The Crisis and Comfort of Romans 7

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“We must…become honest about our struggle with sin and cling to the work of Jesus Christ our Lord as our hope now and for all eternity.”

(Josh Buice – Delivered By Grace)  Yesterday, in our series through Romans, I had the privilege to preach the concluding verses (24-25) of Romans chapter seven. As you may know, the seventh chapter of Romans is one of the most difficult passages to interpret in all of Romans—indeed in all of the Bible. There are many questions to answer including identifying the “I” of the chapter and explaining the relevance of the law of God for new covenant Christians. Continue reading →

Former Harvest Employees Say James MacDonald Lived Large on Church’s Dime

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“These expenditures were in addition to MacDonald’s salary, which the church continues to keep private. However, Dave Corning, a founding elder who chaired the elder board for 21 years, told me that in 2009, MacDonald was making a combined $550,000 from both the church and Walk in the Word, MacDonald’s broadcast ministry.”

(Julie Roys)  In 2015, James MacDonald went on a worldwide missions trip that was so stressful, he needed a safari in South Africa to help him recover from it. At least, that’s what MacDonald, the recently-fired founder of Harvest Bible Chapel, claimed to justify the church paying for the safari for him and two others, according to his bodyguard at the time, Jacob Ross.

But that’s not all. Continue reading →

Even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness you are blessed

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 2 Timothy 3:12 (NASB)

What is Christian suffering? I doubt if most Christians in the United States have a clear understanding of real persecution for their faith that is going on daily in other parts of the world. There are dear saints dying for their faith daily in parts of the world and those of us in the U.S. believe we are being persecuted if someone passes a law or ordinance restricting their religious liberties. Well, one of the reasons Christianity is not persecuted to the extent is in other parts of the world is that the ‘visible church’ here has been compromised to a great extent. What does that mean? It means that leaders within it have made friends with the world and have invited it in. There is little separation. However, this writer contends that if anyone reading this, including myself, would actually become separate from the world and its values in their daily lives and withdraw from institutions that are ungodly and not participate in any activities that are blasphemous then that persecution that is talked about in 2 Timothy 3:12 would become a reality just as it has in China, North Korea, Pakistan, and all Muslim countries. View article →

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves

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22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. James 1:22 (NASB) 

The visible Church in our time has been compromised for the most part by human philosophy and has succumbed to the pressure from the world to not emphasize God’s truth as absolute. Professing Christians who discount the Word of God as absolute truth are actually placing their intellect, their beliefs, and the counsel of their own hearts above the Word of God as it relates to authority and truth. It is one thing for an atheist to denigrate Christians, the Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the God the Holy Spirit. That is almost expected and should not surprise us. However, when the majority of professing Christians demand the right to behave contrary to what the Word teaches about Christian behavior can God’s judgment be far behind? View article →

ICE now detaining 50,000 in all-time high, and yet Congress continues to oppose POTUS Trump’s emergency declaration

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“So the Northern Triangle governments have said to us – they will say to you – ‘please send us our children back. We want them reunited with our families and communities here.’”

(Jon Dougherty – The National Sentinel)  The number of people being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement has reached an all-time high of 50,000 as migrants from Central America and Mexico continue to stream towards the United States, deepening the humanitarian crisis. Continue reading →

Taken Captive By False Teachers & False Doctrines – 10 signs

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“The captivated are desperate to alleviate the cares of this world, or increase their comforts in this world. Promises of breakthrough, healing, favour, pleasant “suddenlies,” transfers of wealth, supernatural encounters and miracles, entice those with itching ears or troubled souls. Like clouds without water false teachers fail to deliver. They promise their followers an encounter with God, but instead deliver an emotional experience or Kundalini spirit.” 

