Homosexual Actor/Singer Ricky Martin: ‘I Want to Normalize’ Same-Sex, Open Relationships

(Christian News) In a recent interview with the website Vulture, actor and singer Ricky Martin said that he wants to “normalize” same-sex and open relationships, remarking that he believes that it is “good for the world.”

Martin was talking about his role in the sensual and sin-saturated FX television series “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” as he plays Antonio D’Amico, the homosexual partner of Gianni Versace. “I want to normalize relationships like this. It’s good for the world; it’s good for me as a gay man with kids,” he told the outlet. “It’s important that we shed some light on power couples like this, even though he was quiet and behind the scenes and he was just there supporting his man for 15 years.” View article →

 

Government Accountability Office: American Taxpayers Gave $1.5 Billion to Abortion Providers

(Breitbart) The report, which was requested by 120 members of Congress led by Reps. Diane Black (R-TN), Pete Olson (R-TX) and Chris Smith (R-NJ), and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), shows that, between 2013 and 2015, taxpayers sent $1.5 billion to abortion providers Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), and Marie Stopes International (MSI). GAO found that these three organizations spent $410 million in federal funding between 2013 and 2015, and received $1.2 billion combined federal and state funds under federal health programs that require shared funding. View article →

The Beatitudes and genunine discipleship

The Sermon on the Mount
Carl Bloch, 1890

3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:3-13 (NKJV)  Continue reading

Old Man

6 Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of might be made ineffective, that we should no longer serve sin, 7 for the one having died has been justified from sin. Romans 6:6-7 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

Romans 6:6 clearly shows us that true believers become holy in Christ. However, there is confusion because many do not look correctly at the Greek verb tenses in this passage. If they simply read it in English or some other translation it is easy to not see that all the verb tenses here are past tenses (aorist or perfect). View article →

In Spite of Evidence, CM&A Denomination Clears Ravi Zacharias on Cyber Adultery

(Pulpit & Pen News) We released the text messages from Ravi Zacharias that indisputably proved he carried on an affair via electronic communication, received illicit images of his paramour, begged her not to tell her husband, and ultimately insinuated he would kill himself if she confessed and repented openly. You can find that post, On the Adulterous Affair of Ravi Zacharias and the Cover-Uphere. Other press outlets were content to only report the spun words from Zacharias’ ministry. Continue reading

The Young Roman Catholic Man Who Clenched His Fist

(Jordan Standridge – The Cripplegate) “So I asked him a third question, and I let him know that I ask this question in order to really get to the heart of what someone believes about how they are going to Heaven. I asked him, “If you were to die tonight, and were to stand before God, and He were to ask you why should I let you into Heaven?”

Let me tell you about a Gospel conversation I had recently that left an impression on my heart.

Tim was a very polite guy. Continue reading

The Most Pro-Life Law In The US Was Just Passed

(Western Journal) An state bill restricting legal access to abortion is earning Mississippi lawmakers praise from pro-life activists and scorn from those who believe its language is too extreme.

As The Daily Wire reported, members of the state House voted by a margin of 75 to 34 in favor of the Gestational Age Act, which prohibits abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy, except “in a medical emergency or in the case of a severe abnormality.”

The legislation, which Republican Gov. Phil Bryant pledged to sign into law, has been described by supporters as the most pro-life bill in the nation. View article →

Where Is Your Confidence?

“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil 1:6

Perhaps Paul’s joy in these people at Philippi was that he was seeing them by faith. Not as they were, but as they would be when God’s work was done. He was looking at them with the eye of faith. He was sure that He who began a good work in them was going to finish it, so Paul could say that, even though you rub me the wrong way once in a while, I know what you are going to be. … Continue reading on Ray Stedman Daily Devotions

Disney boss tells shareholders that ‘The View’ star Joy Behar apologized for anti-Christian remarks

(Fox News) ABC News’ “The View” star Joy Behar has reportedly apologized for recent comments that mocked Vice President Pence’s Christian faith.

Disney CEO Bob Iger said during the Q&A portion of a shareholder meeting on Thursday that Behar apologized directly to Pence on the phone.

A source close to Pence confirmed to Fox News that Behar did apologize. The shareholder who asked the question was Justin Danhof, who is the general counsel for the National Center for Public Policy Research. Danhof told Iger that some of Disney’s recent decisions are “strange when trust in media is at an all-time low” and referred to Disney’s ESPN as a “24/7 anti-Trump tirade channel” before bringing up the Behar controversyView article →

A Wrinkle In Time: A Disney Film Devoted To Pagan Self-Worship

Oprah Winfrey as Mrs. Which, a dimension-travelling regal entity.

In a piece titled A Wrinkle In Time Sells the Cult of Oprah, Armond White of National Review states that the film pushes for “social justice, self-worship, and girls-are-smarter-than-boys bromides.”

The film also pushes Oprah’s New Age religiosity.

