Commentary, analysis and opinion.

Would the Son of God Contradict the Father?

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Marsha West

Marsha West

Is it true that Jesus never mentioned anything about homosexuality? That He never brought it up, even once? Most of us have heard the argument that the Gospels have no record of Jesus condemning homosexuality. There are individuals, especially from the militant homosexual rights movement, who utter this fabrication with all the raw hostility of liberals who think abortion is their God given right.

The “Jesus never mentioned homosexuality” argument is meant to bully people into believing that Jesus actually took a benign attitude towards same-sex acts. Liberals reason that if Jesus disapproved of homosexuality, He would have said so. Moreover, He never mentioned gay sex, thus He didn’t condemn it.

Most people, including some Christians, don’t have a clue what Jesus did or did not say on any given subject, let alone what He thought about same-sex practices, so they fall for the “Jesus never mentioned homosexuality” lie, hook, line and sinker.

So, does Jesus approve of homosexual relationships?

At the very heart of the Christian view of God is the Holy Trinity. (This is not an essay on Christian doctrine, so bear with me for a moment.) Classical Christianity has believed that God exists in Holy Trinity, or tri-personality — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Trinity is not three gods in one. Each Person of the Trinity is fully God. They are one in essence with three separate and distinct personalities. All are infinite and eternal. Jesus Christ, the Son, is the Second person of the Trinity. The Son is in perfect union with the Father and the Holy Spirit. They are never, nor could they ever be out of union with one another. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). The deity of the Holy Spirit is also evident. In Acts 5:3-4 Peter told Ananias that by lying to the Holy Spirit, he had lied to God.

Following is one way of illustrating the Trinity:

“H2O…is common water-two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen. You can freeze H2O and you would have the solid, or ice. You can turn on your faucet and you would have the liquid H2O. You can hear the whistle of H2O that comes out of the tea kettle spout which is steam, but it would still be H2O. H2O can and does exist in solid, liquid and gas. The solid is not the liquid; the liquid is not the gas; and yet all three are of one nature: H2O. And that is exactly how it is with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Father is not the Son, the Father is not the Holy Spirit, and Jesus is not the Holy Spirit.” (emphasis added – Source)

The crux of the matter is this: Those who try to make their case by arguing, “Jesus never mentioned homosexuality” are either ignorant of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, or they ignore it for the purpose of supporting a hollow argument. View article →

“I will not bow to the Court on this gay-marriage decision any more than the Founders bowed to British tyranny”

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The words of Gov. Mike Huckabee on the Supreme Court ruling:

“The Supreme Court has spoken with a very divided voice on something only the Supreme Being can do-redefine marriage. I will not acquiesce to an imperial court any more than our Founders acquiesced to an imperial British monarch. We must resist and reject judicial tyranny, not retreat.

“This ruling is not about marriage equality, it’s about marriage redefinition. This irrational, unconstitutional rejection of the expressed will of the people in over 30 states will prove to be one of the court’s most disastrous decisions, and they have had many. The only outcome worse than this flawed, failed decision would be for the President and Congress, two co-equal branches of government, to surrender in the face of this out-of-control act of unconstitutional, judicial tyranny.”

“The Supreme Court can no more repeal the laws of nature and nature’s God on marriage than it can the laws of gravity. Under our Constitution, the court cannot write a law, even though some cowardly politicians will wave the white flag and accept it without realizing that they are failing their sworn duty to reject abuses from the court. If accepted by Congress and this President, this decision will be a serious blow to religious liberty, which is the heart of the First Amendment.”

Rick Warren’s “Power of a Campaign for Revival and Spiritual Awakening”

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Berean Research has the latest on Rick Warren:

Rick WarrenSaddleback’s and Amurica’s pastor Rick Warren is talking revival and spiritual awakening! Can it be that he is finally preaching repentance and surrender to Christ? Well, not exactly. We’re talking about a movement by numbers again, from his latest email blast. What does the Bible have to say about this?

Rick Warren: “If God allowed you to baptize hundreds of new believers, add almost hundreds of new members, and increase your average attendance by thousands in just 40 days, would you call that a revival?”

I’d call it nickles and noses. Proof of revival is not in numbers. Remember, GOD does the increasing. Acts 3:19-21 “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.”

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Does U2’s Bono, a professing Christian, believe the Bible?

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Marsha West

Any [teaching] that is good is in the Word of God, and any that is not in the Word of God is not good. I am a Bible Christian and if an archangel with a wingspread as broad as a constellation shining like the sun were to come and offer me some new truth, I’d ask him for a reference. If he could not show me where it is found in the Bible, I would bow him out and say, “I’m awfully sorry, you don’t bring any references with you.” ~ A.W. Tozier

There’s an ongoing debate as to whether or not Bono, U2 front man and one of the world’s most recognized rock stars, is an authentic Christian, although he states that he is. Many Bible believing Christians have looked at the evidence and have come out and said that, although he professes Christ, he’s not a true Christian.

So let’s examine the evidence.

On his belief about Jesus Christ, Bono said this:

I believe that Jesus was, you know, the Son of God.

Does he mean the Jesus who’s the Second Person of the holy Trinity?

