All believers are called to be faithful witnesses

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

10 Do not fear the things you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison that you may be tested and you will have affliction ten days. Be faithful unto death and I will give you the Crown of Life. Revelation 2:10 (translated from the NA28 Greek text) 

Πιστὸς (pistos) is the Greek adjective translated in Revelation 2:10 (above) as “faithful.” Πιστὸς is defined as “faithful, trustworthy, reliable, dependable.” In the context of Revelation 2:10, 13, which are our Lord’s own words, to be “faithful” is to refuse to compromise the Christian faith, even in the face of persecution and martyrdom. In this day of superstar or what some call “Rock Star” Christian leaders whose popularity is based upon their willingness to dilute the Christian faith with the world and its ways or even by blending in the cultic ways of other religions, we need to have a clearer understanding of the faithfulness that is expected of the genuine Christian by our Lord. View article →

Should Followers of Christ Observe the Torah?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

“Paul says he is being persecuted because he’s not requiring obedience to the Torah. This was the source of his persecution. He calls the idea that we are under the cross rather than the Torah “the stumbling block of the cross.” Then he says that those who say we need to be circumcised should go all the way and cut it all off! Serious words, indeed.”

(Amy K. Hall – Stand To Reason) A great deal of the New Testament is devoted to the question of the Christian’s relationship to the Mosaic Law in the Torah, but if the questions I receive from people are any indication, there’s an increasing amount of confusion among Christians on this topic. (I explain my theory as to why this is happening here.) Continue reading →

Pro-Life Roe v. Wade Movie Sets Off a Panic in Hollywood

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , ,

“The film has been enveloped in controversy since its announcement last summer. Facebook blocked all crowdfunding for the film on its platform by restricting its ability to share posts or run ads.”

(Kyle Becker – LifeZette) The abortion debate has been rigged in popular American culture for decades.

Now, one filmmaker is looking to change that.

Nick Loeb secretively has begun filming a pro-life Roe v. Wade feature film that is enlisting the star power of Robert Davi, Jon Voight, and Stacey Dash, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Continue reading →

‘Thank God for Abortion’ Float Appears in New York City Homosexual Pride Parade

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

“One commenter remarked, “God bless you brave and intelligent ladies. Yes, it’s your body and your baby. You all have the right to do what’s best for you. Nobody else has the right to tell you what to do with your body. …”

(Heather Clark – Christian News)  A profanity-laced video posted to social media on Monday features an interview with the woman behind the “Thank God for abortion” float that appeared at the NYC Pride Parade on June 24. The woman, who claims that she was “blessed” to have two abortions, says that she is trying to push back against the Christian beliefs that stand against both homosexuality and abortion, and characterized the float as a “never before seen spectacle of autonomy and conviction.” Continue reading →

Preaching to Non-Religious People

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy. Acts 14:15-17

Here is the pattern for preaching to a non-religious people. If you want to know how to reach your neighbors who are not interested in the gospel, and who know nothing of Scripture, who have not been to church and are not interested in it, here is the way. The approach is through nature. When Paul went to the Jews, he started with the Scriptures, the truth of God that they already knew. When he went to the Gentiles, he started with nature, the truth of God which they already knew. He points out three things that ought to have been very plain to them if they had been thinking about their contact with nature. Continue reading →

Happy Fourth!

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙

“Here in America today people will gather in sidewalks to see parades or in backyards to eat hot dogs or in parks to hear music…whatever you’re doing I hope it’s with family, a structure the Lord ordained as a foundational building block of the nation. And I hope it affords you means to behave in Gospel ways and to speak of the Savior to others. Because we live in America, we can still do that. We can assemble freely and practice our religion freely.”

(Elizabeth Prata – The End Time)  The Fourth of July is so fun for a kid. It’s a day when the grownups stay home and we all get to play. For some, that means swimming in the lake or at the beach. For others it means parades and cookouts. For just about everybody it means fireworks.

Our family did lots of different things on the holiday. We spent summers at the Cape. We went to the Park and listened to the Boston Pops. We had pool parties with BBQs. But mainly what I remember is our grandparents’ beach house on the Bay, cousins, and all the uncles leaving to go buy fireworks and returning laughing carrying a huge box. Cherry Bombs and rockets and roman candles, and most delightfully, sparklers.

I loved the sparklers. I’d run up and down the beach waving them as I passed all my other cousins who were doing the same thing.

Is there anything more fun or beautiful than colorful fireworks streaking overhead? Jimmy Buffett has a song called,  “The night I painted the sky”.

Independence Day

And all I remember

Was a midnight rainbow

That fell from the sky

As I stand on the beach

I slowly surrender

To the child in me

That can’t say goodbye

The rockets in the air

And the people everywhere

Put away their differences for a while

Oh I am still a child

When it comes to something wild

Oh that was the night

I painted the sky

The prominent memory is the family- nuclear and extended, gathered together on the 4th. Fun, family, eating, family, laughter, family.

