Commentary, analysis and opinion.

Gospel Coalition Says God Raised up ‘Same-Sex Attracted Christians’ to Lead Us

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“The position of TGC is indistinguishable from the position of the mainstream liberal denominations 30 years ago. These New Calvinist believers behind TGC, led by ultra-liberal New York progressive, Tim Keller, hold the same position today as the Episcopalian, ELCA, and United Church of Christ did just a few decades ago.”

(Pulpit & Pen) The Gospel Coalition, a subversive political organization funded by suspect financial sources, posted an article earlier today telling Christians that we should get behind ‘faithful’ Same-Sex Attracted Christians who God has raised up to lead us.

The progressive organization, that has as an editor and contributor gay Anglican priest named Sam Allberry, has steadily been attempting to shift evangelical opinion away from condemnation of homosexual lust unless it is acted upon.

Jesus, however, taught us that the desires of our heart are sinful as well as our actions.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:27 (ESV)

The normalization of homosexual desire has been the very clear goal of The Gospel Coalition (TGC) for several years as they’ve promoted Allberry, who identifies (sometimes, depending upon the audience) as a “Gay Christian.” Chiefly, TGC claims that being gay is not a sin unless actual physical sodomy takes place.

Putting homosexuals into places of church authority is now commonplace among the council members of TGC, with a church affiliated with 9Marx (founded by Mark Dever) that recently installed a lesbian minister. So long as they are celibate, the Evangelical Intelligentsia argue, it’s okay.

In her TGC article entitled Christians, It’s Time to Go On the Offensive, Rebecca McLaughlin writes:

None of this means bowing to identity politics. Truth is truth, whoever is voicing it. But God has raised up leaders whose voices can be heard. We need to field our A-team in the public square. And the rest of us must follow their lead.

In other words, this isn’t bowing to identity politics, but if it does sound like identity politics, hey…truth is truth.

PS…this is identity politics.

However, orthodox believers hold that the Holy Spirit gives us a new nature (Ephesians 4:24), and it’s the kind of nature that pulls us away from homosexual attraction (1 Corinthians 6:11).

Rebecca McLaughlin continues:

Likewise, when it comes to other areas of cultural engagement, we need to let our most credible voices speak. In a world where Christians are seen as homophobic bigots, we need to get behind the biblically faithful, same-sex-attracted Christians God has raised up to speak for and to his church.

McLaughlin had previously written a post at TGC about what Christians could learn from the sexually graphic pornographic sequel, Fifty Shades of Freed.

The position of TGC is indistinguishable from the position of the mainstream liberal denominations 30 years ago. These New Calvinist believers behind TGC, led by ultra-liberal New York progressive, Tim Keller, hold the same position today as the Episcopalian, ELCA, and United Church of Christ did just a few decades ago.

Their trajectory will lead them to the same place, which is the full inclusion of practicing LGBTQXYZLMNOP within the church.

As for the rest of us, we believe in the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. While orthodox Christians do not believe that sanctification is immediate or that homosexual desire goes away instantly upon conversion, we deny that those who still wish to be sodomized or to sodomize others should be serving in ministerial positions within the church.

Published with P&P’s permission, 2019.

Research:

Sam Allberry

Tim Keller

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The Dangerous Cult of Hillsong

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“This is the doctrine of Hillsong — it is all about man becoming like God. In fact, one of the main tenets of prosperity theology is “little-god” theology which teaches that we, as “little gods,” have the kind of power that God has to create by speaking things into existence. Brian Houston’s teaching on this comes out clearly in his two books…”

(Jeff Maples – Reformation Carlotte)  With familiar tunes and upbeat rhythms filling the sanctuaries in churches everywhere, Hillsong is by far the most popular producer of mainstream Christian music in the world. … Continue reading →

A House Divided

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“What if such a war broke out today, as Dennis Prager imagines? For starters, and it is on their agenda, progressives would have to get rid of the Constitution and/or appoint six radical Supreme Court Justices. For Christians the response cannot be the war of the States but the war as conducted by Jesus and Paul.” 

