What is the Gospel?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , ,

“The reason there was so much opposition to Jesus’ ministry is because his gospel got to the heart of matters. He wasn’t giving a muddled dry exposition, his goal wasn’t the dissemination of information, or simply to create controversies about how to correct human behavior. Jesus had one great goal: the salvation of people.”

(Christopher J. Gordon – Abounding Grace Radio)  Years ago I remember hearing an elder say that if my sermon could be accepted in a Jewish synagogue then it is not a distinctively Christian sermon. I’ve thought a lot about that over the years. What makes Christian sermons distinctively Christian? What damage could be done in the life of the Christian church if our sermons lose their distinctively Christian character?  To answer that, of course, one would need to understand and appreciate what makes a gospel message distinctively “gospel”. Continue reading →

30 Transgender Regretters Come Out Of The Closet

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

“Can you imagine what it must be like to tell a therapist of your experience being abused as a child, which you offer as a possible explanation for your dysphoria, only to have the psychiatrist totally ignore that aspect of your past and instead push you to sex-change procedures as the only way to overcome your angst?”

(Stella Morabito – The Federalist)  Walt Heyer knows firsthand what it’s like to undergo sex change surgery and then regret it. After living as a woman for nearly a decade, he decided to accept his biological sex and de-transition back to male. By then, Walt had received intensive cognitive therapy that helped him recognize early childhood trauma he had experienced. Continue reading →

‘Pastor’ Who Said He Hoped God Would ‘Finish the Job’ of Orlando Shooter Steps Down Over Prostitutes, Gambling, Drugs

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

“Churches frequently just cover things up. That is wrong. It’s sad how it makes Christianity look bad and Baptists look bad, but it’s not right to cover this up.”

(Heather Clark – Christian News Network)  The leader of a professed church in Texas affiliated with Steven Anderson’s Faithful Word Baptist Church in Arizona, who spoke positively of the deaths of 49 people in the 2016 Pulse homosexual nightclub massacre, has resigned after admitting to being involved with prostitutes, gambling and drugs. Continue reading →

Justification by Faith vs Religion

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “ But the righteous man shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17 (NASB)

The Protestant Reformation was used by God to restore the lost doctrine of Justification by Faith. Also, all of the reformers were adamant that the Bible be available to all people in a language they could read and understand. The Roman Catholic Church of that era was apostate and taught a corrupt gospel based on works. The Bible was kept locked up and away from non-scholars. It was always read verbally to the people in Latin, which few understood.

As the Bible was translated from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek into German, English, French, etc. the doctrine of Justification by Faith became central. Why would our enemy and his seed seek to bury this doctrine within religion? View article →

SBC’s Russell Moore Signs Statement with Muslim Leaders, Claiming ‘Common Ground’

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“I’ve read this document thoroughly, and let me tell you, there is a 100% reason to assume that the signers of this statement – from everything written therein – would support both gay marriage and abortion in the name of “religious freedom.” Zero doubt…none.”

(JD Hall – Pulpit & Pen)  If you don’t think the American Evangelical Intelligentsia would sell their birthright for a bit of peace and prosperity, you don’t know them. They are sniveling, weak, effeminate men without spinal columns, courage, or guts. They are shells of humanity, with the good stuff taken out and replaced with cream puffery. Continue reading →

Is Francis Chan Right That God Will Destroy Those Who Challenge Christian Leaders?

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“Consider if someone teaches that we are all little gods or messiahs, or that Jesus is not God in the flesh, or that there is no Trinity. According to Chan, we have no right to speak on this. Chan calls it gossip and warns you will be judged. In contrast, what does Scripture say about exposing false doctrine and those who spread it?”

(Let Us Reason)  I’m going to use an example of a disturbing sermon from a popular teacher* to show why the church is being misled by false teaching and starving for truth in God’s Word. Recently, Francis Chan spoke to a group at Bethel Church, and using Bible verses, he warned that God will destroy (kill) anyone who questions or opposes the teachings of Christian leaders. He proceeded to name some of those leaders (e.g., Rick Warren, Mark Driscoll, John Piper, etc.) who should not be spoken against. Continue reading →

Is the Vatican trying to recast McCarrick abuse of teen as ‘consensual’?

