Author Archives: Marsha West

About Marsha West

Marsha West is the owner and managing editor of Christian Research Network, Apprising Ministries (the late Ken Silva’s blog) and On Solid Rock Resources. She is also co-founder of Berean Research. For two decades Marsha was the owner and managing editor of Email Brigade website as well as the EMB News Report, a bi-weekly email report for conservative people of faith. For many years Marsha was a regular contributor to several blogs including CRN, RenewAmerica, News With Views and Web Commantary as well as popular websites she no longer endorses: American Family Association, Worldview Weekend, Stand Up For The Truth, The Christian Post and Christian Headlines. Although Marsha still blogs, her primary focus is CRN. Marsha also writes Research Papers (White Papers) on various topics that are published on CRN, Berean Research and On Solid Rock Resources. Visit Marsha’s other sites: On Solid Rock Resources https://www.onsolidrockresources.com/ Apprising Ministries http://apprising.org Marsha’s RenewAmerica Column http://renewamerica.com/columns/mwest Marsha’s Facebook Page http://facebook.com/marsha.west.77

Jen Hatmaker Says ‘LGBTQ Christians’ Preach in Her Church, Calls For Mass Exodus of Conservative Denoms

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , , , ,

“Hatmaker conflates freedom in Christ with freedom to sin. Her version of “freedom” is actually a bondage to sin — an inability to escape sin and its consequences — and she inflicts this eternal damnation upon those who need to be set free.”

(Jeff Maples – Reformation Charlotte)  Jen Hatmaker, who first publicly renounced Christianity in an interview with Jonathan Merritt — a gay activist and son of former Southern Baptist Convention president, James Merritt — and says she first questioned Evangelical Christianity because gay people couldn’t have sex with each other, is now calling for a mass exodus from conservative, biblical denominations. Continue reading →

Why Joe Biden can do no wrong

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , ,

“Critics have expressed disgust at Trump saying that he could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot someone and would not lose any voters. Yet they now afford Biden the same immunity even if he starts snacking on boiled babies.” 

(Jonathan Turley – The Hill)   One columnist declared that Joe Biden could boil babies but she would still vote for him. Feminist leaders said they believe he raped a Senate staffer but they still endorse him…. Continue reading →

Democrats ‘Dreading’ Election Scenario Predicted By Obama’s Top Economist: ‘Best’ U.S. ‘Economic Data’ In History About To Happen

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Larry Kudlow, the head of the White House National Economic Council, told Politico that he “totally agree[s]” with the analysis that Furman presented to political officials last month, adding, “Q3 may be the single best GDP quarter since regular data. 2nd half super big growth, transitioning to 4% or more in 2021.”

(Ryan Saavedra – Daily Wire)  Democrats are reportedly panicking over an election scenario prediction by Harvard professor Jason Furman, a top economist in the Obama administration, who said last month that the United States is about to the see the “best economic data” in its history. Continue reading →

A short guide to justifying re-lockdown: Or why the media is so desperate to turn good COVID-19 news into bad

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , ,

“Expect the following additional strategies this summer, besides the creative massaging of good tidings into bad.”

(Heather Mac Donald – American Spectator)  Fear is gripping the American public health and media establishments: they are losing control. States are belatedly (and far too tentatively) easing their coronavirus lockdowns, many without having met the absurd CDC benchmarks for doing so. Customers are joyfully returning to previously shuttered restaurants and parks, some even discarding that symbol of subjugation: the outdoor mask. Continue reading →

Todd White Given Copy of ‘American Gospel’ Movie: Calls it ‘Demonically Inspired’

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , , ,

“And to no one’s surprise, the enigmatic enabler Dr. Michael Brown himself lauds heaps of praise on Todd White, taking a photo with him and marveling that he has “a wonderful heart for the Lord” despite ALL EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY.”

(Dustin Germain – PNP)  A video made the rounds late last night which features arch-heretic Todd White reacting – less than positively – at finding out he was featured in the American Gospel movie. The film was given to him by a friend, who was hoping he would repent of his theological chicanery, but it was not to be so. Continue reading →

Does This CDC Study Deliver the Knockout Blow in the COVID Lockdown Debate?

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“Does this CDC study deliver a death blow to those who want to stay inside until there’s a cure? Probably not, but to the wider electorate—It’s could be quite a different take, especially those running family-owned businesses who have been brutalized by this pandemic. These folks would rather risk infection than lose everything, and based on this new data set, I don’t blame them.”