(Peter Jones – truthxchange)  Respected Jewish commentator Dennis Prager has just made a stunningly bellicose judgment about American culture:

America is currently fighting its second Civil War…There will be unity only when the left vanquishes the right or the right vanquishes the left. Using the First Civil War analogy, American unity was achieved only after the South was vanquished and slavery was abolished. Continue reading →

Francis Chan Defends His Friendship With False Teachers

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“What would it take for Chan to recognize Bill Johnson and others who spoke at The Send actively advance the thing Chan condemns? Yet Chan has preached that if you criticize these teachers, you are taking a sledgehammer to the house of God, and you will have to answer for that before God. He referenced 1 Corinthians 3:17 which says, “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” My friends, Bill Johnson’s “gospel” is anything but holy.” 

(Gabriel Hughes – The Midwestern Baptist)  Yesterday, Francis Chan responded to the harsh accusations that he has been aligning with heretics. A recent article published at The Cripplegate was entitled Farewell Francis. The author Jordan Standridge warned that Chan “is sharing the stage with false teachers who will spend eternity in Hell (Gal. 1:6-9).” He pleaded for Chan to repent and “come back to your first love!” Continue reading →

LGBTQ+ Audit simply will not do

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“Living Out states on their website that the audit is directed to the LGBTQ+ same-sex attracted community. Since Living Out believes that one’s sexual orientation is from one’s birth (more about this in my comments on statement numbers seven and ten) then clearly they believe that to live as a celibate homosexual, attracted to people of one’s same sex, but not acting upon one’s desires, is a sacrifice of Christian holiness.” 

(Al Baker – Banner of Truth)  It goes without saying that we must have compassion for all who are outside of union with Christ, including the homosexual. I think you know that I have ministered extensively in the past to the homosexual community, seeking lovingly to make known to them the hope that we all have in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and the transforming power of the gospel in our personal lives. We must be open to all kinds of people coming to our churches. Continue reading →

Who Was Saint Patrick and Should Christians Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

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“What casts a far greater shadow than his monument, however, is St. Patrick’s Day. And that day in the middle of March raises a significant question: Should Christians celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? If you do, you might want to consider wearing orange. Orange?” 

(Stephen Nichols – Ligonier Ministries) When it comes to Saint Patrick, the true story is even more exciting than the legend and the myth. The facts are far better than the fable. This day that belongs to St. Patrick has become about leprechauns, shamrocks, pots of gold, and green—green everywhere. … Continue reading →

Killing Worship: The Experience (Part 1)

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“As I was trying to figure out what he meant by this, all of the sudden, the lights went out, and the pastor had an imaginary conversation with God. God’s voice came out of the speakers and the pastor, pretending to be Abraham, had a real life imaginary conversation with God.”

(Christopher Gordon – Abounding Grace)  Years ago I was challenged by a churchgoer that I have no right to critique another church’s worship unless I have personally attended and witnessed for myself what is happening. I took this challenge and visited the local evangelical church in which thousands from the community were attending. The church adopted the Saddleback model of worship that still is, to this day, the common practice of many churches in the United States. Continue reading →

14 Media Outlets Spread Hoax About Trump Calling for Violence During Breitbart News Interview

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“I don’t care how many times you read that, there is nothing there — not a word, not a peep, not anything that has anything to do with violence of any kind…”

(John Nolte – Breitbart)  The establishment media are deliberately spreading fake news about President Trump, saying he called for violence during his interview with Breitbart News.

Outside of the usual-usual fake news to damage Trump and to distract from their failing Russia Collusion Hoax, the media’s propaganda effort here is to make Trump pay a political price for daring to sit down with an alternative news outlet like Breitbart News and to warn other politicians not to violate the rules about who is “supposed” to be allowed to hold high-profile interviews. Continue reading →

Drag queen storytime reader once charged with child sex assault

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This drag queen calls himself “Annie Christ.”

“In our review of our process and of this participant, we discovered that we failed to complete a background check as required by our own guidelines.” 

(ABC13 News)  Houston Public Library is apologizing after a man charged for sexually assaulting a child was allowed to entertain children at Drag Queen storytime.

The library said Friday that a review revealed the volunteer never completed a background check before he was allowed to participate in the program. Continue reading →

Why We Shouldn’t Assume Catholics are Christians

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“Even if a Catholic is truly born again, if they refuse to leave their false church, we must treat them as though they are not. By their own profession, confession, and expression of faith, they continue in sin by practicing idolatry and rejecting Christ.”

