Did Henri Nouwen mean God is gay? Man is God? Or something else?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , , ,

“Nouwen was no friend to Bible believers. He was not a trustworthy guide or teacher. He assigned meanings to Bible passages that were not there and applied salvation universally to most except those who opt out. In his scheme there was no stated need of personal repentance and faith in Christ for salvation…” 

(John Lanagan – The Word Like Fire)  “You know already that the young, attractive, affectionate, caring, intelligent, spiritual, and socially conscious gay man has only one name: God!” (Henri Nouwen, Love Henri, pg. 336, from his letter to a gay friend named Everet) Continue reading →

He Who Sanctifies

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

“Both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, ‘I will proclaim Thy name to My brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will sing Thy praise.’ And again, ‘I will put My trust in Him.’ And again, ‘Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me'” (Heb. 2:11-13).

Our holy Christ has made us holy; thus He can now call us His brothers.

From our own perspective and experience, it is difficult to think of ourselves as holy. Sin simply is too much a part of us in this fallen world. In thought and practice we are far from holy, but in Christ we are perfectly holy. Continue reading →

What is Sweet as Honey yet Causes Bitterness in the Heat of the Spirit?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

Believers are called to the role of reconciliation, forgiveness, loving our enemies, and turning the other cheek by being humble and Spirit-filled. Also, the genuinely humble believer will not be timid, but bold.

Part of being bold because of the moving of the Holy Spirit within us is to proclaim the truth even if it takes the form of a rebuke. We are told to love our enemies, but we must not have unity with professing believers who are mired in heresy. On the other hand, those in apostasy must be rebuked in love with the goal of restoring them to fellowship and unity within God’s truth. Continue reading →

‘It’s Unbiblical and UnChristian’: Zambian President Resists Trump Admin’s Push to Legalize Sodomy Under Threat of Losing Aid

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[T]he Trump administration launched a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality earlier this year, a move that Trump himself confirmed on social media in giving a nod to Pride Month.

(Heather Clark – Christian News)  The president of Zambia is continuing to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to decriminalize homosexual sex acts worldwide, as U.S. Ambassador Daniel Foote threatened to pull aid to the African nation after two men received lengthy prison terms…. Continue reading →

What’s being missed with the ‘waking’ of Olive at Bethel Church, Redding

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The phrase “declaring life and resurrection over … Olive” was lost on the media as well as many mainstream Christians. Yet Bethel’s call for declarations wasn’t lost on the insiders, i.e., those who hold to Bethel teachings. This can be seen in the nearly 3,000 comments posted on the church’s Facebook page, in response to the call. Notice the many Bethel followers who used the words “declare” or “declaring,” such as this comment posted by a Rick Davis: “Praying, and declaring resurrection Life for Olive … Little Olive, arise, in Jesus’s name!” 

(Holly Pivec – Spirit of Error)  The story out of Bethel Church in Reddng, California, this past week — following the sudden death of two-year-old Olive Heiligenthal — is tragic. The hearts of people across the nation have gone out to her parents in compassion — not just because they lost a child, but also because of the false hope they’ve clung to that their little girl would come back to life. Continue reading →

‘If I ever meet him I’ll probably sock him in the face’ said Jen Wilkin, Redefining Rahab

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , ,

The reason Rahab has ‘come down to us in history’ as a prostitute is because God in His wisdom inspired the writer to write it that way. It is a fact. She was a prostitute. That was her profession. Lydia was a dyer of purple, Moses was a shepherd. Rahab was a prostitute. It’s a plain fact, but Wilkin spends a good deal of time in her lesson on this topic, as we will see.

(EIizabeth Prata – The End Time) I wrote a 3-part series on Mrs Wilkin, looking at her overall ministry here, here, here. It got long, so I promised to follow up with some specifics from her Rahab teaching lesson. This is that series. Continue reading →

What ‘Christian’ author wrote ‘What I see here is God as Mother, receiving back into her womb the one whom she has made in her own image’?

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[T]he author speaks of the “first and everlasting love of a God who is Father as well as Mother.” 

(John Lanagan – The Word Like Fire)  The author writes, “What I see here is God as Mother, receiving back into her womb the one whom she has made in her own image.” The author claims the return to “God’s womb” is the “deeper meaning” to the story of the prodigal son.

