“To establish reasonableness, a compensation consultant or committee will study what similar churches or non-profits pay their officers. However, a troubling trend has emerged of pastors’ salaries being compared to those of big business CEOs and famous celebrities.”
(Barry Bowen – Trinity Foundation) Through best-selling books and excessive compensation, a growing number of pastors are becoming millionaires. Let’s take a look at one of them. Continue reading
I thanked him for even considering coming to our conference, to which he stopped me, and he said, ‘Scott, after prayer and deliberation, I want you to know I’m not considering it — I’m coming.'”
(Disrn) Kanye West has agreed to headline Christian youth event Strength to Stand Student Bible Conference in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, next month. He will be replacing the previously scheduled headliner, comedian John Crist, who was removed after revelations of sexual promiscuity, harassment, and exploitation of young women surfaced last month. Continue reading
1 He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. Luke 17:1-6 (NASB) (Read verses 3-6 on the site.)
There are many parallels between what is going on the visible church at this time with what Charles Spurgeon called “the Down-Grade Controversy” in his time. In the latter part of the 19th Century, he began addressing the growing apostasy in the Baptist Union in Great Britain…. Continue reading
The key to understanding the complex issue of the Roman Catholic Church is to realize that their unique doctrine of the papacy is the very heart of this religious system. In this article we will examine in depth from their own sources what the Church of Rome claims for her pontiff, and contrast this with what the Bible itself tells us about the Cornerstone that the true universal Christian Church is in fact built upon.
The Scripture Says
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 16:16-18
“Preaching as the primary means of spreading the gospel has always been the biblical model and to teach otherwise is dishonest at best. But Tim Keller has long departed sound biblical Christianity and has embraced a postmodern, neo-pagan style of Christianity.”
(Jeff Maples – Reformation Charlotte) Today, it seems like more and more we toss aside the solid works of historic theology in favor of the modern, the fresh, and the new. Tim Keller is a prime example of this as he represents a wave of postmodern thinking that has so infected the Church. Works of the Puritans and the Reformers and works of the early Church fathers — these collect dust on the bookshelves as many have given them a backseat to the influx of the nuanced and noncontroversial. Continue reading
“In this Q&A session, the pontiff also proposed that the rise of populism is at the root of migrants’ problems in Europe.”
(Thomas D. Williams – Breitbart) Pope Francis has compared U.S. President Donald Trump to the murderous King Herod who massacred innocent children in ancient Palestine while trying to kill the baby Jesus, a Jesuit journal revealed Thursday.
Speaking with his brother Jesuits during his recent visit to Thailand, the Argentinian pope minced no words in his thinly veiled condemnation of the U.S. president and his administration, suggesting that like a modern-day Herod, Mr. Trump separates families at the border while allowing drugs to freely flow into the country. Continue reading
“Transcripts and audio of the meetings purportedly between Southwestern Professor Robert Lopez and Dean Michael Wilkinson and between Lopez and SWBTS Provost Randy Stinson were released today (December 6, 2019.) The release included supporting documents including emails sent by Lopez outlining the dispute over articles written by Lopez on matters of national importance, specifically, issues of abuse in the gay community and how Christians should stand for biblical orthodoxy on sexuality..”
(Pulpit & Pen) Let me interject here in this repost from Capstone Report with a few points of observation.
First, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) absolutely, 100% unequivocally lied in their press release about Dr. Lopez’ termination. There is zero doubt of that now. Continue reading
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17
Sanctification begins in regeneration. The Spirit of God implants in man that new living principle by which he becomes “a new creation”1 in Christ Jesus. This work, which begins in the new birth, is carried on in two ways-mortification, whereby the lusts of the flesh are subdued and kept under, and vivification, by which the life that God has put within us is made to be a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. Continue reading
Back in 2008 I wrote several articles on Todd Bentley’s shenanigans during the Lakeland Outpouring. People from all over the world showed up at the event in Florida, there to witness “a move of the Holy Spirit.” But as it turns out, the Third Person of the Trinity was a no show at the Lakeland Outpouring. According to 2 Cor 11:14, “…even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” That weekend Satan’s minions came disguised as the Spirit of God. Sadly, most attendees, who were largely charismatics, were fooled into thinking that a counterfeit holy spirit was the real deal.
