Are There Degrees of Sin?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” John 19:11

Historically speaking, both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism have understood that there are degrees of sin. The Roman Catholic church makes a distinction between mortal and venial sin. The point of that distinction is that there are some sins so gross, heinous, and serious that the actual commission of those sins is mortal in the sense that it kills the grace of justification that resides in the soul of the believer. In their theology, not every sin is devastating to that degree. There are some real sins that are venial sins. These are less serious sins in terms of their consequences, but they don’t have the justification-killing capacity that mortal sins have. Continue reading →

Abortion Is Sacred in Hollywood

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , , ,

“Isn’t it amazing that the left is so fixated on feminist ideology and consequence-free sex that it cannot see the unborn babies as the most “vulnerable population” in America?”

(Brent Bozell – CNS News)  In recent years, generous tax credits have brought a wave of Hollywood productions to Georgia. Then the state legislature passed, and the governor signed a very protective pro-life bill. The reaction was furious. How can the will of the people stand?

Network reporters, all aligned with movie and TV studios, pronounced that their conscientious corporate overlords might forgo the tax breaks to show their support for untrammeled abortion, even though there is no demand from their shareholders — their owners — that they do any such thing. Continue reading →

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. 14 Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction. Philippians 4:12-14 (NASB) 

The enemy of our souls, Satan, does not attack believers in such a way that we should recognize him as being who he is. Instead, he comes disguised as the voice behind the theologian from the best seminary who may be the leader with a huge church empire and also be the author of many best-selling books…. Continue reading →

‘Gay, but celibate’ – But time to be very wary …

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“Offering positions of church leadership to people who embrace and celebrate sexual disorders, all on the promise they will be chaste, is foolhardy.”

(Joel Belz – World Magazine)   Imagine this scenario. You’re an officer in an evangelical church. The congregation has been thriving and the spirit is good.

But now comes a thunderbolt. Your assistant pastor has just made it known to your church’s leaders that he struggles with a lifelong sexual attraction to other men…. Continue reading →

Trump administration bans government scientists from using aborted fetal tissue in research

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The decision from HHS came after discussions with anti-abortion advocates, scientists, ethicists, and patient advocates. It started in September 2018, when HHS ended a contract the Food and Drug Administration had with Advanced Bioscience Resources, Inc., after saying that it was “not sufficiently assured that contract included the appropriate protections applicable to fetal tissue research or met all other procurement requirements.”

(Kimberly Leonard – Washington Examiner)  The Trump administration will block government scientists from acquiring new fetal tissue from abortions to use in medical research, a major victory for abortion opponents. Continue reading →

D-Day in Photos: ‘The Free Men of the World Are Marching Together to Victory’

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“The following photo essay is offered in their honor and in honor of the men and women of our Greatest Generation.”

(Rebecca Mansour – Breitbart)  On Tuesday, June 6, 1944, over 160,000 brave men crossed the choppy waters of the English Channel to land in enemy-occupied France for the long-awaited Allied liberation of “Fortress Europe.”

Code named “Operation Overlord,” the Battle of Normandy was the largest amphibious invasion in human history. The mission: to liberate a continent suffering for four years under the murderous dictatorship of a racist totalitarian regime bent on world domination. Continue reading →

The three ways the Bible refers to death

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. Ephesians 2:1-3 (NASB) 

The fallen nature of man does not understand death. Depending on culture, some fight to stay alive with their all. The correct understanding of death comes to us from God’s Word…. Continue reading →

Alabama Legislature Passes Bill Requiring Chemical Castration For Child Sex Offenders

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“Any action that we can take against a child molester that would prevent them from ever committing this type of crime again, I support, including chemical castration. I think this bill is one of those steps to ensure public safety.”