(Matt Vespa – Townhall)  For weeks, the nation’s economy has been under lockdown to curb the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus. It’s contagious. That’s true, but in the span of a few days, the entire COVID narrative has virtually collapsed…. Continue reading →

The Lockdown, Evangelicals and the Afterlife: A Response to Steven Pinker

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , , , , ,

“Do evangelicals love their children and grandchildren less than atheists? Do evangelicals not do everything possible to save lives? There are evangelical hospitals and doctors serving in the poorest countries in the world. Where are the atheist hospitals?”

(Dennis Prager – Townhall)  Harvard professor of psychology Steven Pinker tweeted last week:

“Belief in an afterlife is a malignant delusion, since it devalues actual lives and discourages action that would make them longer, safer, and happier. Exhibit A: What’s really behind Republicans wanting a swift reopening? Evangelicals.” Continue reading →

Wear gloves, or wash hands to avoid coronavirus?

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(Fox News)  As state-mandated coronavirus lockdowns are slowly ending in the U.S., an important factor remains what’s the best way to prevent from catching the virus or spreading it to others — if you decide to venture out into public spaces.

The virus is currently known to spread mainly from person to person within close contact through respiratory droplets in the air, however, a March study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)…. Continue reading →

What Is Discernment?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , , ,

“Discernment functions as a key to Christian freedom. The zealous but undiscerning Christian becomes enslaved—to others, to his own uneducated conscience, to an unbiblical pattern of life. Growth in discernment sets us free from such bondage, enabling us to distinguish practices that may be helpful in some circumstances from those that are mandated in all circumstances.” 

(Sinclair Ferguson – Ligonier Ministries)  Someone I know recently expressed an opinion that surprised and in some ways disappointed me. I said to myself, “I thought he would have more discernment than that.” Continue reading →

EU: ‘End of American-led’ World and Rise of China ‘Happening Before Our Eyes’

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(Breitbart) The European Union’s top diplomat has called for the bloc to have a “more robust strategy” toward China amid signs that Asia is replacing the United States as the centre of global power.

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell told a gathering of German ambassadors on Monday that “analysts have long talked about the end of an American-led system and the arrival of an Asian century.”

“This is now happening in front of our eyes,” he said. Continue reading →

500 Doctors Tell Trump To End COVID-19 Shutdown, Warn It Will Cause More Deaths

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(Joseph Curl – Daily Wire)  On March 22, President Trump took to Twitter and typed out a message in all-caps: “WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF. AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO!”

That was more than a month ago. And while all 50 states have begun to take some steps toward reopening shuttered businesses and closed restaurants, the pace is achingly slow. Continue reading →

Is Your Congregation An Oasis Or A Mirage?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , ,

Without the pure preaching of the gospel a congregation is not an oasis. It is only a mirage, which has nothing to offer the pilgrim but more heat and sand when what the sojourner needs is relief from the heat and the water of life. This is a basic point and obvious but it bears repeating because throughout the history of the church she has often lost sight of her prime mission. In our age congregations busily make themselves attractive in a dozen different ways but forget the one thing that makes them a true church: the gospel.

(R. Scott Clark- Heidelblog)  When I was boy we made frequent pilgrimages to my grandparent’s farm in Southwestern Kansas. That is where I learned to drive, put up fence, buck bales of hay, and chew tobacco. I do not recommend the latter. On the trip, on a really hot day, a mirage would appear in the distance. The road seemed to melt ahead of us as heat waves rose from the asphalt. Continue reading →

Kids as young as 11 told to define hardcore porn for homework

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“Luckily I found the work otherwise she would have typed this stuff into Google and you know what would have come up and that makes me feel sick. I felt sick thinking she was going to go onto the computer to search it up.”

(The Christian Institute)  Parents in Hull are “disgusted” after children as young as eleven were asked to consider different types of pornography and other inappropriate topics for homework. Continue reading →

Dr. Fauci: We Can’t Stay Coronavirus Closed Without ‘Irreparable Harm’

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“While some in the capital cocktail set see Dr. Fauci as a sex symbol, he has been a panic peddler during much of this crisis. For instance, May 13, 2020: As states reopened, Dr. Fauci warned of “needless suffering and death” if states move too fast.”

(Bryan Preston – PJ Media) Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared for interviews Friday and dropped a grenade into the nation’s reopening conversation. Continue reading →

‘A Year’s Worth of Suicide Attempts in the Last Four Weeks’: California Doctor Calls for End to Lockdown

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California governor Gavin Newsom is currently putting his state through a phased reopening, with counties in the Bay Area moving slower than other parts of the state. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice warned Newsom in a letter that his state’s banning of in-person worship “facially discriminates against religious exercise.”

