Understanding What Is Happening in America: A Christian Response

Reposted from a few months ago.

“If we are to properly interpret modern events, we must understand how the thought of Saul Alinsky is driving them, because his writings have been enormously influential on the radical Left. His influence on Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has been well documented. But now a new generation seeks to put into practice the play this dead maniac drew up on the chalkboard.”

(Larry Alex Taunton) Part 1 of 2 – Last week I gave a keynote address at a gathering of conservative Christian Americans in a Birmingham, Alabama hotel.Although social distancing regulations dictated the grand ballroom’s capacity be greatly reduced, it was a sold-out crowd. Continue reading

Watch Out for Those Who Cause Divisions

17 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. 18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. Romans 16:17-18 (NASB) 

God calls all genuine Christians into His service at their salvation. They are given gifts in order to fulfill their ministries given to them by Him. We are all called to be good soldiers who participate in the suffering of our Lord (2 Timothy 2:3)…. Continue reading

Christians, Come Back

“In the estrogen-soaked La La Land that is the contemporary Christian church, this rotten, anti-black, anti-God, anti-American, anti-human organization is now being promoted on church billboards; its talking points are being trumpeted from pulpits; and pathetic caucasian “Christians” who have never committed a single act of racial discrimination in their entire lives are publicly confessing sins they’ve never committed, and never would.”

(Tal Bachman – Steyn Online)  I remember when Christians used to actually believe in Christianity. Those were the days. (Some still do, but their numbers are shrinking.) Continue reading

The church must not be afraid to condemn BLM and Antifa racism

“How surprising is it then that such churches would fall all over themselves to ride the latest societal wave? Like ambulance-chasing lawyers, when racial strife began roiling the country, churches and Christian “leaders” felt the insatiable need to provide the agitated precisely what their itching ears demanded.”

(Peter Heck – Disrn)  The last several months have provided a disquieting window into the soul of myriad churches and prominent Christian individuals in America, revealing the startling degree to which so many are motivated by the applause of men rather than the glory of God. Continue reading

‘The Return’ – Jonathan Cahn’s Upcoming Prayer Event Produced By Wolves In Sheep’s Clothing

“Let me cut to the chase. Prophet Rabbi Cahn’s books are not built on a solid biblical foundation. He has a mystical approach to interpreting Scripture.  When you do the research you will discover that Jonathan Cahn is a false prophet. People say that about him because none of his prophecies have come to pass. Not one.”

(Marsha West – Christian Research Network)  Right Wing Watch (RWW), a blog that is as far left as you can get, exists to attack conservatives which include evangelicals, i.e. right wingers. I do not generally recommend RWW to those who read my posts, but to be fair, some of their reporting is right on target. Such is the case with their article concerning Messianic Jewish pastor Jonathan Cahn which I will comment on later. Cahn is a best-selling author, speaker and “prophet.” He is going to hold a pre-election prayer rally along with other Religious Right leaders on the National Mall this month. This event is billed as a time when “we set forth ten days, known from ancient times as the Days of Awe, of September 18 to September 28, as a special time to intensify our prayers, intercession, repentance, and revival. It all begins on the Feast of Trumpets and concludes on the Day of Atonement, the Day of Return, on Saturday, September 26.”  For those who may not have him on their radar, a bit of background is in order.

Prophet Rabbi Cahn wrote a novel entitled The Harbinger (TH) where he “compares the United States and the September 11 attacks to ancient Israel and the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel.” Cahn’s book was an overnight best-seller. Supposedly TH is a “divine warning” to America that God’s judgment is imminent unless the country repents and turns to the God of Scripture.  According to Gary Gilley:  “It is a quasi-fictional story reminiscent of novels such as The Da Vinci Code or The Shack.  Each of these books involves mystery and intrigue, and has a serious message that the authors want to convey.”

Gilley thinks TH would have value if it were simply a novel with a storyline warning the American people to wake up spiritually. However, in the first few pages, Cahn claims that “what is contained within the story is real.” Without getting too far afield, Gilley informs us of Cahn’s claim that “God pronounced exacting judgment on America and that judgment is found in Scripture. … Isaiah 9:10-11 is the specific text of Scripture that frames The Harbinger.”

Let me cut to the chase. Prophet Rabbi Cahn’s books are not built on a solid biblical foundation. He has a mystical approach to interpreting Scripture. (Dave James wrote an in depth essay of the book’s errors here.)  When you do the research you will discover that Jonathan Cahn is a false prophet. People say that about him because none of his prophecies have come to pass. Not one.

