Secularization Comes From Sex

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 19, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Christianity, Marriage, Sexual Immorality

According to Gene Edward Veith of Patrick Henry College, sexual immorality is turning young people away from the Church for the reason that “cohabiting couples and sexually-active singles don’t feel comfortable in church.” Veith’s piece is posted over at Patheos, a site we don’t endorse.

“We overestimate how effectively scientific arguments secularize people. It’s not science that’s secularizing Americans — it’s sex.”

That is the conclusion of University of Texas sociologist Mark Regnerus in his article Christians are part of the same dating pool as everyone else. That’s bad for the church, in The Washington Post.

His book “Cheap Sex: The Transformation of Men, Marriage, and Monogamy” (Oxford, 2017), Regnerus discusses the changes in sexual attitudes and behavior over the last few decades and demonstrates their consequences in marriage, family, and culture. This article looks specifically at the impact of what he calls “cheap sex” on the church, with which he is in sympathy.

Though Christians too are struggling with sexual issues, churches are still made up mostly of adults who are married. But he observes, citing an interesting article about pornography, “Cheap sex, it seems, has a way of deadening religious impulses.”

View article →

Spiritual Disciplines and the Appearance of Wisdom

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 18, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Contemplative Prayer, Mysticism, Roman Catholicism

Spiritual Formation ….Contemplative/Centering/ Apopathic/Breath Prayer….”Christian Yoga“….Enneagram (you’ll learn about this below) are terms Bible believing evangelicals must become familiar with. All of these practices have been introduced into mainstream evangelicalism. Where do they come from? You don’t have to dig very deep to discover that practices such as these are rooted in Eastern mysticism. In other words, neo-paganism. What’s concerning is that nearly everyone dabbles in some form of mysticism (occult knowledge). Even the Church is entrenched in “Christian” mysticism (much of it borrowed from Roman Catholicism) and they don’t even know it. However, many professing believers do know. They’ve heard the warnings and continue down the neo-pagan path that leads to death. Why? Because having to give up things we enjoy is hard! And besides, God understands…. right?

But what if He doesn’t? What if He actually meant business when He commanded the Jews not to learn to follow the abominable ways of pagan nations (Deut 18:9). Some of the pagan practices we’ve learned in the Church include yoga and Eastern-style meditation (altered states of consciousness), i.e. Contemplative Prayer.

What this boils down to is that the visible Church is teaming with biblically challenged Christians, those who rarely read and study the Bible. So how can they possibly know what God says? They can’t and they don’t. Paul has some advice for believers such as these: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling [accurately or correctly explaining] the word of truth.” (2 Tim 2:15) The word of truth is the Bible aka God’s Word.

Over at Midwest Christian Outreach, husband and wife team Don and Joy Venoit have written a piece that is chock full of information to help those who profess Christ make choices that will lead to a biblical worldview. They write:

Writing to the Colossians in the First Century, the Apostle Paul warned about certain spiritual disciplines that had “the appearance of wisdom” (Colossians. 2:23) but, in fact, conflicted with sound biblical teaching and were very harmful to the Christian life. False teachers were in this case Gnostics, who crept into the church and claimed special “spiritual knowledge.” They gained influence in the church because what they were teaching felt “right” and “good” and oh so “spiritual” to the unwary, appealing as they did (and do) to the old fallen nature, which Christians still carry and must struggle against. False teachings of all types are guaranteed to appeal to our old sin nature. Gnosticism caused much damage to the early church, and quite a bit of the New Testament was written to dispel this egregious error.

Jude addresses a similar problem in his epistle as he writes of false teachers (Gnostics) who had “crept in unnoticed” (Jude 4). The Apostle John addresses the issue in his First Epistle as well at the beginning of his Gospel. The Apostle Paul had warned the Ephesian elders not only to be on the alert for false teachers (usually traveling teachers) who would sneak in from the outside but also to watch out for false teachers who would arise from within the congregation. (Acts 20:28-31) The problem didn’t fade out in the First Century. False teachings and false teachers have been with the church down through the ages and are, in fact, rampaging through the church today.

In recent years, there has been less sound biblical teaching in the church as a whole, and we have witnessed the introduction of and emphasis on mystical spiritual disciplines through “Contemplative Prayer.” Much of the Contemplative Prayer Movement goes back to and draws from Roman Catholic mystics (the Desert Fathers ) who were hermits and ascetics – the very practices Paul warned against in Colossians. One of the luminaries of this movement is Roman Catholic Trappist monk Thomas Merton, whose spiritual influences included Aldous Huxley (“Darwin’s Bulldog”). As Jackie Alnor points out in our Journal article, “Thomas Merton: The Contemplative Dark Thread” (beginning on page 8), his influences were varied:

Merton was a believer in all religions – he created his own syncretistic brand of religion while remaining under the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. He gave equal attention to the mystical traditions within Catholicism, Zen Buddhism, and Hinduism. But he was an equal-opportunity Mystic who was drawn to the common thread of “…Satan’s so-called deep secrets…” (Rev. 2:24) found in all the world’s false religions – including his own. He even delved into the mystical branch of Islam and corresponded for many years with a Muslim Sufi cleric by the name of Abdul Aziz.

