Commentary, analysis and opinion.

Band-Aids vs. Chemotherapy: Why Suffering Women are Drawn to False Doctrine and 7 Things We Can do to Help

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sadnessAuthor, speaker and blogger Michelle Lesley reminds us that when women are suffering the spiritual forces of wickedness are never far away. They often exploit a woman’s pain “and can make things worse by molesting them spiritually,” says Lesley. Angels of darkness will send “false teachers to whisper sweetly in their ears, ‘It hurts, doesn’t it? But I can make all that pain go away, now.’”  But does God always make the pain go away, as false teachers that line their pockets exploiting vulnerable women promise, if you’ll just do this…or that?

In this excellent piece, Michelle Lesley offers 7 biblical things we can do to help women who are suffering.

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Studying the Unstudiable

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Jonathan V. Last of The Weekly Standard asserts that, according to a lengthy report by two esteemed psychiatrists, the scientific literature available on gender and sexuality “demonstrate that much of what has been foisted on the culture in recent years in the name of science has little solid basis in scientific research.” As previously reported, the doctor’s concluded that “a combination of biological, environmental, and experiential factors likely shape how individuals experience and express themselves when it comes to sex and gender.” The doctor’s dispute the media’s penchant for proclaiming homosexuality and transgenderism normal and natural.  In the September 12 issue of The Magazine, Last examines the report.  He writes:

Sexual confusionThere are two ways to challenge politically correct orthodoxies. One is to toss off outrageous remarks designed to épater les bourgeois. This requires little and accomplishes less. The other is to take the commanding orthodoxy, put it under a microscope, and dismantle it piece by piece. This is what Lawrence Mayer, an epidemiologist trained in psychiatry, and psychiatrist Paul McHugh have just done to the regime of gender and sexuality politics.

In a lengthy report for the journal the New Atlantis, Mayer and McHugh survey a broad expanse of the scientific literature on gender and sexuality and demonstrate that much of what has been foisted on the culture in recent years in the name of science has little solid basis in scientific research. Their conclusions: (1) “The understanding of sexual orientation as an innate, biologically fixed property of human beings—the idea that people are ‘born that way’—is not supported by scientific evidence.” And (2) “The hypothesis that gender identity is an innate, fixed property of human beings that is independent of biological sex—that a person might be ‘a man trapped in a woman’s body’ or ‘a woman trapped in a man’s body’—is not supported by scientific evidence.”

It may sound modest, but this is earth-rumbling stuff.

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Lack of Public Outcry Is Disturbing as Rights of Conscience Are Crushed in Canada

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CNSNews reports:

euthanasia-2The silence is stunning.  The lack of public outcry, the absence of outrage about the recent mandate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (Canada) is deeply disturbing.

This summer, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario adopted and published a new ethical policy binding upon doctors in that Canadian province.  The policy mandates:

“Where a physician declines to provide medical assistance in dying for reasons of conscience or religion, the physician must not abandon the patient. An effective referral must be provided. An effective referral means a referral made in good faith, to a non-objecting, available, and accessible physician, nurse practitioner or agency. The referral must be made in a timely manner to allow the patient to access medical assistance in dying. Patients must not be exposed to adverse clinical outcomes due to delayed referrals.”

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Emergent Catalyst Conference spreads a wider web

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The Catalyst Circus Conference starts today.  According to Berean Research here’s what those who attend will experience:

human-cannonball-2The eight-year-strong Catalyst franchise conference aimed at millennials has long pushed a leftist social justice message rather than the Gospel of the Cross. But as we see more and more leadership conferences pushing the message of UNITY, I’ve been noticing of late the premiere Catalyst Conference is spreading a wider net to include Word of Faith and Dominionism (NAR) celebrities. This year’s theme doubles down on unity, with “Uncommon Fellowship.” Here are this year’s seeker-mergent growth gurus gathering Oct. 5-7 in Atlanta:

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The 2016 State of Theology Survey

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Bud Alheim of Pulpit & Pen analyses a survey commissioned by Ligonier Ministries which is a must read — or read it and weep. The following explains what the survey is about:

discernment-2In 2016 Ligonier Ministries commissioned LifeWay Research to implement a survey tasked with, as much as surveys are capable, assessing Americans’ theological understanding. The survey quantified fundamental beliefs that have been key doctrines adhered to by two millennia of orthodox Christianity.

