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

The Worst Christian of 2018

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“After careful consideration of the use of power, influence, responsibility, and the expression of theology, I hereby bestow the title of “Worst Christian of 2018” to…” 

(Seth Dunn – Pulpit & Pen)  Who is the worst Christian of 2018?

On the surface, this seems like a foolish or even pharisaical question. The fact of the matter is that there are none worthy to stand righteous before God except his perfect son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Every believer struggles with sin every day and will continue to do so until the Lord returns and raises us anew in glory. None of us are really better than another. Yet, we can still fairly ask and answer, “Who is the worst Christian of 2018?” if we consider the question in terms of an individual’s influence on the visible church at large. …  Continue reading →

House Democrats Are Lining Up Behind What Could Be The Largest Expansion Of Government In Decades

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“This is going to be the New Deal, the Great Society, the moon shot, the civil-rights movement of our generation,” Ocasio-Cortez said at a panel event in early December alongside Sanders, a likely 2020 presidential contender.

(Michael Bastasch – The Daily Caller)  Democrats are increasingly lining up to support a “Green New Deal,” which, while vague on details, could end up being the largest expansion of government in decades. Continue reading →

Accused Rapist, Jim Bakker, Compares Prison Time to Attempted Rape Victim, Joseph

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙ ,

Joseph was thrown in prison because Potiphar’s wife tried to rape him, and he fled to maintain his purity. Jim Bakker was thrown in prison because he raped a woman and used ministry funds to cover it up. However, Bakker – who is now out of jail and running the same type of real estate scams that led to his imprisonment – recently claimed that his prison time was just like Joseph’s.

Jim Bakker told R.T. Kendall on The Jim Bakker Show – which he runs from a retirement end-times survival community – that God allowed him to go to prison. Continue reading →

From Russia probe to sexual-abuse allegations, 9 political scandals that rocked 2018

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From politicians losing their positions over sexual-misconduct allegations to concerns of voter fraud in multiple midterm elections, 2018 was not without its share of political controversies.

Read on for a look at nine of the most notable political scandals of the past year.

Michael Cohen was once a trusted member of the Trump Organization and personal attorney and “fixer” to the president. But by year’s end, the man who once said he would “take a bullet” for President Trump had flipped on his former boss, cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe. Continue reading →

Beware Silicon Valley Santas in the Schools

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“Parents from all parts of the political spectrum understand that “personalized learning” is Silicon Valley propaganda to distract from the true aim: Grabbing student and family data under the guise of “innovation” and luring the next generation of addicted consumers.”

(Michelle Malkin – Townhall)  When it comes to Silicon Valley Santas bearing gifts for our children, I am a big Scrooge. Every responsible parent should be, too. Continue reading →

The Shepherds’ Gospel

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,     and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke 2:8-20 Continue reading →

Why calling Mary ‘Mother of God’ at Christmas Time is Not Helpful

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“We can’t help it if doctrine perveters take a perfectly Biblical and wholesome concept like Theotokos and create from it an idol. However, we can be more careful in our own tongue to clarify to our children and loved ones that Mary indeed gave birth to God the Son, but we do not use the term “Mother of God” so as to not confuse those already prone to idolatry.”

(JD Hall – Pulpit & Pen)  With “Reformed” Christians gradually getting less and less Reformed all the time, it’s important to set matters straight on Mary’s supposed status as “Mother of God.” While Reformed believers across the West are becoming more Catholic (celebrating Lent, for example) and its leaders (like Tim Keller, for example) claiming that the Papists are Christians, it’s increasingly important to separate Catholic myth from Biblical fact.  Continue reading →

Advent: One like a son of the gods

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

Its not your typical Christmas story, that’s for sure. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had refused to worship the idol constructed by Nebuchadnezzar for his own self-aggrandizement. They proclaimed that they would only worship the true God of heaven, and thus found themselves on the wrong side of both the royal law and the furnace door.

Nearly 500 years before Jesus was born in Israel, these three worshipers of Jesus’ Father were ordered executed in Babylon simply because they wouldn’t worship like the Chaldeans.  Continue reading →

What Does God Desire?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

After saying above, Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them (which are offered according to the Law), then He said, Behold, I have come to do Your will. He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:8-10

Here is what God really wanted. God never cared a snap of his fingers for all the rivers of blood that flowed on Jewish altars. He had no interest in them except as they taught something. What did these sacrifices point to? A human body in which there was a human will which continually chose to depend upon an indwelling God to obey a written word! That was what God wanted. When Christ came he paused on the threshold of heaven, and said, A body hast thou prepared for me. Within that body was a human soul with the capacity to reason, to feel and to choose. That will, in that human body, never once acted on its own, never once took any step apart from dependence upon the Father who dwelt within. That is the principle that God has been after all along; that is what he wants. Continue reading →

Celebrity ‘Spiritual Healer’ Charged Amid Sex Abuse Claims By Hundreds Of Women, Including His Own Daughter

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Faria founded his psychic healing center in 1976, but he did not reach true international fame until he was promoted by Oprah Winfrey about five years ago. Since she produced a special focusing on his “spiritual healing” methods, which include channeling “spirits of the dead” and conducting surgery on patients suffering serious illnesses without anesthesia, his center attracts thousands of tourists annually, including several celebrities, among them Paul Simon, Naomi Campbell, and, according to some, Bill Clinton.