The Harbinger and another book he wrote The Mystery of the Shemitah (Shemitah is #2 in prophecy, #3 in religion on Amazon) provided him with some credibility in the evangelical community, especially among charismatics. His name recognition is largely due to evangelicals who have a platform and a huge following. A few examples of these heavy weights are Dr. Michael Brown, Pat Robertson, Sid Roth, Jim Bakker, James Dobson, Jan Markel & Eric Barger, David Reagan and Eric Metaxas. Further, it didn’t hurt that Charisma Magazine and American Family Radio promoted and sold his book or that Mormon Glenn Beck invited him onto his show.

According to the Bible, there is a limit to the number of times a “prophet” can be wrong before he is deemed a false prophet. How many times? Once. “When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.” (Deut 18:22)

Cahn predicted that September 25, 2014 to September 13, 2015 would be the Shemitah year. Two days before the year was to end, renowned theologian Dr. Michael Brown was asked where he stood on Shemitah as well as the four blood moons phenomena that was written about by Mark Biltz. (Biltz, who is Hebrew Roots, cunningly empolys esoteric information in his writing that is highly unbiblical.) Dr. Brown replied, “For me, the jury is still out, and we will watch and see what is going to happen in the coming weeks.” The coming weeks came and went – and Cahn’s prophecy was not fulfilled. Following in Biltz’s footsteps, Prophet Pastor John Hagee, who has more baggage than Samsonite, enticed a large number of Christians into believing the blood moons hype by reading his aptly titled book Blood Moons. In 2014 Hagee gave us fair warning: “God is trying to communicate with us in a supernatural way…I believe that in the next two years, we’re going to see something dramatic happen in the Middle East involving Israel that will change the course of history in the Middle East and impact the whole world.”

But this is not about blood moons, so in the interest of keeping this short, following are the names of “The Return” advisors,  many of whom you’ll recognize:

James Dobson

Pat Robertson

Ann Graham Lotz

Bishop Harry Jackson

Steve Strang

Michele Bachmann

Robert Morse

Alveda King

Marcus Lamb

John Kilpatrick

“Faith Leaders” include a few familiar names such as Kevin & Sam Sorbo, Pat Boone, LTG (Ret) William G. “Jerry” Boykin, E.W. Jackson and several others.

Check out “The Return” Partners.

What’s important for you to know is that several of those who are taking part in “The Return” are entrenched in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) which means they’re theologically off the reservation.  Note the links that I’ve provided for Bereans (Acts 17:11) who wish to discover more about these people, what they believe and why they’re considered false teachers. The bottom line is this: Because they hold to the teaching of the NAR, which is a decidedly heretical movement, although they professes a belief in Jesus Christ (and they do), they’re actually not authentic Christians at all — they’re counterfeit Christians. Fake Christians are not born from above. Anyone who is not regenerate, i.e. born again, cannot possibly be Spirit filled. The reason is that they are dead in their sins. Many Christians seem not to understand that all true prayer is of the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Octavius Winslow put it this way:

It must be acknowledged by the spiritual mind that all true prayer is of the leading of the Spirit; that He is the author of all real approach of the soul to God. All true prayer is put into words by the Spirit. He is the Author of prayer in the soul.

In a piece I wrote entitled, “Are You Praying To The Only True God,” I said the following:

The scriptures speak of God the Holy Spirit residing within all who believe in the Son of God.  The Spirit guides, instructs and empowers believers. (John 14:16-17)  As well, the “Spirit of truth” confirms everything about Jesus. (John 15:26) The unregenerate (unsaved) person is not Spirit filled.  God does not hear anyone’s prayer unless it is put into words by the Holy Spirit.  So if we want our prayers to be heard and answered we must pray to the right God. “This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

Jonathan Cahn has invited Christian luminaries to join him in praying for revival. Some of those invited are false teachers. Jesus chided false prophets for lying. He called them “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” So, lying prophets are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Wolves are predators.  Wolves eat people. Even though our Lord warned His followers to beware of ravenous wolves (He called them that, too), some professing Christians are not the least bit concerned when a wolf pack arranges an event on the National Mall for the purpose of setting ten days aside to “intensify our prayers, intercession, repentance, and revival.”

Unbelievers are in darkness, brethren.  Therefore, believers shouldn’t join with them in any sort of spiritual enterprise, and that includes gathering together to beseech God to bring about revival in America. People who are in darkness, the unregenerate, are lost souls. The task of the born again believer is to share the Gospel of Christ with the lost.  (1 Cor. 15:1-11) 

With this backdrop in mind, let’s address Peter Montgomery’s piece over at Right Wing Watch. Montgomery first reveals that, “Cahn and other rally promoters have repeatedly described the Sept. 26 event as falling 40 days before the 2020 election and on the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower. Neither is true.”