The results reflect what the observant believer already knows … error abounds. As false teaching gains footholds and favor, as churches forsake sound doctrine to instead scratch itching ears, the prevalence of error will continue to grow.   Ligonier’s survey highlights the most serious errors contemporary to us.

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For the Bible Tells Me So: Biblical Authority Denied … Again

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In a recent sermon, Andy Stanley of North Point Church made the argument that the Christian faith rests on a person, Jesus, and a historical event, the Resurrection, not on the Bible (here). Pastor Stanley said, “I would ask preachers and pastors and student pastors in their communications to get the spotlight off the Bible and back on the resurrection.”  Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, disagrees and responded with a strong rebuke.

Bible“Jesus loves me — this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” This is a childish error?

Evangelical Christianity has a big problem, says Andy Stanley, and that problem is a reliance on the Bible that is both unwarranted and unhelpful. In a recent message delivered at North Point Community Church and posted online, Stanley identifies the evangelical impulse to turn to the Bible in our defense and presentation of Christianity as a huge blunder that must be corrected.

Some years ago, in light of another message Stanley preached at North Point, I argued that his apologetic ambition was, as we saw with Protestant liberalism a century ago, a road that will lead to disaster. No doubt, many Christians might be surprised to see an apologetic ambition identified as an entry point for theological liberalism, but this has held constant since Friedrich Schleiermacher, the father of modern theological liberalism, issued his book, On Religion: Speeches to its Cultured Despisers in 1799.

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A “money changers” moment for Catholics

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jesus-cleansing-the-temple-of-the-money-changers-caravaggioJournalist and media critic Cliff Kincaid reports on an editorial written by Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the Archbishop of Washington, where he goes after the far left for working through the Democratic Party to censor the views of people who believe in traditional values as well as “destroying institutions that convey these values to young people.”  According to Kincaid “not all Catholics are remaining silent. The EWTN Catholic cable channel, which reaches tens of millions of people in the U.S., has been running a blockbuster film, “A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” examining how Marxists have subverted the church from within by recruiting clergy into revolutionary socialist activities that divide people and cause conflict. The film is described as “a lens into America’s cultural Marxism euphemistically called ‘progressivism.’”

Kincaid included a quote by Wuerl where he warned that “the ease with which today a politically correct morality is being forced on our Catholic institutions in place of our own Catholic moral tradition.”

The archbishop’s editorial “should cause headaches among Democrats who think they can dupe Catholics in another election year,” says Kincaid.

CRN’s Research Paper on the  Roman Catholic Church examines the doctrines the RCC teaches and demonstrates that it stands in stark contrast with – and even in opposition to – historic orthodox Christianity.

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SOCIETY OF CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHERS SHAMES INVITED SPEAKER FOR EXPRESSING BIBLICAL VIEWS

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Wintery Knight has the story:

Bible Book of RomansSomething interesting happened at a recent meeting of the Society of Christian Philosophers, which is a group of left-leaning philosophers who are (apparently) neither Christian, nor Philosophers.

How so?

Rightly Considered blog explains what happened:

[A]t the latest Midwest meeting of the SCP, Richard Swinburne presented a paper in which he argued for the view that homosexual acts are immoral and that homosexuality is a disability that should be cured. The response from some quarters was predictably hysterical and unremarkable. What is remarkable is that the President of the SCP, Michael Rea, shamefully acquiesced to the leftist hysteria by issuing an ingratiating public apology, accusing Swinburne of causing pain and undermining the SCP’s mission of ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion:

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The Self-Entitlement of Joyce Meyer’s Theology

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Bible study teacher, best-selling author, speaker and TV host Joyce Meyer is a false teacher for the reason that she promotes a Word of Faith/Health and Wealth gospel that saves no one.  Richard Haas of Pulpit & Pen reports that Meyer has been on Twitter pushing her new book to undiscerning Christians and anyone else who doesn’t see a problem with elevating man above God. Her tweets are “problematic at best and heretical at worst,” says Haas.  He writes:

joyce-meyer-2Just earlier this month on September 13th, Joyce Meyer released her new book entitled “Seize The Day.” As it seems to be the case more and more every form of a distributor that can distribute anything seemingly “Christian” is jumping on the bandwagon of this nomenclature of sub-Christian literate.