(James Barrett – Daily Wire)  Prosecutors have brought their first charges against self-proclaimed “spiritual healer” Joao Teixeira de Faria amid sexual abuse allegations by hundreds of women and girls, including his own daughter. Continue reading →

Netanyahu Failed to Persuade Trump to Reverse Syria Decision

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Photo credit Wikimedia Commons

“The USA is withdrawing its forces from Syria with the claim that IS was the only reason for them being in the country, the disregard for Iranian entrenchment in Syria is dangerous to Israel,” opposition leader MK Tzipi Livni of the Zionist Union tweeted.

(Deborah Danan – Breitbart) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have tried in vain to persuade President Donald Trump to walk back his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, a move that was met with significant “disappointment” in Jerusalem, Israeli media reported.

Israeli political figures have said that the move represents a possible blow to regional security, leaving the Jewish state to single-handedly combat the threat posed by the Iranian presence in the embattled country. Continue reading →

‘Never again’, pope vows end to clergy sex abuse cover-ups

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Urging people with information about misconduct to come forward, he added: “The church asks that people not be silent, but bring it objectively to light, since the greater scandal in this matter is that of cloaking the truth.”

(Alex Williams – Premiere)  The Catholic Church shall “never again” cover up sexual abuse perpetrated by its clergy, Pope Francis promised during a Christmas address to Vatican officials on Friday.

Continue reading →

Dance, Monkey. An Open Letter to John Crist, Re: Lauren Daigle

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On Instagram, Christian comedian John Crist told critics to “just shut up” about CCM artist Lauren Daigle, who got slammed for avoiding answering a question about her views on homosexuality. Crist also commented on megachurch pastor John Gray who reportedly gave his wife a $200,000 Lamborghini for her birthday. To Gray’s critics he said “shut your mouth.” JD Hall of Pulpit & Pen responded thusly:

John,

You’re funny. I’ve laughed at your videos and shared them around multiple times. I’ve never looked to you as a church leader of any kind because as far as I know, your primary contribution to Christianity is to make people laugh. Continue reading →

Gay, transgender youth at ‘significantly higher risk’ of suicide than heterosexual peers

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Dr. Michelle Cretella, executive director of the American College of Pediatricians, told The Christian Post that the study “confirms what no one disputes: Namely, that youth who identify as LGBQT have higher rates of mental illness leading to a greater risk of life-threatening behaviors.”

(Leah MarieAnn Klett – Christian Post)  LGBT youth are at a higher risk of suicide and life-threatening behavior than their heterosexual peers, a new study has found, with transgender teens being the most at risk. Continue reading →

What Does it Mean to be Led by the Holy Spirit?

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“If we rely solely upon inner peace, feelings, dreams, visions, or impressions, then we are not being led by the Holy Spirit. We are merely being led by ourselves, or worse.”

(Eric Davis – The Cripplegate)  We face a lot of decisions in life. Many of these can be tricky, having no particular Bible verse directly associated. Nevertheless, we are commanded to glorify God in everything we do (1 Cor. 10:31). And Christians want to honor God in all they do. But it’s not always easy to discern how to do so. Continue reading →

Conservative Firebrands Lose It Over Trump Caving on Border Wall Funding

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Rush Limbaugh: “If the measure passes ‘Trump gets nothing and the Democrats get everything, including control of the House in a few short weeks.  This is textbook. It’s a textbook example of what the drive-by media calls compromise.'”

(Beth Baumann – Townhall)  Conservative pundits are upset with President Donald Trump and the White House caving on border wall funding. Trump previously threatened a government shutdown if he wasn’t given $5 billion to build the wall, although Congress had allocated $1.6 billion.  Continue reading →

‘We are seeing a soft coup’ against POTUS Trump

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Military historian, columnist and author Victor Davis Hanson joined Fox News host Tucker Carlson after Michael Flynn’s court hearing on Tuesday. During the discussion, Hanson called the outrageous stories coming from Trump haters a “soft coup.”  Here’s what he said:

“This Mueller investigation that we have is not in isolation. We had, remember, from the day Trump was elected we were told the election machines were flawed, we were going to sue. And then there was a group, remember we were told about the Electoral College, and we were told we had to overturn the electors. And then we went to the 25th Amendment that Trump was unbalanced. And that didn’t work. And then we went to the emoluments clause, he profited even though his businesses had lost a billion dollars. And then we’ve gone to Mueller. And so there’s a slow motion if you will, I don’t want to be too psychodramatic like MSNBC gets. But there is sort of a slow motion coup to overturn the elections.”

The National Sentinal has the story and the must watch video: Continue reading →

Five Big Differences Between JMac and the Papist on Ben Shapiro’s Program

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Bishop Robert Barron

Barron very clearly said that Shapiro could be saved by Christ “indirectly received” by following their conscience or by following the laws of Moses.

