Political Subversion Moving Christians Into Democrat Party Fold

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“Former Obama administration Faith Based and reelection campaign Faith Outreach Coordinator Michael Wear is now working with [Tim] Keller’s TGC. Wear’s book sports endorsements from Keller and Evangelical leaders Russell Moore, Andy Stanley, Ann Voskamp and fellow Obama spiritual advisor Joel Hunter. Wear is also writing for TGC on topics like ‘Holding the Christian Ethic Together.’” 

(Thomas Littleton – Thirty Pieces Of Silver)  Midterm elections demonstrate that the classic battle lines are being redrawn among Evangelical voters. Ongoing and concerted efforts through American conservative Christian seminaries, churches and secular mainstream media are intensifying to reshape the foundations and convictions which drive the Evangelical vote. … Continue reading →

Does Prayer Change Things?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit. James 5:16-18 (NASB) 

I participate in many online and offline theological discussions. Some them have to do with today’s topic and for those whose faith is focused on the here and now rather than the eternal it is perplexing. However, just so we can address this issue, let us ponder it in the correct fashion. In light of the fact that God is sovereign over all and has ordained whatsoever comes to pass according to the good pleasure of His will (Ephesians 1:11), why should we pray? If God already knows what is going to happen and, indeed, if He has already determined what will happen, what is the point of praying at all? View article →

Reformation Day Should be Bible Appreciation Day

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“I think it’s appropriate today to thank the Lord for the Bible that you hold in your hand.”

(Jordan Standridge – The Cripplegate)  October 31 should be Bible Appreciation Day.

While the world’s children appreciate candy and playing dress up, we Christians ought to appreciate those who shed their blood in order for us to hold the Bible.

If only Wycliffe, Hus, and Tyndale could have seen a vision of my iPhone as they were being killed for their hard work! They would have seen the dozens of translations I hold in my Bible gateway app, or my Logos app, that allows me to have access to so many tools, including the ability to parse Greek words at the drop of a hat! Continue reading →

‘Churches’ Celebrate Halloween With Zombies, Dancing Skeletons, ‘Haunted Hayrides’ and ‘Spooktaculars’

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“Matt Chandler of The Village Church…released a video last week in which he opined that Halloween is, to most people, ‘probably far less about demons and witches’ and ‘far more about candy and costumes and fun for the kids.’”

“Demons are for real. Witches are for real. Sorcery is for real. There is nothing good or clean or funny about any of it,” wrote Alan Morrison of Diakrisis International. “To encourage children to be involved in such things in any way is surely irresponsible and can ultimately be damaging to their spiritual health.” Continue reading →

Four Things You Can Do Right Now to Harden Your Place of Worship Against a Shooter

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“It is critical for everyone on the security team to understand that church members are the first responders. If someone gets through security and starts attacking, you cannot wait for the police to show up.”

(Jeff Sanders – PJ Media)  Sadly, America has experienced yet another maniac shooting up innocent people at a house of worship. On Saturday, a man armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle (which is NOT an “assault rifle” since it cannot fire automatically as only a true assault rifle can) and three semi-automatic pistols murdered 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue and wounded several others (including four police officers). This kind of attack on houses of worship is no longer unheard of. Continue reading →

Denying reality at a steep price

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“This is about much more than some people claiming to be the other sex and trying with the help of the media to rig the culture and legal system to their version of reality. It’s a power struggle. The ruling elites aim to make us say that up is down, right is wrong, sweet is bitter and life is death.”

(Robert Knight – The Washington Times)  The idea of two distinct sexes has been acknowledged as fundamental reality for thousands of years by billions of people, biology and every major religion. Continue reading →

Christian faith and hope

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) 

What is the difference between faith and hope? Are they the same thing? They are not the same, but, so-to-speak, they are two sides of the same coin. If I want my old college to win in football against our biggest rival that is hope. On the other hand, if I believe it will happen then it is faith. With this faith, my hope is enhanced. It becomes active. On the other hand, if I have little faith that it will happen then my hope becomes simply wishful thinking. What about our faith through which we are saved by grace? Is this faith simply working up enough belief so that our hope becomes strong, or is there more to it than that? View article →

When Do We Use the Word Sin, and Why?

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“Are we as a church clearly communicating to one another and the watching world what sin really is?” 

