Commentary, analysis and opinion.

Franklin Graham quits GOP, says America “in trouble” unless more Christians in office

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From Berean Research:

Rev. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, is unhappy with the way things are going in America. What will solve the problem? He believes that if “godly men and women” get involved in the political process they can “change this wicked system.” How are we to determine if a person is “godly”? The article doesn’t tell us. Rev. Graham is quoted as saying that he’d like to see people who have “biblical values” run for office. Certainly he knows that having biblical values does not mean a person is an authentic Christian. There are untold numbers of counterfeit Christians in America! In fact, many of them already hold public office and are the CEO’s of megachurches. Likewise, counterfeits run ginormous “Christian” organizations. One example of a “Christian” politician is our president, Barack Obama. An example of a megachurch CEO is “America’s Pastor” Rick Warren. Do you see the dilemma?

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Christmas: Christ in you

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By Jim Stitzinger

The Cripplegate blog

The concerts are over and candle-light services are nearly complete. No more caroling, food drives, corporate holiday parties and the sound of Salvation army bells are quickly fading. The world will soon say goodbye to “the holidays” and will soon pivot its attention to New Year’s and Super Bowls.

The world may soon have Christmas almost in it’s rear view mirror, but for Christ’s church the wonder and joy of Christmas never ends. Isaiah prophesied that a virgin will conceive and bear a Son whose name will be Immanuel, God with us. He came to earth that day, and remains with us in every day. The Creator of the universe stepped aside from the full display of His majestic glory and dove headlong into His creation.

The day Christ was born slipped by, uncelebrated throughout the world. It was not for lack of Instagram, satellite communication or weak cell phone coverage. It was not because the postal service lost His birth announcement or a webpage failed to update. Christ entered time and space as planned. The seclusion from the abusive prying eyes of the world kept King Herod from carrying out yet another satanic attempt to assassinate the Savior.

Beyond the safety of our Savior, the world did not see the eternal significance of the first Christmas for the same reason that it cannot understand Christmas today. “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Eyes that are blind to the truth can never see the glory of the Savior who was born.

The world cannot see Jesus, but the world can see Jesus in you.

Here are five windows through which those without hope are able to see Jesus in our lives:
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Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?

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Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has addressed the controversy that ignited when a Wheaton College professor decided to “wear a traditional Muslim hijab over the holiday season in order to symbolize solidarity with her Muslim neighbors,” and “asserted that Christians and Muslims worship the same God.”

Dr. Mohler opined:

Hard times come with hard questions, and our cultural context exerts enormous pressure on Christians to affirm common ground at the expense of theological differences. But the cost of getting this question wrong is the loss of the Gospel. Christians affirm the image of God in every single human being and we must obey Christ as we love all people everywhere as our neighbor. Love of neighbor also demands that we tell our neighbor the truth concerning Christ as the only way to truly know the Father.

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The Gospel According to Rudolph

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By Daniel Emory Price

RudolphRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer had a very shiny nose. And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names. They never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games

Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say: “Rudolph with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”

Then how all the reindeer loved him, as they shouted out with glee: “Rudolph the red-nose Reindeer, you’ll go down in history!”

We all love a good story when the underdog comes out on top. We love Rocky winning the title round, Hoosiers taking the championship, Luke Skywalker blowing up the Death Star, and yes, even Rudolph guiding Santa’s sleigh in the fog. And Rudolph gets the added bonus of having the object of his ridicule turn into the only hope for his haters. And man—we love that.

We love it because we’re all theologians of glory. It’s a tough default theological position to fight. How dare those other reindeer laugh at poor Rudolph! How dare they not let him join in their games! What happened to Santa? Why does he allow this bullying? Rudolph could really use some of that legalistic, naughty or nice, reward or punishment ethic dumped on Dancer and Prancer for a change.

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H/T Chris Rosebrough

Star Wars and the Ancient Religion

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From Berean Research:

Peter Jones of Truthxcange examines the pagan worldview entrenched in Star Wars. George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars saga, wanted to “produce a children’s fairy tale set in outer space as a ‘teaching tool’ for the re-creation of ‘the classic cosmic mysteries,’” says Jones. Lucas succeeded, big time. There’s no denying that his New Age worldview, which is decidedly pagan, has been embraced by many fans of the hit series. As a result of the film makers’ brilliant marketing strategy, most people in America have heard of Yoda, Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’d have to be living on another planet far, far away not to have heard the phrase “may the Force be with you!” Try as they might, parents know that it is almost impossible to shield their kids from the Star Wars marketing machine.

So with all this in mind, how should those with a Christian worldview handle Star Wars? Dr. Jones offers some excellent advice.

