Commentary, analysis and opinion.

Five words of hope in the face of horrific evil and pain

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(Denny Burk – Professor of Biblical Studies at Boyce College) When horrific evil unfolds before our very eyes, there is a temptation to lose sight of the verities that ought to sustain and comfort us. For those watching the aftermath of the unmitigated evil of yesterday’s shooting in Florida, here are some words of hope to cling to. Hold them close.

1. God is good all the time.

“O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34:8). “For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, And His faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 100:5). “Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting” (Ps. 106:1). “The LORD is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:9). Continue reading →

Idolatry, Demons, and Ecumenism

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“Every false religion in the world is not just wrong. It is demonic. It is energized and powered by the kingdom of darkness that is ruled by Satan himself,” says Mike Riccardi. Mike goes on to say “There is absolutely no fellowship or spiritual partnership between the people of God and the people of this world.” So, if we’re in relationship with those who teach doctrines of demons, should we break fellowship with them? You must, says Riccardi. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. And he offers plenty of Scripture to back up what he says. Bottom line: “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.” 1 Cor 10:21

In the comments below the article, Riccardi responds to a question. In his thoughtful answer he urges believers not to pray with apostates:

We cannot pray together because they do not pray to the one true God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that’s precisely the point of 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1. Paul calls the Judaizers unbelievers, and then speaks about how the Corinthians must separate from their idolatry. But the Judaizers weren’t pagans, or even Jews. They were professing Christians who believed in the necessity of faith in Jesus for salvation; they just didn’t believe in the sufficiency of Christ’s work for salvation. And yet Paul likens them to idol-worshipers, because it didn’t matter that they called their god “Jesus,” that was “another Jesus” (2 Cor 11:4), nothing more than an idol, akin to the idols of the pagans.

In the same way, because Roman Catholics — though they believe in the necessity of faith in Christ — nevertheless do not believe in the sufficiency of faith in Christ for salvation, the god they worship is one fashioned by their own minds, and is not the God of the Bible. For that reason, it would be as blasphemous to join them in prayer to their false gods as it would be for us to pray with Hindus to their gods, or with the ancient Greco-Romans to their pantheon of gods.

Sadly, there are scores of false converts who truly believe they’re born again Christians. So,

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Now to another stellar article by Mike Riccardi that’s published on The Cripplegate:

Whom can the faithful church of God legitimately partner with in ministry? That question has been a point of contention among professing Christians for the past 100 years. And that’s been illustrated by what is known as the ecumenical movement, the history of which we surveyed last week.

And the principal dogma of the ecumenical movement of the 20th century was that anyone who called themselves a Christian was to be regarded as a Christian. It didn’t matter if they were a theological liberal who denied the bodily resurrection of Christ or penal substitutionary atonement, or if they were a Roman Catholic who denied the Gospel of justification by faith alone. The important thing was that those who called themselves Christians, and held somewhat to a “Christian” view of morality, were able to unite together in order to show strength in numbers, and therefore to compete in the culture wars for larger societal influence. Whether it was religious liberty, the unborn child’s right to life, race relations, a free-market economy, or improving education—all good things!—winning the battle over these social issues became more important to these people than the doctrine that divided them. So they downplayed the importance of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith in order to partner together on these issues.

Again, this is always done in the name of seizing influence, which, it is always assumed, is absolutely necessary for successful evangelism and for revival. It’s a fundamentally man-centered concept of salvation, because it supposes that unbelievers will be more likely to convert to Christianity if they see how popular, influential, and culturally relevant it is. The fruitlessness of this kind of thinking was illustrated in a classic interaction between a pro-ecumenical minister and Martyn Lloyd-Jones. The man believed the ecumenical movement to be a sign of hope for the future. He said, “But surely, when so many churches are coming together in a World Council of Churches, revival must be on the way.” Do you recognize the unspoken assumption? “If we can have worldwide movements and such large gatherings in the name of Christ, surely unbelievers will want to join us!” And Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ reply was just brilliant.  He said, “You seem to be arguing that if you succeed in bringing together a sufficient number of dead bodies they will come alive!” (G. N. M. Collins, “The Friend,” Chosen by God, 262–63).