Sadly, but not surprisingly, most of the movers and shakers in the Contemplative movement have similar backgrounds and guiding influences. For a more thorough treatment of this see our article by Marcia Montenegro, “Contemplating Contemplative Prayer: Is It Really Prayer?” (beginning on page 10) and/or watch our recent webcast with Marcia, “Contemplating Contemplative Prayer.”

A more recent arrival on the scene is the Enneagram. For the uninitiated, our friend and associate, Marcia Montenegro, produced an explanation and history on her CANA website titled, “The Enneagram GPS: Gnostic Path to Self.” As you might expect, it did not originate from sound biblical teaching. It came from George Gurdjieff, a mystic who claimed to have learned it from “the Sufis (a mystical spin-off sect of Islam).” In her article, Marcia introduces the original teachers:

– George Gurdjieff, an Armenian teacher of esoteric spiritual philosophies, based his teaching on knowledge he allegedly garnered during travels and contacts with secret groups.

– Peter D. Ouspensky, Gurdjieff’s pupil, presented Gurdjieff’s ideas as the Fourth Way.

– Oscar Ichazo, heavily involved in psychedelic drugs and shamanism, asserted that he had “received instructions from a higher entity called Metatron” and that his group “was guided by an interior master.”

– Psychiatrist Claudio Naranjo studied with Ichazo in Chile who also claimed to be using a Sufi method.

– The Enneagram teachings were passed on to Jesuit Bob Ochs, who then brought it into Roman Catholic circles at the New Age Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. Continue reading…

RELATED

Peter Scazzero Intoducing Enneagrams Into Mainstream Evangelicalism by Ken Silva

Christians Are Mixed Up In…Mysticism by Marsha West

The Interface of Medieval Mysticism and Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation by Pam Frost

Proof That Dr. Michael Brown Has a Gullible Audience

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 16, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Charismaticism, False Teacher, New Apostolic Reformation, Brown Michael

Steve Kozar has gone to the trouble of compiling a list to show Dr. Michael Brown’s followers that they’d better think twice before believing everything this man says. Brown’s fans must become Bereans: Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.(Acts 15:11)

Here’s one example from the list:

Brown often makes the claim that the bloggers who criticize him are anonymous people with no accountability, so they can be ignored. People like me, Steven Kozar. Or Phil Johnson. Or Anthony Wade. Or Chris Rosebrough. Or Marsha West. Or Chris Rice… you know, “anonymous.”

In his piece over at Messed Up Church, Kozar has many more examples:

Brown claims that he is not a part of the New Apostolic Reformation, but the clear, obvious and overwhelming evidence says otherwise. (Read: Michael Brown: More Proof He’s Part of the (So-Called) New Apostolic Reformation)
Brown always tells people that he has no time to research any of the false teachers he associates with, but he claims to be a great scholar/expert who can be trusted because of all the important research he does and all the knowledge he has.
Brown claims that he has no time to research Benny Hinn, but he wrote an entire book that refuted “Strange Fire” by John MacArthur, which has tons of documentation of Benny Hinn’s false teaching. Did Brown not even read the book that he tried to refute? How can anyone actually fall for this?

View article →

Advances in AI are used to spot signs of sexuality

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 16, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Homosexuality, Science, Technology

According to The Economist, “when asked to pick out the ten faces it was most confident about, nine of the chosen were in fact gay. If the goal is to pick a small number of people who are very likely to be gay out of a large group, the system appears able to do so.”

MODERN artificial intelligence is much feted. But its talents boil down to a superhuman ability to spot patterns in large volumes of data. Facebook has used this ability to produce maps of poor regions in unprecedented detail, with an AI system that has learned what human settlements look like from satellite pictures. Medical researchers have trained AI in smartphones to detect cancerous lesions; a Google system can make precise guesses about the year a photograph was taken, simply because it has seen more photos than a human could ever inspect, and has spotted patterns that no human could.

View article →

Hillsong Gets Romantic With God, Commits Theoerosism

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 15, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Hillsong Church

Before we get to the Pulpit & Pen News piece, which includes a video, it’s important to note that Hillsong royalty, King Brian and Queen Bobbie, have absolutely no concept of the holiness of God. Because if the Houstons actually do understand who the God of the Bible is, they’d have put a stop to the release of “Where Are You.” But they didn’t. Likewise, whoever came up with the “love song to God” couldn’t possibly grasp who our God is, as the words clearly suggest…words that don’t come close to glorifying Him.

Clearly, the song was inspired, not by the Holy Spirit, but by spiritual forces of wickedness.

Now to P&P’s piece:

Theoerosism is a heresy named from two words in Greek, θεός and ἔρως, meaning God and love. ἔρως, however, is often used to describe an erotic type of love, and so Theoerosism is mean to mean “erotic love for God.”

Although Theoerosism is not new in terms of world religion and was common place among the Greeks and other pagan traditions, Theoerosism is relatively new among purported Christians. Theoerosists view or speak of God in terms of sensuality or eroticism, and is contained historically to the 20th and 21st Century.

Theoerosism is popularized in much of sub-Christian media, in worship songs that speak of God romantically or in literature that discusses God with erotic styling.

