The group claimed in the letter that there are only “vague or absent sexual harassment/sexual assault” policies at the church, and that the organization fosters a “culture of silence and fear.”
(Mark Siegler – Page Six) Hillsong staffers used the church like a seedy dating service, “sleeping around” with volunteers and asking them to send nude pictures — according to a group of volunteers who allegedly complained about the situation. Continue reading
“Critics of the FBI have long suspected that the investigations began earlier. The Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee hired opposition research firm Fusion GPS in April 2016 to investigate Trump’s supposed Russia ties.”
(Joel Pollack – Breitbart) Newly-released texts from former FBI agent Peter Strzok suggest that the Obama administration’s investigation of then-candidate Donald Trump for supposed “Russia collusion” began earlier than the official government narrative has acknowledged. Continue reading
“Removing or altering biological sex from identifying documents does not just cause confusion. In at least one case, it cost a life. Last May, The New England Journal of Medicine published a harrowing story about a “transgender man” who went to the hospital with abdominal pains. As it turns out, the “man” was really a pregnant woman, and she was going into labor. The woman’s misleading documents led the hospital to make a grievous error, and her child died as a result.”
(Tyler O’Neil – PJ Media) Just how deeply has transgender activism penetrated the medical field? This month, a top medical journal published an article claiming that sex designations on birth certificates do more harm than good. In fact, the article’s abstract claims that biological sex on a birth certificate has “no clinical utility,” even though men and women have different biochemical makeups and therefore many drugs affect the sexes differently. Continue reading
“Given the Democrats’ Faustian bargain with their leftmost faction, destructive rumors about Biden’s faculties or his family’s financial escapades will more likely come from his own party’s left wing, eager for a Harris presidency, rather than from the Republican opposition.”
(Victor Davis Hanson – Townhall) Joe Biden will be our next president. But he will face Nemesis in a way that few other presidents have ever encountered the cruel Greek god. Biden’s hubris and that of the media/Democratic Party fusion almost guarantee such divine retribution. Continue reading
By Marsha West
Some professing Christians become infuriated when those of us in a discernment ministry has the chutzpah to report on a false teacher by name, as if naming names is unbiblical. High-profile leaders and bloggers who mention heretics by name are often accused of demonizing or judging them.
Invariably someone will cite Matthew 18:15-17:
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Whenever I write about a false teacher, I’m frequently asked if I’ve gone privately to that person in an effort to correct him or her. My response is “Of course not!” Why? For the reason that Christian celebrities are generally inaccessible. Many are, in fact, akin to Hollywood celebs. No doubt some of them rationalize that their popularity affords them certain privileges, one of which is to choose not to have a dialogue with anyone who “attacks” them.
Yet the Bible says that those who are in sin (false teaching is sin) must be admonished. In 3 John 1:9 the Apostle John calls out Diotrephes and promises to publicly correct him upon his return; we see in Galatians 2:11-14 Paul standing up to the highly esteemed Apostle Peter! He chastised Peter for fearing false teachers. What resulted from Peter’s “fear of man”?:
And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, ‘If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?’ (bold added)
In context, Matthew 18 addresses how Church leadership is to discipline a brother or sister who have fallen into sin and provides the proper steps to take before excommunicating an unrepentant sinner. First, we are to go to him privately. If he refuses to repent, we must go to him a second time along with two or more witnesses. If he remains unrepentant, the pastor must go before the church and proclaim his sin. Ouch!
It is essential for Church elders to be involved in the process.
Likewise, Matthew 18 does not apply to doctrinal issues, nor does it apply to Christians who have put their work before the world. Those who go public are fair game. Anyone in the public eye will get scrutinized, even unfairly criticized, for their work. Consequently, Christians who cannot stand the heat should not go into the kitchen.