Lloyd-Jones’ response reveals a different fundamental conviction about human nature and about what it means to be a Christian. Becoming a Christian isn’t joining a cultural movement. It’s not deciding to join a social club or some sort of fraternity. Becoming a Christian happens when a sinner who is spiritually dead is miraculously raised to spiritual life by God’s sovereign work of regeneration. A Christian is one whom God has made alive from the dead through the preaching of the one true Gospel of Christ. And those who are possessed of different fundamental convictions concerning the Gospel are not just “separated brethren;” they are the one spiritually alive and the other spiritually dead. And as Lloyd-Jones said, it doesn’t make a difference how many dead bodies you could gather into one place. What matters is whether God, by the Holy Spirit, breathes spiritual life into men and women by the preaching of the Gospel.

That is the test of whether Christianity is advancing in the world. Not how big our churches can get, but whether sinners were united to Christ by faith in the Gospel, and thus had found forgiveness of sins in Him. And if that’s what mattered, then it is the height of folly to downplay the importance of the doctrines of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the only way of salvation, in service of a substance-less “unity.” There can be no genuine unity between those who have been saved from their sins through the Gospel, and those who yet remain enemies of that Gospel—no matter what people are willing to call themselves. And so there can be no partnership in ministry between believers and unbelievers, because there is such a radical difference between them. And history has shown us that when we water down fundamental doctrinal distinctives for the sake of a bigger “tent,” we lose the Gospel—the Evangel itself. And if you lose the Gospel, there is no ground for genuine unity.

And it’s precisely this issue that Paul takes up in 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1:

“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ 17Therefore, ‘Come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. 18And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,’ Says the Lord Almighty. 7:1Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

The apostolic instruction could not be clearer: because there is this radical, objective difference between believers and unbelievers at the most fundamental level, there can be no partnership between them in ministry.  View article →

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Does This String of Incredible Coincidences Connect Dr. Michael Brown to the NAR?

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(Steven Kozar – Messed Up Church) Dr. Michael Brown is trying very hard to make it appear like the New Apostolic Reformation barely even exists. He’s recently completed an entire program devoted to distancing himself from the movement he doesn’t think is real. In the process of describing the thing he doesn’t believe exists, he ends up explaining some of the core beliefs of the movement itself… you know, the movement that doesn’t really exist.

It seems that Dr. Brown fluctuates between two opposing ideas: Continue reading →

Rick Warren and C. Peter Wagner, partners in spiritual crime

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Re-posting a piece penned by the late Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries in 2014 entitled “The Unregenerate Know Nothing of This Struggle.”

Here at Apprising Ministries you’ve heard me warn you on a regular basis about the despicable Church Growth movement (CGM) which slithered slithered out of the spiritual black hole known as Fuller Theological Seminary (FTS). Briefly, we trace the origins of the CGM back to Donald McGavran who in 1965:

 was asked by Fuller Theological Seminary to establish the School of World Mission…. His major book  Understanding Church Growth does not primarily focus on Theology (but rather on the social sciences. McGavran’s theology is primary apologetic.

Although the name of his book is Understanding Church Growth, he focuses mostly on growth and little on the church. (source, bold in original)

Continue reading →

5 Ways to Face Tests and Trials Biblically

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James 1:1-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James of course was inspired by the Holy Spirit to remind believers not to grieve or be sorrowful, but to be glad and full of joy when we “meet trials of various kinds.” So God’s people are supposed to suck it up…even be glad and joyful when we’re being put through the ringer? Seriously? Easier said than done for most of us.