(Hank Berrien – Daily Wire)  On Tuesday, Alabama legislators passed a bill that would punish child sex offenders by requiring them to be chemically castrated before they are released from prison. HB 379 was introduced by GOP Rep. Steve Hurst, who told WIAT-TV: Continue reading →

There’s a Very Good Chance a Straight Pride Flag Will Fly Over Boston City Hall, Parade Organizer Says

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Super Happy Fun America website screenshot

The website also features a woman in a “Make America Great Again” headband saying, “LGBTQ is not LGBTQS. The ‘S’ is for Straight. It’s more inclusive this way.”

(Tyler O’Neil – PJ Media)  Last Thursday, an organizer of the Boston Straight Pride Parade announced that the event would likely take place this coming August. On Tuesday, another organizer confirmed to PJ Media that the event is real and serious. In fact, he even predicted that the straight pride flag will fly over Boston City Hall.

Last month, Super Happy Fun America (SHFA) reported that Boston Mayor Marty Walsh had denied its request to fly the straight pride flag above City Hall. In response, the organization announced, “we have determined that a parade would be the best way to promote our community and its diverse history, culture, and identity.” Continue reading →

Exodus: Netflix Has Already Lost $41,800 After New Petition Urges Christians to Cancel

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“Not only has Netflix warned it will look to discontinue funding if the “heartbeat bill” comes into effect next year, but it has also vowed to join foreces with the ACLU and mount a legal challenge against the new law.”

Has a mass exodus of Netflix, Hulu and Disney Plus already begun? The reaction to a new petition would certainly make it appear that way.

A petition launched yesterday that was only up for mere hours before Netflix alone lost $41,800, with Hulu and Disney Plus suffering another $20,000 in losses. Both numbers represent estimated annual losses based on the “Money lost per month” total on the petition website. Continue reading →

Spiritual growth comes through humility under the lash

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job 2:9-10 (NASB) 

There is a form of Christianity prevalent in post-modern America that has an incredible hold on some people to the point their conception of God is that He is little more than a vending machine or a kindly grandfather who would never hurt anyone. I speak, of course, of all forms of Christianity that are man-based…. Continue reading →

The Root of Idolatry

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“Sinners still excel at erecting idols—today it simply takes place in individual hearts rather than the public square. It could be money, influence, career goals, athletic achievements, high-priced indulgences, or even another person—the vast galaxy of idols that rule in sinners’ hearts today likely dwarfs the gods of the ancient world.”

(John MacArthur)  Idolatry is the product of rebellion, not confusion. While hearts and minds darkened by sin can’t find God on their own apart from His Word, the apostle Paul makes it clear that the root of idolatry is man’s rejection of creation’s testimony to its Creator. Continue reading →

Ten Plagues of California Are Turning The Golden State into a Third-World Hell Hole

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“Even the city’s most notorious trash pile, located between downtown LA’s busy Fashion and Produce districts, continues to be a magnet for rats after it was cleaned up months ago. The rodents can carry typhus-infected fleas, which can spread the disease to humans through bacteria rubbed into the eyes or cuts and scrapes on the skin, resulting in severe flu-like symptoms.”

(Stephen Green – PJ Media)  In your typical Third-World megalopolis, basic city functions fall into disrepair, while once-eradicated diseases run rampant — and the local bigwig boasts about saving the world. Continue reading →

Hillary Clinton’s Russia collusion IOU: The answers she owes America

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“In short, the Clinton machine flooded the FBI with pressure — and bad intel — until an investigation of Trump was started. The bureau and its hapless sheriff at the time, James Comey, eventually acquiesced with the help of such Clinton fans as then-FBI employees Peter Strzok and Lisa Page.”

