Pope seeks to abolish death penalty, changes church teaching

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“In an accompanying letter explaining the change, the head of the Vatican’s doctrine office said the development of Catholic doctrine on capital punishment didn’t contradict prior teaching but rather was an evolution of it — a defense to fend off critics who have already accused the pope of heresy for challenging past doctrine on capital punishment.”

(Nichole Winfield – AP)  Pope Francis has decreed that the death penalty is “inadmissible” under all circumstances and that the Catholic Church must work to abolish it, changing official church teaching to reflect his view that all life is sacred and there is no justification for state-sponsored executions. Continue reading →

The hidden pitfall of Bill Johnson’s ‘Red-Letter Revival’

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Holly Pivec of Spirit of Error addresses Bethel Church lead pastor and so-called apostle Bill Johnson’s teaching that believers ought to regularly pursue direction from outside of Scripture, “from subjective impressions experienced by ourselves and others rather than from the objective Word of God.”  Are “subjective impressions” found in the Bible?  And do the scriptures suggest that believers are to follow their own imaginations?

What most people fail to realize is that the sorts of things Bethel Redding’s leadership promotes (here) will lead them into the world of the occult.

Now listen to what Holly Pivec has to say about the very controversial Bill Johnson. She writes: Continue reading →

‘No more boys and girls’: BBC champions ‘gender free’ child raising in new documentary

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“This is psychological child abuse, and no kid should be subjected to this indoctrination of gender confusion period.”

(Calvin Freiburger – LifeSiteNews) – A video recently shared by the BBC purports to shame adults for “gender-stereotyp[ing]” children and suggests that distinctions between boys and girls should be erased entirely.

The video, tweeted over the weekend, highlights an experiment in which a male or female baby is dressed in clothes opposite to the baby’s sex, a mat full of toys is laid out, and a series of adult volunteers are filmed playing with the babies. … Continue reading →

Be on guard

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Romans 13:11-14 (NASB) (Read 13-14 on the site)

Genuine Christians are marked in this life by a spiritual journey that God uses to sanctify them. Sanctification is the process whereby God removes Christians from the pollution of the world and conforms them unto His holiness. I have had some so-called “Christians” attempt to deny this as true for all Christians. They claim that only God is Holy and there is no call by God for His people to repent and mortify their sins. Regardless, the Word of God does contradict what they say. View article →

An Open Letter of Confession from Art Azurdia

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It is with great disappointment, my dear friends, that I must express this confession to you in a manner that, for me, has always seemed so distant and detached. I would’ve preferred a much more personal and direct means of communication . . . sitting in a coffee shop or at a kitchen table. Unfortunately, however—given the number of people to whom I must acknowledge my failure, as well as the vast distances that separate us—I ask you to graciously recognize this as my best effort to reach as many of you as possible.

July 27, 2018

To my wife and family members, the elders and congregation of Trinity Church, the faculty of Western Seminary, and friends and colleagues both near and abroad . . . Continue reading →

Democrats’ Impeachment Army: $110 Million, 1000 Staff, 2000 Volunteers

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Photo credit: Mark Dixon

Democrats who are pushing for the impeachment of President Donald Trump will have $110 million to spend on the cause, thanks to the efforts of left-wing billionaire Tom Steyer.

(Joel B. Pollack – Breitbart)  Steyer’s organizations, NextGen America and Need to Impeach, will also have a combined 1,000 employees and 2,000 staffers as they take the case for impeachment to voters in November, according to Politico. Though House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has discouraged impeachment talk, grass roots Democrats favor the idea. Continue reading →

Portland’s Anti-ICE Policies Just Put Agents’ Lives In Danger, Says Union

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Portland OR mayor Ted Wheeler forbid the police from protecting ICE agents

“We understand that you have a difference of opinion with the current President of the United States, and some of his policies, but we fail to see why targeting the employees of ICE and leaving them vulnerable to violence, harassment and even death furthers a legitimate government interest,” writes Riddell. “Your policy has created a zone of terror and lawlessness.”

(James Barrett – Daily Caller) A union representing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Portland’s mayor after police allegedly refused to respond to emergency calls from agents “trapped inside” their offices amid anti-ICE demonstrations. Continue reading →

Study Indicates Beginning of Scripture Neglected

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How often do you read the Bible, and where do you read from? These were two of the questions a recent study from the ministry publisher Crossway asked 6,000 Bible readers. The results showed, rather predictably, that most Bible reading is confined to the New Testament (with considerable focus on the last book, Revelation), and that people typically find the Old Testament prophetic books the most difficult to understand. But this survey serves as a reminder that we need to read the whole Bible—not just the New Testament!