God as Mother? Nowhere in the Bible are we ever instructed to address God in this manner…. Continue reading →

Relavant Magazine’s shameless defense of Buttigieg

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The headline, fittingly sharing the front page with other no-doubt theologically rich fare as “Jamie Foxx on Why the Church Should Be More Loving, Inclusive, and Unifying,” and “God ‘Making All Things New’ Doesn’t Mean Christians Can Ignore the Environment,” screamed, “Yes, Jesus Was a Refugee. He Still Is.”

(Peter Heck – Disrn) There’s a famous Babylon Bee headline that satirically reads, “Man Bravely Abandons Unpopular Christian Belief to Affirm Extremely Popular Cultural Belief.” I can’t help but think the writer of that headline must have just finished reading the latest offering from the online Christian publication, “RELEVANT Magazine,” given their increasing propensity to publish stories heavy on culture, light on biblical truth. Continue reading →

Do Trump’s personal flaws negate all the good he has done for conservatives?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , ,

“Regarding adultery, that sin is for spouses and God to judge. There is no connection between marital sexual fidelity and moral leadership. I wish there were. And as regards the “Access Hollywood” tape, every religious person, indeed every thinking person, should understand that there is no connection between what people say privately and their ability to be a moral leader.” 

(Dennis Prager – OneNewsNow) The editor-in-chief of Christianity Today, Mark Galli, wrote an editorial calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump. In my view, this editorial only serves to confirm one of the sadder realizations of my life: that religious conviction guarantees neither moral clarity nor common sense. Continue reading →

Doctors To Place Ultraviolet Tattoos Under Skin To Show Vaccinations RECORDS

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“The researchers showed that their new dye, which consists of nanocrystals called quantum dots, can remain for at least five years under the skin, where it emits near-infrared light that can be detected by a specially equipped smartphone.”

(Pulpit & Pen)  Sounding like something out of a science fiction movie, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered a way to place invisible ‘tattoos’ under the skin of vaccinated patients that can only be seen under ultraviolet light or detected by a special smartphone app. Continue reading →

Don’t Confuse Spirituality with Righteousness

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

When I first became a Christian I was introduced to the priorities of the Christian community. I learned quickly that it was expected of me that I have a daily devotion time, a time reserved for Bible reading and prayer. I was expected to go to church. I was expected to have a kind of piety that was evident by not cursing, not drinking, not smoking, and the like. I had no idea that biblical righteousness went far beyond these things. However, like most new Christians, I learned to emphasize such things. My personal letters took on a new pattern of language. They began to sound like pages from New Testament epistles. I soon learned to use Christian jargon in my everyday speech. I didn’t “tell” anybody anything, I “shared” it with them. Every good fortune was a “blessing,” and I found I could hardly speak without sprinkling my sentences with spiritual platitudes. Continue reading →

Reasons Our Church Will Be Withdrawing From the Presbyterian Church in America

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“The toleration of Side B  Gay Christianity, to include the hosting of the Revoice conference at a PCA church, the continued organizing and participation in Revoice conferences by members of the PCA, the presence of PCA pastors who have very publicly declared themselves to be “gay but celibate,” and the presence of other Side B gay-Christian candidates at the PCA’s seminary.”

(Andrew Webb – Aquila Report)  This year marked the 25th anniversary of my joining the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). While I was converted outside of the PCA, largely through radio ministries, it was in the PCA that I was introduced to Reformed theology, and it was in the PCA that I was mentored by very patient and very learned men…. Continue reading →

Boundary Stones and Slippery Slopes: A discerning look at Jen Wilkin, part 1

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“Is it time to look into the teachings of Mrs Jen Wilkin? It seems so. Subsequently I was asked to look into her biblical positions and her activities, in a discernment review.”

(Elizabeth Prata – The End Time)  Hosea 5:10 speaks of moving the property boundary stones.

The princes of Judah have become like those who move a boundary; On them I will pour out My wrath like water. (Hosea 5:10)

So does Deuteronomy.

In the inheritance which you will hold in the land that the Lord your God gives you to possess, you shall not move your neighbor’s boundary marker which men of old have set (Deuteronomy 19:14). Continue reading →

Franciscan group defends image of Virgin Mary with Pachamama: We show Jesus next to a donkey

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“Pachamama, a nude, red-wombed pregnant Amazonian woman, faces the Virgin Mary in the image FI used atop its email greeting.” 

