Commentary, analysis and opinion.

Homosexuality, Islam and Christianity

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

Bill Muehlenberg of Culture Watch examines how Islam, Judaism and Christianity view homosexuality. Do all three of these monotheistic religions affirm death for homosexuals?  According to Muehlenberg,

Homosexuality is condemned in all three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. While there are some similarities found on this issue in all three, there are also some major differences. Here I wish to focus on just one aspect of this: homosexuality and the death penalty.

In short, Judaism and Islam both call for the death penalty on this, while New Testament Christianity does not. But this needs to be much more fully explained. Part of the reason I raise this issue here is because the enemies of Christianity love to abuse and misuse all this.

View article →

Ronnie “Ezekiel” Floyd Stands In For An Absent Benny Hinn in SBC Prayer Festival

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Bud Ahlheim of Pulpit & Pen examines what he deems are some of the problems with the Southern Baptist Convention.  He believes the SBC “has set aside the sound teaching of Biblical truth.  That it is “seeking the touchy-feely warm fuzzies that seem to soothe the unrepentant soul. Rather than edifying the believer, the SBC pursues ecstatic entertainment to appeal to goats.”  He writes:

Pastor Ronnie Floyd, president, Southern Baptist Convention. Photo courtesy Pulpit & Pen

Pastor Ronnie Floyd, president, Southern Baptist Convention. Photo courtesy Pulpit & Pen

If you web wander over to the Baptist Press today (June 15) – today being the day after Ronnie Floyd’s 2016 National Call to Prayer for Spiritual Leadership, Revived Churches Nationwide, and Global Awakening – you will find numerous stories about the Southern Baptist Convention’s second day of business.

There was, of course, the vote for a new president which, according to the Christian Post, could be a turning point for the convention as it determines “whether Millennial Reformed Theology Represents The Future” for the denomination. The vote, if you don’t know, lacked the necessary majority.   It has gone to a runoff with consideration of the issue carried over to today’s business.

View article →

 

The Spirit of Lawlessness

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Lee Duigon, contributing editor with Chalcedon Foundation, shows the ways in which liberals are decimating every trace of biblical morality.  He writes:

Again I say it: kill the culture, and the culture will kill you right back.

Throw off God’s laws, and man’s laws will suffer, too.

Few cities reject godliness like San Francisco, Gay by the Bay. Its leaders, its thinkers, speak of “San Francisco values” is if they actually believed in them. Those values would include the public festival of sexual lawlessness that they call a “pride parade,” defiantly taking pride in what ought to be a source of shame.

Would it surprise you to learn that property crime in San Francisco is up 60 percent since 2010? That it now has the highest per capita property crime among all of America’s top 50 cities? And the city tourist board is getting nervous about “street behavior” that sends the tourists fleeing to Des Moines. “Street behavior” is a euphemism covering many antisocial acts, from “overly aggressive panhandling”—is that another euphemism for mugging?—to shooting up with drugs right out on the sidewalk for everyone to see.

View article

Together 2016, Ann Voskamp Declare Scripture Insufficient

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Jeff Maples of Pulpit & Pen continues his report on Together 2016.  He writes:

Pulpit & Pen recently confirmed and reported that the Pope of Rome will be joining Southern Baptist President, along with Hillsong United, Lecrae, and many other professing evangelical Christians in Washington D.C. for an ecumenical fornication-fest. The event, dubbed Together 2016, is estimated to host over 1 million attendees.

Recently, a tweet appeared from Together2016’s official Twitter account that stated the following:

View article

See our research paper on Roman Catholicism

Discernment Lesson: Deconstructing Beth Moore’s most popular story

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

From this piece we learn that there are two-tiers of Christian hierarchy.  According to Elizabeth Prata of The End Time, “At the top are the super-spiritual, super-intimate believers who are blessed with God’s favor in receiving this special revelation directly. The bottom tier are the unlucky/unfaithful/less-than believers who don’t ever receive such personal ministrations from Jesus.”

Find out if you’re blessed with God’s favor, like Beth Moore is, or if you’re super-unlucky.

View article

Ethicists warn new genome project could lead to synthetic humans

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ ,

Paige Cunningham, executive director of The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity, warns that “Although the prospect is remote, scientists could potentially design people on computers who would be born without biological parents.”  World Magazine has the story:

DNAOn June 2, the journal Science published a paper written by 25 researchers announcing their intention to begin a 10-year project aimed at synthetically creating an entire human genome—the complete set of genes present in a cell.