In 2005 after the release of his book “Grace Over Karma” he stated:

The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That’s the point. It should keep us humbled. It’s not our own good works that get us through the gates of heaven.

He’s right. It’s not our own good works that gets us to heaven “for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” that saves us. (Eph. 2:8-9)

In 2014 Jim Daly, President of Focus on the Family, interviewed the rock star on his radio broadcast and said this:

[H]e’s known great success, both in his career as a musician, and in his work as a global advocate for the poorest of the poor. He’s also the co-founder of The ONE Campaign, and their motivation is to help people who are suffering.

All of this is true. But that means he’s a do-gooder. It does not make him regenerate.

Not surprisingly, when Daly invited him on the show conservative Christians who are aware of some of the controversial things he has said over the years thought it was a mistake. Many people wondered why a pro-family leader of Daly’s stature would pass him off as a Christian by saying, “he’s a believer in Jesus Christ, and professes Christ as his Savior. In fact, Bono’s spiritual journey has been greatly influenced by a mutual good friend — Eugene Peterson, who’s the author of The Message. And he’s also written a great book called Run With The Horses that has had a great influence on Bono and many of us.”

I don’t have the space to address my concerns with Eugene Peterson or The Message Bible he penned – it’s a parody of the Bible. So links are included below.

Looking at the things Bono has said (I’m coming to that) although he professes a belief in Christ clearly he doesn’t believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. Moreover, his social views are decidedly “progressive.” In fact, his religious beliefs blend nicely with emergent gurus such as Brian McLaren, Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo. These men are leftists who are leading the Church away from Sola Scriptura into what Ken Silva referred to as the “emerging cult of the new liberal theology.” The controversial movement, called the Emerging/Emergent Church (EC), seeks to reach the unchurched with their unbiblical version of the Christian message. In so doing they have cooked up a cauldron of syncretism stew.

So – what’s important to know about EC leaders is that their aim is change and their plan, and they do have one, is to dismantle historic orthodox Christianity and bring forth a “new paradigm,” a “new kind of Christianity.” Be wary of words such as story (story of God, story of Jesus)… becoming… conversation… missional… reimagine… tribe… deconstruction… vision, etc. Emergents are “Christ followers,” they are “Social Justice Christians.”

Social Justice Christianity

The moniker liberals who profess Christ prefer is Social Justice Christian.   One conservative blogger commented that Bono is “social justice, ecumenical, globalist, Agenda 21 promoting.”

He’s all of that for sure.  Bono’s an activist and philanthropist with a stated goal to eliminate world poverty.  Because he’s hugely popular people want to know what he thinks about this and that.  So naturally he takes every opportunity to promote causes he cares about including HIV/AIDS infection in Africa and third-world debt relief.  Tom De Weese of the American Policy Center once quipped that he “dogged political leaders around the world, using his rock star status to pressure them into accepting his brand of global guilt.”

So – should it matter to Bible believing Christians that Bono is a “progressive”?  Should we be concerned that he’s spreading Social Justice Christianity around the globe?  I mean, he’s telling people about Jesus, isn’t he?

Well, yes, it should matter to Christians that a person as famous as Bono is promoting an unbiblical version of Christianity and a “different Jesus.”  Many people idolize celebrities.  Adoring fans hang on their every word.   And, sadly, many Christians don’t read their bibles so they not only are ignorant of its teaching, they lack spiritual discernment.  In other words, they’re easily influenced by celebrity but not so much by the Bible.

When it comes to a LIE-celeb such as Bono, the question we must ask ourselves is this: What gospel is he sharing, the true Gospel of Jesus Christ or is he sharing another Jesus…another spirit…another gospel (2 Cor. 11:4)?  If it’s the later then it makes him a false teacher.

The Apostle Paul spoke out against counterfeit Christians: 

And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do.  For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.  And no wonder, for even Satan 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. 12-15) 

Elliott Nesch of The Holy Bible Prophecy writes:

How many of those who have been saved from extreme poverty through Bono’s ONE Campaign are now saved from their sins through the same effort? Can social justice, debt relief, and elimination of the AIDS epidemic bring glory to God when it is completely unconnected to the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? (Source)

A very good question. 

Can’t We All Just COEXIST?

 

Lighthouse Trails Research (LTR) has a piece entitled Focus on the Family Gives Bono a Platform – Another Example Where 2 +2 Don’t Add Up.  LTR shares a quote by Christian researcher Berit Kjos from her book Protect Your Child From the New Age & Spiritual Deception:

U2’s 2005 tour was aimed at joining all religions into a unified global spirituality. To emphasize the coming solidarity, the word “COEXIST” was featured on a giant screen. The capital “C” pointed to the Islamic crescent, the “X” symbolized the Jewish Star of David, and the “T” was a reminder of the Christian cross. Bono led massive crowds in a vibrant chant: “Jesus, Jew, Mohammed—It’s True! 

Not everyone approved. Singer/songwriter Tara Leigh Cobble said, “He repeated the words like a mantra, and some people even began to repeat it with him. I suddenly wanted to crawl out of my skin. . . . Was Bono, my supposed brother in Christ, preaching some kind of universalism?” 

