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

When Should I Leave My Church?

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How do you know if you should stay or go?  What theological and practical guidelines should be considered before moving to another church?

(Josh Buice – Delivered By Grace)  Far too many people leave their church prematurely and without biblical warrant.  The evangelical church today is infected with a disease called—church consumerism.  People often choose a church based on what the particular congregation can do for them.  In other cases, people are too quick to abandon their church on the basis of unbiblical or superficial rationale. This is not a new problem and it likely will remain a problem until genuine reform happens on a local church level in the area of biblical ecclesiology. Continue reading →

How Do You Know if Your Church is Healthy?

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There are healthy churches and unhealthy churches (so, so many unhealthy churches). How would you know the difference?

(Tim Challies)  Today I want to talk about the health of a local church. Are there ways we can know that a church is healthy or a way we can know it’s unhealthy? And this comes from a question I received from somebody who’s been watching these videos. Let me read the question:

“I’m curious to know how you might go about evaluating the spiritual health of the congregation? Here’s the key; are there objective ways of identifying whether a congregation is growing or stagnant and is there a clear set of biblical markers or indicators that you would use to assess whether the congregation is spiritually healthy?”  Continue reading →

‘Raise the Rainbow Flag, We Surrender’

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Pope Francis “definitely got his nerve purging his message to a shell-shocked American Catholic community of anything that could
vaguely comfort her amid this storm.”

“Facts are notoriously stark, and numbers don’t lie: that homosexuality at all levels of the [RCC] hierarchy is a huge part of the problem is not debatable anymore.”  

(Alessandro Marinelli – The American Thinker)  These are stormy times for the Catholic Church in North America.  First, Theodore McCarrick, whose resignation as cardinal Pope Francis accepted in July.  Then the Pennsylvania grand jury report, which is having the effects of the detonation of an atomic bomb with its subsequent devastating shockwave and radioactive fallout.  As a Catholic, I would be lying if I said the mind-blowing revelations over the extent and the creepy deep-rootedness of sexual promiscuity and perversity in the clergy have not taken a toll on my trust in the Church.  As many of us are still reeling from the shock and the disgust, rage and exasperation mount. Continue reading →

Study: Children of Same-sex couples do less well than those of married couples

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“Adults should NOT be thinking about how to duct-tape a child onto any old relationship that doesn’t offer the same safety and stability that opposite sex marriage offers. We should be passing laws to strengthen marriage in order to protect children, not to weaken it.” 

(Wintery Knight) The Public Discourse reports on a recent study out of Canada.

Excerpt:

A new academic study based on the Canadian census suggests that a married mom and dad matter for children. Children of same-sex coupled households do not fare as well. Continue reading →

Consequences of Sexual Sin

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“When sexual impurity moves in, joy moves out (Ps. 51:8). The two cannot coexist in the heart at the same time. They are mutually exclusive. Joy and gladness will not move in until the lust has moved out and there has been repentance and confession.”

(Eric Davis – The Cripplegate) Life can get dicey this side of Genesis 3. Crops fail. Weather fails. Nations fail. Health fails. Resolve fails. Much of life is simply about learning to navigate disappointment and pain. But there is one thing which perhaps causes more pain than anything else; sexual sin. There’s the betrayal; the lying; the deception. There’s the severing of trust; severing of families; severing of relationships. Sexual sin in spiritual leadership packs an added severity. Churches are damaged; ministries are damaged; witness is damaged. Continue reading →

Camp Followers Endanger the Church

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“It’s a camp exalting a Jesus who is a feminist, a sexual libertine and a socialist. Faith leaders like Franklin Graham are considered fools. Jonathan absorbs rhetoric from Black Lives Matter without questioning the manipulative race- baiting, anti-law-enforcement agenda.”

(Linda Harvey – MissionAmerica)  Jonathan is a self-labeled Christian. He listens to CNN every day and never questions that he’s getting a reliable version of the truth.

What’s wrong with this picture?

Jonathan has a worldview issue but also a “camp” issue.

Which camp are you in? Have you decided? Continue reading →

Masters University Placed On Probation by Accrediting Agency

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“If you read the reports from WASC yourself, you’ll see that they didn’t make any clear accusations, but asked questions that need to be resolved.”

(JD Hall – Pulpit & Pen)  Masters University, the school associated with Grace Community Church and the esteemed John MacArthur, has been placed on probation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). According to WASC, there are a number of deficiencies that Masters must improve upon for them to come out from under their probationary status. Continue reading →

The Potter and the Clay

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

We have commented in previous messages about the many things God uses to teach his people, these remarkable visual aids which appear from time to time in this book whereby God imparts lessons to this prophet. Jeremiah was sent down to the potter’s house, and there he saw three simple things, conveying to him a fantastic lesson. You may have observed the same things that Jeremiah did, for the art of making a pot has not changed through the centuries. The wheel is now turned by an electric motor, but that is about the only difference. Even this is still controlled by the foot of the potter. The clay is the same as it has always been. The potter is the same, with his capable hands, working to mold and shape the clay into the vessel he has in mind. View article →

Brown University provides ‘safe spaces’ … for men

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Program helps students ‘unlearn’ toxic masculinity

(Michael Jones – The College Fix)  Brown University is working to help its male students “unlearn” and “unpack” their masculinity.