(Ken Ham – Answers In Genesis)  There are some encouraging results in this study. The book of Genesis shows on the infographic as being in the top 10 books respondents had read in the previous year, the previous six months, and the previous month. Continue reading →

The things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

15 For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:15-18 (NASB) (Read verses 17-18 on the site)

“Religion, if it is worth anything, is worth everything; but it is worth little if it is not worth suffering for.” – Matthew Henry

There has been such a long drought of the Word of God being rightly divided by true shepherds of the flock in so much of the visible Church that the spiritually weak and immature believers make up the vast majority. Their understanding of God is not well developed. … View article →

Leaving Louie Giglio: A Passion City Story

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“Louie regularly partners with others who don’t preach these important doctrines; think Hillsong (Brian Houston of Hillsong Australia is a prosperity teacher not to mention how bad Carl Lentz and Christine Cain are), Elevation Church (Steven Furtick is a motivational speaker who doesn’t preach the Gospel), Andy Stanley (seeker-sensitive who goes out of his way to not offend people with the Gospel, also Louie’s childhood friend), Chad Veach (imagine a cross between a comedian and Steven Furtick), to name a few.” 

(Pulpit & Pen) The following is the personal testimony of Chuck Grant.  It details his time at Passion City Church in Atlanta.  For a similar testimony, see this previous article Continue reading →

Where Do People Who Never Hear of Jesus Go When They Die?

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“For some reason some Christians get hung up on this question. A lot of Christians shy away from this question. Maybe it is because in our flesh it is hard for us to believe that we actually deserve an eternity in hell for our sin.”

(Jordan Standridge – The Cripplegate) In the last couple years, some of my longer Gospel conversations ended up with this question at one point or another. I’m not sure why, but it seemed to come up very often, especially when talking with practicing Roman Catholics.

It is a very good question, because it just doesn’t seem fair to us as human beings that so many people all over the world never get the chance to hear about Jesus. Continue reading →

Justice Department creates religious liberty task force

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“Let’s be frank: A dangerous movement, undetected by many but real, is now challenging and eroding our great tradition of religious freedom. There can be no doubt. It’s no little matter. It must be confronted intellectually and politically and defeated.” 

(Eric Tucker – AP) American culture has become “less hospitable to people of faith,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Monday in vowing that the Justice Department would protect people’s religious freedom and convictions. Continue reading →

What is a false prophet?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. Matthew 7:15-23 (NASB)  (Read verses 18-23 on the site)

The attack on Sola Scriptura is nothing new nor should we be surprised by the shrill and accusing voices of those whom seem bent on leading their adoring followers into greater and greater error and apostasy. This attack on the Word of God is first seen in Genesis 3 when our enemy asked of Eve, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”  View article →

Are the fires in Redding a sign of God’s judgement on Bethel?

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Rick Becker tackles the claim that the Carr Fire raging in Shasta County that has engulfed more than 100,000 acres is a sign of God’s judgment on Bethel Church in Redding CA.  Is that true? You can read Becker’s piece over at Famine In The Land. He writes:

The Carr fire that has caused devastation in California, has weaved it’s way into Redding, home of Bethel church.  Hundreds of homes have been destroyed, and at the time of this writing two lives have been lost.  This tragedy comes shortly after the horrific fires in Greece that took the lives of at least sixty people.  Across the world, other tragedies are taking place in the form of other natural disasters, wars, disease, and starvation.  The Carr fire has captured the attention of those familiar with the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) due to one of the chief proponents of NAR false doctrines being Bethel church.  In this brief post, I would like to address the speculation concerning the reason for the fire. Continue reading →

Church Plans to Build Brewery, Host Services Inside

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VanHall said everyone drinks responsibly, having a glass of wine or beer in a comfortable atmosphere where “people cannot only listen to a progressive take on theology but can also engage in conversation.”

(Ian Cull – NBC) Would you drink at church?

The Greater Purpose Community Church has held services for five years in Santa Cruz, but a new and interesting concept has gained them new followers.