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Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, first cardinal in history to step down from the College of Cardinals because of sexual abuse allegations.

“Many are thinking that all of this is just one huge smoke screen. Rome has no real concern about this issue, too easily adopts a ‘blame the victim approach,’ and is content to treat this scandal as just an ‘American thing’ that will be forgotten soon enough.”  

(Doug Mainwaring – LifeSite News)  In a shocking reversal, the Vatican reportedly indicated that it deemed the allegations of sexual abuse by Archbishop Theodore McCarrick against an altar boy, found to be credible by the Archdiocese of New York, to be “not credible,” essentially nullifying the grievous testimony upon which the Holy See’s case against the prelate was being built.

The former altar boy, 16 years old at time the abuse occurred in 1972, had testified that in preparation for Christmas Mass at New York’s venerable St. Patrick’s Cathedral, McCarrick sexually abused him in the Cathedral’s sacristy and then again a year later in a lavatory. Continue reading →

It is a lie that religion is the answer for our sin problem

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2 (NASB)

Not everyone who claims the name of “Christian” is truly part of the genuine Church. Many of those claimants see Christianity as simply a religion and their religiosity within it as that which assuages their guilty consciences that condemn them for their fleshly lifestyles. Others strive with their entire being to do good and not sin while being very active in their churches. In this they believe that they are in the “group” that God will accept and proclaim righteous. There are others who believe that they are Christians because at some point in the past they “asked Jesus to come into their life or heart.” However, they were taught that that “act of faith” is all that Jesus requires of them. They are now “saved” and should not doubt their salvation. … View article →

Holding fast the word of life

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, 20 “Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life.” Acts 5:19-20 (NASB) 

We are in a period of the Church in which we must keep our eyes fixed on Christ alone for if we look to men we are in danger of being deceived.  To counter this, we must become focused where God wants us to be focused, doing as He desires us to be doing. View article →

The Left Will Make 2019 a Dark Year

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

“The Democratic Party and the media will do to American political life what it has done to the arts; the universities; the high schools; the Boy Scouts; race relations; religion; the happiness of so many women (misled by feminism regarding marriage and career); the moral fabric of American life (morality reduced to feelings); late-night television; mainstream Judaism, Catholicism and Protestantism; pro football; and the sexual innocence of the young: It will poison it.”

I rarely make predictions — whether of election results or anything else. My policy has always been to say what I believe should be done, not what will be done. Continue reading →

Russell Moore Takes Pelosi’s Side, Urges Trump to Give Away Your Taxes to Foreign Countries Amidst Shutdown

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“Most of the other signers are of the same Soros-funded and Soros-created group, Evangelical Immigration Table, of which Moore, Anderson, and Rodriguez are all members. And now, they’re pressuring the President to end the shutdown, even if it means funding the abortion provision bill by House Democrats.”

(JD Hall – Pulpit & Pen)  President Donald J. Trump is resisting pressure to sign a Democrat-led House bill that would end the government shut-down but wouldn’t fund the border wall and would instead use tax dollars to fund abortions overseas. Russell Moore has recently joined with 24 other “faith leaders” to urge the president to not cut foreign welfare no matter what. Continue reading →

Chronic Pain and the Ministry

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It is to this hope I seek to point God’s people. No, it doesn’t take away the pain usually. However, It is not a trite answer that does nothing. It is, in fact, the hope of every Christian: to see Christ, to be with Christ, and to be made like him in every respect (1 John 3:2)… So that is how I minister though I, too, suffer. I minister by pointing them to the exalted Minister who knows my agony yet conquered the reason of my anguish.