Over the past couple of week’s Joyce Meyer has been releasing tweets on Twitter to draw attention to the publication of her book. She has been promoting her book with colorful, but often inaccurate statements.  One of those more theologically inept utterances was tweeted out on September 22nd. The shallowness of these 140 words pulls back the curtain and allows us to see one of the biggest lies in the Word of Faith theology and the movement itself — Self-Entitlement.

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How decades of divorce helped erode religion

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Julie Zauzmer, reporting for the Washington Post, brings to light how divorce has helped erode religion:

MarriageTwo widely recognized trends in American society might have something to do with each other.

Divorce rates climbed to the highest levels ever in the 1980s, when about half of all marriages ended in divorce.

And in the present day, Americans are rapidly becoming less religious. Since 1972, the share of Americans who say they do not adhere to any particular religion has increased from 5 percent of the population to 25 percent.

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Rewriting Earth’s Creation Story

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According to Rebecca Boyle of The Atlantic, geologists admit that the scientific community is very quick to criticize those who operate on faith but that’s exactly what they do.  Mark Harrison, a geologist at the University of California at Los Angeles, confessed: “We as a scientific community created an origin myth that has no more intellectual value than Genesis.”  Boyle writes:

earthHumanity’s trips to the moon revolutionized our view of this planet. As seen from another celestial body, Earth seemed more fragile and more precious; the iconic Apollo 8 image of Earth rising above the lunar surface helped launch the modern environmental movement. The moon landings made people want to take charge of Earth’s future. They also changed our view of its past.

Earth is constantly remaking itself, and over the eons it has systematically erased its origin story, subsuming and cannibalizing its earliest rocks. Much of what we think we know about the earliest days of Earth therefore comes from the geologically inactive moon, which scientists use like a time capsule.

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Transgenderism Can Be Helpful

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CNSNews has a piece by economist Walter E. Williams dealing with “biological determinism,” professional sports and the armed forces.  In it he brings up some interesting “what ifs” that many Americans probably haven’t even considered.  He writes:

transgender9North Carolina’s legislative body passed the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, which mandates a statewide policy banning individuals from using public bathrooms that do not correspond to their biological sex, as opposed to their opinion of their sex. That means people must use bathrooms and other public facilities where occupants can be in various stages of undress according to whether their sex chromosomes are XX, in the case of females, or XY, in the case of males. The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community claims that the use of biology to determine sex is oppressive and limits alternatives. I agree. I all but argued this in a column earlier this year titled “You Are What You Say You Are.” Let’s look at some possible benefits of freeing oneself from the oppression of biological determinism.

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Candidates Spar in Debate, Offer Vastly Different Visions for Leading the U.S.

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Here’s the Wallstreet Journal’s view of last night’s debate:

trump-and-clintonHillary Clinton and Donald Trump clashed Monday night in one of the most eagerly awaited presidential debates in modern political history, offering dramatically different visions of how they would lead the country as they attacked each other’s biggest vulnerabilities.

Both nominees came to the stage at Hofstra University sharing the burden of being among the best-known and least liked candidates ever to run for the White House.

Mrs. Clinton, who had prepared methodically for the showdown, managed to put Mr. Trump on the defensive for most of the night and avoided being knocked off her own message as was the fate for many of his opponents at Republican primary debates.

Mr. Trump, meanwhile, pressed the Democratic nominee on her email practices at the State Department and her shifting position on trade, but didn’t raise questions about the Clinton Foundation and the influence of its donors.