So, why should we believe a liberal writer who wants us to doubt the veracity of a world renowned professing Christian prophet? Because he questions the numbers. Here’s his complaint:

What about the Mayflower? Cahn made the 400th anniversary claim in his “prophetic announcement” video about “The Return” in March. He repeated it last week in Charisma, writing, “The Return is centered around a major event on Sept. 26 in Washington, D.C.—40 days before the presidential election and on the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower.” This week a press release promoting the event repeated the claim using the same language.

The Mayflower connection is important to Christian nationalists, because they cite the Mayflower Compact signed by the ship’s adult male passengers as the source of a national covenant they claim the United States has with God to promote Christianity. Cahn referred to this connection in the launch video: “This will take place not only 40 days before the presidential election, but also on the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower, in the days of America’s founding and dedication to God.”

In reality, at the time the Mayflower sailed from England, the country was using the Julian calendar, under which the sailing date was Sept. 6. England shifted from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in the 1750s. Under the Gregorian calendar—the same one in use today—the sailing date was Sept. 16, 1620. Under either calendar, this Sept. 26 will not be “the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower,” as Cahn has repeatedly asserted.

Under most circumstances, the exact dates might not matter that much—September is, after all, the month of the Mayflower anniversary. And the election will fall about 40 days after “The Return.” But that’s not what Cahn has said. And exact dates are at the core of Cahn’s numerological shtick. (Source)

A former member of Jonathan Cahn’s church, Beth Israel, addresses some of the issues with the prophet-rabbi’s bizarre highly unbiblical teaching here. He gives us fair warning:

I UNFORTUNATELY DEFECTED FROM HIS CHURCH BECAUSE AFTER MANY YEARS WHILE SITTING UNDER HIS TEACHINGS/SERMONS I REALIZED THERE EXIST SERIOUS ERRONEOUS DOCTRINES REVOLVING AROUND HIS APOLOGETICS.  THE BEST WAY I CAN DEFINE HIS APOLOGETICS STYLE  IS AS FOLLOWS;  MR. CAHN TAKES HISTORICAL OR PROPHETIC EVENTS WHETHER BIBLICAL OR CURRENT, AND BLENDS IT WITH JEWISH MYSTICISM WHILE INTERPRETING IT WITH AN EISEGETICAL APPROACH THAT CORRESPONDS  TO HIS OWN VERSION OF HERMENUETICS.   THROUGH THIS METHOD, MR. CAHN INTERPRETS HIS ANCIENT MYSTERIES ACCORDING TO HIS OWN IDEAS, BIASES OR THE LIKE RATHER THAN WHAT THE ORIGINAL BIBLICAL AUTHORS INTENDED TO CONVEY TO THEIR AUDIENCE.  HIS BOGUS MYSTERIES ARE BASED ON A FALSE BIBLICAL NARRATIVE. THE END RESULT IS A RADICAL DEPARTURE FROM WHAT THE HOLY SCRIPTURES DEFINES AS BIBLICAL MYSTERIES.

Prophet Rabbi Cahn claims to receive “downloads” from God. In other words, God speaks to him personally. Which means that God is responsible for downloading false information into Cahn’s mind.

When asked about Johathan Cahn, former New Ager, author and speaker Marcia Montenegro had this to say:

How far does Cahn have to go before Christians who read and listen to this man see that Cahn is seriously mishandling Scripture?

Yet people are eating this up. So how far will some people go to follow Cahn? They have to set aside the plain meaning of Scripture and set aside reason to believe the tangled teachings of Cahn.

I am grateful that, as far as I know, Cahn still tells people to turn to Jesus Christ. But at the same time, he is besmirching the word of God by mistreating it, and misleading people with false interpretations of scripture. (Facebook 9/5/2020)

In a piece over at Apprising Ministries titled “Jonathan Cahn Harbinger of Discernment Gone Wild?” the late Ken Silva went into great depth to show Jonathan Cahn’s misapplication of Scripture. As well, he let us in on the lengths people will go to defend a false prophet. Ken felt it was his job as a pastor to bring truth to light. (2 Timothy 4:2) In his essay he included an email he sent to Prophet Rabbi Cahn and Cahn’s response to  his email.