(William Hill – The Aquila Report)  When I was halfway through seminary, I was diagnosed with a neurological issue that affects my spinal cord. It was a long, drawn-out situation that left many doctors confused and unable to offer much help. The illness results in numerous problems: numbness in my limbs, pain shooting through my head and back, disorientation and dizziness and the constant feeling that I am going to collapse. It is a frustrating issue. In God’s providence, I managed to get through seminary though I struggled immensely for over two and a half years. I still struggle today, and my circumstances have escalated. Continue reading →

Federal Court Sides With Trump Admin’s Transgender Military Ban

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

Prior to his resignation, Defense Secretary James Mattis said he is “prepared to defend” the ban, concluding that troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria carry “impacts of healthcare costs, readiness, and unit cohesion,” and as such present “considerable risk to military effectiveness and lethality.”

(Paul Bois – Daily Wire)  The Trump administration’s ban on transgenders serving in the U.S. military got a major boost on Friday when a federal appeals court ruled that the ban should not have been blocked by a lower court. Continue reading →

Conversion does not equal regeneration

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

12 “While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13 at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ Acts 26:12-18 (NASB)  Read verses 15-18 on the site

I once heard an interesting parody of Jeff Foxworthy’s ‘You may be a redneck if…” comedy routine. In the article, the word redneck had been replaced with the word “hypocrite.” After a few of the quips, it became obvious the humor was becoming strained. It was no longer funny because each “You may be a hypocrite if” statement stressed the ugly half-heartedness which plagues the majority of church members. For example, one of them said something like, “You may be a hypocrite if you read “Left Behind” at work and “Fanny Hill” at home. View article →

A New Years Thank You Note From The Evangelical Industrial Complex

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Satire ∙

What is the Evangelical Industrial Complex (EIC)? Some Christians believe that a powerful evangelical “celebrity machine” exists in the visible Church. What exaclty is the EIC?  According to dictionaryofchristianese.com: Major publishers of Christian books, music, and other media as alleged to be secretly, if informally, in league to promote and support selected high-profile Christian pastors, preachers, authors, and musicians in order to continue to make money from sales of books and other media products. Such promotion and support is alleged to be behind the downplaying or eliminating of any criticism or scandal that touches these high-profile Christian leaders.

Over at Messed Up Church, blogger Steven Kozar has penned a thank you note from the EIC — it’s satire:  Continue reading →

Actually, 2018 Was a Pretty Good Year

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“For all the pro- and anti-Trump invective and media hysteria, the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation circus, and the bitter midterm elections, the U.S. was relatively calm in 2018 compared with the rest of the world. There was none of the mass rioting, demonstrations, and street violence that occurred recently in France, and none of the existential and unsolvable divides over globalization and Brexit that we saw in Europe.”

(Victor Davis Hanson – National Review)  The year 2018 will be deplored by pundits as a bad year of more unpredictable Donald Trump, headlined by wild stock-market gyrations, the melodramas of the Robert Mueller investigation, and the musical-chair tenures of officials in the Trump administration. Continue reading →

‘Jesus Never Told Caesar How to Run Rome’: Jerry Falwell Jr. Says Bible Not Meant for Public Policy

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“If you reject the idea that God’s law has anything to do with human civil government, then you have no standard whatsoever by which human civil government can establish justice in the earth.  When Jesus said, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,’ He didn’t say that Caesar can make up any law he wants—that Caesar could say, ‘Let’s go murder babies,’ and that’s fine with God. No, no, no.”

(Heather Clark – Christian News Network)  During a recent interview with The Washington Post, Jerry Falwell Jr, the president of Liberty University, which hails itself as the world’s largest Christian university, said that he doesn’t believe that public policy should be based on the Bible, and agreed that the government should be “free of religious association.” Continue reading →

Trump Spats With Pope Over Immigration and Utterly Smacks Him Down

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The Pope has thus far ignored Trump’s recent comments. He is in the Vatican, behind its walls, currently dealing with the massive Roman Catholic sex abuse scandals throughout the world.

(JD Hall – Pulpit & Pen)  The President of the United States is feuding with the Bishop of Rome, and Trump just had a ‘drop the mic’ moment with the pontiff.