(Jeff Maples – Reformation Charlotte)  Historically, Roman Catholicism has been considered by Protestants and Evangelicals to be an expression of faith that distorts the Biblical gospel of Jesus Christ. While Protestants hold to a soteriological belief of “grace alone through faith alone,” in contrast, Roman Catholics hold to a sacerdotal view of salvation by faith plus works whereby grace is dispensed through the Church by the intervention of a Sacerdote (priest). … Continue reading →

Preaching for Doctrinal Discernment

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I want to challenge the notion that our pursuit of clarity in preaching for the average hearer, absent rhetorical flourishes that emphasize our being well-learned, equates to emptying our teaching of doctrinal terminology and intellectual rigor. Rather, I want to argue that it is pastorally imperative that we encourage our hearers to think hard and well. We must teach them doctrinal and biblical terminology that is largely foreign to the average person’s vocabulary.

(Chad Vegas – Founders Ministry)  For nearly twenty years of ministry I have heard Mark Twain’s words ringing in my ear, “Don’t use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do.” This has become like proverbial wisdom in preaching books, courses, and conferences. There is a certain admirable pastoral concern behind this phrase. … Continue reading →

Why God Hates The Occult…

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“The Occult is the breaking of the first two of the ten commandments of God, for we are to have “no other God’s before ” Him, and we are not to fashion out of our Imagination, how we choose to see who God is.”

(Bill Randles)  When God set up a theocracy, He very strictly warned and threatened against any who would ever touch the occult. There was a death penalty for those who participated in any form of the dark practices of the pagans.

The various occult practices were considered to be abominable to the LORD, and so also were the practitioners. Both the sin and the sinner were and are considered utterly detestable to the Holy God. … Continue reading →

The Rebirth of Socialism

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“Democratic Socialists” believe radical change can come from peaceful political action, like voting.  But the harder core Marxist socialists believe that radical change can only be implemented by violent revolution.  Can we expect Marxist terrorism, along the same lines as Islamist terrorism?  Let’s hope not, but it could happen.

(Gene Veith – Patheos)  With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, people were saying that socialism had been “consigned to the dust bin of history.”  Free market capitalism and liberal democracy were so ascendant that people were talking about the “end of history,” in the sense that the wars and ideological conflicts that make up so much of history were over with. Continue reading →

Farewell Francis

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“I think it is time to say that Francis has shifted so far that he has embraced false teachers and has disqualified himself from the benefit of the doubt. That does not mean that he is a false teacher, nor that he is beyond repentance. But it does mean that, as for me and my house, we will not only not recommend Francis Chan as a trusted resource, but I also encourage you to stay away from him.”  

(Jordan Standridge – The Cripplegate)  I’ll never forget the first time I heard Francis Chan speak. 

I was at a big music conference in California feeling really discouraged. The music was man-centered, the teaching was problematic, to say the least; it just really seemed like no one was there to exalt the Savior. It seemed to all be about money and fame. And then something happened. In between bands, a preacher came forward. …  Continue reading →

The Crisis and Comfort of Romans 7

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“We must…become honest about our struggle with sin and cling to the work of Jesus Christ our Lord as our hope now and for all eternity.”

(Josh Buice – Delivered By Grace)  Yesterday, in our series through Romans, I had the privilege to preach the concluding verses (24-25) of Romans chapter seven. As you may know, the seventh chapter of Romans is one of the most difficult passages to interpret in all of Romans—indeed in all of the Bible. There are many questions to answer including identifying the “I” of the chapter and explaining the relevance of the law of God for new covenant Christians. Continue reading →

Former Harvest Employees Say James MacDonald Lived Large on Church’s Dime

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“These expenditures were in addition to MacDonald’s salary, which the church continues to keep private. However, Dave Corning, a founding elder who chaired the elder board for 21 years, told me that in 2009, MacDonald was making a combined $550,000 from both the church and Walk in the Word, MacDonald’s broadcast ministry.”

(Julie Roys)  In 2015, James MacDonald went on a worldwide missions trip that was so stressful, he needed a safari in South Africa to help him recover from it. At least, that’s what MacDonald, the recently-fired founder of Harvest Bible Chapel, claimed to justify the church paying for the safari for him and two others, according to his bodyguard at the time, Jacob Ross.

