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

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

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

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

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

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

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

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

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

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?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

“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

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , , , ,

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

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , , ,

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

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

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’?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

“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

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

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

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

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!

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , ,

“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

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

“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

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , , ,

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 →

Medicalizing the Absurd

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , ,

“Now the problem becomes clear: The structure of this definition provides the grounds of removing moral evaluation from any morally deviant action (sin) whatsoever.”

(Joseph E. Torres – truthXchange)  In 1973, Karl Menninger wrote Whatever Became of Sin? He was responding to a cultural move away from any concept of moral transgression. The sociologists and psychologists of the day redefined what Western Christianity had always considered as sinful fruit of dark and hardened hearts. Instead, they argued that those effects, whether individual or corporate, were due to physical hardwiring, societal conditioning, or poor childrearing. Continue reading →

An Ethics Lesson For USA Today’s ‘Queer’ Bullies

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

“How does lying in wait for unknown months or years (when Gleeson could have “resurfaced” the old tweets at any time) and publishing a smear in the middle of the night before giving Murray a chance to respond comport with the newspaper’s promises that…”

(Michelle Malkin – Daily Wire)  This week, I did something that USA Today’s executive leadership apparently hadn’t done lately: I read the newspaper’s “principles of ethical conduct for newsrooms.” Continue reading →

Drag Performance In Luther Seminary’s Chapel

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ ,

“[T]he ELCA is doing the work of Satan by encouraging sin and not helping people turn from these destructive lifestyles and desires.” 

(Dan Skogen – Exposing the ELCA)  Do you think God approves of a man, dressed in drag, “singing” a provocative song in a chapel, on the chancel, next to the altar? Well, that is exactly what happened recently at an ELCA seminary chapel, a school charged with raising up pastors who will be shepherds to ELCA members. The school is Luther Seminary, a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) located in St. Paul, MN.

Luther Seminary is the largest pastor-producing seminary in the ELCA. ​ Continue reading →

Unconstitutional: Federal Judge Strikes Down Obamacare

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

“Obamacare was struck down by a Texas federal judge in a ruling that casts uncertainty on insurance coverage for millions of U.S. residents.”

(Matt Vespa – Townhall)  We have breaking news coming from Texas. A federal judge has struck down the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). A group of Republican state attorneys general argued in their lawsuit that the repeal of the tax penalty gutted the argument for ACA legality. Bloomberg has more, with the publication adding that the DOJ tried to argue that the individual mandate, including provisions to keep the premium rates the same among healthy individuals and those with pre-existing conditions, should be struck down, but keep the rest of the law intact. That included Medicaid expansion, the employer mandates, the exchanges, and premium subsides for hospitals.  Continue reading →

Perfect Through Suffering

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.  Hebrews 2:10

The earthly life of Jesus is referred to in one phrase, perfect through what he suffered. Was he not perfect when he came? When Jesus was a babe in Bethlehem’s manger, was he not perfect even then? When he was tempted in the desert and Satan tried to turn him from the cross, was he not already perfect? When he was feeding the five thousand, in compassionate ministry to the hungry multitudes, was he not perfect? Why then does it say he was perfected by suffering? View article →

‘Shout Your Abortion’ Campaign Gains Steam as More Women Brag About Aborting Their Babies

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

“Often when somebody has an abortion, it’s the same celebration, it’s the same joy, it’s the same relief that is present when I’m helping a woman have a baby,” said Dr. Yashica Robinson, who maintains a private OB-GYN practice in Huntsville, Alabama.

(Micaiah Bilger – LifeNews)  A project where women brag about aborting their unborn babies is gaining momentum once again with publicity surrounding its new book, “Shout Your Abortion.”

The pro-abortion campaign of the same name took off three years ago with Seattle woman Amelia Bonow. Since then, it has been promoted by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Amy Brenneman and Martha Plimpton, women’s magazines, and national news outlets. Continue reading →

Something Wiccan This Way Comes

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

“This upsurge of occult beliefs and religions in this country, though often political and consumeristic, is still a sign that forces of darkness are at work. For one thing, all false faiths lead people—including people within the church—away from Christ, and that has eternal consequences.”

(John Stonestreet – BreakPoint)  Occult spirituality is on the rise, even among Christians. Is it just pop culture or is it the Prince of Darkness? My guess: it’s both. Continue reading →