Commentary, analysis and opinion.

Why didn’t God stop Eve from eating the fruit?

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“Our God, your God whether you believe He exists or not, loves His world and continues to work His sovereign plan of salvation in it upon those whom He has foreknown. He will be glorified.”

(Elizabeth Prata – The End Time)  I was listening to a Grace Community Church Question and Answer session. I always appreciate how John MacArthur can sum up complex theological thoughts and issues so succinctly. I also enjoy the variety of questions. There came a question from what sounded like a very young boy. Continue reading →

The New Age Christian—An Accepted Oxymoron

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It is important to understand that Satan is not simply trying to draw people to the dark side of a good versus evil conflict. Actually, he is trying to eradicate the gap between himself and God, between good and evil, altogether.

(Ray Yungen) The current popularity with meditative contemplative mysticism presents a very perplexing challenge for evangelical Christianity. We are now encountering the New Age or Aquarian Christian. This term describes someone who remains in his or her home church and professes the Christian faith but has also incorporated various aspects of the New Age or Aquarian mindset into his or her life…. Continue reading →

No, God Did Not Speak to You Through, Dreams, Visions, Voices in Your Head, or Divine Impressions

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“If you are the one making such a claim, you must be prepared to defend your claim. If you are going to tell others that God is speaking to you, you must give us a reason to believe it. No one should expect to make the incredible claim that God is speaking to them without being willing and open to showing us why they believe such an event occurred.”

(Ed Dingess – Reformation Charlotte)  “God spoke to me.” “God gave me a dream.” “The Holy Spirit led me.” All these represent claims that I hear just about every time I am around other Christians. Rare is the modern Christian that does not make these claims. Rarer still are those that dare to question such claims. And most rare of all are those that dare to reject such claims in preference for, not just a theological, but a practice view of the sufficiency of Scripture. Why is that? Continue reading →

Context Matters: Abstain from All Appearance of Evil

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“And how does Paul want people to express their dependence on the Spirit? How can they show their regard for those verbal prophecies? Is it by shutting off their minds and swallowing wholesale whatever is spoken in the name of the Spirit?”

(Peter Krol – Knowable Word)  Perhaps you’ve heard the injunction to avoid the appearance of evil. You won’t find the phrase in most modern English Bibles, as it’s a holdover from the King James translation of 1 Thessalonians 5:22. The ESV commands us to “abstain from every form of evil,” and the CSB simplifies it further to “stay away from every kind of evil” (1 Thess 5:22, CSB). This verse could be called upon to support just about any set of personal prohibitions, including interacting with someone of the opposite sex, dining at a tavern, choosing one’s friends, and forming political alliances, to name a few. Continue reading →

Criticism of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Role of Discernment Blogs

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Truth is, it may be that SBC leaders are exceedingly fearful that they are losing the ear of the internet consumer, especially the ear of evangelical Christians. Such a fear could very well explain why SBC leaders have become so vigorously vocal and, in some cases, unreasonably hysterical toward the so-called “discernment blogs.” Less than a decade ago,  established blogs by SBC leaders like Al Mohler set the SBC agenda and ruled the information network in SBC circles. But suppose now blogs like Pulpit & Pen, Capstone Report, and some others who are, by and large, critical of the SBC and its stated agenda, rule the internet traffic, perhaps even obtaining the lion’s share of SBC internet consumers.  

(Peter Lumpkins) Last week, The Capstone Report, a popular website that focuses on issues it perceives as troubling in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), released a story concerning the president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Jason Allen, claiming he was personally lobbying the Missouri governor to settle more refugees in the state…. Continue reading →

Kanye West to Join Host of False Teachers for Awaken 2020 Conference

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“It appears that Kanye West has fully embraced the charismatic New Apostolic Reformation “signs and wonders” movement and will be joining a host of self-proclaimed “prophets” and “apostles” at the Awaken 2020 Conference this weekend. Some of the false prophets and false apostles heading up the event include Cindy Jacobs, Lou Engle, Guillermo Maldonado, Brian Welch, and many others.”