I’ll close with a quote from The Christian Observer:

It is their favorite way of deceiving us that they lure us and entice us with some truths, sometimes lots of truths, and make us feel superior to others by adding more esoteric knowledge that is not biblical, such as Kabbalistic Hebrew gematria and the Bible Codes, then eventually, lead you astray with complete heresies and lies by twisted and distorted diabolic exegesis of the Scripture. They are extremely skilled and have been trained all their lives to do just that, and delight in it, just as their “father.” Remember his favorite phrase? —“Has God indeed said …?” (Gen 3:1).

Related

The Harbinger-A Matter of Critical Discernment – Book review by T.A. McMahon

False Teacher of the Day: Jonathan Cahn

‘The Return’ — To WHAT? A Bait & Switch Revival?

Commonly Misused Bible Verses: 2 Chronicles 7:14

Copyright by Marsha West, 9/7/2020

The New Life

17 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. Ephesians 4:17-19 (NASB) 

The vast majority of professing Christians in the United States and in other countries, whose churches are patterned after American churches, are enslaved to their flesh. Why?…. Continue reading

Christian author Jen Hatmaker files for divorce

Jen Hatmaker is a Progressive “Christian.” In 2016 she came out for gay marriage and chirped that she believes gay relationships can be holy.  LifeWay Christian Resources promptly discontinued Hatmaker’s best-selling Bible studies. Hatmaker once wrote that Jesus came to affirm the LGBTQ community (here). Her statement goes against the clear teaching in the scriptures (it is a sin) regarding homosexuality; thus, at this point Mrs. Hatmaker is not a Bible believing Christian, nor is her estranged husband Brandon, who is a pastor. Both the Hatmaker’s deny the biblical teaching on marriage, sexuality and family — perhaps even divorce.

With this backdrop in place, read the article over at Christian Post, a site we do not recommend: Continue reading

Trump Orders Purge of ‘Critical Race Theory’ From Federal Agencies: What It Is & Why Trump’s Order Matters

“From the indoctrination of children by government schools, to the call for the abolishment of history classes “until a ‘less-racist’ curriculum is formed,” to the destruction of America’s monuments to its past — as imperfect as it might be — the Left’s relentless attack on America knows no bounds — and it is only becoming more brazen.”

(Mike Miller – Red State)  It’s all beginning to make “sense,” America. Stay with me. Continue reading

Do Not Be Anxious

22 And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25 And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span?  Luke 12:22-34 (NASB) Read verses 26-34 on the site.

As this year, 2020, continues doesn’t it seem that the pressure is continually increasing from every direction to make us fearful? If we are not watchful, that is, careful and circumspect then we could very easily become angry and full of fear about what is going on…. Continue reading

The Sword of the Lord

12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (NASB) 

In this day in which the truth is said to be unknowable, Christians must rely on the only source of pure truth we have. There is no truth that we can say is the complete truth unless we take it from God’s Word. The Bible is pure truth and it is the authority we rely on in order to have a firm foundation in this lost and dying world that is consuming itself in rebellion against God. Continue reading

How draconian COVID-19 lockdown measures undermine the abortion lobby’s ‘my body, my choice’ mantra

“[P]ro-life activists should take advantage of this shift in rhetoric to point out that we’ve been saying this sort of thing for decades. We believe that a human being’s right to life trumps the right to bodily autonomy, trumps financial considerations, and places a solemn responsibility on all of us. Children in the womb are one of us and must be treated as one of us. They are owed not only the right to life, but also the right to our defense.”

(Jonathon Van Maren – LifeSiteNews) – Abortion supporters have many arguments they utilize to defend feticide, ranging from difficult and traumatic circumstances to disproven and unscientific babble about the child in the womb being a “clump of cells” rather than a human being (something no credible scientist in the field believes)…. Continue reading

Chaos is coming to Mayberry

“If you stand up to them they’re less likely to cause problems, and that’s what we need to do as a town, as a county, as a nation. And sheriffs need to deputize people right now to be ready to defend their towns.“

(Leo Hohmann) The majority of Americans still have no idea that they are living in the midst of a low-boil civil war.

They sit back on comfy couches, watching on TV or computer screens little snippets of the “new normal.” They see chaos enveloping large cities – Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, Baltimore, Chicago, New York and D.C. – but don’t believe it will come to their small city or suburb. Continue reading

‘This Is Where They House the Rioters!’ City of Portland Houses Some Antifa Rioters Destroying the City

(Victoria Taft – PJ Media) Portland is wittingly or unwittingly housing some of the very same destructive rioters who have been tearing apart the city since May 28.

Let me repeat. The taxpayers are paying for their own demise and it’s all under the auspices of the city.