Although the researchers are clear the goal of the Human Genome Project-Write (HGP-Write) is to synthesize a human genome in a lab dish—not to create a baby—many bioethicists and other experts are raising skeptical eyebrows.

 

View article →

Why millennials are yawning at the likely first female major-party nominee for president

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Molly Roberts of the liberal Washington Post has the story:

A female presidential candidate has clinched a major-party nomination for the first time in U.S. history. No one seems to care — at least not many people in my millennial generation. Not even women, although they should.

Maybe my cohort is caught up in the moment of Donald Trump: Millennial liberals may think it’s more vital to ward off an age of authoritarianism than to usher in a new era for feminism. Certainly, we’ve been distracted by Bernie Sanders: For idealistic young voters, a rabble-rousing revolutionary feels more alluring than a political pragmatist, even one with two X chromosomes.

View article →

Hillsong, Ronnie Floyd, Lecrae, Join Pope at Monumental Together 2016 Gathering

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Pope Francis is hoping to unite Christians in the “Next Great Awakening” at Together 2016.  Jeff Maples and Brandon Hines of Pulpit & Pen have the story:

Confused 2

Where is the discernment?

It has been thoroughly covered that the Together 2016 is hosting many questionable people liked by evangelicals, including Hillsong UNITED, Christine Caine, Kari Jobe, Kirk Franklin, the rapper “who happens to be Christian,” Lecrae, SBC President, Ronnie Floyd, Josh McDowell, Tedashii, Trip Lee, Ann Voskamp, and Matthew West. Since then, we have also learned that Matt Maher won’t be the only Roman Catholic these people are partnering with. Pope Francis has added himself to the lineup stating that he will speak to the people via video. Founder of PULSE, Nick Hall, who helped organize the event, said,

We are humbled and honored by his involvement and eager to share his message with the crowd that gathers at Together 2016…That His Holiness would choose to speak into this historic day is a testament to the urgency and the need for followers of Jesus to unite in prayer for our nation and our world.

Continue reading

See our research paper on Roman Catholicism

SBC Loses Nearly A Million Members

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙

According to Bud Ahlheim of Pulpit & Pen:

The Baptist Press just released the Annual Church Profile report for 2015. The article opens with the decidedly Scripture-oblivious words, “Southern Baptists may find cause for hope in the latest Annual Profile Report.   The Southern Baptist Convention added more churches in 2015, due mostly to church planting efforts.”

Really?

View article →

Jennifer Knapp, Trey Pearson, and the Cross We Bear

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ ,

Over at Borrowed Light, blogger Mike Leake tackles what’s going on with what he calls the “accepting myself” movement that’s becoming so prevalent among professing Christians.  Leake laments:

Cross and rainbowI’m seeing more and more young people follow the path of Knapp and Pearson. It’s becoming quite the broad road. And this broad road isn’t labeled homosexuality. This broad road is labeled “accepting myself”. That is the foundational doctrine of this American heresy. And it is swallowing up more and more of those my age and younger. It’s a doctrine which runs away from the Refiner’s fire.

View article →

 

Christian rock star says “I’m Gay,” headlines Ohio PrideFest

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙

Berean Research has the story of the latest self-professed Christian to shun Scripture’s clear teaching on the sin of homosexuality and announce that he’s a “gay Christian”:

Ready for your Christian paradigm to shift once again?  Put your Bible away and expand your tolerance:

  • A Christian contemporary rock star “came out” last week and announced he’s a homosexual.
  • The gay rock star has a wife (who supports his lifestyle), and two young children.
  • The gay rock star’s Christian band will headline a homosexual pride festival in Ohio next weekend.

Got it? Now open your Bible. God’s paradigm never shifts, even when the culture – and the visible church – does.

View article →

You might be apostate if…

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Bible study author, speaker and blogger Michelle Lesley identifies Christendom’s most nefarious false teachers — and she proves it by using their own words and actions against them. Now find out who Michelle thinks are some of the worst of the worst apostates…

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy hit the big time several years ago with his “You Might Be a Redneck” one-liners. He frequently introduced the bit by saying, “I’ve found that there are rednecks all over, but sometimes people don’t know they’re rednecks. So, I came up with this little test…” and continued with such gems as:

“If you’ve ever had to carry a bucket of paint to the top of a water tower to defend your sister’s honor, you might be a redneck.”

