Commentary, analysis and opinion.

Outspoken atheist Stephen Hawking has died

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(Danny R. Faulkner – Answers In Genesis) “Before we understand science, it is natural to believe that God created the universe. But now science offers a more convincing explanation. What I meant by “we would know the mind of God” is, we would know everything that God would know, if there were a God, which there isn’t. I’m an atheist.” – Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking 1942–2018

Famed British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking died today. Interestingly, Albert Einstein was born on the same date in 1879. Furthermore, both men died shortly after their 76th birthdays. These facts wouldn’t be remarkable if their work and writings were not so intimately related. Continue reading →

Sid Roth, Bill Hamon Detail Conversations with Michael the Angel

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(Pulpit & Pen) Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind – Colossians 2:18

“My spirit uploaded to God, and God’s spirit downloaded to me.” This is what Bill Hamon recently told Sid Roth on his program It’s  Supernatural. Hamon claims to have spoken in tongues, he thought a combination of Spanish and Italian. He claims that God pre-programmed his mind so that he could not fail and that he would prophesy infallibly. Then, he began to speak about how he convened with Michael the Archangel, who gave him strategies for spiritual warfare. Continue reading →

Can You Change Yourself?

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Cameron Buettel urges Christian leaders to repudiate the philosophy that says you can change yourself that’s promoted by self-help gurus Anthony Robbins, Oprah Winfrey and their ilk and replace that worldly philosophy with “the truth of biblical anthropology—that all men are, by nature, totally depraved sinners.” But instead, pastors with rock star status like Joel Osteen and Steven Furtick “see it as an opportunity to market a ‘Christianized’ version of the same lie.”  Continue reading →

The Young Roman Catholic Man Who Clenched His Fist

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(Jordan Standridge – The Cripplegate) “So I asked him a third question, and I let him know that I ask this question in order to really get to the heart of what someone believes about how they are going to Heaven. I asked him, “If you were to die tonight, and were to stand before God, and He were to ask you why should I let you into Heaven?”

Let me tell you about a Gospel conversation I had recently that left an impression on my heart.

Tim was a very polite guy. Continue reading →

The Apostle Mary Magdalene — More Christo-Feminist Madness

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Mary Magdalene sees Jesus. Photo credit Waiting For The Word

Did Jesus give Mary Magdalene an apostolic commissioning?  According to Dr. Eddie Hyatt of Hyatt International Ministries, Jesus did just that. In 1991 Hyatt claims to have had a life altering experience where he saw Mary Magdalene receive the first apostolic commission from the risen Lord (here).  In the following piece, Anthony Wade raises a warning flag: The Church is quickly moving into “Christo-feminism.” Keep this term in mind brethren because it won’t be going away anytime soon. “Hyatt’s end game here,” says Wade, “is to blow up into significance that which is not significant at all.”

So the question is, did God keep Mary Magdalene’s apostleship a deep dark secret until 1991, as Hyatt claims? Did the Almighty set up some “deep gnostic knowledge that would stay hidden for thousands of years until Eddie Hyatt came along?” Hyatt would have us believe that God did this very thing. Continue reading →

Take the Catchers Away!

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(Steve Lumbley – Apostasy Watch) I recently received an email from the pastor of a small church in Indiana. He was requesting permission to add apostasywatch.com to the list of recommended links on his church website. I told him that would be fine but I did request more information from him regarding his church and their beliefs. The following is an excerpt from one of the emails we have exchanged since then.

We briefly were caught up in the Pensacola Revival of the mid 1990’s. Several of us went there and thought it was a move of God. We “brought it back” with us to Indiana. … Continue reading →

John Piper Continues to Confuse Followers on Justification

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(Pulpit & Pen News) John Piper has been concerning his followers for quite some time when it comes to elaborating upon the Doctrine of Justification and what he, quite uniquely, calls, “final salvation.” Since Piper’s embrace of Douglas Wilson during the height of the Federal Vision controversy (Wilson has since left Federal Vision behind, thankfully), some Reformed Baptists have uneasily eyed Piper with suspicion on the topic.