In Bam Bam Bam said the False Prophet I pointed out that a growing number of professing Christians are biblically illiterate; thus, they’re becoming more and more gullible. I say that because thousands of people actually believe that Todd Bentley is a prophet and a healer (they also believe he’s a family man…lol). But the truth is, Bentley is nothing more than a third rate charlatan, a false prophet, false teacher, in the words of the Lord Jesus, he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing…. Continue reading
If that one book isn’t enough, Amazon also suggests you purchase another book for your kids titled Demon and Devil Stories for Kids: Sixteen Short Stories About Demons and Devils for Children. The description also reads: “Sixteen short stories about demons and devils are selected from several popular books for children. These tales are designed to be fascinating reading for young children.”
(Steve Warren – CBN) If you thought thousands of witches casting “binding spells” on President Trump and his administration was bad enough, here’s one that may shock and disgust you even more. Continue reading
In this excellent article, Suzanne Venker adroitly shoots down the feminist lie that career success is more fulfilling than marriage and family. Venker recommends that women who wish to win the game of life, as she puts it, must flip their priorities—put love and family, not work, at the center. Good advice for women who are not Christians. But for the Bible believing Christian woman, the key to a truly fulfilled life is making God #1, the love of family #2, work #3….and everything else will fall into place. These priorities also apply to Christian men – God, family, work.
In this piece over at The Federalist, Suzanne Vinker reveals what she believes are 4 feminist lies that are making women miserable: Continue reading
“In November, West, 42, husband of reality TV star Kim Kardashian West, spoke to a crowd of about 16,000 people at Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston during an interview with Osteen from the stage.”
(Fox5) Grammy winner Kanye West will reportedly reunite with mega church pastor Joel Osteen for a religious service, this time at Yankee Stadium.
The wildly popular Osteen will bring his “America’s Night of Hope” tour back to the Bronx on May 2, 2020, reports TMZ…. Continue reading
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:6-7
In a way that’s a form of a bigger question that sometimes people who ask that question don’t ask, which is, “If God has planned all things, why should we do anything?” And we understand that what we do as Christians we do for a variety of reasons. Continue reading
To quote just one authoritative human embryology textbook: “Human development begins at fertilisation when a sperm unites with an oocyte [ovum] to form a single cell zygote. This highly specialised, totipotent cell marks the beginning of each of us as a unique individual.”
(Steven Ertelt – LifeNews) Pro-abortion Democrat presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg blasted pro-life laws during a campaign swing in Alabama this week. He attacked the pro-life legislators behind a law the state legislature approved this year that would protect women and unborn children from abortion. Continue reading
“Just because pagans used a day, an object, or a symbol for their wicked practices hundreds or thousands of years ago does not mean those days, objects, or symbols carry the same meaning today. Think about the way a mere word can change meanings in such a short time.”
(Michelle Lesley) If you’re a Christian, you might have heard the anti-Christmas rumblings on social media, or maybe even in real life: Christmas has pagan origins…Santa’s elves started out as demons…the Roman winter solstice celebration of Saturnalia morphed into Christmas…Mithras…Krampus…the “naughty list” about the origins of Christmas goes on and on. Are these things true? Should Christians celebrate Christmas? Continue reading
(Marsha West – Christian Research Network) Sadly, “Christian” book sellers line their shelves with books that are clearly unbiblical. Books that put a positive spin on New Age spirituality, Eastern mysticism, LGBTQ+ issues and so forth are available through online Christian outlets as well as their brick and mortar stores. I think it’s safe to say that pseudo-Christian publishing houses has to be one of if not the largest suppliers of outright heresy that exists today. Oddly, these organizations and the outlets that distribute for them are responsible (or should I say irresponsible) for much of the apostasy we’re witnessing in the visible Church. This is principally because these money-making enterprises offer false teachers a platform for spreading really really bad theology. As an example, folks shopping for something as important as a Bible will find one in every color, shape and size. That in and of itself is fine. But they’ll also find Bibles offering translations that supposedly are “accurate” “up-to- date” and “easy to read.” I say supposedly because many Bible translations are highly unorthodox and unfit for Christian consumption. Tragically, it’s the unorthodox Bibles and other reading material that lead undiscerning souls into false teaching. Continue reading
After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. Job 3:1
In this chapter we find that Job asks three very poignant questions. The first one is, Why was I ever born?
Job hopes his birthday will be forgotten. He is looking back to the day of his birth, and, although he cannot change it, he is saying, May its anniversary be ignored. Let it be a day that is darkened; let no one rejoice in it. Let it be a day of cursing instead of blessing.
The reason for Job’s outcry is this was the day he was born, the day that produced him. You can see at this point how his life has become so miserable that he longs for death. Even all that he has enjoyed in the past seems of no value in the face of this tremendous anguish that he must endure. Continue reading
“[D]rawing from the Critical Race Theorist Jarvis Williams and his book, Removing the Stain of Racism from the SBC — says that slavery is a “stain” on the denomination that it will carry for ever until Jesus returns. This is an outright denial of the power of the gospel to remove the stain of sin.”