There’s some negative reactions these days from Christian conservatives when a person even tiptoes over to the rah-rah America side of things. I unashamedly love my country. Though I love America, I know my ultimate citizenship is in heaven. But the Lord birthed me in 1960 in America and kept me alive throughout these 50 odd years and I can’t complain about His ordination of his time and place for my life. It wasn’t China in 645 BC or Iceland in 1828 or Germany in 1944. It was America, 1960.   View article →

The Power of Obedience

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, Stand up on your feet! At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. Acts 14:8-10

Notice the amazing way God began to open up this city. Paul and Barnabas had no idea what they were going to do. They did not form a committee and say, Well, let’s see if we can get the Chamber of Commerce report on the city’s population distribution. Then we could divide it into squares and evangelize in a systematic way. They had no plans other than to be there and to do what God sent them to do — to preach. So they walked right into the market place and began, trusting the Lord to have prepared certain people, to have people of his choosing ready to open the door to the city. View article →

Concerns Raised Over Video Featuring 10-Year-Old ‘Desmond the Drag Kid’: ‘I Wanted to Do Drag … When I Was Two’

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

“A lot of you have to realize that your minds are stuck in the norms of our era. 500 years from now gender fluidity will be the norm. You are not able to transport your mind to the future and see it all. You’re basic [expletive]…,”

(Heather Clark – Christian News)  A viral video of a 10-year-old boy who identifies as a “LGBTQ activist and advocate” and a “drag kid” is raising concern as some state that children being taught about drag and homosexuality is inappropriate and a reflection of ungodly parenting. Continue reading →

Art Azurdia Falls Into Sexual Immorality

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

“By every account so far, it seems that Trinity Church in Portland has acted quickly, decisively and with integrity regarding this matter.”

 

(Pulpit & Pen)  Dr. Arturo G. Azurdia III, the brilliant expositor and homiletics master at Trinity Church in Portland has fallen into sexual immorality and been released from his position as pastor. The statement of Art Azurdia’s fall was made on the church’s website by Thomas Terry, on of Trinity Church’s remaining elders. Continue reading →

Carried About by Every Wind of Doctrine

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

In his latest blog post, Rick Becker reveals some of the heretical teaching that’s currently being passed off as biblical Christianity when it clearly is not — it’s satanic!

Becker not only examines the teaching that’s being sold to the Christian “consumer” as “truth”; he discloses who’s doing the selling.  A few examples (there are many) are John Bevere, Shawn Bolz, Kris Vallotton and Roma Downey.

Bethel Church in Redding CA is one of the largest producers of “every wind of doctrine” on the planet; thus, that “church” is to be avoided at all costs.  (More on Bethel Redding here) According to Becker, the people who purchase conference tickets, books, merchandise, etc., of the people mentioned in his post are contributing to the billion dollar industry known as the “evangelical industrial complex.”  Sadly, it’s all about money….and greed.

So – here’s Rick Becker’s piece over at Famine In The Land: Continue reading →

Enduring suffering for doing what is right finds favor with God

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. Psalms 84:2 (NASB)

I try to reread John Bunyan’s Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners from time to time. I need the perspective change found there at times so that I quit listening to the wrangling nature of my flesh and, instead, crucify it, take up my own cross and follow my Lord. That means, I follow His example instead.

18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. 19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. 1 Peter 2:18-20 (NASB)   View article →

Contemporary Christian artists see ‘Third Great Awakening’ coming

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

This piece appeared in “fair & balanced” Fox News. But it isn’t fair or balanced, as Caleb Parke, who penned it, mentions nary a word about all the controversy over Bethel Church in Redding CA and its head pastor and NAR “apostle” Bill Johnson. Johnson is presented in a good light even though his teaching is provably heretical.

Highly influential contemporary “Christian” band Jesus Culture, a “petri dish for growing young new heretics,” was birthed at Bethel.  Parke interviewed a few band members for his piece and included some of their songs. Take a moment to listen to the nonsensical lyrics. Clearly the message doesn’t come close to lining up with Scripture, which means that the band is spreading false teaching around the globe through their music. Church leaders who choose to use Jesus Culture’s “worship” music, and there are many, have unwittingly introduced heresy into their churches.   Continue reading →

HERE WE GO: Millennial Democrats EMBRACE Socialism

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

“Talk of popular control of the means of production is anathema to many older Democrats, even very liberal ones. It plays a lot better with the young; one recent survey shows that 61 percent of Democrats between 18 and 34 view socialism positively…”

(Ben Shapiro – Daily Wire)  A few months ago, Hillary Clinton was asked about whether her self-identification as a capitalist had hurt her among members of her own core constituency. She said it had. She was right. And the Democratic Party is now moving openly in the direction of embracing socialism. Continue reading →

Christian transformation vs works righteouosness

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

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 12:2 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

Despite the fact that the unregenerate refuse to accept what I am about to say as being true, it does not change the fact that it is the truth. The true Christian walk is one of faith that results in faithfulness while the counterfeit or false Christian walk is one of works righteousness that results in a pragmatic form of religious works meant to counter failures of the flesh. The true Christian will be on a path of continual, progressive transformation unto Christlikeness that will result in God using him or her in doing His good works (Ephesians 2:10). …    View article →

Lord God, please do not take your sustaining grace from us!