A program at the Ivy League institution provides “safe spaces for men to unpack all of the things they have learned about masculinity and what it means to be a man,” according to its website.

“Rigid definitions of masculinity are toxic to men’s health,” campus officials state online under the heading: “Unlearning Toxic Masculinity.” Continue reading →

Pennsylvania AG: Cardinal under scrutiny over report on priest abuse ‘is not telling the truth’

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Cardinal Donald Wuerl

“The predatory behavior of Father Ernest Paone dated back to the 1960s and he was shuffled from parish to parish all over the country, according to the grand jury report.”

(Jake Tapper & Clare Foran — CNN)  Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro is accusing Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington, of “not telling the truth” as he attempts to defend himself amid criticism and calls for his resignation over the release of a Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing allegations of widespread predatory behavior by more than 300 priests against more than 1,000 children. Continue reading →

TD Jakes’ wife shares photos of yoga session at The Potter’s House

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“You may perform the moves without consciously seeking the demonic trance they were designed to help you attain, but it would seem you are playing, quite literally, with fire. And then the question is why?”

(Leonardo Blair – Christian Today)  Serita Jakes, wife of popular televangelist Bishop T.D. Jakes, has shared a series of photos showing members of a women’s group at The Potter’s House of Dallas enjoying a “taste of yoga” as a part of a healthy living endeavor, despite traditional Christian opposition to yoga. Continue reading →

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Want to Drop the ‘Mormon’ Moniker

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LDS Prophet Russell M. Nelson

“But here’s the thing: the Mormon faith is not the true church of Jesus Christ, and to say so threatens to lead untold numbers of people astray. The truth is that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is completely incompatible with biblical Christianity.” 

(Chris Queen – PJ Media)  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints conjures up plenty of different images. Some people equate the Latter Day Saints with bland, middle-of-the-road public figures like Mitt Romney or (if you’re old enough) the Osmonds. Others may think of polygamy. Still others may recall those eager, if dorky, young missionaries making their way through town in their short-sleeve white shirts and ties. Continue reading →

Press needs to restore its credibility on FBI and Justice Department

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“This is an absolutely stunning development, suggesting a “deep state” conspiracy hidden even from superiors and driven on the basis of undisclosed dollars ultimately from the opposition candidate going to the wife of a DOJ official. Even moderate senators like Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) have been shocked by this and called for a special counsel to investigate the FBI.”  

(Mark Penn – The Hill)  I will never call the mainstream media “the enemy of the people.” But I will call them out for having strayed from fairly reporting some of the biggest stories of the last two years. No matter how egregious their errors, they insist on pointing fingers elsewhere and reinforcing their political biases, in ways unimaginable to those of us who grew up in the Walter Cronkite era. Continue reading →

California Senate passes bill banning books, therapy to help unwanted gay attraction

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The First Amendment to the United States Constitution forbids laws “abridging the freedom of speech” or “prohibiting the free exercise” of religion. The California Constitution affirms that “[e]very person may freely speak, write and publish his or her sentiments on all subjects,” and that “[f]ree exercise and enjoyment of religion without discrimination or preference are guaranteed.”

(Calvin Freiburger – LifeSiteNews) – The California Senate voted Thursday to approve the nation’s broadest proposed ban on treatment for overcoming unwanted same-sex attractions. Continue reading →

Nadia Bolz-Weber Steps Down from Pastorate: Replaced by Gay Man Married to Drag Queen

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Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber

Humber [Bolz-Weber’s replacement] came to HFASS from St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco. He is “married” to a man who pretends to be a woman and is a “drag queen.” His partner’s drag name is “Fruit Bomb.” 

(Pulpit & Pen) Nadia Bolz-Weber retired from her pastorate at the House for All Sinners and Saints (ELCA) and was replaced by a gay Episcopal man who is married to a drag queen who goes by the name “Fruit Bomb.” This is not satire.

Bolz-Weber is the giant Amazon-esque, tattoo-graffiti’d, potty-mouthed impastor who has referred to herself as a “dyke” (she is married to a man, however). … Continue reading →

God’s Faithfulness

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten. Lord Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause. Jeremiah 20:11-12

Previously in this chapter, Jeremiah poured out his complaint to the Lord while he was in the stocks. But now faith comes to Jeremiah’s rescue and begins to strengthen him. Faith counterattacks to uphold the tottering prophet. Jeremiah is now fighting back against the assault he is victim of. He begins now to reckon on reality, to count as truth what God had made known to him. That is the way to handle any frightening situation. …  View article →

Vatican Cardinal: ‘Homosexual Culture’ In The Church Part Of Abuse Crisis

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“Now it seems clear in light of these recent terrible scandals that indeed there is a homosexual culture, not only among the clergy but even within the hierarchy, which needs to be purified at the root. It is of course a tendency that is disordered.”

