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

Stewards of the mysteries of God

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

A minister of Christ is to be a steward entrusted with what Paul calls the mysteries God has revealed, that secret and hidden wisdom of God, these valuable truths which are only found in the revelation of the Word of God and nowhere else. Ministers are responsible to dispense these truths continually to the congregation so that lives are changed and lived on the basis of these remarkable truths. These are truths about life, about our families, about God, and ourselves. These truths lie beyond all secular research and opinion polls; they are undiscoverable by natural reason or observation. These mysteries, when understood, are the basis upon which all God’s purposes in our lives are worked out. View article →

The Plight of Churchless Christians

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Eric Davis addresses Christians who choose not to go to church for one reason or another. “Is it inconsequential for the professing believer to remain a flockless sheep?” he asks.

So, what’s to become of flockless sheep? Does the Bible give any outlook for them? Actually, it does. And according to Davis the outlook is bad.  Not surprisingly, there are some consequences for those who insist on remaining churchless Christians, which he shares in his piece over at The Cripplegate. He writes:

Sadly, it’s become a norm within American Christianity. Incredibly, it’s a regular thing amid evangelicalism. Embarrassingly, it’s widely accepted among many professing Christians. “I’m a Christian, but I don’t really go to church.”

Churchless Christians. Flockless sheep. Bodyless body-parts. Continue reading →

Another One? Now Kristen Bell Knocks ‘Snow White’ Because The Prince Kisses Her Without Consent

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

“Don’t you think that it’s weird that the prince kisses Snow White without her permission?”

(Paul Bios – Daily Wire)  Whether by coincidence or cosmic irony, this just happened to be the week where actresses flash their feminist street creds by bashing Disney princesses.

Within 24 hours of actress Keira Knightley announcing her ban on the films “Cinderella” and “The Little Mermaid” for her three-year-old daughter for sending false messages on female empowerment, “Frozen” actress Kristen Bell blasted “Snow White” for teaching girls false messages about consent and talking to strangers. Continue reading →

Mall Retailer Spencer Gifts Sells ‘Let’s Summon Demons,’ ‘Let’s Sacrifice Toby’ T-Shirts: Viral Video

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

“A third shirt, bearing the same “Activities for Children” wording, also reads “Let’s Summon Demons” and depicts a boy lying on a drawing of a pentagram with candles surrounding him. Other children encircle him, including a young girl holding a teddy bear.”

(Heather Clark – Christian News Network)  A video posted to social media informing Christians that mall retailer Spencer Gifts sells t-shirts bearing messages such as “Let’s Summon Demons” and “Let’s Sacrifice Toby” has gone viral. Continue reading →

How To Master Experimental Theology

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)

The two most important things in our holy religion are the life of faith and the walk of faith. He who shall rightly understand these is not far from being a master in experimental theology, for they are vital points to a Christian.

You will never find true faith unattended by true godliness; on the other hand, you will never discover a truly holy life which has not for its root a living faith upon the righteousness of Christ. Woe unto those who seek after the one without the other!   View article →

Confessions Of A Former Charismatic

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

“I can still remember the day it all hit me like a ton of bricks. These elders were saying they had access to insight that I could not have or had not been given. They had a special lens for seeing and I did not. And that I knew was an evil error. Unaccountable knowledge based on special intuition placed my leaders above the Scriptures not under them. They denied it in theory, but it was clearly what they practiced.”

Posted over at R. Scott Clark’s The Heidelblog:

Dr. Clark,

A few weeks ago you posted a warning against the desire for ongoing prophecy. [See also this—Ed.] In it you told a story of what happens when people look to words from God beyond Scripture. I wanted to stand as a witness to the dangers you highlighted. Continue reading →

Does Plagiarism Matter to Christians?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , ,

“For her article, Belz spoke with publishing industry insiders. She reported that one answer was better plagiarism detection software. My answer is to hold authors to a high standard. They should do their own work.”

(Warren Throckmorton) Judging by reaction to recent plagiarism cases, I don’t think plagiarism matters much to most Christians.