(JD Hall – Pulpit & Pen)  The religion of Jesus is entirely different from the religion of the Roman Catholic Church. They hold to a different gospel. They are two different religions. Practitioners of those religions have two different eternal fates.

Dr. John MacArthur gave a good effort at presenting the Gospel authentically and accurately to Ben Shapiro, an Orthodox Jew, on Shapiro’s program several weeks ago. David Limbaugh, another evangelical, gave a perspective on Christianity that was not much different than MacArthur’s just a week later. Continue reading →

Are Creationists Trying to Stop ‘Sound Science Education’?

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“My challenge to AU (as I gave to Bill Nye “the Science Guy”): name one technological achievement that requires belief in naturalistic evolution. There’s none!” 

(Ken Ham – Answers In Genesis)  A blog appeared recently on the website for Americans United for Separation of Church and State titled, “Creationists Remain Hard at Work Trying to Block Sound Science Education.” It laments the tide of public opinion against evolution in the US and the way this influences how teachers present evolutionary ideas in the classroom. But I think headline should read instead, “AU Works Hard to Stop Every Student from Being Taught the Truth Regarding Evolution.” Continue reading →

George Soros and his ‘rented evangelicals’ outed by Christian leaders

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , ,

What’s going on here is not so much Christianity as it is partisan politicking under cover of religious teaching. It’s the furtherance of a George Soros style of progressivism, but cloaked in Christianity — and backed by George Soros bucks — and made all the worse by the initial denials of the George Soros ties.

(Cheryl K. Chumley – The Washington Times)  A new video from the American Association of Evangelicals reveals how George Soros, through his many funding ventures, has been busily infiltrating the Christian base in America to divide, and ultimately conquer, the religious minded within the Republican Party. Continue reading →

Top 10 Evangelical News Stories of 2018

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The new year ushers in resolutions and a time to start fresh. But the beginning of a new year means the close of another, offering us the chance to look back and reflect on the good, the bad … and the downright absurd.

(Chelsen Vicari – Juicy Ecumenism)  In 2018, we here at the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) published hundreds of articles on everything from the most encouraging news stories affecting Christianity to some of the most concerning. That’s our job, our mission.

Curious, I dug back through the IRD archives to find out what stories specific to the Evangelical Action program resonated most with our readers. Here are our top 10 most-read Evangelical news stories of the year: Continue reading →

11-year-old ‘drag kid’ dances in popular NYC gay club as patrons toss money at him

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Autistic 11 year-old “drag queen” Desmond Napoles – Instagram screenshot via dangerous.com

“Desmond Napoles, who goes by the drag stage name “Desmond Is Amazing,” is barely 11 years old, yet homosexual and mainstream media have thrust him into the spotlight as the face of the growing prepubescent gay/transgender movement.”

(Doug Mainwaring – LifeSiteNews) – Perhaps sensing the horrific optics of the event, LGBT news sites have assiduously avoided reporting that their favorite 11-year-old drag kid “Desmond Is Amazing” danced on stage in a New York gay bar while adult male patrons tossed money his way as if he were a male stripper.

The pre-adolescent boy, dressed in drag to imitate singer Gwen Stefani, pranced around the stage at Brooklyn’s 3 Dollar Bill, an LGBT bar described as “queer owned & operated,” and “Brooklyn’s Premiere Queer Bar & Performance Venue.” Continue reading →

Anti-Gay?—Get Out of the Way!

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“In spite of constant repetition, the cultural divide is not between hate-filled traditionalists and love-inspired progressives. It is an irreconcilable conflict of two opposing worldviews that affects our understanding of the deep meaning of life. It is the conflict between what the Apostle Paul calls in Romans 1:25 the Truth (worship of the Creator, Twoism) and the Lie (rejection of the Creator and worship of nature, Oneism).” 

(Peter Jones – truthXchange)  We constantly hear that the American culture is irredeemably split politically and ideologically, perhaps even close to civil war. Rarely is the cause of the split ever identified. Certain language is simply dismissed as hate speech, which means that some issues cannot even be discussed in respectful ways. The British periodical, The Spectator, gets close to an explanation of the current “yellow vest” rebellion in France against elitist progressivism: Continue reading →

Boys can have periods too, children to be taught in latest victory for transgender campaigners

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“We believe that it’s important for all genders to be able to learn and talk about menstruation together… Our approach recognises the fact that some people who have periods are trans or non-binary.” 

(Henena Horton – The Telegraph)  School children will be taught that “all genders” can have periods in new sex education lessons, in a victory for transgender rights campaigners.

The advice to teachers was approved by Brighton & Hove City Council as they try to tackle stigma around menstruation. Continue reading →

Conservative Christians Want To Stop Kids Meditating At School

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ACLJ view the mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques used in some schools as a danger to children. The organization condemned audio recordings it claims say, “ We’re all connected through nature. And we’re all connected through the universe.”  

(Katherine Hignett – Newsweek)  Conservative Christian watchdog group The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) has launched a petition to stop “forced Buddhist meditation” in schools. Continue reading →