(Tobias Hoonhout – National Review)  The doctor in charge of a Bay Area, Calif. trauma center said the state should end its lockdown orders after an “unprecedented” spike in suicide attempts amid the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading →

Adam’s Fall and God’s Response

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men” (v. 18).  – Romans 5:12–21

Romans 5:12–21 is a key passage for understanding God’s plan of salvation, for it says that Adam “was a type of the one to come,” even Jesus Christ (v. 14). Knowing something of the consequences of Adam’s failure will therefore help us know why Christ suffered, died, and was resurrected (Mark 8:31). Continue reading →

Trump announces that houses of worship are ‘essential,’ calls on governors to open them up

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , , , , , , ,

“The announcement comes after Trump has been hearing concerns of faith leaders who are unable to hold Sunday services due to coronavirus restrictions at a time when their parishioners are grappling with the crisis. Families may be grieving the loss of loved ones from the virus or struggling with job loss but unable to seek respite in their places of worship.”

(Fox News) President Trump on Friday announced that new Centers for Disease Control guidance will classify houses of worship as “essential,” as he called on governors to allow them to open “right now” after being closed during the coronavirus lockdowns. Continue reading →

Beth Moore and double standards for Joe Biden?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , , , , , ,

“If Moore is consistent, and her allegations about the evangelical culture are true, will her apparent “disregard” of Biden’s accuser “enable” Biden’s rise?  Moore admitted that “the target of her scorn is an evangelical culture that downplays the voices and experiences of women.” But is she not contributing to the very culture to which she speaks of with her own silence as to the allegation against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden?”

(Laura Murphy – Voices)  Beth Moore, the bestselling Bible study teacher, author, and public speaker, tweeted to her 900,000 followers the above sentiments four years ago in her response to the Trump “Access Hollywood” tape.… Continue reading →

No Bailouts for Corrupt Blue States That Keep Running In the Red

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , ,

“California, for instance, has an unfunded liability of its pension system of over $1.3 trillion. When you add the nearly $500 billion in outstanding bonds, state taxpayers will ultimately have to fork over nearly $2 trillion to cover the costs, which will only increase in the coming years. At the same time, Gov. Gavin Newsom is keeping much of the economy closed and is demanding millions in federal funds be given away to illegal immigrants.”

(Bryan Preston – PJ Media)  Once in a lifetime, and sometimes not even that often, a crisis comes along that requires extreme measures. Continue reading →

End New York City’s lockdown now!

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , ,

“The Big Apple is ­dying. Its streets are empty. The bars and jazz clubs, restaurants and coffeehouses sit barren. Beloved haunts, storied rooms, perfect-slice joints are shuttered, many for good. The sweat equity of countless small-business owners is evaporating. ­Instead of getting people back to work providing for their families, our mayor talks about a fantasyland New Deal for the post-coronavirus era.”

(David Marcus – New York Post) Sometimes, a good rant is all a writer can offer. Bear with me. Continue reading →

More ‘The Bible Project’ concerns: Enneagram, Lectio Divina

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“The authors, trainers and teachers [of the Enneagram] are clear it is not a personality profile but 9 individual paths back to your “True self,” the self you actually are which never sinned and is with God already and was never separated from God. There is nothing in this which is Christian but is opposed to the essential doctrine of the Christian Faith.” 

(John Lanagan – The Word Like Fire)  Through the work of Pastors Gabe Hughes and Richard Sweatman we learned of disturbing flaws in the teaching of Tim Mackie of The Bible Project. Mackie rejects the biblical understanding of the Atonement (propitiation) and of hell.

As it turns out, there are further areas of concern. One of these was discovered by Pastor Don Veinot, one of the authors of Richard Rohr and the Enneagram Secret, a book I am now reading and will review.

In their newsletter, Don and Joy Veinot write:

As we have been looking through the new recruits to the Enneagram we find that [The Bible Project co-creators] Tim Mackie and Jon Collins have both embraced the Enneagram and appeared on Ian Cron’s “Typology” podcast, titled, “The Bible Project, feat. Tim Mackie and Jon Collins (Enneagram 5) [S02-005]”

The authors of  Richard Rohr and the Enneagram Secret note:

Unfortunately, pastors, ministry leaders, counselors, and others are either relying on false information or on others who, themselves, are relying on false information concerning the Enneagram. [4]

Regarding the Enneagram’s true purpose:

The authors, trainers and teachers [of the Enneagram] are clear it is not a personality profile but 9 individual paths back to your “True self,” the self you actually are which never sinned and is with God already and was never separated from God. There is nothing in this which is Christian but is opposed to the essential doctrine of the Christian Faith.