Of late, professor Aaron New has brought forward multiple clear examples of plagiarism involving Tim Clinton and the American Association of Christian Counseling. I have published most of them on this blog. The response has been interest from the Christian Post but other than that, a resounding yawn. … Continue reading →

‘Eat the meat and spit out the bones’: A proper response to NAR teaching?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

“When listening to Johnson’s sermon, one may get the impression that, for him, the bottom line isn’t orthodoxy vs. heresy. The line is not godliness vs. immorality. The issue for Johnson appears to boil down to one word: power.”

(Holly Pivec – Spirit of Error) “Eat the meat and spit out the bones” is a common refrain in NAR. Typically, it means that if you hear a teacher give a questionable teaching — something that you don’t understand or that seems off somehow —  ignore that particular teaching. But don’t stop listening to his other teachings. Continue reading →

The 2018 State of Theology

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Once again Ligonier Ministries has commissioned a survey to assess Americans’ theological understanding. The survey contains charts and some must-read information. One thing we learn from the survey is that most evangelicals strongly believe in justification by faith alone; however, “they are confused about the person of Jesus Christ. On one hand, virtually all evangelicals express support for Trinitarian doctrine. Yet at the same time, most agree that Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God, which was a view espoused by the ancient heretic Arius.”

Now to Ligonier’s survey: Continue reading →

New Bible Published to Help Catholics Catch Up With Protestants In Scripture Knowledge

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

“Many Catholics that I meet feel that scripture is kind of inaccessible to them. They don’t feel like scripture is something they can pick up every day and read and have a conversation with God through it.  But this Bible is going to help people do that.”

(Daily Caller – Joshua Gill) Bible scholars have developed a new edition of the Bible designed to help everyday Catholics overcome the notion that scripture study is particular to Protestants. Continue reading →

Is Cultural Marxism America’s New Mainline Ideology?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

“The way toward the rule of the cultural Marxists is the moral corruption of the people. To accomplish this, the mass media and public education must not enlighten but confuse and mislead. The media and the educational establishment work to put one part of the society against the other part. While group identities get more specific, the catalog of victimization and history of oppression becomes more detailed.” 

(Anthony P. Mueller – Mises Institute)  Another name for the neo-Marxism of increasing popularity in the United States  is “cultural Marxism.” This theory says that the driving force behind the socialist revolution is not the proletariat — but the intellectuals. While Marxism has largely disappeared from the workers’ movement, Marxist theory flourishes today in cultural institutions, in the academic world, and in the mass media. … Continue reading →

To Deal with Leftists, Imagine You’re Confronting Satan

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

“Connedservatives, stop being conned. One of the Left’s tactics, outlined in its devilish “bible” Rules for Radicals (dedicated to Lucifer), is to get the other side (us) to live up to its own rules.”

(Selwyn Duke – RenewAmerica)  If you’re a conned-servative who gets sand thrown in your eyes, your kneecaps kicked off and slashed with a broken bottle, and then still fights the next time by Queensberry rules, this article isn’t for you. But if you’re disturbed by the Left’s behavior these last years and want to know how to handle these people whose “mask has been dropping,” understand this: Behind that mask is the Devil. Continue reading →

Biological Male Wins World Championship In Women’s Cycling

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

“Focusing on performance advantage is largely irrelevant because this is a rights issue. We shouldn’t be worried about trans people taking over the Olympics. We should be worried about their fairness and human rights instead.”

(Peter Hasson – Daily Caller)  A biological male who identifies as a transgender woman won a women’s world championship cycling event on Sunday. Continue reading →

How To Love God?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Romans 8:35 

How do you love God? You love him by answering this question. Who or what is going to separate us from the love of Christ? Is there any force, anywhere, that can come between you and Jesus? Who can remove us from Christ, once we fully come to him? Paul’s answer is, Let’s take a look at the possibilities.

First, can all the troubles and dangers of life separate us from his love: Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? (Romans 8:35b) That is life at its worst. Will that do it? Will hardship do it? That means the tight, narrow places we have to go through sometimes. Will persecution do it? That is hurt deliberately inflicted on us because we are Christians. View article →

Andrew Brunson, American pastor detained in Turkey, is freed, sentenced to time served

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

The Trump administration advocated persistently for Brunson’s release, leading to an intense economic showdown between the two NATO allies. In August, the U.S. slapped sanctions on an array of Turkish officials and on some goods, sending Turkish currency into freefall.