(Martin M. Barillas – LifeSiteNews)  A Christmas greeting from Franciscans International (FI), a human rights group formed by various Franciscan orders, depicted the Andean earth-goddess “Pachamama” alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In an email to a concerned Catholic obtained by LifeSiteNews, FI executive director Fr. Markus Heinze OFM defended doing so. Continue reading →

Christmas…Christ In You

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Celebrate Christmas, exalt our Savior, linger long over His word and in worship of Him. In doing so, we are “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit”

(Jim Stitzinger – The Cripplegate) 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. Continue reading →

US Ambassadors Host United Nations Event on Trump Admin Effort to Decriminalize Homosexuality Worldwide

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“In its press release on Thursday, the United States Mission to the United Nations noted that Trump mentioned the effort to decriminalize homosexuality worldwide during his speech to the General Assembly in September.”

(Heather Clark – Christian News) Two U.S. ambassadors hosted an event at the United Nations on Wednesday entitled “Decriminalizing Homosexuality in Solidarity with LGBTQ People.” The United States Mission to the United Nations released a statement outlining the event and noting President Trump’s commitment to the effort to legalize homosexuality worldwide. Continue reading →

J.K. Rowling becomes early casualty in unfolding LGBT civil war

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , , ,

“The backlash was instant, and it was severe, with Rowling being tagged a “trans-exclusionary radical feminist” (TERF) by a significant portion of the movement she has proudly championed. Please note the irony in such a designation. The transgender movement is seeking to functionally erase the identity of lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals by establishing the preposterous notion that there is no gender binary (i.e., male and female) but rather a fluid scale that every human traverses freely.”

(Peter Heck – Disrn) About two weeks ago, in a piece I wrote predicting the coming inner-LGBT acronym war between the LGB’s and the T’s, I wrote these words: Continue reading →

How Not To Be A Heretic This Christmas

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

“Reviewing these heresies pertaining to the person of Christ is not meant to scare you from thinking deeply about Jesus. In fact, you should saturate yourself with Scripture in order to think rightly about the person of Christ this Christmas (and year round!). What we have to understand is that a Jesus who is not fully God and not fully man could never rescue us from our sins.”

(Allen Nelson IV – Things Above)  The great hymn writer Charles Wesley once wrote:

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th’incarnate Deity, Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel. (source) Continue reading →

At world’s first gender ‘detransition’ conference, women express regret over drugs, mutilation

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , ,

[M]edical professionals are under “immense pressure” to give “distressed” children with gender dysphoria procedures to make them look like members of the opposite sex. Bell noted that many medical professionals are worried about being called “transphobic” or accused of a “hate crime.” Hutchison said medical professionals are accused of “transphobia” just for asking for more research to be done.

(Dorothy Cummings McLean – LifeSiteNews) ― A crowd of 200 people turned out for the world’s first gender detransition conference on Saturday afternoon. Continue reading →

Soros-Funded Southern Baptist Leaders Now Calling For Donald Trump’s Impeachment, Conviction

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“To this date, still, no evidence has been presented to prove any wrongdoing on the part of the president, yet, leftists Evangelicals are using this as a way to move forward with their progressive agendas. If you believe that this isn’t a concerted effort on the part of leftist evangelicals — namely, Russell Moore — to advance a politically left movement to increase the Democrat voter base in the Church, think again.”

(Jeff Maples – Reformation Charlotte)  Last week, the Evangelical blogosphere made waves after the far-left George Soros-funded Evangelical publication, Christianity Today ran a hit piece calling for President Donald Trump’s impeachment over moral issues. Continue reading →

Bethel Church Hires Lindsay Lohan Crisis Manager Over Dead Baby Controversy

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Olive Heiligenthal, daughter of Bethel worship leader, died suddenly – Photo credit: Instagram / @kalleyheili

“Last weekend, Bethel Worship leader, Jenn Johnson, sparked controversy for asking that God raise a dead female child back to life. Thousands upon thousands of Bethel followers began to decree and declare her resurrection through the power of positive confession. Bethel Church teaches the Kenotic Gospel, which views believers as little gods who do similar things to Jesus just as the Apostles. Kenosis means “to empty” and they hold that Jesus emptied himself of divinity and accomplished miracles by faith and not divinity…”

(Pulpit & Pen) What do you do when you’re a celebrity pastor with a crisis? You call Hunter Frederick to manage publicity for you. It’s what he does. Continue reading →

The Curse of Mediocrity

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? Romans 8:28-39 (NASB) (Read verses 23-39 on the site)

Relativism has enslaved this post-modern 21st Century. The push to equalize everything continues unabated even though it has become apparent to continue down this path is bordering on insanity. There is a Nike commercial being shown this Christmas featuring Lebron James, the NBA star. Continue reading →