Cardinal, who as the prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican’s highest judicial authority, rebutted, “To say that these are simply questions of Catholic faith which have no part in politics is just false and wrong.” He added, “This is a person who obstinately, after repeated admonitions, persists in a grave sin – cooperating with the crime of procured abortion. For Catholic institutions or individuals to give recognition to such persons, to honor them in any way, is a source of grave scandal for which they are responsible … In a certain way, they contribute to the sinfulness of the individuals involved.”

The Cardinal Burke, who prior to his appointment to his high post was Archbishop of St. Louis, said he feared for Pelosi, “if she does not come to understand how gravely in error she is,” and called on her to look to St. Thomas More as inspiration. More, who fought the Protestant Reformation (especially the ministry of Martin Luther) was a member of Parliament beginning in 1504 and staunchly stood with the pope when Henry VIII rebelled and launched his Church of England, even though More had been Henry’s secretary and personal advisor. More was eventually executed for opposing that action, along with Henry’s wicked marital actions. His head was lopped off by the king on August 13, 1523. (The Romanists have a Thomas More Roman Catholic Church within blocks of the editor’s residence.)

POOR JOEL; NOT THE PROPHET, BUT OSTEEN, THAT IS! He has now decided, he reported in an interview with the Huntington Post, that God is happy with Sodomites. Further, he enthused, he doesn’t preach against that sin because he doesn’t want to tell folks that they are sinners (his words, “what they’re doing is wrong”).

It was all part of Joel’s interview with Josh Zepps while promoting his new book, Break Out: 5 Keys to Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life.

Osteen also told Josh: “I believe that God’s breathed His life into every person. We’re all on a journey. Nobody’s perfect.” With such a ‘good Lord, good Devil’ philosophy, what is the point of preaching? Why not just have a big party and dance every week, with Sunday dinner on the grounds to follow?

TRYING TO DESTROY A GOOD COMPANY! Why would folks want to fight (and seek to annihilate) Chick-fil-A? Founded in Georgia by Truett Cathy in 1946, it currently employs approximately 50,000 workers at 1,500 outlets in almost 40 states and the District of Columbia. It generates in excess of $2 billion in revenue annually.

So why do its critics, who sneeringly refer to its food as ‘Jesus chicken,’ want to destroy it? Apparently because it is owned and operated by born-again Christians who have high morals and high ideals based upon the Word of God. That means it believes in biblical family values and, ipso facto, that makes it the enemy and target of the politically correct and others of the wild, wild left whose values are more than slightly below mud level. Its official company mission is to ‘glorify God’ and ‘enrich the lives of everyone we touch.’

As a result, its WinShape Foundation supports educational scholarships for employees, foster care, marriage enrichment programs, and summer camps. And to add insult in the eyes of critics, all its outlets are closed tight as a drum on Sundays to enable employees to attend the church of their choice and observe a weekly day of rest.

According to Baptist Press, a major fax paus in the eyes of its critics was donating sandwiches and brownies to participants of a marriage seminar promoting biblical marriage in Pennsylvania. One of the Jones boys, Michael, who humbly describes himself as working “in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School," actually launched a petition online ‘demanding’ (not requesting or suggesting) that the company disavow ‘extreme anti-gay groups.’ We can’t say whether he owns stock in MacDonald’s, Wendy’s or Burger King.

The once powerful but mostly discredited today New York Times got into the battle with openly Sodomite Kim Severson – she has worked at the Times for nearly a decade, following a half-dozen years at the San Francisco Chronicle and seven years at the Anchorage Daily Times – writing a slam in its Sunday magazine section falsely calling Chick-fil-A ‘anti-gay’ and accusing it of ‘evangelical Christianity's muscle flexing.’ Sister Severson, by the way, is a former vice president of the “identity politics-mongering National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association.” She admits, “I don’t want the crumbs. I want the whole cake," for her sodomy position.

As BP noted, Chick’s critics are “gloating over [its] public relations troubles exacerbated by the nation's politicized paper of record. This is not because they care about winning hearts and minds over gay rights or marriage policy, but because their core objective is to marginalize political opponents and chill Christian philanthropy and activism. The fearsome ‘muscle flexing’ isn't being done by innocent job-creators selling chicken sandwiches and waffle fries. It's being done by the hysterical bullies trying to drive them off of college grounds and out of their neighborhoods in the name of ‘human rights.’"

’Tis a pity!