View article →

OUR GREAT GOD!

DC socialite worries the hexes she put on people might have killed them

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 15, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Liberalism, Occult-Sorcery, Trump Donald

This is no joke. A highly regarded journalist and author believes three people are dead because she put a hex on them…and her friends have asked her to put a hex on President Trump. Fox News has the story:

A longtime Washington socialite is raising eyebrows with her new book on spirituality as she claims the hexes she put on three people in the past may have led to their deaths.

Sally Quinn – a journalist who was famously married to Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee – admits to being an Occultist in her new “spiritual memoir” titled Finding Magic.

Quinn says she feels guilty about her hexes and won’t do them anymore. She also says she refuses to cast a spell on President Trump as some of her friends have asked.

“Believe me, since Trump was elected, and since the election, I can’t tell you how many friends have asked me to put a hex on Donald Trump, and I won’t do it,” Quinn said in a book interview with USA Today. “I just said no. I don’t do that anymore.”

View article →

Hillary’s Hysterically Orwellian Take On ‘1984’

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 14, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Election - 2016, Liberalism, Politics, Clinton Hillary

A blogger over at Fire Breathing Christian offers a glimpse into why the twice failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is a “laughably (and dangerously) confused, warped shell of a woman.”

As any of us who’ve listened to “Progressives” address Scripture know all too well, reading comprehension isn’t really “a thing” on the Left. For all the arrogant, snide, and prideful preening common to pseudo-intellectual Progressives, more often than not, the more they talk, the more they make plain that they don’t know much about what they’re talking about.

Which, of course, makes them quite entertaining to listen to at times, in a slow-motion trainwreck sort of way.

The latest reminder of this comes by way of Hillary’s new book, What Happened, in which she has what can (and should) be categorized as a hysterically Orwellian take on Orwell’s classic 1984.

View article →

The ‘Progressive Christian’ Charade

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 13, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Liberalism, Progressive Christianity, Social Justice, Wallis Jim

In 2012 I penned a series of articles entitled “Liberals Created the Culture of Evil and Death.” Due to the aggressive tactics of the “fake news” media and counterfeit Christians, I decided to re-post part 3. One of the liberals who has been masquerading as a Christian is founder and editor of Sojourners magazine, Jim Wallis. Wallis is one of those who profess Christianity, but adheres to “politically entrenched concepts of equality and redistribution of wealth.” In other words, Marxism. These ideas are rooted in Wallis’ “Christian” beliefs. And thanks to progressive clergy who hold the same views, these ideas are firmly entrenched in American churches. Even though Rev. Wallis is no longer serving as Barack Obama’s “spiritual adviser” he remains in the spotlight. What he’d like us to think is that when it comes to what makes for an authentic Christian, look no further than Jim Wallis. As an aside, it may surprise you to learn that Lynne Hybels, co-founder of Willow Creek Community Church, is a columnist for Sojourners magazine.

In 2009 the Barna Research Group released a study on the religious practices of liberals and Christians. According to the report:

The research…discovered that liberals are more likely than conservatives to develop their own set of religious beliefs rather than adopt those proposed by a church or other entity. A greater percentage of liberals also indicated they are very open to accepting different moral views than those they presently possess.”

Eight years ago I stated that,

Liberal “Christians” abhor “fundamentalist” Christianity. So they cast it aside and adopt their own set of religious beliefs and values. Times have changed, after all, so they feel it’s incumbent upon them to bring Christianity out of the Dark Ages into our postmodern world. Christianity must shed its traditional, orthodox beliefs to blend in with the popular culture.” (Source)

So now that I’ve set the stage, here’s why Progressive Christianity is a charade:

By far the biggest obstacle the Church faces is the infiltration of ubiquitous, aggressive liberals, many of whom are renowned pastors, authors, conference speakers, missionaries, televangelists, radio hosts, and CEOs of Christian organizations. As of late, even some of our most beloved evangelical leaders appear to be morphing into theological liberals. The extent of movement to liberal ideology varies with each individual, but in certain cases they have gone completely off the rails. False doctrine abounds in books, Bible studies and Bibles authored by notable Christians and promoted by so-called Christian publishers and book sellers. We have been duly warned about this sort of thing happening:

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils (1 Tim. 4:1).

That, brothers and sisters, is a pretty severe warning!

Marxist Christianity

To give readers a sense of what kind of person to be on the lookout for let me introduce one of the most dangerous wolves in Christendom, the Rev. Jim Wallis. This man wears many hats. He is the founder of Sojourner’s Magazine, speaker, author and activist. He’s also President Obama’s “spiritual advisor.” This alone speaks volumes. Rev. Wallis insists that he’s an evangelical Christian even though he has abandoned the biblical gospel for the “social gospel.” He believes he’s on a mission from God to assist the poor and oppressed to bring forth the Kingdom of God on earth.