Michelle Lesley, who writes Bible studies, says “You can do this!” Lesley suggests 5 ways believers should handle the tests and trials of life. And as always, she goes right to the Source: Continue reading →

Moody Bible Institute—Trying to Hold on to a Biblical Heritage While Riding the Wave of the Emerging Church

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(Lighthouse Trails) Several years ago, Rick Warren said something that still haunts us—leaders of the new purpose-driven, emergent “Christianity” will have to wait until resisters either leave or die before the plan can be fully implemented.1  In other words, they are going to eventually accomplish what they are trying to do—revamp Christianity into a “new” spirituality that will be all-inclusive, ecumenical, mystical, and with a new gospel message. But before that can happen, those who are resisting and opposing this new “Christianity” will have to be out of the way (either through getting old and dying or somehow being coerced into leaving the churches). Continue reading →

8 Reasons Why The Next Missionary You Support Should Be A Cessationist – Part 1

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(Justin Bullington – Things Above) As my coworker and I walked down the muddy trail, working intently on the very difficult Kuman language, a young man approached us. “Wagai We!” he yelled. In case you need it later, this means “hello” in the Chimbu Province of Papua New Guinea. We exchanged pleasantries and immediately got down to business.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“Well…”

I’ll spare you the painfully long exchange, but we went on to describe that we were there to learn their language and culture so we could teach them God’s Talk and translate it into their mother tongue. “i wagai. na ama Papa God ka kaungo yomba mocha,” he responded. What he meant, of course, was, “I am a pastor too.” … Continue reading →

Polygamy, Robot Sex Are Consequences of the Sexual Revolution

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(Bruce Ashford – The Daily Signal) Not for nothing, but the latest fruits of the sexual revolution are even more bizarre than most of us imagined.

We knew things would get a little freaky, but maybe we didn’t know it would involve an upswing in polygamy, amorous activities with plastic women, or cuddling sessions with electric candelabra.

But that is the state of affairs as we approach Valentine’s Day this year.

We shouldn’t be surprised. When a society deifies sexual expression, it deifies a jealous god who will not be satisfied until every biological, social, and moral norm is overturned. Continue reading →

Liberty University Professor Promotes Illegal Immigration

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(Pulpit & Pen News) Karen Swallow Prior is a radical animal rights activist who believes animals go to Heaven because naming them gives them personhood, says she’s more upset over animal abuse than abortion, says abortion isn’t murder and calling it such is unchristlike, promoted erotic gay literature, and has attended gay fundraisers and uses gay-affirming language. She calls herself a feminist and attacks complementarianism as unbiblical.

Karen Swallow Prior is also a professor at Liberty University and a research fellow for the leftist Southern Baptist organization, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). … Continue reading →

Enneagram: The Road Back to You, Or to Somewhere Else?

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In a piece I wrote over 10 years ago, Christians are mixed up in… mysticism, I dealt with the Enneagram. In a moment you’ll find out what this personality tool is all about from Kevin DeYoung. In a nutshell, the Enneagram is a form of modern psychology that categorizes people into nine basic personality types. Here’s an excerpt from my piece:

“The concept is rooted in several teachings such as the Seven Deadly Sins and the Kabbalah.  Supposedly the Enneagram symbol, the enneagon, dates back to Pythagoras or even earlier, and is based on Sufi mysticism.  This alone should be a red flag for Christians!”

Continue reading →

Self-Described Smarty Jimmy Kimmel Presents Stupid, Bigoted Anti-Christian Skit

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(NewsBusters} Saturday afternoon, Christian Toto at NewsBusters chronicled how Jimmy Kimmel has gone from being an “aw, shucks” comedian to “a hard-left comic” who believes (Kimmel’s words) that “every talk show is a liberal … because it requires a level of intelligence.”

That said, ignorant transformation was on display Friday night, as Kimmel attempted and failed to make a genuine point in a restaurant skit which attempted to ridicule a Bakersfield, California bakery which refuses to bake wedding cakes for same-sex couples.

Wednesday, Tastries Bakery has thus far prevailed in court: View article →

Christalignment ‘legally’ threaten discerning Christians – caught profiting from plagiarism.

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(Churchwatch Central) Jordan Hall from Pulpit & Pen recently critiqued a video Bethel pastor Ben Fitzgerald uploaded to Facebook, where Fitzgerald accuses Christians of ‘micro-judging’. Not only did Fitzgerald condemn those for calling his mother a ‘witch’ (even though by biblical definition what she  practices is witchcraft), he also accuses someone of passing on information about his family’s occultic practices to discernment sites. As a result of this, his family are now threatening Christians with ‘legal action’.