“I felt like I was witnessing an antichrist,” said her friend. 

In one song, “God’s Country,” Bono belts out the words, “I stand with the sons of Cain,” The Bible tells us that Cain “was of that wicked one, and slew his brother” (1 John 3:12), not exactly someone who a Christian would want to be found standing in agreement with.

Kjos later says:

Are Christian leaders speaking up and warning others about Bono? No, on the contrary, reveals one Christian journalist:

“One of the leaders being promoted today by those purporting to be officiating the way for our young people—to include Bill Hybels, Brian McLaren, Rick Warren, and Rob Bell—is ‘Christian’ Rock star Bono of U2, whom many emergents view as their ‘prophet’ and the main icon of their movement. In Bono’s rendition of Psalm 23, he alters the entire thrust and message of this beautiful psalm to something that sounds nothing less than blasphemous. For example . . . he alters the wording to say ‘I have cursed thy rod and staff. They no longer comfort me.’”  [This rendition of Psalm 23 is documented in The Submerging Church DVD.] 

And in the summer of 2005, Rick Warren attended the Live 8 Concert with Bono where he was made the official pastor at the event.  Rick Warren did not issue a warning at the event about Bono, leaving the impression on thousands of young people’s minds that Bono is OK.  (from chapter 17, HPC)

Bono Helps Gay’s Win The Day

Bill Muehlenberg of Culture Watch is one Christian who isn’t standing up for Bono.  And he isn’t concerned about issuing a warning either.  Muehlenberg came out swinging after Bono threw his support to Bible torturing radical gay activists who were out to legalize same-sex “marriage” in Ireland.  Homosexuals were ecstatic to have a rock star behind them in their effort to legalize same-sex “marriage.”  Pink News reported: 

Irish singer Bono, speaking ahead of the band’s latest world tour, said “Marriage is an idea that transcends religion.” 

Bono, who is from a mixed Anglican and Catholic family, told the Irish Times: 

“[Marriage] is owned by the people. They can decide. It is not a religious institution. 

“As far as I know, Jesus wasn’t a married man and neither are most priests talking about it. It is not a religious idea. 

“In my mind, commitment is one of the most impossibly great human traits. It is a hard thing to hold on to, and anything that brings that together is a totally wonderful thing.” 

Gay-affirming Bono does not understand the implications of tossing aside God’s plan for marriage—one man one woman for life—so that men can marry men.

Muehlenberg had these harsh words for U2’s front man:

Another clear-cut acid test of Christian commitment has to do with the issue of homosexuality. If you get someone trying to tell you that homosexual marriage is just peachy and Jesus would be fully supportive of it, then you know you’ve got a religious fraud on your hands, and you should give him a very wide berth. 

One so-called believer who has worried me greatly for years has in my eyes nailed his coffin completely by his recent support of sodomite marriage. Bono and U2 are going utterly brain-dead in supporting the Irish vote on homosexual marriage. 

So if you think Bono is some sort of great Christian, you better think again. This comes from the U2 website: 

On Friday Ireland votes in an historic referendum on legalizing same-sex marriage. Here’s what the band say: #voteYes.

“Commitment, love and devotion are some of the most impossibly great human traits. Trying to co-opt the word marriage is like trying to make love or devotion gender- or religion-specific. And that has to stop. Marriage is human-specific: a human commitment, one that transcends religion, transcends politics. It should be encouraged wherever, whenever and between whomever that love, that devotion and that commitment exists. #voteYES” 

This has got to be one of the most idiotic things I have read in a long time. We expect atheists and militant homosexual activists to come up with sheer baloney like this, but someone who calls himself a Christian? This man is a fool, in the biblical sense of the word. (Source)

The bottom line is this: A person cannot profess a belief in Jesus Christ and live like the devil.  Like so many so-called Christians, Bono takes Christianity cafeteria style – he picks and chooses what pleases him and avoids what doesn’t.

Christianity is serious business, brethren.  Jesus requires much of His sheep.  “If you love me you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

Do you love Him?

“Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Do you get your guidance from the Bible?

Bono does but only when it suits his purpose.

Recommended Resources:

Transcript of Focus on the Family interview

The Homosexual Agenda

What is the purpose of marriage?–CARM

Also,

Eugene Peterson

The Message Bible

Reading

Does the Bible actually teach that we’re not to judge others? —Marsha West

U2′s Bono, Unorthodox Superman—Elliott Nesch

Copyright by Marsha West, 2015.  All rights reserved.

The Alcoholics Anonymous Prevention Plan: Pointing people away from Christ

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Many people are unaware that Alcoholics Anonymous founders were heavily into the world of the occult. John Lanagan of My Word Like Fire has done extensive research on AA he and reports some of his findings here:

It’s prevention and dilution, all in one twelve step package.

Alcoholics Anonymous has two spiritual purposes. One is to point unbelievers away from Christ; the other is to water down or weaken the theology of the Christians who have joined the AA religion. Because of exposure to the twelve step program there are many AA Christians who confuse “recovery” with sanctification.