David Noebel sheds light on some of the good reverend’s activities:

Wallis’ Sojourners enterprise has been a radical, socialistic undertaking from the start. Frontpage Magazine (March 17, 2009) says, “As one of its first acts, Sojourners formed a commune in the Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Southern Columbia Heights, where members shared their finances and participated in various activist campaigns that centered on attacking the U.S. foreign policy, denouncing American ‘imperialism,’ and extolling Marxist revolutionary movements in the Third World.” (Source)

Jim Wallis is also a champion of unbiblical movements such as the Emergent Church, Spiritual Formation (contemplative prayer/mysticism) and what he refers to as “spirituality.” Here is his view of prayer:

I pray, but there are many understandings about prayer. For many, prayer is talking to God, sometimes a great list of requests and needs—sort of like a child’s Christmas list mailed to Santa Claus. But at least for me, prayer is becoming a time of listening rather than talking. There is so much noise in our world and our lives (much of our own making); prayer becomes a quiet space that enables us to stop talking long enough to see what God might be trying to say to us.

The disciplines of prayer, silence, and contemplation as practiced by the monastics and mystics are precisely that—stopping the noise, slowing down, and becoming still so that God can break through all our activity and noise to speak to us. Prayer serves to put all parts of our lives in God’s presence, reminding us how holy our humanity really is. (The Great Awakening: Seven Ways To Change The World, 290) (Source)

Wallis is promoting unbiblical contemplative/centering prayer.

On homosexuality he believes:

[T]he major differences of theology and biblical interpretation in the church with regard to issues such as the nature of homosexuality, gay marriage, and ordination are not issues that should be allowed to divide the churches – that local churches should lead the way here, and that an honest, open, respectful, and, hopefully, loving dialogue should characterize the church on these very controversial questions. (Source)

Issues which are clearly unbiblical, such as the sin of homosexuality, should not be allowed to divide us? Really?

Are professing followers of Jesus Christ supposed to ignore the Bible’s explicit teaching on marriage, one man and one woman for life, so that men can marry men? Should we really go against what God says in His Word regarding His plan for sexuality and marriage and adopt a “pro-gay” theology to accommodate a small group of gays and lesbians? The answer is “May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, ‘That Thou mightiest be justified in Thy words, And mightiest prevail when Thou art judged.’” (Romans 3:4)

Going against God is folly! (For the biblical view of homosexuality read Answering the Gay Christian Position)

Even though Wallis is a Red-Letter Christian and a Wild Goose chaser, he poses as an evangelical. Sadly, he and his ilk have many starry-eyed, misguided followers who, like most liberals, wish to farm out their obligations to the tax payers.

Liberals such as Jim Wallis dub themselves “progressive Christians” and more recently “social justice Christians” (SJC). Social justice has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? But hold your horses! SJC has its roots in communism and has the same aim: The common good.

Sounds magnanimous, doesn’t it? Don’t be fooled! What these people are striving for is government transfer of wealth from one group of citizens to another to level the playing field. Some liberals use Genesis 4:9 “I am my brother’s keeper” to make their case. Leftist hypocrites have no problem quoting Scripture to defend wealth redistribution, but when conservative Christians quote Scripture to defend their opposition to abortion, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and so forth they cry foul!

In an essay entitled “A Biblical View of Social Justice,” John Wheaton writes:

[I]t is essential that Christians clearly define what social justice entails. On its face, the term has a positive connotation that conveys a seemingly strong sense of virtue and morality. Basing a claim on an appeal to “social justice” provides the claim holder with a degree of persuasive advantage – a kind of moral blessing on his or her political, theological, or social ideas. However, social justice involves much more than a superficial label or feelings of compassion. It must involve a clear understanding and delineation of each social problem, the root cause of the problem, and the best solution for the problem. In short, “Good justice requires good judgment.”(Source)

For SJCs, Christianity is a lifestyle. Their morality comes, not from Scripture, but from popular opinion. Although they believe that some things in the scriptures are true, the Bible doesn’t hold a place of authority in their lives. As one blogger put it, “the emphasis is more on growth thru the process of work and serving others.” In other words, a person must have faith plus he/she must do good “works” in order to be saved. This teaching is demonstrably unbiblical. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Eph. 2:8, 9) (Bold added)

Many SJCs are Darwinian evolutionists, environmental extremists (save the planet, not souls), and they think nothing of co-mingling Christianity with paganism gleaned largely from Eastern mysticism. They are supposedly Christians, yet many of them support abortion, the normalization of homosexuality, and same-sex “marriage.” What is most telling is their denial of basic biblical doctrines such as the inerrancy of Scripture; the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ as God’s judgment for sin; Hell; and Jesus Christ as the only way to God and instead hold to collective salvation – all roads lead to God (religious pluralism).

What it all boils down to is that many SJCs are cultural Christians. They are not regenerate (born again) believers. In fact, they are hostile to the true gospel. Moreover, their goal is the redefinition of traditional Christianity.

Liberal wolves are spreading a false gospel or what Peter called “damnable heresies.” (2 Peter 2:1–2) In a word, evil.

Read the remainder of this article on Renew America

Related:

Defining Orthodoxy in Our Modern World by Peter Jones

Jim Wallis, Progressive “Cleric” Tortures Bible to Promote Intolerant Islam

Research

Progressive (Social Jutice) “Christianity”

Do cults seem to care more about the Protestant Reformation than Christianity?