(Aimee Byrd – Mortification of Spin)  A couple days ago, I wrote about how even the world of Reformedish evangelicalism is contributing to the sad “State of Theology” that is evidenced in the Ligonier Ministries’ survey. Bad theology is perpetuated in our own circles when ethics is prioritized over our theology of God, his Word, man, and the gospel. Continue reading →

White Coat Sorcery Can’t Hide Child Mutilation and Death

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“On Friday, November 9, a Planned Parenthood clinic on the east side of Columbus, Ohio will hold an interfaith “blessing” on their facility, a place where the lives of unborn children up to 19 weeks’ gestation end.”

(Linda Harvey – Mission: America) It’s not a Halloween horror flick, and it’s not some gruesome, colossal joke.

Child mutilation and sacrifice are becoming so widespread in America that they are now considered sound health care and even “blessings” from God. Continue reading →

Ken Ham Pushes Back After Conservative Commentator Matt Walsh Argues Against a Young Earth

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“Jesus, the Creator, makes it clear that the first marriage between man and woman (Adam and Eve) came at the beginning of creation. From the chronological information given in Genesis 5 and 11 and in other biblical passages, Jesus was speaking about 4,000 years after this creation,” [Ken Ham] said, noting that the genealogy from Adam to Jesus is 4,000 years.

(Heather Clark – Christian News)  Apologist Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis is pushing back after conservative commentator Matt Walsh recently released a lengthy video explaining why he is not a young earth creationist, but rather believes that the text of the Book of Genesis leaves room for interpretation as to how long a day was at the time that God created the heavens and the earth. Walsh also asserted that advocating for a young earth can “put obstacles in the way” from people coming to Christ because it pits faith against science. Continue reading →

Environmentalists: To Save The World, Dump Your Pets

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“Reducing the rate of dog and cat ownership, perhaps in favor of other pets that offer similar health and emotional benefits would considerably reduce these impacts,” 

(Emily Zanotti – Daily Wire)  According to a study out Monday on global climate change, your dog (or your cat) is probably killing the environment, and if you want to stem the tide of global warming, it’s time to say “good-bye” to Fido and Fluffy.

The study, which appears in the online journal PLOS, claims the human compulsion to seek out animal companionship is one of the primary factors affecting our climate, particularly in the United States where there are 163 million companion animals — roughly one pet for every two Americans — the highest number of any country in the world. Continue reading →

God’s disipline

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;  2 Peter 1:1-4 (NASB) (Read verses 3 & 4 on the site)

Last night I posted a short piece titled Be Anxious for Nothing which is about how Christians are not immune from suffering, but are called to not be anxious about anything since God is Sovereign and is using our tests and trials for His own purposes. Also, our main weapon in this battle is prayer. After I posted it I received several emails and some comments from readers requesting prayer and thanking me for that post. I take no credit for that. I wrote it as one of you since I am going through pretty much the same trials and tribulations as the rest of the Body of Christ. In this post we will look at another aspect of Christian suffering. What do I mean? … View article →

Should Christians Participate in Halloween? 7 Scriptures to Consider (Repost)

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Is it appropriate for evangelicals to celebrate Halloween? Some say “absolutely not” while others say “what’s the big deal anyway?” Bible study author, speaker and podcaster Michelle Lesley goes right to the scriptures to help Bible believing Christians make their decision. She writes:

Since there is no specific Bible verse that says, “Thou shalt/shalt not participate in Halloween and its related activities,” this is an area of Christian liberty that must be decided by each individual or couple on the basis of scriptural principles and prayer. If there are Halloween activities available to you that do not violate scriptural principles or your conscience or cause you to become a stumbling block to someone weaker in the faith (which may even be your spouse or child), you are free to participate in those aspects of Halloween.

Here are some Scriptures and principles that may be of help as you make your decision:

1 Corinthians 10:23: “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.”

Is it helpful? Does it build you/your family up?

1 Corinthians 10:24-30: Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

Who is watching what your family does? Are you serving your neighbor and drawing him closer to Christ by the activities you participate in?    View article →

Research:

Occult – Sorcery

Discernment

Transgender fight could prove major test for Supreme Court

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“The case pending before the Supreme Court centers on Aimee Stephens, a transgender woman who alleges she was fired from her job as a funeral director and embalmer after she told her employer she would begin living and working openly as a woman.”