Making A Judgment
Is it biblical for a Christian to judge another Christians teaching or their actions? I’ll get to what the Bible teaches on this in a moment. But first, we are never to make a judgment without having as many of the facts as it is humanly possible to obtain. As well, we are not to judge self-righteously. Never judge a person’s heart or motives because you have no way of knowing for sure what is driving either of these. Moreover, it is always a good idea to examine your own motives. Is there a just cause for judging someone? Do you really want what is best for him or her? Are you driven by anger? Are you getting even? Are you jealous of the person? Your motive must be that you want what is best for him or her. Report only the facts. No gossip. No slander. No twisting his or her words.
In the work I do I often name names. As I previously indicated, when I expose a false teacher, invariably someone will call me judgmental. Whenever that happens, I respond to them with Scripture:
The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. ‘For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:15-16)
What? You mean Christians have the mind of Christ? Those who are regenerate do. To clarify this difficult concept, I’ll point you to Bible expositor Matthew Henry. He writes:
The apostles were not guided by worldly principles. They had the revelation of these things from the Spirit of God, and the saving impression of them from the same Spirit. These things they declared in plain, simple language, taught by the Holy Spirit, totally different from the affected oratory or enticing words of man’s wisdom. The natural man, the wise man of the world, receives not the things of the Spirit of God. The pride of carnal reasoning is really as much opposed to spirituality, as the basest sensuality. The sanctified mind discerns the real beauties of holiness, but the power of discerning and judging about common and natural things is not lost. But the carnal man is a stranger to the principles, and pleasures, and actings of the Divine life. The spiritual man only, is the person to whom God gives the knowledge of his will. … And the apostles were enabled by his Spirit to make known his mind. In the Holy Scriptures, the mind of Christ, and the mind of God in Christ, are fully made known to us. It is the great privilege of Christians, that they have the mind of Christ revealed to them by his Spirit. They experience his sanctifying power in their hearts, and bring forth good fruits in their lives. (bold added — Source)
In short, it is the spiritual man (regenerate) who possesses the mind of Christ and has received the knowledge of His will which is laid out for us in Scripture. Therefore, the believer who is truly walking with the Lord— in His will—has been given the authority to judge words and actions, especially when what’s being taught is unbiblical.
How do we know when someone’s teaching is unbiblical? We are to test his or her teaching against the Word of God. If their teaching doesn’t line up with what’s in the Bible, then it’s not from God. And if a certain teaching is not in the Bible? Then it is coming from another source. To be specific, false teaching is inspired by the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places!
Bible teacher and expositor John MacArthur cautions:
It should be noted that [Matthew 7:1-5] has erroneously been used to suggest that believers should never evaluate or criticize anyone for anything. Our day hates absolutes, especially theological and moral absolutes, and such simplistic interpretation provides a convenient escape from confrontation. Members of modern society, including many professing Christians, tend to resist dogmatism and strong convictions about right and wrong. Many people prefer to speak of all-inclusive love, compromise, ecumenism, and unity. To the modern religious person those are the only “doctrines” worth defending, and they are the doctrines to which every conflicting doctrine must be sacrificed. (Source)
In my experience, many professing Christians stubbornly stick to their position that those who expose the unbiblical teaching of Christian celebs are unfairly judging them. So they play the Matthew 7:1-5 card: “Judge not, that you be not judged” followed by a resounding rebuke from verse 5: “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye?”
It boggles the mind that Christians fail to grasp the notion that those who are Spirit-filled have the mind of Christ. Only believers can make this claim — no one else can.
God’s ways and His Word make little sense to the unsaved. Listen to what Paul says:
The natural person [unregenerate] does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)
The only way to learn about the things of the Spirit of God is by reading the Bible. For believers, the Bible’s our final authority in all matters of faith. 2 Timothy 3:16 says “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” According to 2 Peter 1:21 “no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Every page of Scripture is God-breathed, yet a growing number of Christians choose to reject some of hard to understand Bible stories and Church doctrines. Two examples are the Creation story in Genesis chapters 1 & 2 and our Lord’s teaching that hell is a place of fire, demons and everlasting torment. Christ spoke more on hell than anyone else in the Bible.