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Is Kris Vallotton Embracing Anti-Trinitarian Heresy?

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Berean Research has the answer:

Modalism was declared a heresy by the early church centuries ago, but it keeps popping up like a Whack-A-Mole game. Unfortunately, Modalism is rearing its head once again in our time. It is a growing theological error within evangelicalism that twists the very the nature of God revealed to us through His Word, by denying the Trinity.

Rather than God being three distinct persons, Modalism states that God is a single person who, throughout biblical history, has revealed Himself in three modes or forms. In other words, God in the Old Testament was Father God. Then He became Jesus 2,000 years ago. At Pentecost, God morphed into the Holy Spirit.

you have no problem with denying the doctrine of the Trinity, yourself this: To Whom was Jesus praying in the garden? And what about all those other times Jesus was doing what His Father was doing? (There are hundreds of questions you should struggle with as you read Scripture.)

Do you see the problem?

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Obama, Colin Powell help T.D. Jakes celebrate 40 years in ministry

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Over the weekend, Word of Faith mogul T.D. Jakes, who now has a talk show that airs on Oprah Winfrey’s television network, OWN, celebrated 40 years of fleecing the flock with help from some big guns.  According to Dallas News:

t-d-jakes-2

Photo credit: The Cripplegate

Pastors and televangelists from around the world — including Joel Osteen, founder of one of the largest Protestant churches in the U.S., and Brian Houston, founder of Hillsong Church in Australia — sent messages via recorded videos.

Jakes, 59, who grew up in Vandalia, W.Va., also received congratulations from President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Jakes delivered a private sermon that Obama attended at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., the morning of his inauguration.

“With compassion and grace, you’ve inspired and touched the hearts of people across America and around the world through the power of faith,” Obama said in a written statement. “As you reflect on the difference you’ve made, know that I deeply appreciate your friendship, your commitment to expanding possibility, and your prayers for me, my family and this country we love.”

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The Church Should Take the Lead in Fighting Porn

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Bret Kunkle of Stand to Reason offers three steps for the Church to take to deal with porn:

Porn isn’t a problem, it’s an epidemic. Even celebrities like Russell Brand,Terry Crews, and Pamela Anderson (yes, that Pamela Anderson, the former Playboy model) are speaking out. So, where’s the church in this battle? Should’t we be leading the fight against this immense social evil?

According to the latest research by Barna, the vast majority of Christian leaders believe porn is a bigger problem than it was two decades ago. Here’s just a sampling of what Barna found in The Porn Phenomenon study:

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Robert Morris: God Needs Us to Pray So He Can Heal the Land

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Truth - falseLiberal professor Warren Throckmorton regularly uses his blog over at Patheos to discredit those he disagrees with, including charismatics — and he often gets it right, as he did in this piece where he addresses “The Awakening” that was held at Gateway Church on September 22.  The founder and senior pastor of Gateway is Word of Faith/prosperity preacher Robert Morris. Throckmorton provides a video and transcript of Morris’ welcoming attendees to the event.  Also mentioned in the piece is high-profile pastor Tony Evans of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship.   Here’s what he says about the misuse of 2 Chronicles 7:14 by two prominent pastors who should have a clear understanding of what Scripture teaches:

As Tony Evans did after him, Robert Morris recited the incantation to get God to change his mind (2 Chronicles 7:14):

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Here I will repeat what I wrote about Tony Evans’ misuse of 2 Chronicles 7:14:

I have never understood why people mistake this as a promise to America.  American citizens are not His people called by God’s name. This verse is not addressed to Americans. This verse is the second half of a sentence started in verse 13 and concerns the dedication of the Jewish temple led by King Solomon. …

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Hebrew Roots Heresies

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Elliott Nesch of Holy Bible Prophecy examines the Hebrew Roots movement.  The primary heresy, says Nesch is that in Hebrew Roots beliefs, Christians must keep the Torah.

torahBecause of the many heresies of modern Christianity today, many believers have fled from the apostate denominations only to find themselves ensnared in Hebrew Roots heresies. What is the Hebrew Roots movement? According to House of David Fellowship:

Hebrew Roots is a movement emerging around the world that advocates returning to the understanding of the Scriptures, perspectives, and beliefs of first-century faith. We are removed from Protestant Christianity, Rabbinic Judaism, and Messianic Judaism because of core belief differences.