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 13, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Cult, Protestant Reformation

From Churchwatch Central:

Ellen G. White, founder of the Seventh Day Adventist cult

At the beginning of this year, we made the claim that international cults will use the Protestant Reformation as a ‘sheepskin’ to mislead society into thinking they are Christian charities.

It has been an absolute tragedy to observe just how many Protestant Churches show little regard to their history, heritage or express any real interest in celebrating 500 years of the Protestant Reformation.

Instead – liberal cults and NAR cults (Hillsong, etc.) seem to care more about making a big deal about the Reformation in order to mislead people into thinking they are legitimate Christian organizations and groups.

Jordan Hall of Pulpit & Pen shared his concerns about another world-wide cult trying to give the impression they are legitimately part of the Christian Faith.

View article →

Homosexuality, Gender Identity, and Other Sexual Immorality

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 12, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Christian Life, Culture, Homosexuality, Sexual Immorality

Bible study author, speaker and blogger Michelle Lesley has written a thought-provoking piece for Bible believing Christians (those who hold to the authority of Scripture) that lays out the biblical view of how we must respond to all the troubling sexual issues that are impacting the world and the Church. She writes:

Sexuality in Western culture is a mess. Within the last hundred years or so, we’ve devolved from a society that had, broadly speaking, a general understanding of, and compliance with, the Bible’s parameters for sex to today’s sexual mores that barely top short of child molestation and bestiality and permits – even encourages – nearly every other form of perversion.

It can be difficult to know how to approach these issues which have been suddenly thrust upon us, and with which the average person – Christian or not – has very little experience. How are Christians to think about, believe, and address these issues in our families, churches, and communities? Do we just go with the “live and let live” flow of modern society? No. As with every other issue in life, our thinking, our words, and our actions must be shaped by and in submission to the authority of Scripture. Not public opinion. Not political agendas. Not our own personal feelings, opinions, and experiences. Scripture.

View article →

Charismatic Prophets Claim Hurricanes are ‘Latter Rain’ Predicted in Joel 2

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 12, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ False Teacher, Last Days, New Apostolic Reformation

A solar eclipse…a hurricane…then a mighty move of God, declares the (false) prophet. What exactly will God do? Pulpit & Pen News has the story:

Pentecostals associated with the “First Wave” of the charismatic movement claim that their fraudulent faux-miracles and gobbledegook tongues are the “latter rain” prophesied in Joel 2. Many Christians are familiar with the prophecy of Joel 2 because it is cited by Peter on the Day of Pentecost during the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Jews. The portion of that prophecy cited in Peter’s sermon is in Acts 2:17-21 and cites Joel 2:28-32…

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. ²⁹Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. ³⁰“And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. ³¹The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. ³²And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Peter says that this prophecy had been fulfilled, saying in verse 16, “This is what was uttered by the prophet, Joel…”

View article →

Defining Orthodoxy in Our Modern World

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 11, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Authority of Scripture, Homosexuality, Progressive Christianity, Jones Peter

Recently a manifesto was released by the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood known as the Nashville Statement (NS). The manifesto proclaims that traditional sexual morality is based on the clear teaching of Scripture, not on the whims of an ever changing culture. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a signatory to NS, declared that the statement was released by “Christians who believe that it is our responsibility to speak clearly to issues of gender and sex and sexuality and biblical morality in a time when these issues are commonly confused.”

Peter Jones, Executive Director of truthxchange, also signed NS. He believes the manifesto raises two crucial questions: 1. What is God-honoring sexuality? and 2. Who is truly Christian?

Dr. Jones tells us that Progressive Christians accuse evangelical orthodoxy of resisting the Spirit’s leading and clinging to the dogmas and traditions that, in their view (which is decidedly liberal), God is calling us to rethink and reform Christianity. “For these ‘Christians'” says Jones, “’Evangelical orthodoxy’ is a heresy.”

Dr. Jones has no problem naming names and lists several progressive “Christians” who deny the authority of Scripture; moreover, they twist Scripture into a pretzel so that it fits a very “progressive” (liberal) agenda. Jones writes:

This is the oddest time for me to be writing a book that warns the church that the affirmation of homosexuality will lead many Evangelicals into liberalism. The recent Nashville Statement on Sexuality (made public August 25, 2017), has, oddly enough, provoked an embarrassment of riches for my research into the decline of evangelicalism.

The internet is rocking with responses of “Christians” denouncing with righteous anger the Scripture-honoring Nashville Statement. Written and endorsed by leading evangelical theologians (such as J. I. Packer and Al Mohler) this statement is dismissed by “Christian” movements as a hateful attack on people with variant sexual identities. So the Nashville Statement raises two crucial questions: 1. What is God-honoring sexuality? and 2. Who is truly Christian?

View article →

See Berean Research’s White Paper on Progressive (Social Justice) “Christianity”

Dianne Feinstein Attacks Judicial Nominee’s Catholic Faith

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 9, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Politics, Roman Catholicism, United States Government

Clearly Senator Feinstein is aware that the Constitution prohibits a “religious test” for public office and yet she laid into a judicial nominee over her religious beliefs. Alexandra Desanctis of National Review has the story:

This afternoon, during a confirmation hearing for 7th Circuit Court of Appeals nominee Amy Coney Barrett, Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein attacked the nominee for her Roman Catholic faith. Barrett is a law professor at the University of Notre Dame who has written about the role of religion in public life and delivered academic lectures to Christian legal groups. Drawing on some of these materials, Feinstein launched a thinly veiled attack on Barrett’s Catholic faith, asserting that her religious views will prevent her from judging fairly.