Hurting alcoholics who do not know the Lord learn, through meetings and the AA Big Book, that they do not need Christ at all in order to have a relationship with the Father:

“The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered our hearts and our lives in a way that is miraculous.” (AA Big Book, pg.25)

“[A]ll of us, whatever our race, creed, or color are children of a living Creator with whom we may form a relationship upon simple and understandable terms as soon as we are willing and honest enough to try.” (AA Big Book, pg.28)

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Openly gay Willow Creek leader to speak at Matthew Vines’ conference

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Berean Research reports:

Kicking off today in Atlanta is the Reformation Project conference designed to train and equip leaders to advocate for homosexual Christians. Among those leading: an openly gay worship leader from Willow Chicago, a satellite campus of the well-known Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., pastored by Bill Hybels.

The worship leader, Darren Calhoun, has issued a statement through Willow Creek:

I’m a follower of Jesus,” Calhoun wrote. “My church community is Willow Chicago, the downtown campus of Willow Creek Community Church. There, I’ve served as a volunteer for eight years in various parts of our arts ministries including leading worship. … I’m also gay. As a Christian, I’ve been on a long journey to reconcile the reality of my orientation with the various views that the church world has on the topic of people who are attracted to the same sex. … At Willow, I was able to begin a journey of celibacy and prayerfully discerning what that means for my life.

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Which Way, Evangelicals? There is Nowhere to Hide

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Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, addressed the same-sex “marriage” debate and pulled no punches: This is a moment of decision, and every evangelical believer, congregation, denomination, and institution will have to answer. There will be no place to hide.

Dr. Mohler writes:

Photo courtesy AlbertMohler.com

Photo courtesy AlbertMohler.com

The very first issue of Christianity Today is dated October 15, 1956. In his first editorial, Carl F. H. Henry set his course for the magazine: “Those who direct the editorial policy of Christianity Today unreservedly accept the complete reliability and authority of the written Word of God. It is their conviction that the Scriptures teach the doctrine of plenary inspiration.”

Henry also affirmed continuity with the great orthodox tradition of biblical doctrine and moral principles: “The doctrinal content of historic Christianity will be presented and defended. Among the distinctive doctrines to be stressed are those of God, Christ, man, salvation, and the last things. The best modern scholarship recognizes the bearing of doctrine on moral and spiritual life.”

In that same issue, Billy Graham stressed the authority of the Bible in evangelism. “I use the phrase ‘The Bible says’ because the Word of God is the authoritative basis of our faith,” Graham said. “I do not continually distinguish between the authority of God and the authority of the Bible because I am confident that he has made his will known authoritatively in the Scriptures.” View article →

Congress Urged to Pass Law Protecting Religious Schools from Punishment Over Marriage Beliefs

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Christian News Newtork reports:

Administrators from Christian and Catholic schools nationwide have signed on to a letter urging Congress to pass a law that would protect religious schools from punishment over their biblical beliefs on marriage.

Daniel Egeler, the president of the Association of Christian Schools International, Al Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Michael Ferris, the Chancellor of Patrick Henry College and Alan Hodak, the executive director of the Minnesota Association of Christian Schools, were among those who signed the letter to House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“We write to express our deep concern with the potential loss of tax-exempt status for educational institutions should the Supreme Court find constitutional legitimacy for same-sex marriage,” it read.

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How to Attract Goats to Your Church

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Berean Research reports on Preston Trails Community Church in Frisco, Texas that recently won a design award for its building and its brand: Making goats feel accepted:

Goats heading to churchIs church about saints (those who are saved), or sinners goats? Look, we’re all sinners; we need to use our words correctly. Those who have repented and put their trust in Christ alone for their salvation are saints. Another great word we can use here is sheep. The opposite term in the Bible is goats. The real question is, what – and Whom- is church about, and whom is it for?

Let’s not “kid” ourselves; it’s not for goats. It’s for former goats. The Bible teaches us that church is the gathering of those who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit:

…to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. – Ephesians 4:12-16

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Media respond to Houston dropping hot potato “pastor” Driscoll from Hillsong Conference 2015

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From Berean Research:

Mark DriscollHere’s a comedy of errors if ever there was one. Hillsong Church’s pastor and notorious false teacher Brian Houston decided to drop former pastor of Seattle’s Mars Hill Church, Mark Driscoll, from Hillsong Conference 2015 even though he has been fully aware of the controversy over Driscoll. Houston had many people shaking their heads when he decided to do an interview with Driscoll. Well, over the weekend he decided to dis-invited him from the conference and offered the following reason:

It was clear to me that Mark’s attendance had the potential to divert attention from the real purpose of Hillsong Conference, which is to see people leave encouraged in their own spiritual journey.

For whatever reason, it finally dawned on Houston that a preacher who’s known for his potty-mouth…explicit sexual messages…plagiarism…bullying…and an over-inflated ego might not be the best one to encourage people in their spiritual journey.