(Lydia Wheeler – The Hill)  The fight over civil rights protections for transgender people could prove to be a major test for the Supreme Court, particularly its conservative wing, as justices weigh whether to take up the issue this term. Continue reading →

Be anxious for nothing

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 (NASB) 

Where I work, we are having a great deal of turmoil with a lot of turnover with people departing including my boss. The person over all the technology departments has put one of my coworkers over our DBA group as a “team lead,” whatever that means.  She is quite a bit younger than me. She is competent as a DBA. I have been getting signals from her emails and phone calls over past several days and also from my fellow DBAs that she is really pushing the envelope hard to look like a competent manager and is asking for all sorts of reports and for us to do goal setting, etc. View article →

How the Body Works

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body — whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. – 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

In this chapter, the apostle begins to use an analogy that will help us understand how the church is designed to function. He places before us a human body, and draws lessons from it all through the rest of the chapter, as to its parallel with the functioning of the Body of Christ. It is more than a mere figure of speech to say that the church is the Body of Christ. God really takes that seriously. It is so much so his body by which he works today that he has given us a visual aid, to live in, and walk around in, and examine, and think through what is the meaning of the church as the Body of Christ. … View article →

Wave of state attorneys general take on Catholic Church sex abuse

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“This isn’t a U.S. problem, it’s an institutional problem proven by the wave of investigations spurred around the globe, from Germany to Chile, all the way to the Vatican.”

(Haley Britzky – Axios) The Attorney General of Virginia Mark Herring announced Wednesday that his office was launching an “ongoing investigation” into possible sexual abuse and coverups by the Catholic dioceses in the state, the Washington Post reports. Continue reading →

Oxford Students Vote to Ban Christian Group From College as it Would Threaten Their ‘Physical, Mental Safety’

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“The move is understood to be driven by LGBT students who say they wouldn’t feel so welcome at the college gave a platform to people who are openly homophobic.”

(The Telegraph)  Students at the University of Oxford have voted to ban a controversial Christian group from one of their colleges because it would threaten their “physical and mental safety”.

The JCR at Lady Margaret Hall voted overwhelmingly in favour of banning Christian Concern from hosting a residential summer camp on the premises because their values do not align with those of the college. Continue reading →

The military’s obsession with energy drinks is contributing to PTSD, study finds

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“High energy drink use, which was classified as consuming two or more drinks per day, was significantly associated with those survey respondents who reported mental health problems, anger-related behaviors and fatigue, the authors found.”

(J.D. Simpkins – Military Times)  Getting adequate sleep is increasingly rare among the active duty military population, as frequent deviations from the body’s natural circadian rhythms due to a demanding operational tempo pit personnel in an ongoing struggle against the ever-persistent sandman. Continue reading →

The Value of Prophecy

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. – 1 Corinthians 14:1-3

That ties this back to the love chapter. Love is to be the basic, biblical reason for exercising a spiritual gift. Love is the hunger to reach out for someone else’s benefit. That is to be the controlling theme throughout this whole chapter in the discussion of tongues and prophesying. Love is building up someone else. To that end, desire spiritual gifts, so that they may be a means of helping others and fulfilling love.   View article →

What does it mean to glorify God?

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“Do you long to give glory to God with your life?”

(Jordan Standridge – The Cripplegate)  You hear it said often, don’t you. You need to glorify God! But what does it mean exactly? How can someone glorify God?

Perhaps one of the best pictures of glorifying God in the Bible is found in Luke 9:9. Herod says, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” Continue reading →

Hillsong leader Brian Houston and his ‘friends’ named in parliamentary privilege speech

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It is now 49 years since the abuse started, 19 years since Brian Houston was aware of it, and three years after the royal commission delivered its damning report, yet nothing has happened.

(Churchwatch Central)  In this latest report, we read that NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge has used parliamentary privilege to draw attention to the fact that there is “compelling evidence” to prosecute Brian Houston after matters raised at the Royal Commission investigating child sex abuse.

Satanist Middle School Girls Facing Charges After Plotting to Kill Students, Drink Their Blood

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The two girls were arrested and are now facing both felony and misdemeanor charges, including conspiracy to commit murder. Local television station WFLA reports that the arrest affidavit states that “[k]illing all of these students was in hopes that it would make them worse sinners, ensuring that after they committed suicide [they] would get to go to Hell so they could be with Satan.”

(Heather Clark – Christian News)  Two Florida middle school students, ages 11 and 12, are facing criminal charges after acknowledging to police that they had brought knives to school to murder over a dozen younger children and then kill themselves so that they could “be with Satan.” Continue reading →

The gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. 13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:12-14 (NASB)

Our Lord Jesus Christ set before us the way of Righteousness. Yes, He lived a perfect life and died on a cruel cross to pay the penalty and price for the sins of those whom He came to save. However, He also taught us both in word and deed how the truly Righteous should live. Those whom God has saved are regenerated so that they can believe and repent and receive salvation by grace through faith. …  View article →