View article →

‘I can’t find a solid church’

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 8, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Christian Life, Discernment, Purpose Drivenism

Berean Research shares some tips on finding a solid church:

I recently received an email that has become a common heart cry for those hungry sheep who are not being fed a solid diet of pure milk and meat of Scripture:

“I am finding it difficult to find a congregation in my area that is not filled with compromise. I currently attend a Vineyard church where the ministries have adopted programs and teachings of Rick Warren, Andy Stanley, and others. I want to leave without rocking the boat, but where do I go? I’ve visited other churches, but find doctrinal issues with them also. I have been saved for years, but only recently have learned to discern, thanks in part to your ministry. Please give me some guidance.”

When I get letters like these, I am so saddened that the visible church has taken a worldly, carnal direction. At the same time, I am encouraged that God is opening the eyes of His children who love Him and seek to learn in truth and spirit from those who rightly handle His Word.

View article →

On Leonard Sweet: Connectness Or Correctness – Which Will It Be?

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 8, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Emerging Church, Mysticism, Spiritual Formation, Sweet Leonard

This piece by Tamara Hartzell is posted over at Lighthouse Trails:

Photo credit: Apprising Ministries

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:2-4)

Sadly, it has become quite obvious that the time has already come. Openly preferring the fables of man’s imagination to the doctrinal truth of God’s Word, today’s shifting Christianity is heaping to itself teachers to scratch its itching ears. People are choosing to be led in “a way that seemeth right unto a man” rather than in the way that is right unto God as set forth by God in the Word of God.

In Leonard Sweet’s 2009 book, So Beautiful: Divine Design for Life and the Church, which, sadly, is just as anti-truth, anti-God, anti-Christ as everything else that caters to today’s epidemic of itching ears, this “[r]enowned professor and theologian” —who has worked for “years as a mentor to pastors” and “is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences, state conventions, pastors’ schools, retreats” as well as “a consultant to many denominational leaders and agencies” —asks a question that effectively sums up the new way of thinking:

“What if we were to think connectness rather than correctness?”

View article →

See our Research Paper on Spiritual Formation

New NAR group to keep your eyes on: The International Coalition of Prophets

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 7, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Discernment, New Apostolic Reformation, Prophecy

From Berean Research:

Holly Pivec of Spirit of Error alerts us to a new NAR coalition (NAR is keen on coalitions) professing believers mustn’t take part in. Not surprisingly, the group is asking those who join to pay an annual membership fee that ranges from $300 to $350 per prophet. Since this isn’t exactly chump change, it seems aspiring prophets will have to be prosperous.

Now to Holly’s piece:

The International Coalition of Apostolic Leaders is the world’s largest network of New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) apostles, with hundreds of members from many nations. When I was on their website recently, I noticed a link to a newly formed group, the International Coalition of Prophets.

View article →

MacArthur and a response to racism

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 7, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Racism-Racist, MacArthur John

The interview with Dr. MacArthur is posted over at The Cripplegate:

John MacArthur was recently on the radio in Los Angeles (the Frank Sontag Show) to discuss the Charlottesville attack, but it became a longer conversation on the roots of racism and the Christian’s response to culture-wide hatred. Here are some of the highlights of that twenty-minute conversation:

Sontag: John, how to do we respond as Evangelicals to racism?

MacArthur: We need to understand the roots of this. The roots of this are really not political, they’re not even economic. They’re moral and have to do with the sinfulness of the human heart. The Devil is the murderer from the beginning. The first crime was a killing. That basically defines the Kingdom of Darkness. That defines the realm of Satan. Jesus even said to the leaders in Israel, “You are of your father, the Devil. You’re either a child of doubt or child of Satan.” Those are the only two possibilities. For those in the Kingdom of Darkness hatred, anger, hostility, harm, and even murder is just par for the course.

That’s why God has designed mitigation into the culture. That’s why God has given every human being a conscience so at least you start out with some form of internal restraint. That’s why God designed the family and the rod in the family so that children can be harnessed and can be taught even to some inflicted reasonable amount of pain to be socially contributing to the well-being of society. That’s why God has ordained the police and given them the sword because this solemn world is completely captive to hatred and hostility at the most vicious level.

Of course, it doesn’t matter where it comes from. It might have various political forms, whether it’s white supremacy, Black Lives Matter, or whatever other form of it. Whether it’s Kim Jong-un or ISIS. This is how the worst in this solemn world conduct themselves.

It must be denounced on every level, but it also has to be understood that the remedy is not a political one. We need to restrain it by strong laws that are enforced at the highest level with justice essentially demanded and meted out.

View article →

Star Wars Novel Hints That Last Jedi Character Is LGBT

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 6, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Entertainment, LGBT

Liam Nolan of CBR.com has the story:

Passages from Claudia Gray’s Leia: Princess of Alderaan novel imply that the Resistance’s Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, played by Laura Dern in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, may be either bisexual or pansexual.