Churchwatch Central has the details:

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The New Transgender Agenda: Cultural Confusion

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From Berean Research:

Dave Fiorazo, author, speaker and radio host, addresses the Left’s attempt to normalize what the majority of people have always thought of as a sexual perversion: Transgenderism. Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner has been portrayed by the press as courageous for saying publicly that he no longer wishes to be a man; now he wants to be viewed as a woman even though it is predetermined by his DNA that he’s male. Fiorazo challenges the idea that what Jenner did took courage. To him “Conforming to this world and going with the flow of pop culture is not courageous; courage is telling the truth in the face of evil and accusations of hate. Courage is living counter-culture for Jesus Christ and sharing the gospel with people because we love them.” View article →

Not Just Acceptance, But Coercion—Christians Now Being Told to Embrace Gay “Marriage” or Else

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Ken Ham and Mark Looy of Answers In Genesis discuss the best approach for Bible believing Christians to take in the growing controversy over gay “marriage.” More and more professing Christians are ignoring what the Bible expressly teaches and are falling in line with the radical gay lobby. Ham and Looy blame this shift on biblical illiteracy. They point out that “with the increasing emphasis on entertainment in church life today, there has been a corresponding dearth of solid Bible teaching and thus a lack of spiritual maturity seen among Christians. Such congregations essentially function as a group of biblical illiterates and are more susceptible to being swept up in anti-biblical thinking of the day, such as supporting gay ‘marriage.’ An ignorance of what the Bible teaches about homosexual behavior combined with a mindset that Christians must be ‘loving’ has led to many churches accepting gay ‘marriage.'” So, how can believers influence a society that no longer takes God’s Word seriously?

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Cindy Jacobs was first to “prophesy” C. Peter Wagner would be “Apostle”

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C. Peter Wagner & Cindy JacobsJohn Lanagan of My Word Like Fire continues to expose the false teaching of the NAR “apostles” and “prophets.” He writes:

While still assessing the damage done through Empowered21’s Jerusalem gathering, where many were exposed to New Apostolic Reformation leaders and teachings, it seems appropriate to share these words from Cindy Jacobs about her own alleged prophetic gift, as well as her prophecies (?) to C. Peter Wagner, the founder and Grand Poohbah of the New Apostolic Reformation:

“I first prophesied when I was four years old.” –Cindy Jacobs, from The Turn Around Season, spoken at the Empowered21 Jerusalem gathering

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Warning Met With Deafness

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Danger signBill Muehlenberg of Culture Watch addresses the sad fact that people in discernment ministries are having to “duck and cover” more and more these days. But not from bullets coming from secularists who hate the truth and attempt to shoot them down for declaring it. The bullets are now coming from so-called brothers and sisters in Christ! He writes,

And when people come along warning them about all these great evils, instead of getting irate at the evils, they get mad at those bringing the warnings. They shoot the messengers and condemn the watchmen, and simply go back about their business.

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Cindy Jacobs whups “Jewish witchcraft” to help Empowered21 gathering go smoothly

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John Lanagan of My Word Like Fire lays out the ways in which he believes Satan is using the ecumenical Empowered21 and the New Apostolic Reformation to torment the Body of Christ. Lanagan writes,

Lecturing her audience at the Empowered21 gathering in Jerusalem, New Apostolic Reformation prophetess Cindy Jacobs urged, “We need to live to torment the powers of darkness.”

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NAR’s Faytene Grassechi uses Empowered21 to teach Luke 4 is about…Dominionism!

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John Lanagan of My Word Like Fire has an update on New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) false teachers who are becoming mainstream thanks largely to pro-family leaders; likewise Assemblies of God leaders, which Lanagan has brought to light in a string of articles he has written on the NAR. A case can be made that many of these so-called leaders lack spiritual discernment. He writes:

WOLF IN SHEEPS CLOTHINGJesus Christ “died for you, He died for me. Absolutely. But that’s not all He died for. He came to destroy the works of the devil and He came to take back everything that was lost in the Garden, and according to Luke 4 one of the primary things that was lost was authority over kingdoms…” –Faytene Grassechi, speaking at Empowered21 (bold and italics mine)

The Empowered21 organization met recently in Jerusalem with Christians from around the world, and the event essentially served to introduce New Apostolic Reformation leaders and teachers to many.

NAR adherents Faytene Grassechi, Cindy Jacobs, Becky Fischer and many others gained much exposure.

There is no biblical basis for Dominionism, the aberrant belief that Christians must take control of the earth before Christ can or will return. This is a terrible misunderstanding of Genesis 1:28. Nevertheless, this aberrant teaching is a foundational belief of the New Apostolic Reformation. It is why you will often find the NAR in politics, and seeking to influence nations.

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Better gear up for the 5 major changes coming to the Church

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John Burton has written a piece titled “Ancient and Emerging: 5 Major Changes Coming to the Church.”  Before you get all excited, or maybe even concerned over those changes, you should know a bit more about Burton.  As it turns out he’s a “prophet” in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement.   According to his blog, John Burton, he “has been developing and leading ministries for over 20 years and is a sought out teacher, prophetic messenger and revivalist. Burton has authored ten books, has appeared on Christian television and radio and directed one of the primary internships at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City.”