One month before the riots started, ostensibly to allow grieving over the death of George Floyd – remember him? – the City of Portland opened three homeless tent cities, one of which is the “Harbor of Hope.” Continue reading

Attorney General Barr bombs premise of Black Lives Matter

“The amazing part of this is the complete intellectual disregard Democrats have for America and especially for black Americans. They believe that by lying about this issue, in contravention of easily discoverable facts, that black Americans will rise up in indignation and blame the president. But something else happened.”

(David Kamioner – LifeZette)  Black Lives Matter is based on a simple premise: Racist white police officers are killing black people because they are black…. Continue reading

Mobbed Up

“You are not going to win hearts and minds by threatening Senator Rand Paul and his wife as they walk home from the White House.  You will not hurt President Trump by terrorizing restaurant diners.”

(Bill O’Reilly) You know President Trump scored some points at the Republican convention by the way his media enemies attacked after his nomination speech ended.  Almost instantly, an after-party hate buffet was served up by CNN and NBC News but it amounted to little.  By 11:30 on Thursday night only Trump supporters were still watching.  Most of the resistance had gladly entered the land of nod. Continue reading

Conservatives learn to fight back

Some of those in the alternative media, such as myself, have been victims of groups such as the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Typically, we’ve been accused of displaying various phobias, such as alleged “homophobia” or “Islamophobia.” These accusations would then become part of what Google would highlight as defining characteristics of America’s alternative voices. It’s a way to intimidate, harass, and censor us.”

(Cliff Kincaid – Renew America) In his great book Unmasking Obama, Jack Cashill tells the story of those in the alternative media who uncovered a series of scandals involving Barack Hussein Obama, his campaign, and presidency…. Continue reading

Police release details in shooting of Portland suspect Michael Reinoehl

(Stephanie Pagones – Fox News)  New details have emerged in the fatal shooting of Michael Forest Reinoehl, who was accused of gunning down a man during a political rally in Portland, according to reports and authorities.

Law enforcement officers from a federal task force had been conducting surveillance outside an apartment complex in Lacey, Wash., roughly 120 miles north of the Oregon city, when 48-year-old Reinoehl left the building at approximately 7:30 p.m. local time Thursday, according to officials and reports from local outlets The Oregonian and The Olympian. Continue reading

Spiritual Gifts

11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; Ephesians 4:11-14 (NASB) 

There is little doubt that there are some in leadership positions in the visible church that are there because of their natural abilities rather than the fact that God has gifted them to lead His people…. Continue reading

Calif. Legislature Softens ‘Discriminatory’ Sex Offender Registry Requirements For Sodomy With Minors

CA Sen. Scott Weiner looking very pleased with himself.

“I cannot in my mind as a mother understand how sex between a 24-year-old and a 14-year-old could ever be consensual, how it could ever not be a registrable offense. We should never give up on this idea that children should be in no way subject to a predator.”

(Mary Margaret Olohan – Daily Caller) The California legislature passed a law late Monday relaxing sex offender registry requirements for sodomy and other acts with minors in efforts to end “discrimination against LGBTQ young people on the sex offender registry,” according to the bill’s sponsor. Continue reading

Trump Administration Sends ‘Urgent’ Request To States To Have Vaccine Distribution Sites Ready By Nov. 1

(Joseph Curl – Daily Wire) The Trump administration is pushing all states to work “urgently” to eliminate hurdles so that COVID-19 vaccine distribution sites can be up and running by Nov. 1.

Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sent a letter last week to all governors making the urgent request, according to McClatchy. Continue reading

Do We Even Know What An ‘Evangelical Christian’ Is Anymore?

In the old days, it was well understood that “evangelical Christians” were against abortion and gay marriage. But now a new generation of “evangelical Christians” has come along that is changing all of the old definitions.

(Michael Snyder – End of the American Dream) Every four years, there is a tremendous amount of discussion about “evangelical voters” and the influence that they will have on the outcome of the presidential election…. Continue reading

UK govt funds development of kids game normalizing LGBT sexual practices

‘Children are encouraged to throw the dice twice and talk about the sexual acts that can happen using the two body parts.’

(Martin Bürger – LifeSiteNews)  The British government has been funding a game teaching 13-year-old students about sexual acts, including homosexuality.

“The government has funded a toolkit written by the Proud Trust, an LGBT charity, which includes dice featuring words such as ‘anus,’ ‘vulva,’ ‘penis’ and ‘hands and fingers,’” reported The Times on Monday…. Continue reading

A Very Grave Person

14 I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church. 1 Corinthians 4:14-17 (NASB) 

We often lament the vast number of church leaders, pastors, Christian writers, et cetera who have compromised their ministries with the ways and means of the world from various motivations…. Continue reading