(Greg Norman – Fox News) Andrew Brunson, the American pastor who was imprisoned and then placed under house arrest in Turkey due to his alleged ties to an outlawed group, was ordered freed on Friday and sentenced to time served — and is now expected to stop in Germany for a medical exam before returning to the U.S. Continue reading →

Witches to Hex Justice Kavanaugh in Occult Ritual in NYC

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, to hex, as a verb, means to “cast a spell on; bewitch.” As a noun, hex means “a magic spell; a curse.”

(Michael W. Chapman – CNSNews.com) Witches plan to place a public hex on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh through an occult ritual on Oct. 20 in New York City, an event sponsored by Catland Books, which describes itself as “Brooklyn’s premiere occult bookshop & spiritual community space.” The planned ritual has been advertised on Facebook. Continue reading →

‘Allegedly Transgender’ Prisoner Gets Life After Raping Two Women, Sexually Assaulting Inmates in Female Jail

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

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A “predatory and controlling” biologically male rapist has been jailed for life after attacking vulnerable female inmates in women’s prisons whilst claiming to be transgendered and for the previous rapes of two other women.

(Liam Deacon – Breitbart)  Karen White, 52, who was previously known as Stephen Wood, identifies as a woman and was allowed into the female prison. She has now been described as a danger to women and children.

White was originally jailed for violent crimes and admitted sexually assaulting the women in a female prison as well as raping another two women outside jail at Leeds Crown Court, PA reports. Continue reading →

Activists Firebomb Man’s Truck Because It Had Pro-Trump Bumper Stickers

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

“I literally just put them on this weekend. If I would’ve known somebody would’ve taken politics this far — I saw them, I thought they were funny and apparently somebody didn’t get the joke.”

(Steven Ertelt – LifeNews)  The harassment of and violence against pro-life conservatives continues. This time, in Washington state, a man whose truck had bumper stickers supporting President Donald Trump arrived to his vehicle after parking it overnight in a parking garage only to discover it had been firebombed. Continue reading →

Witches Outnumber Presbyterians in the US; Wicca, Paganism Growing ‘Astronomically’

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

“Wicca has effectively repackaged witchcraft for millennial consumption. No longer is witchcraft and paganism satanic and demonic, it’s a ‘pre-Christian tradition’ that promotes ‘free thought’ and ‘understanding of earth and nature.'”

(Brandon Showalter – Christian Post)  The population of self-identified witches has risen dramatically in the United States in recent decades, as interest in astrology and witchcraft practices have become increasingly mainstreamed.

While data is sparse, Quartz noted, the practice of witchcraft has grown significantly in recent decades; those who identify as witches has risen concurrently with the rise of the “witch aesthetic.” Continue reading →

A Catholic society used dreams of a medieval life and rebellion to groom young victims of abuse

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

When told of the Society of Saint John’s abuses, Timlin defended the accused priests, writing in a 2002 letter to the Vatican that they had “stopped the practice of ‘sleeping with boys’ as soon as I explained how imprudent this was.”

(Corky Siemaszko – NBC News)  On Dec. 18, 2001, a desperate North Carolina dad wrote a letter to the Vatican asking the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church to discipline a group of priests at a Pennsylvania boys’ boarding school who he said took turns sexually abusing his teenage son.

The priests were members of an organization called the Society of Saint John, the father wrote, and Bishop James Timlin, then the head of the Diocese of Scranton, had allowed them to take up residence at St. Gregory’s Academy in Elmhurst, Pennsylvania. Continue reading →

Beth Moore Has Man Get on His Knees, Apologize on Behalf of All Men (Repost)

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

The link to the article wasn’t in our first post.

“Beth Moore is fully “woke” and fully feminist, and to prove it, she had a man literally get on his knees before a crowd of women and apologize for the male gender.”

(JD Hall – Pulpit & Pen)  Chinle, Arizona – Beth Moore, the female preacher who is increasingly involved in the feminist #MeToo and #WhyIDidntReport movement (which was aimed at scuttling the Supreme Court candidacy of Justice Brett Kavanaugh), recently had her band’s drummer get on his knees before an audience of women and apologize to them on behalf of all men. Continue reading →