(Rick Becker – Famine In The Land)  We’re closer to the end. Some would have us believe the greatest revival the world has ever seen is upon us, but scripture teaches the opposite. There will be false anointed ones, a departure from the faith, apostasy, and doctrines of demons will deceive many within the visible church. Those within the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) ignore what scripture teaches, they are hoping to be activated by a super apostle and be a part of a new breed of revivalist that will walk through walls, raise the dead, and conquer the seven spheres of society. These deluded folk have not been activated, but captivated by false teachers and false doctrines: Continue reading →

Trump plans to implement transgender military ban after court ruling

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Obama declared in 2016 that transgender service members would be allowed to serve openly, but President Trump announced a reversal to that policy in 2017, saying that transgender troops would be prohibited from serving “in any capacity.”

(Tal Axelrod – The Hill)  The Trump administration signaled Friday it intends to implement a ban on transgender people serving in the military after a federal court struck down the last injunction against the policy the previous day. Continue reading →

Sin Is Cosmic Treason

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

“The sinfulness of sin” sounds like a vacuous redundancy that adds no information to the subject under discussion. However, the necessity of speaking of the sinfulness of sin has been thrust upon us by a culture and even a church that has diminished the significance of sin itself. Sin is communicated in our day in terms of making mistakes or of making poor choices. When I take an examination or a spelling test,if I make a mistake, I miss a particular word. It is one thing to make a mistake.It is another to look at my neighbor’s paper and copy his answers in order to make a good grade. In this case, my mistake has risen to the level of a moral transgression. Though sin may be involved in making mistakes as a result of slothfulness in preparation, nevertheless, the act of cheating takes the exercise to a more serious level. Calling sin “making poor choices” is true, but it is also a euphemism that can discount the severity of the action. The decision to sin is indeed a poor one, but once again, it is more than a mistake. It is an act of moral transgression.  Continue reading →

Why Are Young Christians Leaving the Church? It’s Simple Math

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“Make no mistake about it, the university setting will likely be a battlefield populated with people opposed to Christianity.”

(J. Warner Wallace – Cold Case Christianity)  Several years ago I had the opportunity to speak to an engaging group of Christians in Elgin, Iowa at the First Baptist Church of Elgin. The congregation was a wonderful combination of young families and older members who understand the challenges facing the younger Christians in their midst. I shared the overwhelming statistics chronicling the growing number of young Christians leaving the church during their college years, but many in the audience had already seen the departure firsthand. … Continue reading →

Top Democrat Tells Holocaust Survivors To Check Their Privilege

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According to Rep. James Clyburn’s logic, it’s OK to hate Jews if you rank higher than them on the pyramid of victimhood.

(Madeline Osburn – The Federalist)  Democratic Whip Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) defended his colleague Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) by reasoning that she is higher than Jews on the pyramid of intersectionality. In an interview with The Hill on Wednesday, Clyburn trivialized Holocaust survivors when he implied that Omar’s time in a Kenyan refugee camp outweighed the experiences of Jews. Continue reading →

‘A Consuming Fire’: Holiness, Wrath, and Justice

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“How often do we pastors give God equally profane worship when we dare to come into His presence without considering Him as holy, without seeing our primary responsibility in our celebration of worship as displaying the glory of God, revealing His majesty before the whole congregation? We need to think on this.”

(R.C. Sproul)  WE LIVE IN A CULTURE WHERE THE VAST MAJORITY of the people occasionally gives lip service to the existence of God but almost never regards Him as holy. If some do acknowledge that He is holy, very few add to that holiness any idea of divine justice. And if we are able to find a handful of people who agree that God is both holy and just, it is next to impossible to find someone who will add to these elements the idea that God is wrathful. Continue reading →

Biblically discerning the Lord’s will

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 Therefore, I urge you brothers through the compassions of God to present your bodies as living, holy sacrifices, well pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service. 2 And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may discern the will of God, that which is good and well pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

Both the Apostle John and the Apostle Paul used light and darkness in analogies pertaining to spiritual life and spiritual death. For instance, in John 1:4, 5 the Apostle says, “ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων· καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν.” Or, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men; and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not grasp it.” In order to lay the foundation for this discussion on discerning the Lord’s will, it is imperative that we understand what is being said in these two verses. …   View article →