The video that Jordan Hall reviewed can be seen in this article here: Continue reading →

What Is Truth?

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Aaron Brake offers three different views of Truth: The pragmatic theory; coherence theory; and  correspondence theory. In his piece over at Stand to Reason, Brake explains these views and then makes the case for what he believes is the only option for the Christian. He writes:

“What is truth?” Pontius Pilate wasn’t the first, or the last, to ask this.

The question, at first blush, may sound profound. In reality, I think we all know the answer to this age-old inquiry. I say that because we presuppose a certain definition of truth in our speech and actions every day of our lives. ….. Continue reading →

Recalcitrants Versus the Rainbow Ruling Class

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(Bill Muehlenberg) In our brave new world of radical minority activist groups effectively taking over entire cultures, things are looking very bleak indeed for anyone who dares to resist the revolution. The militants have now become extremely powerful as the political world, the media, academia, and other institutions of power and influence readily run with their causes.

Those who refuse to bow the knee are being made to pay. They are being socially and culturally ostracised, hated on, and treated as outcasts. And there are very real ramifications of this: people are now being fired from their job, fined, or even jailed, for refusing to submit to the new agenda of the coercive utopians. Continue reading →

The philosophical contradictions of the transgender worldview

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(Ryan T. Anderson – Public Discourse) People say that we live in a postmodern age that has rejected metaphysics. That’s not quite true. We live in a postmodern age that promotes an alternative metaphysics. As I explain in When Harry Became Sally, at the heart of the transgender moment are radical ideas about the human person—in particular, that people are what they claim to be, regardless of contrary evidence. A transgender boy is a boy, not merely a girl who identifies as a boy. It’s understandable why activists make these claims. An argument about transgender identities will be much more persuasive if it concerns who someone is, not merely how someone identifies. And so the rhetoric of the transgender moment drips with ontological assertions: people are the gender they prefer to be. That’s the claim. Continue reading →

Are you easy prey for false prophets?

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Note from Holy Pivec of Spirit of Error:

The following post was first published on my blog on August 23, 2013. With the rise of men and women calling themselves prophets, many people need to hear its warning more than ever.

The Bible is clear: false prophets are wolves that devour unsuspecting sheep.

Jesus said:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15) Continue reading →

Evangelical Leftists Beg Trump to Help Illegal Aliens

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(Pulpit & Pen News) “Beth Moore, Russell Moore, Matt Chandler, Ed Stetzer, Jen Hatmaker…these are not conservative people. They range from Marxist-leaning New Calvinists to the desperate housewife contingent of feminist, pro-gay lady preachers.”

Illegal immigration has become the most popular issue to talk about among evangelicals seeking to build a bridge between evangelicalism and America’s left. Conceding on the culture wars of abortion and gay marriage, these evangelical leaders can’t be found in the thick of it on those important religious issues, but are at the front of the protest line when it comes to supporting illegal immigration. It’s a winning issue, as George Soros and his Evangelical Immigration Table have successfully convinced certain evangelicals that it’s their job to promote lawlessness. It’s a popular and easy public relations win, and evangelical leftists know it. Continue reading →

Meditation and the Art of Consciousness Hacking

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Pam Frost reports on a very scary movement dubbed “enlightenment engineering” that everyone, especially Christians, should be made aware of. According to Frost, these people are experimenting with new technology to accelerate and enhance the development of meditative consciousness. The scientific technology of consciousness is the brain child of Mikey Siegel, founder of Consciousness Hacking.  You’ll learn about Siegel in Frost’s post. Here’s a glimpse of the man behind the screen:

By suspending the judgment of his normally functioning mind and abandoning himself to mental passivity, Siegel experienced the “enlightenment” of a higher state of transcendent consciousness in which neither “good” nor “bad” exists. According to Hinduism, the material world and the realm of distinctions are only an illusion (maya). The goal of meditation is to transcend these illusions until the soul (atman) is realized as god (brahman). (Bold added)