Federal Vision, for those who don’t know, holds to twenty or so theological errors (so says the Orthodox Presbyterian Church) which make it aberrant. Since the OPC statement against Federal Vision, most Presbyterian denominations have gone on to formally condemn it. Continue reading →

How abandoning Sola Scriptura shipwrecks your faith

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(Berean Research) What is the difference between the spiritual transformation that happens through the Holy Spirit, and the Spiritual Formation movement that swept through our churches a few years ago?

The difference is night and day. I remember talking about this with the late Ken Silva in 2012. He helped me understand that the Spiritual Formation movement provided the platform and a channel through which mystical practices began entering many different evangelical and traditional denominations. Continue reading →

Why Teenagers Are Becoming ‘Trans-curious’

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(Joe Carter – The Gospel Coalition) “How is it possible young people are 329 percent more likely than adults to identify as transgender? How is it possible there are almost exactly as many teenagers who identify as transgender as there are adult men and women who identify as gay and lesbian? The only reasonable answer: the phenomenon is a social contagion driven by peers and pop culture, psychologists and pediatricians.”

The Story: A new study published in the medical journal Pediatrics finds many more teens than previously thought say they are transgender or identify themselves using other nontraditional gender terms. Continue reading →

Discernment: What’s Love Got to Do with It?

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Spiritual discernment (wisdom) comes from knowing Jesus Christ. Those who have spiritual discernment have a heart for God, a biblical worldview that comes from reading God’s Word, and a love for Truth. Those who are spiritually discerning have no trouble recognizing false doctrine and those who teach it. Those who are spiritually discerning know exactly what has to be done when they encounter wolves in sheep’s clothing — they are to expose them, they are to turn from them, and most importantly, they are to warn the sheep about the wolves.

In 2016 Bible study author, speaker and blogger Michelle Lesley addressed the barrage of criticism leveled at those of us who are involved in online discernment ministries. One of the enemy’s favorite fiery darts is the Don’t judge lest ye be judged dart. And then he pulls the cruel You’re unloving dart from his quiver. Bing!  Right between the eyes. Our wily enemy is fully aware that getting accused of being judgmental and unloving (mean and divisive) can shut a person down. Continue reading →

Cleaning house: ‘No more free heresy!’

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This is the story of one church taking drastic steps to rid itself of the heresy from its church library.

Church libraries are a great source for free Christian reads, and those nice librarians rarely charge late fees. Notice I didn’t say “great Christian reads;” I said “free.” Unfortunately many church libraries contain some of the worst fiction in Christendom. Books by authors promoting the New Age, Spiritual Formation, Word of Faith, New Apostolic Reformation, Hebrew Roots, and every seeker-sensitive, feel-good, self-esteem-building, purpose-driven, paradigm-shifting message that distorts the True gospel of Jesus. View article →

Leighton Flowers Accuses MacArthur of Inclusivism…Phil Johnson Responds

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(Pulpit & Pen) Leighton Flowers, defending Billy Graham’s assertion that people can be saved without knowing Jesus, has made the waters of Synergism even muddier. Flowers himself espoused the idea that it was possible to be saved without having heard of or believing in Jesus or the Gospel. He said…

Would God show Cornelius grace even prior to when Peter showed up with the Gospel? Of course…why…of course He would. He obviously showed him enough grace to send him the Gospel. Why wouldn’t He show him enough grace to save him if he perished prior to hearing the specifics of Jesus’ work? Again, I don’t think that’s unreasonable and that’s not beyond orthodoxy to hold to that worldview.  Continue reading →

Sarah Palin Just Exposed Anti-Christian Joy Behar’s Complete Hypocrisy

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(Western Journal) Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin pounced on “The View” co-host Joy Behar’s double standard when determining whether hearing from God is a “mental illness.”