LDS Church, de-emphasizing those three letters, unveils a new internet address with more changes on the way

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The title should be “LDS Cult” because that’s what the organization is. This cult is hoping to re-imagine itself by de-emphasizing “LDS” and “Mormon” and calling itself the “Church of Jesus Christ.” But that doesn’t change the fact that Mormonism is not in any way shape or form a Christian organization as it falsely claims, for the reason that Mormons reject the deity of Christ! They also reject the doctrine of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three separate gods, say Mormons) and teach that Jesus was the first born son of Heavenly Father (Elohim) and Heavenly Mother. Mormons also believe that Jesus was the spirit brother of Lucifer, the second born son of the heavenly couple. Now to the article over at The Salt Lake City Tribune: Continue reading →

James MacDonald Recording Reveals Ungodly Evangelical ‘Celebrity Machine’

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“For the past year, I’ve been writing about the evangelical “celebrity machine” or “industrial complex”—a network of Christian media, publishers, and ministry “partners,” which rely on each other for promotion, book deals, conference invites, networking, and income. In the best of all possible worlds, this “machine” would be leveraged to inspire vision, support important initiatives, and hold Christian public figures accountable.  But as the MacDonald recording reveals in perhaps the most grotesque fashion I’ve ever witnessed, the machine is often used to protect the powerful and to crush truthtellers.”

(Julie Roys)  About two weeks ago, Mancow Muller aired vile, recorded comments by James MacDonald on his Chicago radio show on WLS/AM890. This shocked the Christian community and prompted Harvest Bible Chapel to fire MacDonald. Yet MacDonald’s comments apparently didn’t shock Johnnie Moore. Continue reading →

Rank-and-file Dems revolt against Pelosi over resolution to condemn anti-Semitism

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Fox News has been told that the Democratic caucus is trying to get the language of the proposed anti-Semitism language “right,” and that there is concern about mentioning Omar by name — a non-starter for many members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

(Gregg Re – Fox News)  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is “taken aback” by the growing dissent and anger among rank-and-file Democrats over a possible resolution to formally condemn anti-Semitism, a Democratic source told Fox News on Wednesday — highlighting Pelosi’s tenuous grip on control over the House and underscoring the growing power of the party’s nascent far-left progressive wing. Continue reading →

Sanctification – deliverance from bondage

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NASB) 

In this post we will look at Paul’s “therefore” he placed in the passage above. In other words, in Romans 8:1 Paul begins an important summary and conclusion which is related to his preceding arguments. We normally find that argument in the passages directly preceding the “therefore.” However, this “therefore” introduces the staggering results of all Paul’s teachings in the first seven chapters of Romans, which would include justification by faith alone on the basis of God’s overwhelming grace. View article →

Same-Sex Relationships: Sorry Bishop, But The Meaning Of Holiness Does Not Change From Generation To Generation

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“The idea that God has revealed a different standard today is equally flawed. The Holy Spirit is himself God, and just as unchanging as God the Father. He cannot reveal something to be holy today that was condemned as unholy in the Scriptures that he breathed-out. The Holy Spirit is not a liar, and he has not learned anything new about human sexuality in the two thousand years since the closure of the Canon.”

(John Stevens – johnstevens.com)  One of the notable features of the debate raging in the Church of England over issues of human sexuality is the poor theological arguments used by those in favour of revising the historic position of the church, which reflects the clear Biblical teaching that sex is only appropriate for heterosexual marriage and that sex is determined by biology at birth. Continue reading →

Beth Moore and Sarah Young’s book Jesus Calling insanely popular and insidiously dangerous

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“I commend both men to you, but mainly I wanted to set before you the work of Mr. Dale Wilson, of which you may not be aware. His discernment critiques of Beth Moore were early, good, and remain today as a gold standard.” 