The hint that Holdo may not be straight comes during a conversation with Leia about the possibility of an interspecies relationship:

“A pair of pretty dark eyes.” Then Amilyn thought about that for a moment. “Or more than a pair, if you’re into Grans. Or Aqualish, or Talz. Or even – ”

“That’s all right! Leia said through laughter. “It’s just humanoid males for me.”

“Really? That feels so limiting.”

“Thank goodness it’s a big galaxy.”

Although the passage doesn’t explicitly state that Holdo is bisexual or pansexual, it notes she’s interested in more than just humanoid men. While there are many alien species in the Star Warsuniverse that are both humanoid and non-humanoid, some don’t fall into a strict gender binary. The insectoid Xi’Dec, for example, have more than 180 different sexes. Other species are hermaphroditic or have a third sex.

View article →

How Fashion Is Helping Megachurch Pastors Reach A New Demographic

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 5, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Entertainment, False Teacher, New Apostolic Reformation

We’ll begin with a quote from a celebrity pastor:

“I don’t see myself as an influencer in fashion at all,” says [Chad] Veach. “I’ve been just really blessed to have guys that are close friends in the [fashion] industry.” Still, he acknowledges that dressing a certain way can provide a quick “in” with people who might otherwise write him off. “If I walk into a place and I’m wearing something that makes people go, ‘that’s a cool outfit,’ I am working with an advantage, rather than a disadvantage of like, ‘man, those are really whack sneakers.'”

Whitney Bauck of Fashionista tells us how “pastors” who are into fashion are winning back millennials who are leaving the Church in droves. According to Bauck, “there’s no doubt that fashion plays at least a supporting role” in bringing them back to what is considered a church these days.

Megachurch pastor Chad Veach

Hailey Baldwin considers “church wife” to be an aspirational look, according to her Twitter and her stylist’s Instagram.

If you mostly know Baldwin through social media, which features myriad images of the model wearing scanty lingerie or revealing dresses, that may seem incongruous. But if you know the churches she’s referencing — and the ministers that lead them — it’s less surprising.

View article →

Victims of Bill Johnson’s SOZO Ministry speak out

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 5, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ New Apostolic Reformation, SOZO prayer, Bethel Redding, Johnson Bill

Berean Research (BR) examines the dangerous inner healing and deliverance ministry known as SOZO. In an earlier piece, BR revealed that “SOZO prayer is the brain child of husband and wife team Bill (self-proclaimed modern-day apostle) and Beni (New Age guru) Johnson, both of whom are pastors of the infamous Bethel Church in Redding CA.” Supposedly the SOZO ministry will help participants solve problems that are blocking their spiritual growth. But what those who take part in this are unaware of is that some of the techniques used are drawn from occult methodologies.

Now to the first installment of a series on SOZO prayer:

Many churches are bringing a practice called SOZO into their ministry, at the peril of damaging the sheep and possibly shipwrecking their faith. SOZO Prayer is a technique based on psychology and used by so-called “inner healing ministries” sweeping churches today.

This psycho-spiritual deliverance and inner healing methodology is designed to exorcise demons from Christians. Not that a Christian can be possessed by demons, but that is one of many apostate teachings from the New Apostolic Reformation, or NAR. (See, What your church needs to know about NAR.)

View article →

Ronnie Floyd to preside over National Day of Prayer

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 2, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Ecumenism, Prayer, Floyd Ronnie

“The National Day of Prayer includes Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Hindus,” reminds Jeff Maples” and just about any other aberrant anti-Christ religion in the world who will stand in front of courthouses, government buildings, churches, streets…anywhere, and join hands in prayer to their false gods in the name of ‘restoring America.’”

So with this in mind, why would a former SBC president agree to take part in the National Day of Prayer? Berean Research reveals who the movers and shakers (literally) are that have hijacked the ecumenical event. Hint: NAR.

Former SBC President Dr. Ronnie Floyd will assume the role of President of the National Day of Prayer. For those of you who are unfamiliar, the ecumenical May event has been organized since 1952. It is a time when millions of people of all religions stop what they are doing and pray in unity with one another to whichever god they worship for the well being of America.

Says Floyd:

The National Day of Prayer must become a multi-church, multi-denominational, multi-ministry, multi-generational, multi-ethnic, and multi-lingual movement of prayer for America.

I believe this is possible by having strategic partnerships with churches, ministries, and denominations. We must create authentic relationships with all people regardless of who and where they are, whatever their age, stage, or vocation may be. With a convictional and competent staff team, we will exemplify servant leadership to all persons. Source

View article →

Kids at Risk: AWANA Continuing Down the Emergent Road

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 1, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Contemplative Prayer, Emerging Church, AWANA

Following is a letter to the editor of Lighthouse Trails. The person who wrote the letter offers plenty of reasons parents should be concerned about their children’s participation in AWANA. Church leaders such as Sean McDowell recommend that our youth read books by Henri Nouwen, Dallas Willard, Rick Warren, N.T. Wright and others:

Dear Lighthouse Trails:

A while back I alerted you to the fact that Awana was joining forces with Josh Griffin who was the youth pastor for Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church. Josh Griffin is also associated with Youth Specialties, an organization that promotes occult [contemplative] practices to youth.