(Jeff Maples – Reformation Charlotte)  I’ve been cautiously optimistic about Kanye West’s supposed conversion to Christianity. While I’ve been hopeful that his conversion is true, I’ve been skeptical about the sincerity of his conversion and have refrained from promoting him or his music to other believers. Continue reading →

Impeachment, Karl Barth, and Christianity Today

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In the interest of answering Mr. Galli’s call for reasoned dialogue on this issue, my question for him is, Why does he give Karl Barth a pass on similar issues? The question requires some explanation so that readers understand what I mean by “give Karl Barth a pass.” Several months ago Mr. Galli wrote an essay, “What to Make of Karl Barth’s Steadfast Adultery?”

(J.V. Fesco)  In recent days Christianity Today’s  editor-in-chief Mark Galli published an editorial calling for the impeachment and removal of President Trump from office. Before I wade into the debate, I want to distinguish two important issues that Mr. Galli raises in his article. First, there is his call for President Trump’s impeachment. Second, there is the way that he characterizes Evangelical supporters of the President…. Continue reading →

What Churches Should Know About YWAM: ‘Hearing God’s Voice’

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“[G]iving prophetic words to another person while blindfolded – has been practiced at YWAM’s Impact DTS in Skien, Norway. A former student named Stephen – who attended this DTS in 2018 –  reports that, through this exercise, God confirmed he should serve in the U.S. Army as a chaplain. Thus, he made a major life decision based on what he believes he “heard” from God during this exercise. But how do Stephen and other YWAM students know that the messages they have heard are actually from God and not from their imaginations or another more sinister (i.e., demonic) source? Such a practice is irresponsible at best and dangerous at worst.”

(Holly Pivec – Spirit of Error)  This post is the third in a series on the influential Christian missions organization Youth With a Mission (YWAM). YWAM was founded in 1960 by Loren Cunningham as a way to deploy young people as missionaries throughout the world…. Continue reading →

Max Lucado’s Endorsement of Jen Hatmaker: What it Means and Why it Matters

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[Paul’s] comments on unity were actually followed by specific instructions for Christians to reject their old way of life and to pursue holiness and Christlike compassion. Paul warns the readers to avoid even a hint of sexual immorality or greed. He advises them not to partner with anyone who is openly disobedient to Christ but instead to live as children of the light. So, according to Paul, Christian unity can only exist within the framework of God’s holiness.*

(Alisa Childers) In the past couple of years, Jen Hatmaker has received quite a bit of attention, not only as a New York Times best-selling author and social media sensation, but also as one of the most high-profile Christians to affirm same-sex marriage. This ignited a controversy that lit up the blogosphere with equal parts disagreement  and praise.… Continue reading →

Golden Globe Awards Speech Defends Abortion

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“The number of women who have abortions because of rape or their own life being in danger pales in comparison to the number of women who, like Williams, will kill their unborn child to fulfill their life goals.”

(Alan Shlemon – Stand To Reason)  I often hear abortion defended for two reasons: rape and the life of the mother being in jeopardy. It turns out these are two of the least common reasons why women have abortions in the United States. That’s not according to me, but according to the Guttmacher Institute, an organization started by Planned Parenthood. Continue reading →

President Trump is doing something with Iran that every American should be proud of

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Let me say this clearly: this is precisely what the President of the United States should be doing, and every American, regardless of his or her politics, should be proud that he’s doing it.

(Peter Heck – Disrn)  In June of 2009, hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Tehran to protest the stolen election by the then Ayatollah-approved dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Dubbed the “Green Movement,” desperate protestors braved bullets from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to rally for freedom and change. Continue reading →

Karma Versus Sowing and Reaping — What’s the Difference?

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“The principle of karma burdens people with an unknown amount of effort throughout an unknown number of life cycles in order to attain a supposed state of bliss called nirvana. Yet, the Bible encourages us that the one true God will right all wrongs and bring about complete justice in his perfect timing.”

(Lee Ann Trees – Beautiful Christian Life) Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap (Gal. 6:7).