(John Solomon – The Hill)   During the combined two decades she served as a U.S. senator and secretary of State, Hillary Clinton’s patrons regularly donated to her family charity when they had official business pending before America’s most powerful political woman. Continue reading →

Timidity and boldness

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NASB) 

I remember a preacher who filled in for our Pastor one Sunday for some reason. I was about 15 or so at the time. He was an older gentleman with a big booming voice and a head full of white hair. He was so different from our preacher that I actually listened to what he said. I believe that the person from the Bible he was talking about was Isaac. I remember him commenting on the fact that he was timid or shy or fearful. In my mind I thought of that person as shy or bashful by the way he described him. Continue reading →

Disney, Netflix and More Might Not Make Movies in Georgia Because of Its Pro-Life Legislation

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“This also shows Disney to be an outright traitor that shows no respect for the state and its culture.”

(Wayne Dupree – LifeZette)   So let me get this straight: The company that built its brand and business model off children is now promoting the killing of children — and if you don’t kill more of them, they will stop doing business with you.

These people are sick and need to be shamed into the poorhouse, in my view. Continue reading →

Observations From A Former Roman Catholic Junior Seminarian on Celibate Homosexual Students and Priests

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“Most devastating of all was the culture of secrecy combined with a large population of like-minded and sexually oriented men, who worked against a culture of transparency and moral rigor. Instead, the internal culture facilitated an environment where pedophiles knew they wouldn’t be outed or called to account for their criminal behavior.”

(The Aquila Report)  As an almost 30-year church member in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), I have watched and listened with great interest and concern as certain voices in the PCA have been clamoring to allow celibate homosexual pastors and church officers (the so called “Side B”).  My concerns stem from my time as a member of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) from birth and my time in a Junior Seminary from thirteen to eighteen. Continue reading →

Law enforcement, media changed standards for Trump

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“It was a mind-blowing moment for some Justice Department veterans. Since when do prosecutors hand out certificates of exoneration to the people they investigate? (Answer: They don’t.) Since when has “not exonerated” been an accepted legal outcome — as in “How does the jury find the defendant? We find him not exonerated.” (Answer: Never.)”

(Byron York – Washington Examiner)  One of the more unfortunate effects of the Trump-Russia investigation — and there have been many — is the weakening of traditional standards of argument and proof in the public debate over allegations that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to fix the 2016 election. (Just for the record: It didn’t. Continue reading →

What does it mean to be devoured by Satan?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (NASB) 

I have written several posts about heresy and apostasy. However, I have always been puzzled by those believers who were once very effective in ministry or serving our Lord with Christ focused walks, but then something changed. Those men and women once very effective in ministry seemed to stumble badly or they who once stood firm now seemed be willing to compromise in areas of doctrine or they once stood against invasion of the world into “church,” but now seem to be all for it in one way or another. What happened? I know that many of us are willing to throw out the “apostate” label in these cases, but is that what really happened? Continue reading →

Where then is boasting? it is excluded; by what kind of law? of works? no, but by a law of faith

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21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… Romans 3:21-28 (NASB)  (Read verses 2-28 on the site)

As I reflect back on my personal testimony of my pilgrimage and how God drew me to Himself regardless of my unworthiness and then patiently matured me over the years I marvel at His gift of grace. However, that does not negate the fact that I, like everyone else, had a lot of growing up to do, and still do I am sure. For many years, even as a Bible teacher and Deacon, I confess to you all that my understanding of salvation and the doctrines that have been developed, which explain it, was very fuzzy compared to my understanding now…. Continue reading →

New Apostolic Reformation Kryptonite

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Costi Hinn of For The Gospel offers what he believes are five proactive truths that every pastor-shepherd must preach in order to protect his flock from the abomination known as the New Apostolic Reformation and the wolves who feed the NAR poison to the sheep. He writes:

Remember the one thing that could strip Superman of his unstoppable powers? If this thing was found in the vicinity of the “Man of Steel,” he’d be as helpless as a baby Giraffe on ice. That thing was Kryptonite. 

No matter your position on the continuation of gifts that produce signs and wonders, there are certain truths that orthodox Christians have stood together on for millennia. When taught faithfully and proactively, these truths are Kryptonite to destructive doctrines that creep into the church. Continue reading →