That Burton was associated with IHOP-KC could only mean that he has served under IHOP’s Pied Piper Mike Bickle.  I spent quite a bit of time researching Bickle for a piece I wrote and discovered his strong ties to the NAR or what some refer to as Dominionism.  Also identified was his involvement with the Kansas City Prophets (KCP).  According to Pastor Ken Silva, the KCP:

brought grandiose claims that a ‘new breed’ of super prophets were beginning to arrive on planet earth who would change the world forever. These so-called prophets were a group of men that coalesced around a church known as the Kansas City Fellowship, pastored by Mike Bickle, that attracted a following of other likeminded churches in that region. (More on the KCP here)

It gets worse.  Mike Bickle believes that God speaks to him in an audible voice.  But here’s the kicker.  He has visited heaven – twice.  On one visit he told false teacher Bob Jones:

I stood in this room and it had…clouds, it was a room only maybe 20 by 20 or 30. It was a little room. It had clouds in the bottom, on the top and the walls…I stood there, I was at the Lord’s left hand, and I stood there, this was not a dream, this was as real as life here…I know it wasn’t a dream or a vision… (There’s more to the story  here)

I included Bickle’s background and a snippet of the tall tale he spun on his alleged visit to heaven to highlight the fact that he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

So here’s my question: why is John Burton proud of his association with a false prophet who’s the main man at IHOP-KC?  IHOP –KC is viewed by many mainstream scholars as a cult because it is a “false, unorthodox, extremist” sect of Christianity (dictionary.com).

On his blog Burton calls himself a “prophetic messenger and revivalist.” Revival?  What revival?  There’s no sign of any sort of “revival” in America or any place else (except an occult revival), so the “revival” the so-called prophet refers to is……where?

Before I get to the 5 major changes “Prophet” John B predicts, those of you who are unfamiliar with the nuts and bolts of the NAR should know what we’re dealing with. Over the years it has had many handles such as Kingdom Now; Latter Rain; Joel’s Army; Manifest Sons of God – they keep changing the name as if this will allow them to keep their heretical teachings hidden.

What is the goal of the NAR loons leaders?  To transform society into the kingdom of God on earth.

How do they hope to accomplish this lofty goal?  By taking control of various aspects of society.  (Here’s the plan)

Apologetics Index describes it as:

a dominionist movement which asserts that God is restoring the lost offices of church governance, namely the offices of Prophet and Apostle.

Leading figures in this seemingly loosely organized movement claim that these prophets and apostles alone have the power and authority to execute God’s plans and purposes on earth. They believe they are laying the foundation for a global church, governed by them.

They place a greater emphasis on dreams, visions and extra-biblical revelation than they do on the Bible, claiming that their revealed teachings and reported experiences (e.g. trips to heaven, face-to-face conversations with Jesus, visits by angels) can not be proven by the ‘old’ Scripture. (emphasis added )

So, keeping John Burton’s background in mind—especially the part about his affiliation with IHOP-KC– here’s what this so-called prophetic messenger revealed about the future:

Fortune teller looking into crystal ball

I call this the ancient and emerging church. Ancient because it’s rooted in scripture; emerging because the biblical structure has been largely forsaken. What will this ancient and emerging church look like? Here’s just a small peek into a grand shift in the structure of the church:

1. Services will become more like prayer meetings. One of the greatest indictments on the church today is that prayer is not the driving force. Today, people tend to choose churches based on the appeal of the teaching and the worship instead of the fervency of prayer. If the church was a house of teaching, or a house of worship, that would make sense, but it’s not. The church is a house of prayer for all nations. Every person in the church will function as a burning intercessor and the services will be marked by this unified groan of fiery prayer.

2. Personal need will give way to personal mission. Today, churches are often more like organic, socially driven hospitals. People tend to use the church as a way to meet their personal needs instead of serving it as a minister of God. This is going to change. Of course, there will still be personal ministry and true needs will be addressed.

However, instead of the church functioning as a hospital, it will once again function as a mission-driven military. The mission will take precedence. The saints will be equipped for service, not for personal survival. In this ancient and emerging model, their will be MASH units that will take very good care of the wounded with the primary purpose of getting the soldier back into battle. Apostles will again lead with governmental authority and pastors will be seen as the main leader less and less as they focus more on shepherding and less on primary leadership.

3. Teaching will be minimized while instruction is emphasized. Teaching is mostly for personal edification while instruction is mostly for corporate assignments. Today, most churches focus on teaching principles of scripture, providing truths that will help Believers navigate through their lives and giving nuggets of biblical info. While there will still be important Bible teaching, apostolic instruction will emerge as a necessary new ministry.

There is enough Bible teaching online, on CDs, in books and on video to turn every one of us into personal spiritual giants. We need to take it upon ourselves to grow. What is lacking, however, is apostolic leaders, military commanders who give instruction and assignments to a ready army. Teaching is personal growth-based while instruction is a call to corporate action for the sake of mission fulfillment.

An example of apostolic instruction is this: The apostolic leader gives a corporate assignment for everybody in the church to fast for a week and then show up together to prayer walk through the city streets. It’s a corporate call to action versus biblical study. It’s mission focused versus personal growth focused. Personal growth will be largely our responsibility between services so we can be ready to respond to the corporate instruction where we will receive our assignments.

4. We will gather together most days of the week. The 24/7 church will again emerge as the church drives culture instead of reacting to culture. Cares of life will lose their power as we simplify our lives and put corporate prayer and mission ahead of most everything else.