“So, Joy Behar,” Palin tweeted on Wednesday, “do you consider our friend Oprah Winfrey’s prayer a sign of ‘mental illness,’ too? Double standards, much?”

The 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee’s question was a clear reference to Behar mocking Vice President Mike Pence for believing he can hear from Jesus Christ in prayer.  View article →

My Protestant Oscar Predictions

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(Carl Trueman – First Things) “The red carpet will provide us with a parade of beautiful people. That’s one way of looking at it. Here’s another: It will provide us with an endless stream of people who have cheated on spouses, betrayed friends, broken marriage vows, wrecked homes, had abortions.”

I make a point of never watching the Oscars. If I want to waste four hours of my life being alternately patronized and reminded what an abject failure I am according to the criteria contemporary society holds dear, I can always read The New Yorker. But I am sufficiently aware of what goes on at the Oscars to venture a few predictions. Continue reading →

Why Aren’t Men Reading Women Writers?

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(Tim Challies) Why aren’t men reading women writers? Jen Pollock Michel recently asked the question and it’s rather a good one. Though she provided an early answer (which you can read here) she was clear that her foremost desire was to provoke discussion. Since I spend so much time thinking about Christian books, I thought I’d take a shot at an answer. This is certainly not the whole answer, but it may be a part of it.

I have often observed this about Christian publishing: Men write for men and women; women write for women. … Continue reading →

‘Doubting Evolution Is like Believing the Earth Is Flat’

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(Answers In Genesis) To misrepresent and discredit creationists by comparing their position to a belief in a flat earth is a straw-man fallacy. The fact that some people in history believed the earth to be flat highlights the fallibility of man’s reasoning. Throughout history, scientists’ confident assertions have later been disproven, such as the common medical practice of bloodletting or the futile quest of alchemists to turn common metals into gold.

Scientists today are not exempt. We often elevate people in white lab coats as if their conclusions were inerrant. But an extensive education and high IQ can’t overcome any human’s inherent limitations. Scientific findings today are often contested or disproven. … Continue reading →

Idols in the Temple of God

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Mike Riccardi’s latest installment of a piece we recently posted entitled Idolatry, Demons, and Ecumenism is over at The Cripplegate. Discover how believers are considered “unequal” to unbelievers. Riccardi points out that all false religions are demonic; thus, all other religions, including Roman Catholicism, are incompatible with Christianity. He writes:

A long time ago, in a land far, far away, I began a series on whom the faithful Christian minister may legitimately partner with in ministry. First, I briefly surveyed the history of the ecumenical movement in order to vividly illustrate the terrible consequence of disobedience to Scripture on this matter. …

Continue reading →

The Trans Teen Industrial Complex

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(Rod Dreher – The American Conservative) “Know what you’re getting into when you seek psychiatric care for your child or teen. In this case, a referral for anxiety and depression “quickly turned into” a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. Forewarned is forearmed.”

Y’all remember around 2003, the media started propagandizing for gay marriage? I don’t mean “reporting on the emerging movement in favor of gay marriage”; that would have been entirely understandable. I’m talking about openly advocating for it, and ignoring counterarguments. I can remember as far back as 2005 being told by fellow journalists that there is no argument against it other than the naked assertion of bigotry, and that we were under no more obligation to be fair and balanced in our coverage of the issue than we would be if we were covering the Civil Rights movement. (emphasis added) Continue reading →

Christian Joy Best for Charismatics and Not Cessationists, Says John Piper

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(Pulpit & Pen News) Although once a popular figure among all stripes of Calvinist believers, John Piper’s increasing social justice activism and increasing charismaticism have largely reduced his popularity to that of The New Calvinists and, oddly enough, evangelicalism at large.