“If your wife has ever said, ‘Honey, come get this transmission out of the tub so I can take a bath!’ you might be a redneck.”

“If you’ve ever been accused of lying through your tooth, you might be a redneck.”

View article →

Remembering Those Who Never Came Home

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙

Memorial DayThe Daily Signal has a piece by Peter Brookes commemorating our brave men and women who serve in the armed forces.  He reminds us that,

Whether you’re spiritual or not, it’s right for this country to take this day to remember those who have fallen, those who have returned, those who are hurting and suffering wounds both visible and invisible, and those who are serving today.

Amen.

Brookes begins his piece:

During the mid-2000s, I attended my son’s graduation from the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, in a ceremony where the commencement address was given by then-Secretary of Defense Bob Gates.

Like many who attend graduations, I have no recall of what Gates said to the collective students, faculty, and families that day. I do recall that it came at a very difficult time overseas for U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The other thing I remember: More than 50 percent of that Virginia Military Institute class stood up to be commissioned into the armed forces of the United States.

As they stood, I could feel myself start to well up. I turned away from my wife so she wouldn’t see, but she knew—and felt the same surge of patriotism I did.

View article →

Are we supposed to pray for the wolves?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ ,

In answer to this question, some Christians say yes while others say no and they’ll offer all sorts of reasons for the view they hold.  So, what does the Bible teach?   According to Pilgrim over at Defending. Contending,” I found nowhere in Scripture that we are directly or expressly commanded to pray for those who seek to shipwreck our faith and damn our souls to Hell for eternity. The argument in favor of praying for the wolves is commonly couched in our command to love and pray for our enemies, but are false teachers what Jesus was referring to when He said this? Do they fit in the context of His use of the word “enemies” in that text?”

Pilgrim answers these question in the blog post:

Wolf - Little Red Riding HoodImagine if you will, the following scenario:

A shepherd guarding his sheep observes a wolf among the flock cloaked in sheepskin. He stands up and yells “Wolf! Wolf! Run! Run!” And immediately the sheep begin to scatter, but not all. A small group turn to the sheep dog and, with an arrogant smirk plastered across their faces, respond, “But did you pray for the wolf?”

Bewildered as to why these sheep were ignoring his warning, the shepherd reiterates the danger of the wolf’s presence with an even more impassioned plea for the sheep to escape the impending doom that’s about to befall them. However, they stand firm and go back to their grazing on the plush green grass beneath their feet.

Mumblings of,”Who is he to judge?” and, “As for me I’ll be praying for the wolf” can be heard among them as they reassure themselves of their peace and safety while the wolf takes them out one by one until there are none left.

View article →

 

Hillsong’s Dance With the World

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Berean Research wrote a follow-up to a piece over at Churchwatch Central entitled Family Friendly Hillsong Includes the Dancing Naked Cowboy? If you missed it, Hillsong Church has gone off the rails, as you will see in this blog post which includes a video of Hillsong’s partially clad youth pastor, a.k.a the “naked cowboy,” parading around on stage singing Frank Sinatra’s hit song New York, New York…..while throwing kisses to the audience.  This is not satire, brethren. Here’s the story:

I usually don’t expect to see a near-naked cowboy gyrating from the stage of a Christian women’s conference. Nor would I see and hear thousands of Christian females applauding and squealing in delight, and spurring on the performance.  Indeed if I were of the world, I’d expect these sights and sounds to come from a giant bachelorette party at a strip club.

I am not of the world. I like my women’s conferences to be edifying to me and glorifying to God. What I’m about to share from Hillsong New York’s women’s conference is neither of those things:

View article →

Worshipping Religious Liberty: SBC Joins Mosque Building Effort

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Should Christians stand and fight for religious liberty?  Bud Ahlheim of Pulpit & Pen says yes, but “We should be cautious about how we align with this god of religious liberty because it is nothing less than the current ‘spirit of the world,’ the one beckoning for tolerance and co-existence.”  He writes:

Southern Baptists, through their Ethics And Religious Liberty Commission and their International Mission Board, have joined hands with Muslims and others to help build a mosque.

But they have to.  It’s inevitable when you hold closely to the tenets of American Christianity.

The SBC’s ERLC and IMB have joined in with the likes of the Center for Islam and Religious Freedom, the Interfaith Coalition on Mosques, the International Society of Krishna Consciousness, the Sikh Coalition, and other unlikely allies to support building a mosque.  According to The Becket Fund For Religious Liberty (An organization in which Russell Moore is on the Board of Directors) over 20 “interfaith” groups have united to push forward the agenda of the god of religious liberty in support of the mosque.