Today a growing number of professing Christians reject much of what is taught in the Bible even though they rarely study it. They may attend church regularly but because they are biblically illiterate, they wouldn’t know if their pastor is teaching God’s truth or filling their minds with outright heresy. In many cases, professing believers would not know biblical truth if it walked up and bit them on the nose!
I regularly hear from Christians whose heart’s desire is to attend a healthy well-balanced church where they can be confident that they are hearing the gospel and receiving good solid biblical teaching. They lament that they’ve searched high and low to find a gospel preaching church near their home, but to no avail. So, they have become discouraged. But the sad fact is that only a handful of ministers still preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ. My advice to these people is not to give up searching. Finding a biblical church is best left for another article.
Naming Names
Many ministers and so-called Bible teachers come to us via the airwaves. The term for them is televangelist. The televangelist’s lifestyle is clearly identified by opulence, luxury and riches. They assure viewers that you can live in the lap of luxury like they do if only you will apply certain principles to your life. We also have TV preachers who are CEO’s of mega churches. Worship services are interrupted by commercials for the purpose of promoting upcoming events and to sell their books. Buyer beware! Many TV preachers also sell consumers a false gospel that saves no one. What they offer is a counterfeit Christianity. Front and center is the word-faith/name-it-and-claim-it/prosperity charlatans such as Joel Osteen, T.D. Jakes, Paula White, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Creflo Dollar and Joyce Meyer, to name a few.
Be on the alert for the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) a heretical movement that holds to the view that God is restoring the lost offices of church governance such as the prophets and apostles. The late “Super Apostle” C. Peter Wagner headed up the NAR and there are a swarm of so-called apostles and prophets worldwide. The wolves in this movement believe they possess the same gifts as the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles.
Other apostates, false teachers, “frauds, phonies and money grubbing religious quacks” to be weary of can be found here.
Again, we’re not to judge a person’s heart or motives, but we can certainly judge the fruit they produce! Jesus himself said:
Every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:17-20)
Believers who read and study their bibles are far less likely to blindly follow false teachers. But it’s not out of the realm of possibility for mature believers who cease being Bereans to have the wool pulled over their eyes. For this very reason John warned:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1).
This article was adapted from “Does the Bible really say we’re not to judge others?”
Copyright by Marsha West, 12/17/20
“If Americans can’t depend on the Justice Department or their state attorneys general, Democrats in those three states, or even local Republican leaders to come to the rescue, surely the black-robed referees perched on the bench will step up, right? Wrong.”
(Julie Kelly – American Greatness) Flagrant election cheating in several swing states, it seems, is of no interest to the self-appointed watchdogs of American democracy or even to those specifically tasked with investigating such unlawfulness. Continue reading
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“This is the first investigative documentary published on election integrity in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.”
(The Epoch Times) The year 2020 has been most unusual.
It started with an unprecedented global pandemic caused by the CCP virus, and it’s concluding with the U.S. presidential election, which has captivated the world. Continue reading
(Stacey Lennox – PJ Media) Lockdowns have drastic consequences. Small businesses are closing for good at an alarming rate. Almost 100,000 were gone for good as of September, according to a Yelp survey. The impact on children and young adults is also enormous. Children are out of school, and a recent study shows the loss of learning is significant.
More heartbreaking are increases in mental health issues, abuse, and suicide. A few recent high-profile suicides among young teens, including one eleven-year-old on camera during a distance-learning session, drive the problem home. Opioid deaths are also increasing in over 40 states. Continue reading
“Her screed was jubilantly covered by a raft of prominent news organizations, both in and out of the Christian sphere, praising her for her takedown and some calling it a “watershed moment.” It was not. Rather, it was a factually and theologically inaccurate rift that demonstrates once again that Moore has no idea what she’s talking about.”