“We decided to sell the building, because for us a church is a community and a movement,” said Pastor Chris VanHall. “It’s not brick and mortar.” Continue reading →

A Local Disaster: County Baptist Association Calls on David Barton

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“This is what Chris Roseborugh, the minister who hosts Fighting for the Faith and researches false teachers for a living, had to say about David Barton:  ‘There are people who twist God’s word and then there are people who just make fleeting references to it…Dave Barton…is flat out deceitful…he needs to clean up his act…he is discrediting himself and he is discrediting Christianity by engaging in this kind of deception.'”

(Seth Dunn – Pulpit & Pen)  My grandfather was a World War II veteran.  He was a part of the 10th Mountain Division, which fought the Axis Powers in Italy.  He was a gregarious storyteller and relayed to our family more than a few humorous tales of his wartime service.  If my grandfather had traumatic experiences during the war he did not, like many of his contemporaries, let on about them…. Continue reading →

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 1 Timothy 4:1 (NASB) 

Being Reformed in my theology, I adhere to the Sovereignty of God in all things. He keeps remnants of believers even in the most apostate of times. He always has pockets of genuine believers who know their Lord by His grace through the faith He gives no matter what darkness is attacking the Church. According the the passage I placed at the top of this post, we see what the source is of the false doctrines propagated by apostate “Christian” leaders. That source, of course, is that they have been seduced by evil spirits and now they are following and teaching the doctrines of demons or devils. In this post we will look at the different epochs or eras that have not only come to attack the Church down through the ages, but have remained and are still with us now. … View article →

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:10-12 (NASB) 

In the passage above the words “Put on” translate the Greek verb ἐνδύσασθε (endysasthe) the second plural, aorist middle imperative case of ἐνδύω (endyō) which means “clothe.” This is a command for believers to clothe themselves with the “full armor of God” and never take it off. Why? The Church and God’s truth are continually under attack by our enemy. We ἐνδύσασθε this whole armor in order to stand firm in the evil day. Well, this is most definitely an evil day when truth is seen as something to be bargained away or shunned while lies and that which only appears to be the truth is elevated as if it is the truth. Therefore, we must become discerning and wise and that means we must consistently wear this armor. View article →

PA Catholic Nuclear Bomb

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“If ever there was a marriage NOT made in heaven, it would be former Governor Keating and the bishops. It was obvious to anyone with half a brain that a good number of these bishops were guilty of extensive criminal behavior, and that they almost had to be sexual predators of some sort themselves.”

(Rod Dreher – The American Conservative)  Breaking news out of Pennsylvania: the state Supreme Court has ordered the release next month of a 900-page grand jury report that will discuss more than 300 “predator priests” in six of the state’s eight Catholic dioceses.

According to PennLive.com: Continue reading →

There’s a Direct Line from Obama, Holder, Rice, Lerner, and Clinton to FBI Scandals

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Defying Congress, weaponizing government, lying to voters, and erecting a justice double standard created a bitter harvest today.

(Mark Tapscott – LifeZette)  Former President Barack Obama’s eight years in the White House were marked by four huge scandals, each of which uniquely contributed to the unprecedented level of corruption now being exposed in the FBI’s Russia collusion investigation.

The four scandals include: Continue reading →

A Portrait of God’s Glory

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

While God’s Word does not give us all the details about our future home with Him, Scripture is hardly silent when it comes to His eternal kingdom. In fact, the Bible contains many descriptions of heaven.

However, some of those descriptions are cast in apocalyptic or prophetic language filled with symbolism and mystery. Such complex imagery can be confusing, even for seasoned biblical scholars. Some want to treat the verses like riddles or treasure maps that unlock deeper meaning and hidden truths about what we can expect in heaven. Others look to allegorize the imagery, leading down infinite rabbit trails of subjective interpretation. But that’s not why the writers of Scripture—under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit—described their heavenly visions the way they did.  View article →

Tell Jimmy Carter about the Damage of Homosexuality

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Recently Jimmy Carter, a professing Christian, commented that, in his opinion, same-sex marriage doesn’t damage anyone. Linda Harvey of Mission: America begs to differ with him, and she gives plenty of examples of why the former president is dead wrong.  Harvey also presents three good reasons that American Christians should speak “loudly and vigorously to contend against the unhinged ‘LGBTQ’ movement.”

Here’s Linda Harvey’s piece:

Vicious attacks on Christians? People losing their jobs and businesses? Kids being corrupted? Church communities in total disarray? Continue reading →