This may be the most challenging change for Christians. Today, Sundays are the days to set aside for corporate worship while we give precedence to our ‘normal lives.’ In The Coming Church, the very reason we live will be to pray on fire together every day, receive apostolic assignments and then move out into our lives as kingdom ambassadors. It wouldn’t be surprising if a tithe of our time is what became the standard. Two to three hours a day, whether it’s in the morning, afternoon or evening, or even in the late night hours, will be given by every believer to praying on site together with others, ministering and giving ourselves to intercession-fueled kingdom ministry. Of course, much of what we have been giving ourselves to will have to be eliminated so we have the time necessary to devote.

5. Worship will be supernaturally driven. There is a new sound coming to worship, and it’s not simply a new style. There is a supernatural, otherworldly groan of intercessory worship that will explode out of the entire body as a new breed of trembling worship leaders lead the way into the shock and awe of the glory of God. We will no longer simply sit in a pew or stand with a raised hand while a familiar worship song is sung.

The prophetic, groaning sounds of Holy Spirit facilitated worship will make it normal to shake and fall to our faces as we cry Holy! The natural, logical sing-a-longs will be no more. We will have a hard time standing as God’s Shekinah and Kabod glory resides in his church. Worship teams will practice less and pray in the Spirit with tears in their eyes more.

Of course, this is an extremely limited glance into the many, many changes that are coming. I wanted to share this to provoke you to preparation. There is much that you and I enjoy in the church, or that is comfortable to us, that we will have to let go. Again, the coming church will be troubling and shocking, but it will result in the power and life that we have been crying out for.

God is about to answer that cry.

This is…..nauseating.  My head is spinning.  Seems the Church is in for some BIG changes, at least according to “Prophet” John B.  Notice that the changes he purports would empower a few and turn the rest of us into mere puppets.  Sound familiar?  The message he’s sending is that we mustn’t hold to God’s sacred Word as our final authority.  No.  We must abide in what those who are supposedly hearing from God tell us.  I mean, really?  Coming from someone with his decidedly unbiblical theology it’s pretty easy to figure out where this rubbish came from.

Hint: The Evil One

We are not to fear evil, brethren.  We are not to back away from it.  We are not to cower in the corner.  We are commanded to:

Armor of God Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  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.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to standfirm.  Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;  and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,  praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,  and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel… Ephesians 6:10-19  (emphasis added)

I’ll close with this admonition: Stand against the schemes of the devil!

Recommended:

Dominionism and the Rise of Western Imperialism by Sarah Leslie

Dominionist are on the move…and they mean business by Marsha West 

Research Sites:

Herescope

Deception in the Church

Apologetics Index

Copyright by 2015 by Marsha West.  All rights reserved.

Hillsong: The multi-million dollar “crazy cult”

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Churchtwatch Central brings us Australia’s “A Current Affair” report on Hillsong Church, a Pentecostal megachurch out of Australia. Hillsong Church’s well-recognized music ministry has spread all throughout the globe.

Brian HoustonIn spite of Hillsong’s continual lies, their facades of “relevancy” and their contemporary nonsensical gimmicks, the world still sees through it. The reality is this: the world is not being won over to Jesus Christ. In fact, Hillsong is giving the world an excuse to hate Christianity while Hillsong is militantly campaigning against biblical Christianity. Not only that, Hillsong is stealing Christians from other churches and taking over churches by force under the guise of “blessing” churches. It is time the media, the Australian Government and more importantly church leaders, stop calling Hillsong a church. Cults have always declared war on Christianity. Hillsong for decades have proven again and again to be a word of faith and prosperity cult. When will Christianity finally say enough is enough?

Churchwatch Central has provided “A Current Affair” video. View article →

Rick Warren twisting Scripture – teaching Storehouse tithing, and Word of Faith

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According to Psalm 12:

On May 17, 2015, Pastor of Saddleback Church took the opportunity during Sunday Morning worship service to make a plea for more money. He twists several Scriptures in order to guilt members of his church into believing that if they aren’t giving 10 percent of their income on a weekly basis, they will not receive the blessings of God. He then ends his message with having his members sign an oath, “pledging” to give 10 percent of their income from this point forward, and that it “saddens him” to “know that some members would be missing out on God’s blessings,” and that “people might not go to heaven” because they didn’t give their money to his church.

A video of Warren’s Scripture twisting has been provided on the Psalm 12 blog. View article →

Apostate Churches Promoting Sin

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From Berean Research:

Bill Muehlenberg has spent thirty years of his life writing books on the culture war. He’s one of the few Christians who actually understand what radical homosexual activists have in mind. “And it sure ain’t pretty.” Their final goal,” he says, “is to totally silence the churches – the true churches that is. They have no problems at all with the lukewarm and compromised churches – indeed, they love them, and are fully using them to achieve all their goals.” So my brethren, don’t say you weren’t warned.

Bono & U2 I know I should no longer be surprised about these sorts of things happening, but it still leaves my head and spirit reeling: I will write about something so utterly clear in Scripture that no biblical Christian could differ, yet that happens anyway.