Indeed it is good to be removed from Protestant Christianity, Rabbinic Judaism, and Messianic Judaism because of doctrinal differences. But what are those differences? In the movement’s favor, the Hebraic Roots movement avoids pagan traditions such as Christmas and emphasizes fruits, good works and obedience. However, their zeal for the Torah and allegiance to Moses has caused them to usurp the supreme authority of Yeshua Hamaschiach (Jesus Christ) in the New Covenant. Is the Torah the foundation of Christianity? Did Yeshua teach His followers to observe the Mosaic Law? Is it sinful to transgress the Law of Moses? Are Christians obligated to keep the Sabbath, observe the Jewish Feasts and eat a Kosher diet?

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What do you think about all this Satan stuff?

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By Marsha West

It’s a fact of earthly life that when God opens the windows of heaven to bless us, the devil opens the doors of hell to blast us. When God begins moving, the devil fires up all his artillery. — Adrian Rogers

According to a number of Bible scholars, Isaiah 14:12-15 tells the story of Lucifer, an archangel, who fell from God’s grace and became the devil.  Lucifer conspired to make his throne higher than the clouds (he contrived to dethrone God) at which time he was booted out of heaven.

Lucifer is Latin for “morning star” or “light-bearer.” (In 2 Peter 1:19 the “morning star rising in your hearts” is not a reference to Satan.) The way Isaiah describes him is a far cry from the way in which he’s viewed by our culture:

How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.

Many people have heard the story of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman God created.  All humanity is related to this pair.  Adam and Eve came into the world without a sin nature.  Moreover, they were created with a free will.  We learn from the book of Genesis that they made their home in the Garden of Eden. It was into that garden that Satan, often referred to as the wily serpent, came with evil intent.  He found Eve alone and by using lies and deceit convinced her to disregard God’s command to Adam “…you must not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for when you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) The serpent told Eve that God had withheld knowledge that would give humans hidden wisdom….and make them like God. So Eve threw caution to the wind, disregarded God’s warning, and took a bite out of the fruit.

The serpent was right that God withheld knowledge from them.  The moment she ate of the fruit her eyes were opened…and sin came into the world.  Wanting Adam along for the ride, Eve then offered the fruit to her husband and, without thinking twice, he took her suggestion and ate it.  Instantly, Adam and Eve went from being God-centered to being self-centered.

When God confronted them with what they had done, what did Adam do?  He laid the blame on his wife! “It’s her fault, not mine!” So, by Adam choosing to ignore God’s specific warning, he precipitated what we know of as the “Fall of Man.”

The couple soon learned the consequence of sin — death.  Until sin there was no death.  (2 Cor. 11:3) As a result of the Fall, all human beings are in bondage to sin….and the kingdom of Satan.

Giving Satan’s Whereabouts Some Serious Thought

Two boys were walking home from Sunday school after hearing a strong preaching on the devil.

One said to the other, ‘What do you think about all this Satan stuff?’ 

The other boy replied, ‘Well, you know how Santa Claus turned out. It’s probably just your Dad.’

What do you think about all the Satan stuff?  Do you believe Satan exists?  If you do, where do you think he hangs out? He must be a regular globe trotter.  Every minute of the day, in every part of the world, exorcisms are being performed on people who are supposedly possessed by the devil.  If these exorcisms are indeed legitimate, the implication is that Satan can be in a million places at once.