Those who hold to the tenets of classical Reformed theology, however, have grown increasingly cautious of John Piper. His endorsement of figures like Rick Warren, his crecommendation of Beth Moore as a preacher even to men, and his bizarre introduction of “Christian Hedonism” have all been thoroughly criticized by serious Reformed theologians. Peter Masters of the London Metropolitan Tabernacle explains… Continue reading →

Billy Graham, America’s Pastor – Dead at age 99

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(Seth Dunn – Pulpit & Pen News) One of the world’s most well-known evangelists, Billy Graham died today at the age of 99.  He was so prominent and well known as an evangelist and servant of Christ Jesus that it seems superfluous to try to describe his notoriety by listing his accomplishments or citing facts about his life.  Perhaps the best way to illustrate who Billy Graham is and just what his life has been about is an oft-told joke:

Billy Graham was returning to Charlotte after a speaking engagement. When his plane arrived there was a limousine there to transport him to his home in Montreat. As he prepared to get into the limo, he stopped and spoke to the driver. Continue reading →

Hillsong’s Bobbie Houston Claims Apostolic Anointing For Husband, Brian

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(Pulpit & Pen News) Bobbie Houston is the wife of Brian Houston, and calls herself the “co-senior pastor of Hillsong church.” Hillsong is the Australia-based global phenomenon that has been growing throughout the world through its Arian Snare pop-music, Word-Faith theology, and celebrity endorsements. With satellite churches in New York, Los Angeles, and the Americas, Hillsong is the point of the spear of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), a charismatic movement that is seeking to unite the charismatic world – Protestant and Catholic – under its two main doctrinal distinctives, continuationism and the prosperity gospel. … Continue reading →

Dr. Michael Brown — When Dangerous Becomes Delusional

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“This is another hallmark of the Michael Brown playbook,” chides Anthony Wade. “He always wants to sound like the more reasonable party in the discussion. So he pays lips service to the cause of the other side.”

In the following quote, Brown actually admits that some online apologetics and discernment ministries,

are exposing error and rebuking false teachers. This is healthy and positive. I don’t doubt that in some cases, they are doing God’s work, and I deeply appreciate that. Constructive criticism is a lifesaver.

Continue reading →

Hillsong Sponsoring Contemplative Alpha – Allows Catholic Mass at Conference

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(Mark Jefferies – Emergent Watch) In what appears to be one of the latest atrocities in the ecumenical war against God’s church, Hillsong churches are partnering with Alpha – a contemplative program that originated in the heretical Anglican Holy Trinity Brompton – the church that was the European home of the ‘Holy Laughter’ heresies.

The mega-ecumenical Alpha Conference 2018 in the U.S. was just held at Hillsong Phoenix on Feb. 8-9, and featured popular Catholic artist Matt Maher, the Hillsong Phoenix worship team, Eleanor Mumford of the Vinyard Int’l Executive, Catholic Bishop Eduardo Nevares, and former Willow Creek executive Craig Springer.  > See their promo vid: https://vimeo.com/239912965  View article →

Building a Biblically Healthy Women’s Ministry

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The following piece, written by Pastor John Chester of Piedmont Bible Church and Parking Space 23, is published on Michelle Lesley’s blog. One piece of advice he offers to pastors who desire to build healthy women’s ministries is “Be willing to veto a book, a curriculum, or even a topic that the women’s Bible study wants to use.” Pastors must also be willing to take the blame for the veto. Here’s more great advice:

It is no secret that I am not a fan of discernment ministries, and that I think the concept of Biblical discernment is grossly misunderstood by many. But that in no way means that I don’t think telling truth from error and sound theology from errant (or even heretical) theology is unimportant. Continue reading →

8 Reasons Why The Next Missionary You Support Should Be A Cessationist – Part 2

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(Jason Bullington – Things Above)

THE PRELUDE

This series is predicated on the important truth that the continuationism vs. cessationism debate is no small deal. You are either one or the other, and there is no squishy middle (though some might lead you to believe there is). The key question is whether or not God is still speaking new revelation to His people today through audible voices and spiritual impressions. If so, then that drastically affects cross-cultural church planting methodology.

It isn’t minor, it’s yuuuuuuuge. Continue reading →