View article →

Research

New Age Movement

Occult-Sorcery

CRN’s homepage contains a list of professing Christians to keep an eye on. Scroll down to WARNING. The list contains those to mark and avoid (Rom 16:17-18)

The conservative voice and Christian content are being silenced more and more. CRN offers a lifeline to conservative people of faith who are disgusted with Facebook, Twitter and the MSM for failing to report, even blocking, important news stories that don’t comport with the far left’s narrative. We urge you to sign up to receive our FREE need to read articles. NO ADS!  NO VIDEOS! NO POPUPS!  JUST STRAIGHT NEWS.

Join Marsha West on MeWe

Book Recommendation

It seems presumptuous to speak of understanding God and his ways. And yet, he has graciously revealed himself to us! It’s not an exhaustive revelation, but it is a true and sufficient revelation. God’s self-disclosure is sufficient to humble us and make us aware of our need for his grace. It’s enough to bring us to our knees, to drive us to repentance, and compel us to worship. Order here

‘Bet You Stay Home Now Hypokrits’: Church That Refused To Close During Lockdown Gets Burned Down, Investigated As Arson

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“We’re in a time where I don’t think it’s any secret that there’s a growing hostility toward churches, across the board. And now, here are churches like First Pentecostal that are sort of stirring up the waters by being outspoken and somewhat firm about seeking to protect their Constitutional rights.”

(Amanda Prestigiacomo – Daily Wire)  A Mississippi church in the midst of a legal battle to stay open despite local shutdown orders was burned to the ground early Wednesday morning. According to first responders, the First Pentecostal Church of Holly Springs was vandalized and suffered a large explosion to the back of the church. The incident is being investigated as a criminal act of arson. Continue reading →

Research: New Age Movement

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Research Article

Thousands of people who have been ensnared by the teachings of the New Age movement are waking up to the realization that they are now hostages to Satan and his demons.  Others are still deceived, believing that they have come to a new understanding of themselves by tapping into the hidden powers of the universe.  Let’s think about the subelty of Satan’s trap and then point the way out of his mystical maze.  Fortunately, Christ’s power can destroy his clever grip on the lives of those who admit their need for help. — Erwin W. Lutzer

The New Age is hostile to science, medicine, does not believe in objective truth, and believes experience gives truth. Therefore, New Age methods and tools have no validity. If they had validity, there would be a basis for them in objective data and testing, but there is not. This is one reason pseudoscience is the heartbeat of New Age methods of healing. It is not a case of “maybe the New Age has stumbled on a valid truth.” No. Rather the fact is that the New Age steals from truth, twists it, and spiritualizes it. New Age modalities and concepts originate in spiritual beliefs and are never found to be valid. — Marcia Montenegro

Many churches are already incorporating New Age forms of “Spiritual Formation,” contemplative prayer or meditation to cleanse the mind and bring peace and energy to the body. This is straight New Age teaching, not biblical, yet Richard Foster and others have successfully leavened this into many churches. A large number of people in the New Age movement (NAM) don’t like that label — while others would not even consider themselves part of the movement. NAM is eclectic and diverse. There is no hierarchy, doctrine or membership. They believe man’s basic nature is good and divine. Moreover, they believe in evolutionary godhood and that man will soon see himself as god. New Agers have an interest in Eastern mysticism and hold to a belief in reincarnation. Their “theology” is based in diversity, feel-goodism, universal tolerance, and moral relativism.

New Age ideas can be traced to Eastern religious traditions such as Hinduism, Taoism and Buddhism.

Fast Facts:

  • Based in esotericism, i.e. private enlightenment through mystical spiritual experiences and spiritual searching.
  • Characterized by alternative approaches to traditional Western culture.
  • Call the earth Gaia. Gaia is a goddess and the “creator and giver of birth to the Earth and all the Universe,” thus she is to be revered and respected, even worshiped.
  • Put man and nature on an equal level. Nature is part of God and through Nature all people can unite.
  • Human Potential movement – cultivation of extraordinary potential believed to be largely untapped in most people.