According to Scripture, Satan is a personal being. Note that Jesus used the personal pronoun when referring to him:

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44)

Logically, Satan can only be in one place at a time.  So I’ve been giving his whereabouts some serious thought.  To me it makes sense that he would be headquartered on Capitol Hill.  I could be mistaken, though.  Perhaps he’s in the Middle East or even Hollywood.  Regardless of where the “liar” resides, you’ve got to admit that some pretty powerful demonic forces are working their wiles on a number of our elected officials.  I mean, think about it; the Left’s diabolical agenda is most certainly influenced by lying spirits.  Who knows?  Perhaps Satan himself influences decisions made by people who run our government, the media…business…education…entertainment and so on.

But I digress.

The Bible contains many references to angels and demons.  To Bible believing Christians like myself, the spirits are very real — a clear and present danger.

Long after I came to faith in Christ, I remained skeptical of Satan and his legions.  After reading the Bible, I came to believe that there are indeed “spiritual forces of evil.” As I pointed out in my introduction, we first meet Satan (the serpent) in Gen. 3:1. He showed up in the Garden of Eden with the intent of tricking Eve into disobeying God. The instant Jesus uttered “It is finished” while hanging from the cross, Satan was defeated. (John 12:31, Rom. 16:20, Col. 1:13-14, Col. 2:15, 1 John 3:8, Heb. 2:14-15)  The Revelation of Jesus Christ reminds us that he will get his comeuppance. (Rev. 20:1-3) Without going into the gory details, let’s just say Satan and his demons will be sent spiraling into the abyss where they will cool (or warm) their heals for all eternity.  God’s judgment is final, by the way.  No spirit or human being sentenced to eternal damnation (Mat. 25:46) in the lake of burning sulfur (Rev. 20:10) will be let out on good behavior — or for any reason!

But before Satan takes up permanent residence in the place prepared for him and his angels, he’ll remain the “god of this world.” (Cor. 4:4)  Answers.com explains Satan’s influence:

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.

Angels were created with a free will.  A number of them exercised their free will when they chose to rebel against God, at which time they were cast out of heaven to Earth.  For thousands of years God has allowed the rebellious spirits to wreak havoc on this planet and they’ve been doing a pretty thorough job of it.

In Eph. 6:12 Paul “outs” mankind’s true enemy:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

The Bible defines the struggle as “spiritual warfare.”  Spiritual warfare has been ongoing since the Fall of Man. Satan may have won a multitude of battles but in the end he will be the Big Loser.

A word of warning before I move on.  Evil spirits have supernatural powers that humans do not possess, never will possess, and should not endeavor to possess.  Deceptive spirits have tricked certain people into thinking that they’re endowed with supernatural powers, that they’re the “enlightened ones” (EO).  Allegedly EO’s are a spiritually advanced order of philosophers and peacemakers.  (Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey are said to be EO’s.)  They believe they’re here to help usher in a new way of being on the planet.  In other words, they’re here to help humans evolve to a higher plane of existence.  EO’s think they possesses superior intellect and have been given extraordinary insights…some are even magically empowered.  Many EO’s seek guidance from spirits through practicing meditation and yoga.

In Scripture God makes it clear that spirits, including angels, are not to be evoked, called on, invited in, or channeled.  We should never try to connect with spirits and we certainly shouldn’t try to glean information from them.  In fact, Jesus often told the demons to keep quiet!

Christians who are in contact with so-called angels will read this article and get a little testy with me because they see nothing wrong with contacting angels — and they don’t want anyone raining on their parade!  But here’s the thing.  Getting a little wet beats getting struck by a lightning bolt from Above.

God makes it clear that He forbids contacting spirits or consulting mediums for any reason.  In other words, taking part in occult activities is taboo.  (Deut. 18: 10-12) You ask, “Why does God care?”  As I pointed out, the spirits are malevolent.  Likewise, they’re counterfeit…phony…fakes!

One final point.  Many Christians have a misconception of “spiritual warfare.”  Nowhere in Scripture are believers told to go into enemy territory and “cast out” demons.  What should God’s people do to those bad boys?  Paul tells us to be “strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”  Peter admonishes us to, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour…”

Be strong in the Lord!  Resist the devil!  Put on the full armor of God!  When God’s people stand firm in their faith the tempters make tracks.  (To help give Christians an inside look at angels and demons fighting for control of the mind of a back-slidden Christian, read the allegory I wrote on the armor of God here.)