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

30 It was Hezekiah who stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all that he did. 31 Even in the matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart. 2 Chron. 32:30-31 

I doubt if any professing Christian who is a genuine child of God has not come to that sobering and often devastating realization in which God has taken His hand away just enough so that decisions are made and actions are taken apart from His wise counsel. The consequences of our going it alone are humbling to say the least. God tests us in these circumstances to show us what is really in our hearts. We are placed in circumstances in which the wise and Christian thing to do would be to seek God’s face and move only as He leads, but if we are honest we must confess that in these circumstances our self-righteousness comes to the fore or we operate from pride or instead of mortifying our sin, we indulge our flesh. These are not marks of the unregenerate my brethren, but of the children of God. I am convinced that God uses these things to show us what we are really made of and, therefore, we are humbled and become more usable in the Kingdom.  Continue reading →

God Told Me…

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

“God told me . . . ,” when referring to personal revelation or vision, steps away from the faithfulness of the living God who gave us the Scriptures as his revelation. 

(Phil Newton — Founders Ministries)  “God told me . . . .”

That remark with attached comment can be heard quite often among Christians. We generally consider it as just a figure of speech common in Christian circles to express a feeling, a sense, an impression, or a leading that one believes has come from God. But while using that phrase, such a statement isn’t construed as divine revelation. Continue reading →

House Republicans Grill Rosenstein over Trump-Russia

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

“So how do we resolve the conflict? Not legally. It gets resolved through the political weapons the Framers gave the two branches. The outcome depends on how much damage each side is willing or able to inflict on the other, and how much damage each is willing to sustain rather than give in. It is rare that one side achieves total victory; almost always, there is a compromise — and the sooner they get to it the better.”

(Andrew C. McCarthy – National Review)  “You’re the boss.”

That was Representative Jim Jordan’s terse rejoinder during a feisty exchange with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein at the House Judiciary Committee’s oversight hearing on Thursday. The Ohio Republican was blasting Rosenstein over information Republicans say Justice Department officials have concealed from Congress for a year. Continue reading →

Rachel Held Evans Acknowledges Abortion Targets Minorities; Is Still For It

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

“Held Evans says that she is “pro-life” in her convictions, but doesn’t necessarily think abortion should be illegal (hint: that’s not being pro-life).”

(Pulpit & Pen)  The eventuality of President Donald Trump nominating a second Supreme Court Justice in the first year-and-a-half of his presidency has liberals in a tizzy (the previous two presidents were only able to nominate two justices over the two full four-year terms). Likewise, social conservatives are elated with the possibility of a second pro-life appointee to the highest court by President Trump. … Continue reading →

Prayer’s Humility

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

…we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. (Dan 9:5-6)

Daniel’s prayer begins with the confession of sin. But the remarkable thing is that this man, according to the record, has no sin charged against him. Never once in Scripture are we told that Daniel did anything wrong. Now, I am sure he did wrong things. Certainly, sin must have appeared in his life, because Scripture tells us that no man is without sin, but the record does not give us any account of it. But in specific ways Daniel confesses his own sin and the sin of his people: He says, “We have sinned; we have been wicked; we have turned away, we have not listened.” View article →

Bill Hybels, Willow Creek Have ‘Undone 40 Years of Trust:’ Scot McKnight on Sexual Misconduct

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

“Willow Creek’s leadership chose what I said immediately was an egregiously unwise decision: it chose to narrate the allegations as lies, the women as liars, and the witnesses to the women as colluders.” 

(Stoyan Zaimov – Christian Post)  New Testament scholar and author Scot McKnight, who attended Willow Creek Community Church for 10 years, is speaking out on the sexual misconduct accusations against founder Bill Hybels, saying that he and the church have “undone 40 years of trust.” Continue reading →

Teen Vogue Promotes Marxism in Recent Article

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

“College campuses and high schools are using Marx to put America on trial. Consequently, many millennials believe they should have a right to the wealth of others and, if other people have more than they do, they should get an “equal” share.”

(Bellamy Harden – Movieguide)  Picture a world where you don’t have to work, and everyone gets along. Sounds pretty good, right? And, almost too good to be true. That’s because it is. The magazine Teen Vogue doesn’t seem to think so, however. Continue reading →

Hillsong Worship Pastor’s Evolution Comments Spark Fierce Debate Among Christians

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

“After seeing the intense reaction that arose from suggesting evolution is “undeniable,” Houston  hedged a bit by offering some context  to his earlier tweet.”

(Tré Goins-Phillips – Faith Wire)  Hillsong Church has, over the years, hardly avoided the limelight, often finding itself at the center of hotly-contested debates. Now one of its biggest leaders is running headlong into the creation debate.

Joel Houston,  eldest son of the Sydney-based church’s founders, lead musician in the worship band Hillsong United, and co-pastor of Hillsong Church in New York City, tweeted Monday that “evolution is undeniable.” Continue reading →