Global Unity:

  • Man with nature
  • Man with man
  • Man with God

Major Tenets:

  • Monism: All is one
  • Pantheism: all is God
  • We are gods: ignorant of divinity
  • Goal of NAM: to discover own divinity

Additional beliefs:

  • No condemnation
  • No judgment
  • Subordination of the true God; elevation of man

Phrases, Practices and Terms:

  • Higher or True Self – “The self is not just a psychological unit…The self (including the body) is a manifestation of many things – of vibrations, frequencies, the subtle (or invisible) body (chi/ki, meridians, chakras, biofield, etc.), fears, karma, one’s astrological birth chart” (more below) – Marcia Montenegro
  • Spirituality
  • Body/mind/spirit
  • “As above, so below”
  • Astrology
  • Yoga
  • Contemplative Prayer
  • Enneagram – personality test that maps nine types on a diagram to show how they relate to each other. A New Age intrusion in the Church.
  • Balancing energy
  • Declarations of words and power
  • Personalized readings
  • Labyrinth
  • Centering down
  • Holistic (wholeistic) Health – treats the whole person — promises healing and wholeness
  • Herbal therapy – health
  • Acupuncture – health
  • Meditation practices – Transcended meditation, contemplative prayer
  • Iridology – health
  • Homeopathy – health — based on a belief in the “memory of water.” Healing remedies are made by using a small quantity of the original substance, shaking it in a liquid, diluting it, shaking vigorously, more dilution and shaking, until there’s just a fraction of the original substance left. “Like cures like.”
  • Crystals – used to purify your body’s and mind’s energy systems.
  • Modern Psychology – Freud, Abraham Maslow, and Carl Jung who was steeped in the occult, even had his own personal spirit guide named Philemon.
  • Astral projection – also called astral travel, or soul travel which is training your soul to leave the limitations of your body and travel around the world into heavenly dimensions.
  • Necromancy – communication with the dead.
  • Numerology (gematria) – “A method of assigning a numerical value to each letter of a word, name, or expression to ascertain the hidden meaning of the word.” (Gotquestions.com) Many “Christians” with YouTube channels use numerology/gematria to attempt to set a date for the rapture.
  • Visualization – where you use mental imagery to imagine yourself as an animal, in the presence of a divine being, or being healed of sickness, etc.
  • Witchcraft – now called WICCA, Earth Religion, and is closely related to Goddess worship. The doctrine is that we are all part of the earth and God is nature.
  • Contacting spirits – so they may speak through you or guide you.
  • Cosmic humanism
  • Cosmic consciousness
  • Christ consciousness

“The New Age Movement followers give importance to artifacts, relics, and sacred objects like: Bells, herbal teas, runes, solar energizers, energized candles, tape recordings and occult books. Other items include butterflies, triangles, unicorns, wind chimes, Pegasus, concentric circles, crescent moons, pyramids, rainbows…But the most popular and searched New Age artifact are Crystals, which is solicited because of its healing properties.” (source) Leaders, living & deceased (in no particular order):

Evangelicals, living & deceased (in no particular order):

Helpful articles:

Websites:

Video:

Books:

What the Bible says:  The Bible tells us to pray to the Lord with our mind, body and spirit. We cannot be cleansed from evil by visualization techniques, only by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, our repentance from sin, and our believing and following Jesus. “When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God, for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this.”  Deuteronomy 18:9-14 The Bible is clear that the believer is being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ by the grace and conviction of the Holy Spirit.  But some these days teach that man can be the cause for this “spiritual transformation”.  God is the sole cause of spiritual transformation in the believer and the Bible teaches that it is the Holy Spirit testifying to the Word of God that transforms the believer. The word “contemplative prayer” is not in the Bible. The word “contemplate” is defined as “to think deeply or carefully”. The Bible does teach us to think deeply and meditate on the Word of God.  But some of those promoting “Contemplative Prayer” teach almost the opposite: That we “contemplate” by emptying our minds or reciting mantras.

Views expressed by individual authors and/or sources don’t necessarily reflect those of Marsha West or Christian Research Network.

Doctors raise alarm about health effects of continued coronavirus shutdown: ‘Mass casualty incident’

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“The millions of casualties of a continued shutdown will be hiding in plain sight, but they will be called alcoholism, homelessness, suicide, heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure. In youths it will be called financial instability, unemployment, despair, drug addiction, unplanned pregnancies, poverty, and abuse.”

(Tyler Olson – Fox News)  More than 600 doctors signed onto a letter sent to President Trump Tuesday pushing him to end the “national shutdown” aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus, calling the widespread state orders keeping businesses closed and kids home from school a “mass casualty incident” with “exponentially growing health consequences.” Continue reading →