View article →

Tim Keller’s Redeemer Presbyterian Ministry Director Regular Donor to Bernie Sanders Campaign

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, a Democrat, supports same-sex “marriage,” says he believes that abortion should be legal until birth, and self-identifies as a socialist. So it is disappointing to learn that RPC’s ministry director at the West Side campus donated a total of $666 to this man’s campaign.  Heather Clark of Christian News Network has the story:

In the midst of a famine in the visible American church for biblical instruction on selecting leaders in civil government, public records show that a ministry leader at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, led by popular megachurch pastor and author Tim Keller, has been a consistent donor to the Bernie Sanders campaign.

The Federal Elections Commission website, which records the political donations of Americans under the names of their employers, shows that Tiffany Koch, the ministry director at the West Side campus of Redeemer Presbyterian Church made 76 donations to Sanders since October.

 

View article →

Professor Says “Madness” Of Fighting Global Warming Will Impoverish Everyone

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ ,

The professor wrote in a press statement, “Humanity is owed a serious investigation of how we have gone so far with the decarbonization project without a serious challenge in terms of engineering reality.”  Andrew Follett of Daily Caller has the story:

Cambridge University electrical engineering professor Dr. M.J. Kelly concluded in a peer-reviewed journal article that attempts to fight global warming with green energy will impoverish the world.

The Monday article found reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions enough to actually slow global warming in a measurable way simply isn’t possible without significantly reducing standards of living by plunging most of the world into poverty, destitution and starvation.

View article →

Learning Meekness

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙

 

After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall. Acts 9:23-25

What humiliation! Here Paul was, equipped to win the day for Jesus Christ. He was going to show the world how much he could do for this new Master that he had found. But instead he finds himself humiliated, cast off, rejected, repudiated. His own friends finally have to take him at night and let him down over a wall. He walks away into the darkness in utter, abject failure and defeat.

The amazing thing is that many years later, as he is writing to the Corinthians and looking back over his life, he recounts this episode. He says, You ask me to boast about the most important event in my life? The greatest event in my life was when they took me at night and let me down over the wall of Damascus in a basket. That was the most meaningful experience I have ever had since that day when I met Christ… (2 Corinthians 11:32-33).

View article →

Hillsong Promoting Sex Pervert at Women’s Conference

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Jeff Maples of Pulpit & Pen has the story:

Hillsong, the worldwide leader in Jesus-themed music, has recently taken their approach to human sexuality to a new level. Adding to their general theme of godlessness in entertainment, including a recent risque Christmas performance that called into question their respect for women, and human beings in general, now they’re promoting the well-known sex pervert, Austin Powers, at–get this–a women’s conference.

View article →

The NAR – You Will Know Them By Their Nuts

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

From Berean Research:

Church Watch Central has an exposé on Jesus Camp.  In it, CWC demonstrates the unconscionable way children are indoctrinated into the New Apostolic Reformation cult by leaders such as “Apostle” Becky Fischer.  CWC posted a video showing children being brainwashed by this woman that has been blocked.  So Berean Research replaced it with two short Youtube videos that demonstrate the excesses.

View article →

SBC’s Floyd: Doctrine of Unity Demands Decree Against Dissenters

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

According to Bud Ahlheim of Pulpit & Pen, SBC president Ronnie Floyd has declared a new doctrine — the doctrine of denominational unity.  However, Alheim shows in his blog post that Mr. Floyd is actually a divider not a uniter. He contends that under Floyd’s leadership the SBC has lost its way.  So he calls for the SBC to repent, believe, and obey the Bible.

View article →

73 House Republicans Sign Letter Demanding Answers on Obama’s Bathroom Directive

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

The Daily Signal reports:

The largest conservative congressional caucus is calling into question the legality of President Barack Obama’s transgender bathroom directive for schools.

Chairman Bill Flores, R-Texas, is encouraging Republican Study Committee members to sign on to a letter, pushing the Departments of Education and Justice to detail how, and on what authority, they plan to enforce the new guidelines.

“Americans are incensed by President Obama’s blatant executive overreach,” Flores said, citing the IRS controversy, Obamacare, and the Iranian nuclear agreement. “Now they are threatening school funding over an issue that should rightfully be left to the states. Their actions are politically motivated and Congress has every responsibility to challenge them.”

View article →