An All Out Spiritual Battle

Thanks largely to the secularization of America, the culture is becoming darker, more corrupt and perverse every day.  Almost everyone I know has gone through, or is currently going through a trial, including myself. I would go so far as to say that there’s an all out spiritual battle going on for the hearts and minds of men! What’s behind this?  To use Paul’s terminology in Eph. 6:12: rulers, authorities, cosmic powers and spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. In other words, Satan and his minions.

Some who are reading this may think I’ve gone round the bend.  But consider this.  A large number of rational people who resist the idea that Satan exists do believe in angels. Others believe in ghosts and that the ghost is often someone they know such as a deceased loved one.  Moreover, a growing segment of our society believes that extraterrestrials visit this planet.  I could go on, but there’s not enough space to cover all the things people believe.  What’s important to understand is that the infallible, inerrant, God-breathed Word of God says there are forces of good (angels) and evil (demons) that occupy the “heavenly realms” – and even the minds of the unregenerate.

The names alone should be enough to convince us not to mess with the spirits.  The Bible calls the chief of fallen angels Satan, Beelzebub and Belial.  He’s also called the old serpent, our adversary, god of this world, prince of darkness, father of lies, great dragon…enemy…deceiver… murderer…I’ll leave it at that.  Fallen angels are liars (1 Kings 22:22,  23;  2 Chron. 18: 21, 22).  So what’s the point of addressing them?

Demons have nothing but contempt for humans.  And they’re hellbent on destroying God’s entire creation.

Before I close, I should point out that some professing Christians reject the notion of Satan.  And as I said, many people who deny his existence believe there are benevolent angels!  Likewise, they believe in ghosts, fairies, and extraterrestrials!

Some skeptics think the devil’s a mythological character.  Others say he’s merely a symbol of evil, still others think of the devil as a sort of caricature.  (Parents who view him that way often dress their children in devil costumes on Halloween.  Most of the costumes are a combination of red and black, with bat-like ears, a long tail with a spear on the end of it and a three-pronged pitchfork.  Some women’s devil costumes are sexy.)

Christians who read and study Scripture are well aware that Satan relishes being thought of as a silly, or sexy, caricature.  Who would fear someone who goes around in red tights sporting a cape and carrying a phony pitchfork. No one takes these sorts of devils seriously.  I mean, why would anyone fear such a goofy-looking creature?

But what we must remember about Satan is that he’s very real and he doesn’t wear a goofy costume.  He comes as one of us.  He “disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” (2 Cor 11:14-15) 

Recommended:

Are all angels safe? By Marsha West

Angels, Demons & Spiritual Warfare

Adapted from “American’s All Out Spiritual Battle, Part 1,” 2010 by Marsha West (Part 2, Part 3)

Copyright 2016 by Marsha West.

 

Fox’s “Lucifer” Returns to Mock Christians, Biblical Story of Creation

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According to News Busters:

luciferFox’s Lucifer has returned for a second season with its comic book version of Satan in the episode “Everything’s Coming Up Lucifer.” After last season’s cliffhanger that God’s wife/Lucifer’s mother escaped from Hell, Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis) is on a mission to find her here on Earth, as he tells his therapist, Linda Martin (Rachael Harris). Lucifer explains the Creation to her and let’s just say it is a bit different from the Biblical one.

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Inspired Attacks Show Strength of Islamic State, Experts Say

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According to Fred Lucas of The Daily Signal:

Terrorism word cloud

After the terrorist attacks this weekend, President Barack Obama acknowledged a link between the central Islamic State and lone bad actors, even as the administration has frequently drawn a distinction in the past.

National security experts believe terror attacks “inspired” by the radical groups are just as dangerous—potentially more so—than if ISIS draws up the plan of attack.

The independent bad actors are clearly “executing the will of the organization,” said Bill Roggio, the editor of The Long War Journal.