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Hillsong Church Rendition of “Silent Night” Features Roaring 20’s Flappers In Nightclub Setting

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From Berean Research:

Over at Now the End Begins, blogger Geoffrey Grider fills us in on Hillsong Church’s Christmas extravaganza that includes nearly naked “drummer boys” and songs about Santa Claus and Rudolf. Grider lamented: “It’s just not a proper celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ without roaring 20’s flappers, rock bands, hoochie coochie dancers, laser light shows and lots and lots of leg in a nightclub setting. Happy Birthday, Jesus, hope you like it.”

The question is: Does Hillsong Church’s production in any way honor God?

Um, no. Watch the Youtube video of Hillsong’s 2014 version of Silent Night, Holy Night and decide for yourself.

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Oh good grief! School district censors Charlie Brown Christmas

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Charlie Brown ChristmasThere’s a ban on the Baby Jesus in Johnson County Kentucky. Todd Starnes, host of Fox News and Commentary, informs us that that an elementary school was instructed to remove a scene where Linus shares the true meaning of Christmas by reading from the Gospel of Luke. Starnes laments:

There are some days when this anti-Christmas nonsense is enough to make you deck somebody’s halls.

The latest yuletide lunacy comes from Johnson County, Kentucky where the school district has censored an elementary school presentation of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

The district also ordered other schools to remove all religious references from their upcoming Christmas productions.

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Word of Faith False Teacher Joyce Meyer’s Shocking Doctrine and Heresy

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From Berean Research:

For those who haven’t heard this before, Christian celeb Joyce Meyer is a false teacher. In 2011 Fran Sankey of Tower of Truth Ministries and host of Test All Things radio broadcast discussed Mrs. Meyer’s unbiblical and problematic teaching on her program. We’re posting the transcript, which is well worth the read for anyone who is in the dark about this woman. To listen to the show, scroll down to the end for the link. Sankey begins with some background on Mrs. Meyer and then fills us in on the reasons that some of her teaching is considered heretical. You don’t have to take Sankey’s word for it. Listen to the sound clips of Joyce Meyer she has provided.

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LGBT Activists Fight State Law That Protects Believers Against Gay Marriage

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Mark David Hall of The Daily Signal writes:

Gay marriageHistorically, Democrats and Republicans have agreed that religious liberty is a core American value that should be protected whenever possible. Yet over the past decade, this consensus has come under increasing assault from the left.

A recent manifestation of this hostility to people of faith is a Dec. 9 lawsuit challenging a North Carolina statute (known as Senate Bill 2) that accommodates state magistrates and clerks whose sincere religious objections prevent them from solemnizing or licensing certain marriages allowed by law. According to Equality North Carolina, an LGBT advocacy group that plans to draw attention to the lawsuit along with the Campaign for Southern Equality, the law “allows magistrates who do not believe in marriage equality to renounce their judicial oath to uphold and evenly apply the United States Constitution.”

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New Vatican document reflects on relations between Catholics, Jews

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From Berean Research:

In a piece over at Catholic News Service – an important read – Cindy Wooden writes:

Catholics are called to witness to their faith in Jesus before all people, including Jews, but the Catholic Church “neither conducts nor supports” any institutional missionary initiative directed toward Jews, says a new document from a Vatican commission.”

How God will save the Jews if they do not explicitly believe in Christ is “an unfathomable divine mystery,” but one which must be affirmed since Catholics believe that God is faithful to his promises and therefore never revoked his covenant with the Jewish people, it says.

More in a moment.

Keep in mind that the apostate Roman Catholic Church (RCC) can say anything it wishes because they say that they alone have the right to interpret Scripture. The RCC “claims to be the one true Church as established by Jesus and His apostles. However, an examination of the doctrines upheld and taught by the RCC demonstrates that it stands in contrast with – and even in opposition to – biblical Christianity. (Source)

As you will see in this piece, it matters not to the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews that the Bible makes it abundantly clear that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. The RCC conveniently ignores the Apostle Paul’s very words: “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9, 10) And they ignore verse 13, where Paul confirms that the Old Testament promise that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” is fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Even worse, the RCC also chooses to ignore the words of Jesus in John 14:6: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

“No one” bears repeating.

Now, continuing where we left off:

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Influence of Churches, Once Dominant, Now Waning in South

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According to Jay Reeves of the Associated Press:

Prayers said and the closing hymn sung, tea-drinking churchgoers fill Marble City Grill for Sunday lunch. But hard on their heels comes the afternoon crowd: craft beer-drinking, NFL-watching football fans.

Such a scene would have been impossible just months ago because Sunday alcohol sales were long illegal in Sylacauga, hometown of both the actor who played TV’s Gomer Pyle and the white marble used to construct the U.S. Supreme Court building. While the central Alabama city of 12,700 has only one hospital, four public schools and 21 red lights, the chamber of commerce directory lists 78 churches.