(Protestia) If you can picture a crazed woman, who having managed to crouch atop a Chick-fil-A rooftop, alternating between throwing rocks down upon irritated patrons below and spitting on them as they pass by, all the while the police sit idly by, then congratulations because you’ve accurately deduced the state of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) when it comes to Beth Moore. Continue reading
“You’re so close, TGC, to saying it’s a gospel issue. You’re almost there. You can do it. We’re rooting for you. Just one article more…”
(Protestia) A new article by The Gospel Coalition (TGC) has taken a precipitous step closer towards the eventual and inevitable narrative that taking the COVID-19 vaccine is a “gospel issue” by arguing that Christians can’t effectively witness or share the gospel if they don’t take it, due to the negative impact it will have on their witness. Continue reading
“This is some next-level divisiveness that the church is facilitating black members needing a virtual “safe space” to have their “gospel experience” so that they can “heal” away from the lighter skinned congregants.” God forbid there might be white members sharing bandwidth with black members and streaming the same thing.”
(Protestia) Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church has invited “African American and/or Black Members” and their spouses of any ethnicity to attend a special gathering with racial trauma experts, with non-spousal white church members being asked to pray for the event, but to stay away. Continue reading
“Fang appears to be more than just a casual collector of information. She may have even “honey-trapped” Swalwell, who has yet to deny allegations of a sexual relationship with her.”
(Gordon G. Chang – Gatestone Institute) Revelations this month about U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, highlight Beijing’s complete penetration of American society.
China’s influence, intelligence and infiltration attempts are overwhelming America. Given the emergency, Washington should immediately close down all of China’s bases of operation in the U.S., including its four remaining consulates. Continue reading
“Many media outlets used this NBC News hit piece, from October 30 through Election Day and beyond, to discredit the 64-page report on how deeply the CCP had compromised both Hunter and Joe Biden. Polls show that around 45% of Biden voters had no idea about important election stories like this one, and 17% of them would not have voted for him if they had known about the stories, including the controversy surrounding Hunter Biden.”
(Jeff Reynolds – PJ Media) Hunter Biden was the October Surprise that wasn’t. A report so explosive, so potentially damaging, so dangerous for national security that it should have destroyed Joe Biden’s bid for the White House…. Continue reading
“God doesn’t need to prove His existence to an atheist — He’s already done enough of it. But you need to know how to articulate the arguments for the existence of God, Christ’s resurrection, the empty tomb, and other apologetic topics. With that being said, let me explain what apologetics is not very briefly by pointing you to a superb quote.”
(Blake Long – Theology and Life) Years ago, while I was at a previous church, I was having a discussion with a fellow church member. As we were talking he began to talk about familial issues and how hard it has been on him. It was rough to hear but I appreciated him opening up a little bit to me. This is part of what it means to “do life together.” Continue reading
(Protestia) Despite claims that any correlation between mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations and the Mark of the Beast are “conspiratorial,” the reports are real.No, we aren’t claiming that COVID-19 vaccines are the Mark of the Beast prophesied in Revelation 13:13-18. But what the Great Coronavirus Panic of 2020 has taught us is that the technology is present to fulfill the Scripture’s prophecy. [This view is held by those who are dispensationalists.] Continue reading
“Conservatives must accept this hard reality and avoid the aforementioned instinctive, very human but in this case deadly habit: projection. This is when you ascribe your own mindset, priorities and sense of virtue to others. But vanguard leftists aren’t like you. As with the Devil, they can’t be talked out of their passions or reasoned out of their malevolence. They are as aliens — and they do not come in peace.”
(Selwyn Duke – American Thinker) “People who cannot be reasoned with can only be fought.” It’s an age-old truth, one good people ignore at their own peril. It too often is ignored, though, since good people are mostly reasonable and, in accordance with man’s nature, engage in projection. They thus assume that others are as reasonable as they are. Continue reading
Fortunately for us, because we are Americans and we live in a free country—a place governed by laws and not by men—we have a constructive way to express our rage and outrage: we can simply stop obeying these lawless edicts.
(John Daniel Davidson – The Federalist) By now it should be obvious that elected state and local officials issuing COVID-19 lockdown and stay-at-home orders are just making things up as they go along. Continue reading
The suit asks the court to declare that the four states “administered the 2020 presidential election in violation of the Electors Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment” and essentially nullify any presidential electors appointed in those states.