(Jeff Maples – Reformation Charlotte) In a video posted on Vimeo between Al Mohler and several of his protégés at Southern Seminary, during part of the panel discussion, Mohler opens up and fully embraces Critical Race Theory and applies it to the Southern Baptist Convention. Continue reading
According to Lopez, his supervisors cited opposition to him from the and the Southwestern administration….
(Capstone Report) A prominent professor at Southwestern Baptist has been dismissed from the well-known seminary for his position on same-sex relationships and his advocacy for victims of same-sex abuse. Professor Robert Oscar Lopez, who is formerly gay and an abuse survivor, has written multiple books on the topic including and The New Normal: The Transgender Agenda. Continue reading
“Am I suggesting mankind has absolutely no impact on the planet? No. Am I saying it’s impossible for humans to harm or improve the earth? Nope. But we need to look to God as the source of truth, keep things in perspective, do what we can responsibly, and stop obsessing over what we cannot control.”
(David Fiorazo) Greta Thunberg was the answer to one of the clues on Jeopardy last night. Up to this point, I’ve tried ignoring the teenage climate activist from Sweden – but Jeopardy? She has arrived! Continue reading
“By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8)
Understanding that sin makes us thick-headed, unwilling to accept certain truths when they receive minimal emphasis, the biblical authors repeat foundational doctrines so that they might penetrate our hearts and minds. The man-made religions of this world prove that without the work of the Holy Spirit, people think that they are basically good and can contribute something to their salvation. This strips glory from God and gives it to us, for if we can do even one thing to merit salvation, then we deserve some credit. All belief systems except biblical Christianity encourage us to believe that we contribute to our salvation, even if they deceitfully assert otherwise. Continue reading
“If the ACLU prevails, it will demand that a man identifying as a woman be allowed to sleep in the same room as abused women at an overnight shelter. It will demand that high school boys identifying as girls be allowed in the girls’ shower. And it will demand that any male identifying as a female be allowed to take a female’s place on a women’s sport team, or on the winner’s podium.”
(Heather Clark – Christian News) The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recently posted a tweet supportive of women who identify as men in recognition of International Men’s Day. Continue reading
“At the turn of the twentieth century, the church faced a form of theological liberalism in which theologians sought to disassociate Jesus and Paul. Although the driving factors in the theological liberalism of the twentieth century were somewhat different from our current ecclesiastical controversies, the method and desired end were strikingly similar. Attacks on the organic unity of Scripture led professors at Princeton Theological Seminary to proffer some of the greatest arguments for the defense of the unity and progressive development of the canon of Scripture.”
(Nicholas T. Batzig – Feeding On Christ) By means of sophisticatedly crafted statements on social media, certain prominent voices in the evangelical wing of Christendom have revealed their penchant for pitting Jesus’ ethical teaching against that of the Apostle Paul…. Continue reading
“Rosaria Butterfield’s hospitality theology, many of her themes and mantras, the framework for the entire SSA celibate queer movement as well as many of the talking points over at Living Out and Russell Moore’s ERLC SSA panels are regurgitations of that blasphemous Roman Catholic priest, Zen guru, Marxist, queer theologian, Henri Nouwen. So who is this man?”
(Diane Gaskins) Whenever one mentions the topic of homosexuality around conservative Christians, they are usually met with “Have you listened to Rosaria Butterfield? She is holding the line on these issues.” Not being one who relishes an argument, I often sigh inwardly to encounter these comments. I get it. I followed Butterfield as a fan for a time, have read all her books, and have listened to dozens of her lectures and interviews. Over the past few years, however, I have grown increasingly disturbed by a closer examination of what Rosaria Butterfield is actually saying, and particularly by the overt and covert messages in her most recent and highly acclaimed book, The Gospel Comes With a House Key. Continue reading
Would a loving Jesus really teach about hell? Yes, and so does every New Testament author. Let’s consider what they teach.
Hell in Matthew
In the Sermon on the Mount, often known for its emphasis on love and the kingdom, Jesus teaches the reality and nature of hell (5:20–30; 7:13–27). In Matthew 5:20–30, Jesus contrasts hell with the kingdom of heaven and warns that hell is a real danger to unrepentant sinners. The fire of hell, the justice of hell, and the extreme suffering in hell are particularly stressed. The unrepentant are warned to use extreme measures to avoid being cast into it by God. Continue reading