I will get bus-loads’ full of so-called Christian pastors, leaders and others absolutely foaming at the mouth at me and what I write. Instead of agreeing with God about clearly defined sin, they will blast me for daring to affirm biblical truth and morality.

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The Emergent Church Cult Of Postmodern Liberal Theology

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Before he went to be with the Lord, our brother Ken Silva went to great lengths to warn the flock of the impending danger of what he referred to as the “cult of postmodern liberal theology.” Sadly, his warning was largely ignored by Christian leaders who thought Ken was just a clanging symbol. Well he wasn’t. And neither was the founder of the Christian Research Institute, Dr. Walter Martin, who took a lot of heat for shouting from the rooftops that “historic, orthodox Christianity” was being invaded by liberals and cultists.

With that in mind, we’re linking to a piece over at Apprising Ministries Ken put together back in 2011 that includes strong words from Dr. Martin:

Walter Martin Apprising Ministries brings to your attention the following hard-hitting and prophetic words, circa 1986, from “the father of modern cult apologetics” Dr. Walter Martin (1928-1989). No matter what you may think of some things he taught, it is simply beyond question that, in his day, Dr. Martin was a foremost defender of what he so often called “the historic, orthodox Christian faith.”

Theological poison is, right now, seeping into the veins of the mainstream evangelical camp the upgraded sinfully ecumenical neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church aka the Emerging Church with its postmodern Progressive Christian theology—a Liberalism 2.0—that they often refer to as “big tent” Emergence Christianity.

So if you want to know the Truth about its infiltration of orthodox seminaries and Bible colleges, who err in assuming many of their professors are the same, then read on. And if not; well then, you might have just qualified yourself to become a leader within evangelicalism…

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“God” tells NAR “prophet” about Dominionist Seven Mountains plans

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John Lanagan of My Word Like Fire alerts us to yet another false prophetess. They are literally coming out of the woodwork:

WOLF IN SHEEPS CLOTHINGThe New Apostolic Reformation is not an organization. These are networks of “apostles” and “prophets” who believe the Second Apostolic Age is here. This means the age of denominations has passed and it is these “anointed” apostles and prophets who are to govern the church.

From the NAR we have such luminaries as C. Peter Wagner, James Goll, Mike Bickle, Bill Johnson, Mark Chironna, Brian Simmons, Cindy Jacobs, and many others.

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Voddie Baucham’s big move to Africa

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Reformed pastor Voddie Baucham talks with World Magazine’s Warren Cole Smith about his work at home and explains his bold move to Zambia with his wife and seven of their children.

Voddie Baucham is a husband, father, pastor, author, professor, conference speaker, and church planter. He currently serves as pastor of preaching at Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, Texas. He’s also served as an adjunct professor at Reformed Theological Seminary in Houston. Whether teaching on classical apologetic issues such as the validity and historicity of the Bible or the resurrection of Christ or teaching on cultural issues, such as gender roles, marriage, and family, he says his goal is to help people understand the significance of thinking and living biblically in every area of life. We had this conversation at an event hosted by Alliance Defending Freedom.

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MOVIEGUIDE Props Up Profane Preacher

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Marsha West

Marsha West

Anyone who follows the news knows that mega pop-star Justin Bieber has made headlines for behaving badly. What some of you may not know is that Justin’s a professing Christian. Don’t stop reading here. This isn’t about bad-boy Bieber. What it’s about is his pastor, Judah Smith, who is a rising star in Christendom. Smith is the teaching pastor of The City Church, a megachurch in Seattle. His wife and mother, who started the church with her late husband, are two of several City Church pastrixes. I should point out that it is unbiblical for women to be pastors and elders.

The late Ken Silva, Christian apologist and owner of Apprising Ministries, once called Judah Smith a “charismatic quasi-prosperity preacher.” If you’re unfamiliar with the Word of Faith/prosperity gospel (name-it-and-claim-it), it is outright heresy. Some readers will likely disagree with me on this and may even think I’m being too harsh. So I urge you to do as the Bereans did by going to the Word of God to see if what I say is true. (1 John 4:1)

A few years ago when Pastor Smith was first becoming a rising star, Ken Silva produced a short video showing him addressing a crowd of 60,000 young people under the age of twenty-five at the 2013 Passion Conference. While the founder of Passion, Louis Giglio, looked on, Smith paraded around the stage abusing the Lord’s Name. Yes, a “pastor” chose to use OMG five times. (See the video below) Perhaps he did it for shock value. Or maybe he uses the Lord’s Name in vain all the time and didn’t realize he was saying what he said. Regardless, when it comes to the clergy, neither of these reasons holds water.

Smith certainly knows the Bible warns about the power of words. He’s also aware that the Christian’s role is to glorify God. I mean, that’s what the Passion Conference is all about. According to its website, “Passion exists to glorify God by uniting students in worship, prayer and justice for spiritual awakening in this generation.”

Did Smith think that using the Lord’s Name in this way would glorify God? Probably not. I rather suspect he’s aware that Christians have a responsibility to watch how we speak. One can only conclude that he doesn’t think Exodus 20:7, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain…” applies to him.

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