(Elizabeth Prata – The End Time)  Title on the site: The King’s Dale: A Commendable Resource for Beth Moore and Sarah Young Critiques and Book Reviews.

The popular definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” For Christians with discernment, insanity is ‘being sure by the Spirit and the Bible, after research and prayer, that so-and-so is false, but literally NO ONE ELSE around you believes it or even entertains the notion for a second.’ Continue reading →

As New Evidence of Progressive Bigotry Emerges, Jack Phillips Finally Wins His Case

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“I’ve long argued that Justice Kennedy’s “narrow” opinion in Masterpiece Cakeshop was actually more far-reaching than many observers thought — in part because the anti-religious sentiments Kennedy condemned are far more common than many imagine. I’ve seen similar sentiments actually written into campus policies justifying their own acts of anti-religious discrimination.”

(David French – National Review)  Today my former colleagues at the Alliance Defending Freedom announced that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission will dismiss its pending discrimination charge against Masterpiece Cakeshop’s Jack Phillips. … Continue reading →

Sanctification – though Christians are justified and released from the law their sin nature remains

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:20-23 ESV)

When I first started this ministry those who opposed it very heavily were emergents. That was in 2006-2010 or so. To prepare for their onslaught I would listen to their “sermons” or read their articles, which was painful.  It is so interesting to listen to their reasoning for how they arrived at their theology of unbelief. Most of them were confessed refugees from some form of pietistic or American Evangelicalism that leaned heavily towards semi-pelagianism and legalism. …  View article →

Time To Expose the Radical Gender Ideology

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The madness here is simply endless. Not only are more and more children being sucked up into this, but those who try to offer some sanity here – including biological sanity – are being penalised and punished for daring to do so. And now we have a major new growth industry: detransitioning, where those with sex-change regret seek to reverse what they have had done to themselves.

(Bill Muehlenberg – Cultural Warch)  The times they are a changin’, as Bob Dylan once crooned. No question about that. I have seen plenty of major changes during the course of my rather short lifetime. The world a century ago looked far, far different than it does today. Continue reading →

Sarah Sanders’s Fiery Monday Night Statement for Jerry Nadler

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Even Trump critics like former Ohio Gov. John Kasich sense a sinister motive here. Kasich noted on CNN Tuesday that some of these investigations are legitimate, but ultimately, the Democrats’ purpose is to “weaken Donald Trump and make sure he doesn’t get re-elected.” 

(Cortney O’Brien – Townhall)  Democrats have not been shy about their priorities in this 116th Congress. The chairmen of some of the most powerful committees on the hill have begun the year by launching investigations into President Trump. They are going after his finances, his business dealings, his election win, and, of course, his relationship to Russia. Continue reading →

When being a Christian isn’t ‘decent’ anymore

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“We need to be ready to love our neighbors and our enemies and to bear witness in a culture that is increasingly hostile toward us. Christians may someday face fines and other penalties for their convictions on marriage.” 

(Denny Burk)  I woke up this morning to a troubling Op-Ed in The Washington Post by Cynthia Nixon. The entire article is a call for an end to civility toward anyone who holds Christian convictions about sexuality. In particular, the essay responds to the fact that former Vice-President Joe Biden recently referred to current Vice-President Mike Pence as a “decent man.” Nixon unloads on Biden for this flash of tolerance and civility, arguing that Mike Pence’s Christian convictions about sexuality are worthy of the severest public outrage and opprobrium. She writes, Continue reading →

Sanctification – triumph of grace over the power of sin

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Romans 6:1-2 (NASB)

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? Romans 6:15-16 (NASB) 

As I stated in yesterday’s post, if the Gospel is preached correctly, that is, with justification by faith alone being central with absolutely no merit or work by the believer having any bearing on it, then the two rhetorical questions Paul raised in the two passages above should be on the forefront of the minds of all hearing it. Justification by faith as a gift from God, not by our doing in any part (Ephesians 2:8,9) leaves us open bare before God. … View article →