If people reap what they sow, why do we see so many instances where justice is not carried out in this world? The principle of karma has an answer for this dilemma: people will eventually be paid back with good or evil in future reincarnations for the deeds they have done in the past. Continue reading →

Passion Conference: Parents barred from attending, errant teachings introduced, false teachers lauded, and more. Linkapalooza inside

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Elizabeth Prata has blogged about her concerns before, as you will see in the links she provides at the end of her piece. Before we get to her major concerns, I must remind you that in 2012 CRN reported that Lectio Divina, a sacred reading that was introduced to the West by John Cassian, one of the Roman Catholic “Desert Fathers,” early in the fifth century. Lectio Divina, a form of contemplative prayer, was practiced by over 40,000 people who gathered for the Passion 2012 conference led by John Piper, Beth Moore, Francis Chan and Passion founder Louie Giglio. These supposedly solid Christians took turns reading from the book of Ephesians [watch here]. Following each reading the entire stadium was asked to “be still” as all waited to “hear” from Jesus. So much for spiritual discernment.

Now to Elizabeth’s report over at The End Time: Continue reading →

Not Pushing Back Fuels LGBT Tyranny

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“We shall sodomize your sons…” “We shall seduce them in your schools, in your dormitories, in your gymnasiums, in your locker rooms, in your sports arenas, in your seminaries, in your youth groups, in your movie theater bathrooms, in your army bunkhouses, in your truck stops, in your all male clubs, in your houses of Congress, wherever men are with men together. Your sons shall become our minions and do our bidding.” – Michael Swift, The Gay Manifesto, 1987

(Lloyd Marcus – American Thinker)  In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down state bans on same-sex marriage making it legal in all fifty states. The ruling requires states to honor out-of-state same-sex marriage licenses. Continue reading →

Repudiating the Right-Wing Idolatry of Trump and Believing Trump is a Good President are Not Mutually Exclusive

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Franklin Graham, Greg Laurie, Jack Graham, and a host of other Southern Baptist pastors who surround Donald Trump have endorsed Paula White. This is a serious compromise of the gospel and should be rightly condemned.

(Jeff Maples – Reformation Charlotte) I constantly hear from the left-wing progressive branch of Evangelicalism that those who support President Donald Trump are selling out the gospel because we support a man who is immoral and we give credibility to his false testimony of Christian conversion by not calling him out on it…. Continue reading →

Yes, Sadly, The UMC Split Is Pretty Racist

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“The UMC “deal,” boils down to this: the American WASP UMC told their African brothers and sisters in Christ that these Africans don’t get to dictate policy to the WASPs. The African churches were started by western UMC missionaries, and the churches were successfully transitioned to growing, indigenous-led, healthy congregations. Now that the black-led African churches have held to Biblical values that American progressives reject, the lily-white Americans say the black Africans need to learn their place.”

(Steve Berman – The Resurgent)  It’s very sad that the United Methodist Church can’t put the issue of Biblical marriage vs. same-sex marriage to bed. But American progressives won’t let it go until they’ve made every church denomination bow to their worldview…. Continue reading →

Bill Johnson – Power over Principle, Honoring the Dishonorable

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“In reality then, there is no power or principle from God in the NAR.  It’s one big sham, a false movement and a delusion sent by God on those who have rejected truth. This is a movement that dishonors God by attributing false signs and wonders to God.”

(Rick Becker – Famine In The Land) Todd Bentley is the product of a movement that has elevated men, women, and miracles above God. In the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) the supernatural is a vital element. In fact, the value placed on the supernatural is the underlying philosophy that has enabled charlatans, and in this case a sexual predator to thrive in the NAR. The leaders and the movement value power over principle….  Continue reading →

Environmentalists Want To Take Your Food, Your Home, And Your Children

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“How many resources do children consume versus the resources consumed by streaming video via Instagram’s massive array of Facebook server farms in places like Alabama, Singapore, or near the Arctic Circle, to millions of people around the country? But if Alexandria Ocasio Cortez were forced to choose between having 2.5 kids and being a celebrity living in a luxury building with an infinity pool, a rooftop dog park, massage rooms and a wood-fired pizza oven, which is especially good for the environment, it’s an easy choice.”