On one side of this dispute is Donald J. Trump, who took an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. On the other side is Pope Francis, a Argentinian Jesuit who was thoroughly indoctrinated by South American liberation theologians. Trump wants to protect America, and the Pope wants to unite the world globally under the banner of Rome. Continue reading →

All Christians are heirs with Christ

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:12-14 (NASB)

If you are anything like me, closely examining your walk before the Lord continually, the concept that sinful believers who vacillate between godliness and carnality with deliverance from those sins not in any way certain, then the concept that we are heirs with Christ is hard to grasp. I have no trouble with God’s absolute sovereignty, holiness, righteousness, justice, immutablility, omnipotence, omniscience, or omnipresence. He is perfect. He is the most High. The problem is that I know that I am not in any way worthy enough to even be in His presence. View article →

Living the Christian life in 2019

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“…some live as if the price they were bought with wasn’t a major sacrifice. Do you know what the Bible says about Christians who live in the flesh and think they are saved?”

(Clint Archer – The Cripplegate)  The first time I went snowboarding was also only the second time I had ever seen snow. I was truly excited. The invitation to go was easy to accept and sourcing some equipment proved easy enough. The atmosphere among friends was electric. Even the lessons in the basic technique seemed straightforward enough; I’d dabbled in skateboarding in a former life. Continue reading →

A reckoning is underway in US Catholic Church

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Cardinal Donald Wuerl resigned after being accused of mishandling allegations of abuse against priests. Photo credit Flickr

“In the 16 years between the Boston scandal and the Pennsylvania investigation, only about 30 dioceses around the country had released lists of priests they deemed credibly accused of abuse. Most of those dioceses came clean because they were forced to do so by lawsuits or bankruptcy filings. Some dioceses declined to name any deceased priests, since they could not defend themselves, and some would not identify any clergy members at all.”

(Claudia Lauer – AP)  Over the past four months, Roman Catholic dioceses across the U.S. have released the names of more than 1,000 priests and others accused of sexually abusing children in an unprecedented public reckoning spurred at least in part by a shocking grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania, an Associated Press review has found. Continue reading →

Leading Cause of Death in 2018 Surpasses Cancer, Addiction — and It’s Not Even Close

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“The 41.9 million figure comes from abortion statistics published by the World Health Organization. In 2018, 23 percent of all pregnancies ended in abortion, Breitbart reports, adding that for every 33 live births, 10 children were aborted.”

(Carly Hoilman – Faithwire)  Nearly 42 million human beings were aborted last year, according to Worldometers. Statistics from the independent data collecting site show abortion to be the leading cause of death in 2018, dwarfing other prominent killers like cancer, AIDS, car accidents and suicide, Life News reported. Continue reading →

New York City’s ‘Gender Neutral’ Birth Certificate Option Goes Into Effect

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“The ability to change that mark, to change that F to an X as a way of eschewing the binary systems of male and female, and man and woman, is an essential step towards the breaking down of binary ideological systems, created in order to justify and uphold social, political and economic oppression.”

(Heather Clark – Christian News)  A law that was passed last year that allows New York City residents to obtain amended birth certificates, including with an “X” for their gender, has officially gone into effect. Continue reading →

True Religion And Progressivism Cannot Co-Exist

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion

“The worldview of the Left fills that space handily. Hence, a secular Leftist is not actually secular at all. That person’s original faith is just supplanted by another. Progressivism becomes the main value system of the person, even if they technically are a Jew or a Christian by birth.”

(Jeremy Frankel – Daily Wire)  Why is it that the more secular a culture becomes, the more progressive it becomes as well?

In most religions in the United States, progressivism, otherwise known as Leftism, is pervasive in the secular factions. As a Jew, I always find myself intrigued at the political leanings within my own community. … Continue reading →

Top 10 Progressive Endorsements of Child Abuse in 2018

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“More clinics opened in children’s hospitals to facilitate body mutilation of confused minors. The quackery of childhood gender “transition” treatment continues to gallop through mainstream medicine without valid research to support its benefits, while ample evidence of its harm piles up.”

(Linda Harvey – Mission: America)  There’s a lengthy, sordid history of the damage children suffer because of “progressive” values and policies. In 2018, the harm went beyond passive side effects.

The left is now brazenly cheering over the corruption, pain and heartbreak of children. And sometimes, their deaths. Continue reading →