Yet few were surprised when residents voted overwhelmingly in September to legalize Sunday alcohol sales. Churches lacked either the heart or influence to stop it.

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Paris Conference Leaders Want You to Think the Planet Is Facing a Climate Change Crisis. That’s Not True.

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According to Nicholas Loris of The Daily Signal:

Leaders from around the world, including President Barack Obama, have been saying that the COP21, also known as the Paris climate conference, is the last best hope to save the planet from catastrophic warming.

Evidence and observed data, however, suggest otherwise.

History shows us that this isn’t the only time international leaders have cried that the sky is falling when it comes to global warming.

French President François Hollande said last week that “[n]ever have the stakes of an international meeting been so high, since what is at stake is the future of the planet, the future of life.”

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Bermuda Hotel Cancels Heritage Scholar’s Speeches on Same-Sex Marriage for Being “Anti-Diversity”

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According to The Daily Signal:

Marriage

A Bermuda hotel canceled two events this week because the organizers believe marriage is the union of a man and a woman.

Ryan T. Anderson, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, was scheduled to speak on marriage at public forums Tuesday and Wednesday at the hotel in Pembroke Parish, Bermuda. But the hotel canceled the events, calling Anderson and others who hold his views “anti-diversity.”

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God’s New Sound

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From Berean Research:

Kudos to Herescope’s researchers for their willingness to tackle topics many discernment ministries won’t touch. After reading “Part 11: The Physics of Heaven* A Serial Book Review & Theological Interaction” penned by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, you’ll understand why some researches shy away from esoteric topics such as the so-called “physics of heaven.” This is no easy concept to grasp. Even so, pastor DeBruyn does a stellar job conveying what it all means and why we should not take this sort of thing seriously. The book was written by Larry Randolph. Randolph embraces New Apostolic Reformation’s highly unbiblical theology. His teaching is utter nonsense. Take a look at a couple of quotes from the article:

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Obama Apologizing to the World for US on Climate Is Ridiculous

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Economist Nicholis Loris of The Daily Signal writes:

President Obama’s opening remarks at the Paris climate agreement were effectively an apology for industrial progress. At the kickoff of the talks, Obama remarked, “I’ve come here personally, as the leader of the world’s largest economy and the second-largest emitter, to say that the United States of America not only recognizes our role in creating this problem; we embrace our responsibility to do something about it.”

Obama should not be apologizing for the economic growth that dramatically improved Americans’ and much of the world’s quality of life. Instead, the president should apologize for pushing costly and ineffective climate policies that will make us worse off and trap the world’s poorest citizens in poverty.

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Bullets For All

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“What painful irony!” notes Peter Jones of truthxchange. “Spiritually-ignorant young people, foolishly worshiping “the great Satan,” singing as they die; “I will love the Devil and his song,” butchered in cold blood by religiously-driven Islamist jihadists claiming to serve Allah destroying the “great Satan,” in actions of clearly Satanic inspiration.”

Dr. Jones writes:

What distressing symbolism. The gruesome scene of 89 young Europeans mercilessly gunned down in a Paris theatre by equally youthful radical Muslim assassins will forever be etched on our minds, for it provides an ominous image of our global future.

I am reminded of a recent book by a personal friend, the Anglican Evangelical Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, whose Pakistani family has roots in both Islam and Christianity. The title of his book is truly prophetic: Triple Jeopardy for the West: Aggressive Secularism, Radical Islamism and Multiculturalism (Bloomsbury, 2012). These three elements all came together with astounding clarity on that woeful night of November 13, 2015 in what now clearly represents a “triple jeopardy for the West.”

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Obama Apologizing to the World for US on Climate Is Ridiculous

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The Daily Signal reports:

President Obama’s opening remarks at the Paris climate agreement were effectively an apology for industrial progress. At the kickoff of the talks Obama remarked, “I’ve come here personally, as the leader of the world’s largest economy and the second-largest emitter to say that the United States of America not only recognizes our role in creating this problem, we embrace our responsibility to do something about it.”

Obama should not be apologizing for the economic growth that dramatically improved Americans’ and much of the world’s quality of life. Instead, the president should apologize for pushing costly and ineffective climate policies that will make us worse off and trap the world’s poorest citizens in poverty.

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University president rebukes “self-absorbed, narcissistic” students

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Todd Starnes, host of Fox News & Commentary, has the story:

A chapel sermon on love left a student at Oklahoma Wesleyan University (OKWU), feeling “offended” and “victimized.”