(Daniel Greenfield – Front Page)  At CNN’s Climate Town Hall, which set out to save the world by having ten of the 2020 Democrat presidential candidates, their staffers, drug dealers, and mistresses fly out to appear in the fake news network’s facilities, Senator Bernie Sanders proposed saving the planet by killing the children. Continue reading →

Warning to Parents: New Disney Cartoon Teaches Kids How to Be Witches, Using a Demon to Do So

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“Folks, if you think this latest “Owl House” show is just “fantasy and fun,” think again. Over the years, Disney has gone farther and farther into the darkness of the spiritual world that opposes the living God, coming up with programming and characters that lead the vulnerable into that dark world of deception.”

(Deborah Bunting – CBN) This is so beyond Cinderella it’s not even funny. Disney has come up with a new cartoon about a teenager who, in their words, “finds herself stuck in the Demon Realm and battles the forces of evil alongside a rebellious witch and a pint-sized warrior.” Continue reading →

Planned Parenthood Murdered Record Number of Unborn Babies in 2018-2019 While Receiving $616 Million in Taxpayer Funds

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“[T]he role of mother in the home is greatly despised in our society. The career woman is glamorized. She is the liberated woman. She is the one who has insisted on her rights which, according to the spirit of our age, all women must by all means do. She has made a name for herself in the world,” 

(Heather Clark – Christian News) The abortion and contraception giant Planned Parenthood has released its annual report, which shows that the organization performed a record number of abortions during the 2018-2019 fiscal year, as 345,672 babies were murdered in their mother’s womb, up 12,915 from the year prior and up 24,288 from two years ago. Government funding was also at a record high, as Planned Parenthood received over $616 million in reimbursements and grants. Continue reading →

Trump says Iran ‘appears to be standing down,’ missile strikes resulted in no casualties

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“U.S. defense officials told Fox News the U.S. military did not attempt to shoot down the ballistic missiles fired from Iran because there were no American military assets in place to intercept them.” 

(Fox News)  President Trump declared Wednesday that Iran “appears to be standing down,” in the wake of missile strikes on American bases in Iraq that he said resulted in “no casualties.”

“Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned,” he said, in remarks from the White House the morning after the attacks. Continue reading →

Are Names Up For Grabs?

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“What should be evident to the reader is that the evangelicals who claim proper names are arbitrary, as regards the actual sexual identity of the person using them, are wrong. In the abstract a particular name may be used of either a man or a woman, or both. However, when it comes to “trans” individuals changing one’s name ties directly into their overall understanding of themselves as the sex which they believe themselves to be.” 

(Hiram R. Diez – Involuted)  Pronoun Hospitality?

Pressure to conform to the ways of the world will always be present in our lives as Christians. This is very clear in areas that the world deems important. For example, in the world’s current obsession with transgenderism there is a great deal of pressure placed on Christians to violate our conscience by calling men and women by their preferred gender pronouns…. Continue reading →

Jeff Durbin, Secret Recordings, And Apologia Church: Delete After Reading

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The following accounts are given to demonstrate that Apologia Church in Phoenix has repeatedly used secret recordings of church members in an abusive fashion and engaged repeatedly in ‘hard shepherding.’ All of the information to follow has come directly from those closely associated with Apologia Church who contacted Pulpit & Pen or Bible Thumping Wingnut after seeing their elders continue in the same cult-like practices repeatedly. In some cases, names were changed to protect the innocent.

(Seth Dunn – Pulpit & Pen)  Sean Samson* looked down at his iPad, troubled by what he saw.  Being a bit of a tech geek, Sean had set up his iPad to save all of his daughter Eleanor’s* text messages…. Continue reading →

An Update On The Rise of Perry Noble. 2016-2020.

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Removed from his Church, he spent 30 days in rehab and went through a dark time of depression and doubt, including having suicidal thoughts at having lost it all. With no more involvement with Newspring and no money coming in (other than the monster severance package he likely received) he founded a business called “The Growth Company”.

(Dustin Germain – Pulpit & Pen) For many people, the last they heard of Perry Noble was back in 2016. At the time he was the founder and lead pastor of Newspring Church, an SBC mega-church with a daily attendance of 32,000…. Continue reading →