(Paul Bios – Daily Wire)  Cardinal Raymond Burke has called upon Pope Francis to clean up what he calls a “homosexual culture” in the Church that has contributed to the sex abuse crisis. Continue reading →

Be skeptical of Dr. Oz’s remedies and Rick Warren’s ‘plans’ (Reprise)

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FLASHBACK FRIDAY

This article by CRN managing editor Marsha West was published January 15, 2015

Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon, author and host of a successful TV show, has involved himself in some, um, questionable cures for what ails you. According to a Fox News report, a recent study showed that “Half of Dr. Oz’s health advice is bad.” Die-hard Oz fans will more than likely ignore the study results and continue tuning into his TV show for advice from him and the panel of doctors that appear regularly, even knowing that Oz and the other doctors often recommend products straight out of Quacksville.

Our idols would never steer us wrong, would they? I mean, Oz wouldn’t allow his fans to purchase remedies that have little basis in fact or that many in the scientific community agree are bogus. Test the “cures” and you will find that, in some cases, what they recommended is on par with the sort of thing you’ll find in a witches brew – bat wings, spider legs and crow bones. Continue reading →

Christian Author Jen Hatmaker Gives ‘Free Mom Hugs’ During LGBT Pride Parade

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Hatmaker went on to write that her “arms were never empty,” noting many ran toward her and others from her congregation and told them things like, “I miss this,” “My mom doesn’t love me anymore,” “My dad hasn’t spoken to me in three years,” and, “Please just one more hug.”

(Tré Goins-Phillips – Faith Wire)  Well-known Christian author Jen Hatmaker drew attention over the weekend when she and members of her church attended an LGBT pride parade in Austin, Texas, to offer “free mom hugs” to fellow demonstrators. Continue reading →

Educational Limbo: How Low Can You Go?

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A few months ago Josh Niemi blogged about what he called “educational limbo.” Niemi believes that when tolerating the amount of moral mischief in their child’s school, each parent has a personal limit of how low they will go before removing them. In his piece he quotes Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis who said the following about public schools:

I think parents need to repent of just handing their kids over to the secular world. That’s what they’ve done. They’ve basically handed them over to a system. You know, it’s about time we faced up to it—the public education system, by and large, is nothing but a church of atheism. They’ve thrown the Bible out, they’ve thrown God out, they’ve thrown creation out, they say in their textbooks you can explain the whole of reality by natural processes. What is naturalism? It is atheism. Continue reading →

Trinity Western University to No Longer Require Students to Sign Lifestyle Covenant Saving Sex for Marriage

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“Students were asked to abstain from sins such as lying, cheating, stealing, drunkenness, viewing pornography, using vulgar or obscene language, and engaging in sexual intimacy outside of the marriage bond between a man and woman. They were to pursue lives of honesty, modesty, purity, generosity, integrity, forgiveness and love, among other biblical virtues.”

(Heather Clark – Christian News)  Trinity Western University, the Christian-identified institution that has been at the center of three lawsuits in which various provincial legal societies that have denied approval for the university to open an accredited law school due to its stance on sexuality and marriage, has decided to no longer require students to sign a lifestyle covenant agreeing to save sex for marriage, and that between a man and a woman. Continue reading →

Farewell, Willow Creek: Where the ‘Regular’ Churches Can Go From Here

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“Well, Weeping Willow Creek and all others of its ilk, we’re on to you. We see the chinks in your armor, and they’re gaping open ever wider with each passing day. Another one of your empires has fallen, and others will follow soon.”

(Jonathan Aigner – Patheos) It looks like the beginning of the end at Willow Creek. They aren’t saying that, but I feel like that’s what’s happening.

If so, good riddance.

I’m sorry if I sound bitter. I’m not, really. More relieved than anything else. Saddened for the stories of abuse, gaslighting, and hero worship. Grieved by the commoditization of human hearts and souls, the theological void, and the liturgical collapse. But relieved that this sad chapter in American religious history is rattling to an end. And you can take the megachurch movement you spawned with you. Continue reading →

301 ‘Predator Priests’ Named In Pa. Grand Jury Sex Abuse Report: ‘They Were Raping Little Boys & Girls’

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PA Attorney General Josh Shapiro  announces findings of grand jury report on Catholic Church sex abuse

“One boy was forced to stand on a bed in a rectory, strip naked and pose as Christ on the cross for the priests. They took photos of their victim, adding them to a collection of child pornography which they produced and shared on church grounds.” 

These are sick, twisted evil men. Brace yourself. 

(Andy Sheehan – CBS Pittsburgh)The long-awaited state grand jury report into sexual abuse in six Pennsylvania dioceses, including Pittsburgh and Greensburg, has finally been released.

The 884-page document, two years in the making, shines a light into the dark corners of these dioceses going back seven decades, exposing the predators and the efforts of their bishops to protect them. Continue reading →