Unfortunately, Awana is continuing down the emergent road. Here are some examples:

1. On February 22, 2017, Steve Kozak, the executive director of Awana YM, (Youth Ministries) wrote a blog post encouraging youth leaders to promote Lent. Lent is very popular among those in the emerging church. Wikipedia says “The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, doing penance, mortifying the flesh, repentance of sins, and self-denial.”(1) Kozak in his blog said, “Teach your students to go without, so that they can experience an overflowing of Christ.”(2) Nowhere in the Bible is the practice of Lent mentioned. View article →

See our Research Paper on Contemplative Prayer

Same Sex Attraction: Is It a Sin?

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 1, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Homosexuality, Sin, Johnson Phil

Caleb Kolstad of Post Tenebras Lux answers the question:

I had not heard of the phrase “same sex attractions” (SSA) until I attended a Together For the Gospel conference a few years ago. During one of the Q&A sessions a pastor addressed the subject is God anti-gay and other questions about homosexuality, the Bible and SSA (I believe Sam Allberry was a guest during one panel discussion). Allberry says that these SSA “are part of what I feel but are not who I am in a fundamental sense. I am far more than my sexuality.”

These questions have been raised again at the Gospel Coalition. A recent article by Matt Moore titled, How I Discovered True Masculinity set the internet ablaze.

Pastor Phil Johnson of Grace to You responded to this article on Twitter and Facebook with these comments, “Yet another hazy, misleading sophism from TGC. Lusting for something sinful is not “obedien[ce] to God.”

View article →

The ‘Sounds True’ ‘Self-Acceptance Summit’

Posted by Marsha West ∙ September 1, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Discernment, New Age Movement

Why are some professing Christians promoting an online event that is all about “self”? In one workshop, New Age/New Thought grande dame Marianne Williamson “Explores the spiritual dimension of self-acceptance” plus she will guide you to “the source of unconditional compassion.” Berean Research shares the nuts and bolts of the event and gives some pretty good reasons why Christians shouldn’t even consider taking part in it:

A 10-day online event promises to make you a better you. It’s called the Self-Acceptance Summit, and I’ve seen several Christians promote it. The event is put on by a group called “Sounds True.” (Are you tempted to add the words, But Isn’t? I know I am.)

While Jesus tells us to deny self, pick up our crosses and follow Him, these spiritual leaders are doing the opposite: teaching hearers to worship self.

View article →

Evangelical Coalition Releases Nashville Statement, A Manifesto On Biblical Sexuality

Posted by Marsha West ∙ August 31, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Authority of Scripture, Homosexuality, Inerrancy of Scripture, Mohler Albert

From Berean Research:

A manifesto written by evangelical leaders has drawn the ire of the LGBTQ community, the liberal press, and has Progressive Christians ticked off as well. Why? Because conservative evangelicals had the audacity to release a statement proclaiming that traditional sexual morality is based on the clear teaching of Scripture, not on the whims of an ever changing culture.

Liberals aren’t the only ones who have voiced their concern. Even some conservative evangelicals are apprehensive about the declaration. They point out that there are always risks involved with these sorts of issue declarations. And they’d like those who penned what is being called the Nashville Statement to address those concerns.

So – our advice is this: Before you sign it make sure your concerns are addressed. Ask yourself, do I really want my signature on a statement just because some of my favorite Church leaders signed it?

Being a Berean means doing your research. Bereans investigate. So for starters, go to the scriptures and find out what our Creator has to say about what it means to be a human being. What was God’s design for marriage from the very beginning? Then carefully read through the Nashville Statement. Does it line up with Scripture?

Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, was a speaker at the event in Nashville, TN where the manifesto was announced and a signatory as well. On August 30th Dr. Mohler began The Briefing with a lengthy explanation of what the Nashville Statement contains. Following is from the transcript:

In a time of confusion, one of the greatest gifts that can be given to and by Christ’s church is clarity, and clarity requires at times that matters of truth, matters of truth in particular times of trial, should to be put into words in order to bear the testimony of that clarity. A manifesto was released yesterday; it’s known as the Nashville Statement, it’s a coalition for biblical sexuality. A group of evangelical leaders had gathered in Nashville for a meeting to determine how the statement should be released, and it was released yesterday morning by the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. I should say at the beginning, I was a speaker at the event and a signatory to this statement, and there are many others, as we shall see, who signed it as well. The big issue is this: What took place as released on August 29, 2017 was a statement by Christians who believe that it is our responsibility to speak clearly to issues of gender and sex and sexuality and biblical morality in a time when these issues are commonly confused. By late yesterday the Nashville Statement was one of the most often discussed issues in social media and it had gained a great deal of media attention as well. More on that attention in just a moment, back to the statement for now.

The statement begins with a preamble that states,

“Evangelical Christians at the dawn of the twenty-first century find themselves living in a period of historic transition. As Western culture has become increasingly post-Christian, it has embarked upon a massive revision of what it means to be a human being.”

View article →