Continue reading →

The Power of De-Conversion Stories: How Jen Hatmaker is Trying to Change Minds About the Bible

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Fans of Jen Hatmaker may not realize that she follows the same basic playbook used by former megachurch pastor and Oprah Winfrey pal Rob Bell and other progressive “Christians.” According to Michael J. Kruger, professor of Reformed Theological Seminary, the details may be different, but the overall point is the same.  Berean Research has posted numerous articles to show that even though they profess to be evangelicals, both Jen and her husband Brandon are firmly ensconced in the Religious Left. In other words, they’re progressives.  As you’re about to see, Jen rejects the inerrancy of Scripture.  A few years ago the Hatmakers came out in support of the LGBTQ community and in doing so the couple made it clear that they deny the biblical teaching on marriage, sexuality and family. Continue reading →

Are All Angels Safe?

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(Marsha West – Christian Research Network)  Contrary to popular belief, angels are neither chubby little babes with rosy cheeks nor are they exquisite young women with gossamer wings decked out in long flowing gowns. The Bible reveals very little about angels. What we do know is that God sends angels to do His bidding.

The Bible mentions two elect holy angels (the good guys) by name: Michael and Gabriel. Scripture also mentions the Angel of the Lord; Michael the archangel; the Captain of the Host of the Lord; messengers; and guardians.

Also mentioned are fallen angels (the bad guys). Lucifer, one of God’s highest angels, led a revolt against God and was banished from heaven along with his followers which is said to be a third of the angels. There are many names for Lucifer such as Satan, Devil, Prince of Darkness and Beelzebub. The other rebels became demons. In the future God will judge Satan and his demons.

Angels are spirit beings.  They are neither male nor female. In every single angel visitation recorded in Scripture, angels always appear as men, never women.

Because I have written several articles on angels I am often asked if angels are among us today. Yes!

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Hebrews 13:2).

Those who believe they are experiencing an angel visitation must scrutinize what the angel purports. For example, does the angel point you to Jesus Christ or away from Him? Elect holy angels (from here on out referred to as angels) will always point you to Christ, never to anyone else, living or deceased, which includes the Apostles and the Virgin Mary.

Angels never espouse new doctrines or extra-biblical (special) revelation. Likewise, they do not point individuals to religions such as Mormonism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, et al.

Angels by no means encourage participation in the counterfeit religions’ holy days, festivals, ceremonies and rituals. Angels do not advance the idea of having a sacred place or space.

Angels would never suggest that people involve themselves in occult activities. Currently, Transcendental Meditation (TM) is all the rage, even among some Christians. Angels absolutely do not direct anyone to embrace this pagan practice. TM is not biblical meditation.  Instead of meditating on God’s Word, the practitioner goes into an altered-state-of-consciousness (alpha state) which is a light dream state in order to connect with “god.” It should be a big red flag that New Agers advocate TM. In fact, for the so-called psychic, meditation is the “spiritual practice” they employ when they wish to contact their “spirit guides.”

Sadly, many Christians who have embraced The Silence aka contemplative, or centering, or breath prayer are woefully unaware that they’re practicing unbiblical meditation.

“Christian yoga” is also spreading like a wild fire through the visible Church. This may not set well with some readers, but practicing yoga is taboo….even when your yoga instructor’s a professing Christian.

The bottom line is this: Angels would not, could not, promote anything God expressly forbids –and He forbids His children from participating in any way shape or form in pagan religious practices or disciplines.  The Bible makes it abundantly clear that God’s people are not to embrace the world’s philosophies.

Bear in mind that holy angels are incapable of going against God, whereas unholy angels continuously go against God in their quest to lead people astray.  In 2 Corinthians 4:4 we learn that Satan is the “god of this world.”

The phrase “god of this world”… indicates that Satan is the major influence on the mind-set expressed by the ideals, opinions, goals, hopes and views of the majority of people. His areas of influence also encompass the world’s philosophies, education, and commerce. The thoughts, ideas, speculations and false religions of the world are under his control and have sprung from his lies and deceptions. (Source)

Does God allow His people to contact angels through mediums? According to Leviticus 19:31  we are commanded not to involve ourselves with “mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.”