(Julie Kelly – American Greatness) In a lawsuit filed Monday before the U.S. Supreme Court, the state of Texas accuses four states currently “won” by Joe Biden of using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to violate the Electors Clause and the 14th Amendment. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin for usurping the sole authority of state legislatures to create election law and charges that millions of absentee ballots were unlawfully processed by local election officials. Continue reading
(Stacey Lennox – PJ Media) In case you missed it, Tucker Carlson opened his show last night with a shocking video showing a Chinese professor of economics giving a speech about the country’s decades-old activities in the United States. He followed up with commentary from China expert Gordon Chang and current Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe.
The complete segment on Tucker Carlson tonight is about eight minutes long, but it is well worth a watch. The comments are damning, and it is easy to see why they were removed from Chinese media and social media:
Watch the video on the site Continue reading
“I would argue that the history of Hillsong is also crucial, in that it offers yet another example of what happens when powerful church leaders cut their denominational ties and set up their own shops, complete with an education system, parachurch networks and handpicked clergy who thrive because of their ties to the Alpha Male at the top.”
(Terry Mattingly – Get Religion) What brand of Christianity is offered at Hillsong Church?
Basically, it’s a slightly tamed version of evangelical Christianity, blended with Gen X pop-rock music, delivered by talented preachers with tattoos and ripped jeans. And then there are the celebrities who show up from time to time — which really helps create viral social-media stuff. Continue reading
“Contact tracing in the United States and other countries does not support the focus on those [establishments] as the main problem,” [according to] Dr. Scott Atlas, a former member of the president’s coronavirus task force. “The rules seem arbitrary and people should want to see the data to support those policies.” The problem, Atlas confirmed, is a lack of data.
(Julie Kelly – American Greatness) In a video that is simultaneously gut-wrenching and infuriating, a Los Angeles restaurant owner exposed the hypocrisy of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s order to ban outdoor dining in his city. Continue reading
(Tyler O’Neil – PJ Media)Late Monday night, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) filed a motion urging the U.S. Supreme Court to block key swing states from certifying “unlawful election results” in the presidential election, instead urging the Court to remand the election results to state legislatures for review. The lawsuit urges the Supreme Court to direct state legislatures to reverse the unlawful actions of election officials by choosing Electoral College electors themselves.
Paxton’s brief on behalf of Texas contests the results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Continue reading
“While conspiracy theories about election fraud abound — ranging from The New York Times’ claim that there was no election fraud anywhere in the entire country to dramatic claims of a global conspiracy involving voting machines, the Trump campaign’s official claims are sober and serious. State Republican Chairman David Shafer and President Donald Trump filed a criminal complaint in state court on Friday regarding tens of thousands of votes that they say were fraudulent.”
(Mollie Hemingway – The Federalist) A Big Tech-backed “fact” “checking” outfit claimed to debunk explosive evidence in support of Republicans’ claims of significant election problems at a Thursday Georgia Senate hearing. It didn’t. Not even close. Continue reading
“Daigle, who is a self-proclaimed Evangelical, is regularly used by heretics and cultists to advance their own cause. Daigle’s appearance with Mormons on stage does nothing at all to advance the gospel, it only serves to normalize the Mormon cult.”
(Jeff Maples – Reformation Charlotte) Popular Christian pop icon, Lauren Daigle, made waves in 2019 after she made an appearance on notorious lesbian Ellen’s daytime talk show to denounce the biblical view of sexuality and join hands with the rank and file pagan culture of pop and notoriety. Continue reading
Patrick Basham appeared on the Life, Liberty & Levin show on Sunday. After reading Basham’s article, which is an essential read, come back and watch the video of Levin’s interview posted below.
If only cranks find the tabulations strange, put me down as a crank.
(Patrick Basham – The Spectator) To say out-loud that you find the results of the 2020 presidential election odd is to invite derision. You must be a crank or a conspiracy theorist. Mark me down as a crank, then. I am a pollster and I find this election to be deeply puzzling. I also think that the Trump campaign is still well within its rights to contest the tabulations…. Continue reading