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Nancy Leigh (DeMoss) Wolgemuth Mixes Pagan Witchcraft Circle-Making With Christianity

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And people wonder why “Cheetos-eaters living in their mothers’ basements” (discernment bloggers) blog about Christian celebs like Nancy Lee (DeMoss) Wolgemuth!  “Watchbloggers” as we’ve been dubbed, feel that our brethren should know when a Christian leader strays from the truth. And according to Jeff Maples of Pulpit & Pen, DeMoss-Wolgemuth strayed when she began promoting a prayer practice that he believes to be outright witchcraft.  That’s right.  Witchcraft.

Occult symbolOne of the most basic devices used in ancient pagan spirituality is the “circle of protection.” You find it everywhere from the Eastern mystery religions to modern witchcraft. The circle of protection was commonly used in old Gypsy magic, as it was thought to create an impenetrable barrier of protection around those in which it was created.

This “magic” circle, spiritual in nature, could be something physical, such as lines drawn in the dirt or sand, or even a sprinkling of salt. But they could also be imaginary. On page 43 of Gypsy Magic: A Romany Book of Spells, Charms, and Fortune-Telling by Patrinella Cooper, she says …

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The pastor and inappropriate interactions with women in the church

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William Thornthon of SBC Voices has provided a list of things that he views as “inappropriate interaction” with women.  He writes:

HuggingWhen a pastor is said to be “inappropriately involved with a woman or women in his church other than his wife”, it used to be that the phrase was our ecclesiastical euphemism for breaking the seventh commandment. The pastor got physically involved in an adulterous affair. Once that is known to be true, the pastor is effectively finished at his church while church leadership attempts to arrange his departure in a way that shows grace towards him and his family but upholds ministry standards.

Opinions vary about whether or not the adulterer pastor is finished for good. LifeWay Research did a poll of pastors on this and found that about one-third though that for the pastor to withdraw for three months to one year would be sufficient, about one-fourth though adultery to be a permanent disqualifier, and one in six though an absence from public ministry of two to ten years would be sufficient.

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Evangelical Misogyny and the Spiritual Oppression of Christian Women

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bird-in-a-cageWhen it comes to women in the Church, author, speaker and blogger Michelle Lesley reminds us that “there’s no watered down, Barbie doll, ‘pink is for girls’ version of theology that women are to be taught while the real thing – serious Bible study and theology – is reserved for men.”  She points out that some women are doing “Bible art journaling” workshops so that they can learn how to color in their bibles which is “something we usually teach three year olds not to do.”  Teaching women the art of Bible coloring is of course ludicrous.  So why are women coloring the pages of their bibles and neglecting to do an in depth study?  Michelle asks: “When was the last time you heard of a Christian retailer or an average evangelical church holding a workshop – aimed at women – on biblical hermeneutics, Christology, pneumatology, church history, discernment, evangelism, or any other serious biblical topic?”  In many churches, the answer is never.

This piece is not just for women.  Church leaders, listen up!

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The child was sick so they killed him. And it’s legal

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Denny Burk, Professor of Biblical Studies at Boyce College, shares a Christian perspective on euthanasia, or physician-assisted-suicide, and asks some hard questions. He writes:

euthanasia-suicideThe stakes couldn’t be any higher or more grave than they are in this report:

A terminally ill minor has become the first child to be euthanized in Belgium since age restrictions were lifted in the country two years ago, according to several sources.

A Belgian lawmaker told CNN affiliate VTM that the physician-assisted suicide happened within the past week.

The child, who was suffering from an incurable disease, had asked for euthanasia, Sen. Jean-Jacques De Gucht told VTM. The identity of the child and age are unknown.

“I think it’s very important that we, as a society, have given the opportunity to those people to decide for themselves in what manner they cope with that situation,” said Gucht, a supporter of euthanasia legislation.

According to the BBC, the child was 17-years old. Lest you think this is far removed from us, just remember that physician-assisted suicide is already legal in the states of Washington, Oregon, California, and Vermont. We are not so far behind.

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