But that’s not all. Continue reading →

Taken Captive By False Teachers & False Doctrines – 10 signs

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“The captivated are desperate to alleviate the cares of this world, or increase their comforts in this world. Promises of breakthrough, healing, favour, pleasant “suddenlies,” transfers of wealth, supernatural encounters and miracles, entice those with itching ears or troubled souls. Like clouds without water false teachers fail to deliver. They promise their followers an encounter with God, but instead deliver an emotional experience or Kundalini spirit.” 

(Rick Becker – Famine In The Land)  We’re closer to the end. Some would have us believe the greatest revival the world has ever seen is upon us, but scripture teaches the opposite. There will be false anointed ones, a departure from the faith, apostasy, and doctrines of demons will deceive many within the visible church. Those within the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) ignore what scripture teaches, they are hoping to be activated by a super apostle and be a part of a new breed of revivalist that will walk through walls, raise the dead, and conquer the seven spheres of society. These deluded folk have not been activated, but captivated by false teachers and false doctrines: Continue reading →

Why Are Young Christians Leaving the Church? It’s Simple Math

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“Make no mistake about it, the university setting will likely be a battlefield populated with people opposed to Christianity.”

(J. Warner Wallace – Cold Case Christianity)  Several years ago I had the opportunity to speak to an engaging group of Christians in Elgin, Iowa at the First Baptist Church of Elgin. The congregation was a wonderful combination of young families and older members who understand the challenges facing the younger Christians in their midst. I shared the overwhelming statistics chronicling the growing number of young Christians leaving the church during their college years, but many in the audience had already seen the departure firsthand. … Continue reading →

Top Democrat Tells Holocaust Survivors To Check Their Privilege

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According to Rep. James Clyburn’s logic, it’s OK to hate Jews if you rank higher than them on the pyramid of victimhood.

(Madeline Osburn – The Federalist)  Democratic Whip Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) defended his colleague Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) by reasoning that she is higher than Jews on the pyramid of intersectionality. In an interview with The Hill on Wednesday, Clyburn trivialized Holocaust survivors when he implied that Omar’s time in a Kenyan refugee camp outweighed the experiences of Jews. Continue reading →

‘A Consuming Fire’: Holiness, Wrath, and Justice

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“How often do we pastors give God equally profane worship when we dare to come into His presence without considering Him as holy, without seeing our primary responsibility in our celebration of worship as displaying the glory of God, revealing His majesty before the whole congregation? We need to think on this.”

(R.C. Sproul)  WE LIVE IN A CULTURE WHERE THE VAST MAJORITY of the people occasionally gives lip service to the existence of God but almost never regards Him as holy. If some do acknowledge that He is holy, very few add to that holiness any idea of divine justice. And if we are able to find a handful of people who agree that God is both holy and just, it is next to impossible to find someone who will add to these elements the idea that God is wrathful. Continue reading →

James MacDonald Recording Reveals Ungodly Evangelical ‘Celebrity Machine’

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“For the past year, I’ve been writing about the evangelical “celebrity machine” or “industrial complex”—a network of Christian media, publishers, and ministry “partners,” which rely on each other for promotion, book deals, conference invites, networking, and income. In the best of all possible worlds, this “machine” would be leveraged to inspire vision, support important initiatives, and hold Christian public figures accountable.  But as the MacDonald recording reveals in perhaps the most grotesque fashion I’ve ever witnessed, the machine is often used to protect the powerful and to crush truthtellers.”

(Julie Roys)  About two weeks ago, Mancow Muller aired vile, recorded comments by James MacDonald on his Chicago radio show on WLS/AM890. This shocked the Christian community and prompted Harvest Bible Chapel to fire MacDonald. Yet MacDonald’s comments apparently didn’t shock Johnnie Moore. Continue reading →

Same-Sex Relationships: Sorry Bishop, But The Meaning Of Holiness Does Not Change From Generation To Generation

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“The idea that God has revealed a different standard today is equally flawed. The Holy Spirit is himself God, and just as unchanging as God the Father. He cannot reveal something to be holy today that was condemned as unholy in the Scriptures that he breathed-out. The Holy Spirit is not a liar, and he has not learned anything new about human sexuality in the two thousand years since the closure of the Canon.”

(John Stevens – johnstevens.com)  One of the notable features of the debate raging in the Church of England over issues of human sexuality is the poor theological arguments used by those in favour of revising the historic position of the church, which reflects the clear Biblical teaching that sex is only appropriate for heterosexual marriage and that sex is determined by biology at birth. Continue reading →