So the answer is No!

It is a complete waste of time to “call your angel” or to try to contact angels by constructing an altar…lighting candles…burning incense…through meditation…or any other way that allegedly makes angels feel comfortable. God expressly forbids any contact with the spirit realm! And besides, the regenerate Christian has direct access to God through the Son, Jesus Christ. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)

So, what would be the purpose of calling on angels when we can go directly to God through His Son?

Anyone who contacts angels (or spirit guides) is inviting demon contact!  The Bible tells us that demons can and often do possess human beings! Do holy and unholy angels have the authority to indwell believers?  No!  The reason they’re unable to indwell humans is obvious: at the moment of regeneration the Holy Spirit takes up residence or comes to live within the new believer. And once the Spirit takes up residence, He never leaves, not even for a second. Listen to the Lord Jesus:

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17). (emphasis mine)

Those who are truly saved are God’s property:

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4).

I need to stress that God’s elect cannot be demon possessed. They are, however, susceptible to demonic oppression.

Demonic oppression is when a demon is temporarily victorious over a Christian, successful in tempting a Christian to sin, and able to hinder a Christian’s ability to serve God with a strong testimony. (Source)

I’ll close with this warning: Contacting angels is neither wise nor safe.

Research Papers:

Angels, Demons & Spiritual Warfare

New Age/New Thought Spirituality

Occult – Sorcery

Copyright by Marsha West, 2012.  Revised April 2021.

If You Can’t Heal ‘Em, Beat ‘Em?

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(Costi Hinn – Defining Deception) Why in the world does church history matter? That’s a question more Christians should be able to answer – and a highly important one at that.

In his phenomenal work, Why Church History Matters, Robert F. Rea defines history as “the study of the past in order to understand the present and improve the future.”[1] History teaches us valuable lessons about the good, the bad, and the ugly. It teaches us about the nature of the way things have been and how they came to be. These are certainly lessons we do well to learn because they remind us that even the best of men are still men at best. Furthermore, lessons from history provide us with the motivation to change the future, even when it’s painful to face the facts. Continue reading →

Pope Francis is giving in to the Chinese Communist Party

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(Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian – Washington Post) Such a capitulation of spiritual authority would damage the Catholic Church in China for years to come. How do we know? Because this very scenario has played out before — in communist Hungary.

The Vatican appears to be seeking a rapprochement with China, almost 70 years after Beijing broke ties. But the Catholic Church has little to gain and much to lose from mending ties with the Communist Party-ruled country. And Pope Francis should be under no illusions: Any agreement the two sides may strike will be entirely on Beijing’s terms. View article →

See our Research Paper on Roman Catholicism

Amputating Discernment Ministry from the Body of Christ

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Photo credit: 8:28 Ministries

“If there were ever a dire need for discernment ministry done right and biblically, it’s now,” says Bible study author, speaker and blogger Michelle Lesley. So why do so many Christians rail against discernment ministries? According to Michelle, “One of the most common arguments I hear against discernment ministry is that it’s the job of the pastor, not discernment ministries, to teach discernment. And with that statement, I could not more heartily agree! Discernment work is half of a pastor’s job description.” Right, but “when was the last time you heard a pastor rebuke someone who contradicts sound doctrine? Or call a false teacher by name? Or teach about a currently popular false doctrine and warn against it?” The answer is, not very often, if ever. Continue reading →

Jesus Devastates an Old Earth

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(Bodie Hodge – Answers in Genesis) I was attending a Christian conference and staffing an Answers in Genesis booth. As I walked around to look at the other booths at the beginning of this conference, a man quickly came up to me (from his booth), even though there was a crowd waiting to speak with him. He evidently felt the need to confront me (in front of the crowd at his booth) because he saw that I was wearing an Answer in Genesis conference badge.

In a hostile tone, the first thing out of his mouth was something akin to, “Is Answers in Genesis here at the conference? Well, I guess I am going to have to find your booth and set you straight about the age of the earth!” Continue reading →