But instead of capitulating to the offended young scholar at the evangelical Christian university of the Wesleyan Church, OKWU President Everett Piper pushed back with a blistering rebuke of what he called “self-absorbed and narcissistic” students in a blog post on the university’s website.

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Banning the Lord’s Prayer from cinemas is nonsense on stilts

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In a piece over at theguardian, columnist Giles Fraser declared: “So a peaceful Christian ad can’t accompany the new Star Wars film? The whole thing stinks of bureaucratic and commercial cowardice.”

He writes:

YodaIn the 2001 census, 390,000 people identified their religious conviction as Jedi. By the time of the 2011 census, that number had dropped by over half to around 177,000. Perhaps the new Star Wars film will boost their number – after all, this film is subtitled “the force awakens”.

But when this film is released in the runup to Christmas, the executives at the UK’s leading cinemas have decided in their wisdom that an advertisement featuring the Lord’s Prayer is to be banned from their screens. Apparently, the Jedi religion is fit for the big screen, but the Christian one is not.

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Focus on the Family Gives Tips on How to Get “Safe” Abortion

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Pulpit & Pen has the story:

Focus on Family, the media organization founded by James Dobson, has produced a booklet entitled The Abortion Pill. Although the date on that pamphlet is from 2014, social media has been abuzz with revelations from that pamphlet, which heretofore have gone unnoticed (or so it seems) by most. In no uncertain terms, the Focus on the Family literature gives advice on how to use the abortion pill safely.

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The Work of Pastors Is To Build Up the Church

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The work of the ministry is to build up the body of Christ. It is the business of the ministers to build up the Church, not to build up themselves! Alas! they have far too often built up themselves, and we read of princes of the Church living in positions of great wealth and pomp. What an utter travesty that is of Paul’s teaching! Let us note also that ministers are called to build up; not to please and to entertain. The way in which they are to do this is summed up perfectly in that most lyrical passage in Acts 20. The Apostle Paul was bidding farewell to the elders of the church at Ephesus, at the seaside, and this is what he said: “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (v.32). ~ D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, “Christian Unity: An Exposition of Ephesians 4:1-16,” pg.202

H/T Glenn E. Chatfield

Mainstreaming Mystic Mindedness

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This piece by Gaylene Goodroad is posted on Herescope. Christians who are involved in Eastern mysticism will read this, see the danger, and leave it. The Christian who chooses to participate in any sort of pagan practice is in rebellion against God.

Buddhism and ChristianityEastern Meditation as the Universal Cure-All

“For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with influences from the east….” (Isaiah 2:6)

BEATLEMANIA AND EASTERN MYSTICISM

When the Beatles helped to bring Transcendental Meditation (TM) into vogue in the 1960s, few could imagine then that the mystical Hindu practice would endure beyond the hippie generation and become commonplace today from the elementary school classroom to the Christian church.

What modern meditators might not know is that the “Fab Four” learned Eastern meditation from Hindu guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Upon his death in 2008, a CBS News article recapped the Maharishi’s dark contribution to the world:

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a guru to the Beatles who introduced the West to transcendental meditation, died Tuesday at his home in the Dutch town of Vlodrop, a spokesman said. He was thought to be 91 years old… Once dismissed as hippie mysticism, the Hindu practice of mind control known as transcendental meditation gradually gained medical respectability. He began teaching TM in 1955 and brought the technique to the United States in 1959. But the movement really took off after the Beatles attended one of his lectures in 1967. Maharishi retreated last month into silence at his home on the grounds of a former Franciscan monastery, saying he wanted to dedicate his remaining days to studying the ancient Indian texts that underpin his movement…. With the help of celebrity endorsements, Maharishi – a Hindi-language title for Great Seer – parlayed his interpretations of ancient scripture into a multi-million-dollar global empire. His roster of famous meditators ran from Mike Love of the Beach Boys to Clint Eastwood and Deepak Chopra, a new age preacher. After 50 years of teaching, Maharishi turned to larger themes, with grand designs to harness the power of group meditation to create world peace and to mobilize his devotees to banish poverty from the earth.

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Steven Furtick Gladhands TD Jakes’ Church – Gives $35,000 To Jakes

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For those who are unfamiliar with Steven Furtick, he is among those the late Ken Silva dubbed: Evangelical Ecumenical Magisterium (EEM) which is comprised of megachurch pastors.

In a blog post entitled Steven Furtick and the Second Great Embarrassment, Silva quipped: “Furtick is the spiritually nefarious prophet-leader of the highly influential multi-site megachurch known as Elevation Church, who is without a doubt a leading member of this EEM along with e.g. James MacDonald and Mark Driscoll.”

So with this in mind, Pulpit & Pen has the latest on prophet-leader Steven Furtick. View article →