In a piece over at Pulpit & Pen we’re informed of this troubling news: “Religious entrepreneurs intent on entertaining people into Heaven have already capitalized on the film to turn it into a Bible study to reach America’s pop-culture-saturated youth.”

Starring Oprah Winfrey, Mindy Kalling and Reese Witherspoon, the film centers around the character Meg Murry (Storm Reid), who is a typical schoolgirl struggling with self-esteem issues who’s  desperate to fit in. Continue reading

God Will Ask at Pearly Gates if You’ve Been a Good Progressive

(NewsBusters) While Stephen Colbert and CBS picture God as favoring Oprah Winfrey over Donald Trump for president, the liberal media don’t find it outrageous when liberal Democrats claim God will judge your record to see if you were a “good progressive.” Imagine a Mike Pence saying God would ask if you were a “solid conservative,” and you can see the double standard. The first one to object might by CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, the brother of the governor.

On Wednesday, current New York Governor Andrew Cuomo used his view of Heaven to explain why he is a better choice for that office than fellow Democrat Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York City. View article →

Assurance for those saved by grace alone through faith alone

16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. [Read verses 18-21 on the site.] Romans 4:16-21 (ESV) 

If you have ever debated proponents of liberal theology then you probably know that these liberals possess a great deal of emotional baggage which, as the debate proceeds, they eventually empty it out on all those they see as “orthodox” and “behind the times.” I have participated in several of these. …  View article →

A Hyper-Charismatic Guide to Losing your Mind

(Steven Kozar – Messed Up Church) If you want to abandon your Christian faith and become mentally unstable, just follow these simple steps:

    • “It all starts with a Dream! A God-Sized Dream!” To get started, you must believe that God expects you to dream up some outlandish desire in order to accomplish your Destiny. Because if you attempt to “do the impossible,” God will miraculously answer your prayers and thus “get all the glory.” You must take risks, step out in faith, and do something impossible.

Continue reading

Exposed: Twitter Promotes Culture of Death, Targets Pro-Life Posts

(The Western Journal) Conservative writer Devin Sena tweeted a picture Saturday of a healthy unborn baby with the caption: “This is a human.” He added the hashtag “TriggerALiberalIn4Words.”

Twitter chose to suppress the factually accurate tweet as “sensitive material” and warned certain users before they saw it. [See the tweet and photo on the site]

“Upon review, we have determined that the media is potentially sensitive and have labeled it accordingly. There will now be a click-through warning message over the media for users whose accounts are set so they are informed before viewing media that may be sensitive,” Twitter said in an email to Sena that was reviewed by The Daily Caller News Foundation. View article →

The Apostle Mary Magdalene — More Christo-Feminist Madness

Mary Magdalene sees Jesus. Photo credit Waiting For The Word

Did Jesus give Mary Magdalene an apostolic commissioning?  According to Dr. Eddie Hyatt of Hyatt International Ministries, Jesus did just that. In 1991 Hyatt claims to have had a life altering experience where he saw Mary Magdalene receive the first apostolic commission from the risen Lord (here).  In the following piece, Anthony Wade raises a warning flag: The Church is quickly moving into “Christo-feminism.” Keep this term in mind brethren because it won’t be going away anytime soon. “Hyatt’s end game here,” says Wade, “is to blow up into significance that which is not significant at all.”

So the question is, did God keep Mary Magdalene’s apostleship a deep dark secret until 1991, as Hyatt claims? Did the Almighty set up some “deep gnostic knowledge that would stay hidden for thousands of years until Eddie Hyatt came along?” Hyatt would have us believe that God did this very thing. Continue reading

What does faith have to do with eternal life?

24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. John 5:24 (NKJV) 

A fascinating study is to take a close look at the reaction the 1st Century Jews had to Jesus’ claim to deity then compare it with that of the heretics who came later. These 1st Century Jews took Jesus’ words in John 5 about his relationship to the Father as claims of deity, that is, making himself equal with God (John 5:18). Heretics who were not from the time of our Lord and were not Jews of that period were the ones who came up with Arianism, Modalism, et cetera. …   View article →

Take the Catchers Away!

(Steve Lumbley – Apostasy Watch) I recently received an email from the pastor of a small church in Indiana. He was requesting permission to add apostasywatch.com to the list of recommended links on his church website. I told him that would be fine but I did request more information from him regarding his church and their beliefs. The following is an excerpt from one of the emails we have exchanged since then.

We briefly were caught up in the Pensacola Revival of the mid 1990’s. Several of us went there and thought it was a move of God. We “brought it back” with us to Indiana. … Continue reading

John Piper Continues to Confuse Followers on Justification

(Pulpit & Pen News) John Piper has been concerning his followers for quite some time when it comes to elaborating upon the Doctrine of Justification and what he, quite uniquely, calls, “final salvation.” Since Piper’s embrace of Douglas Wilson during the height of the Federal Vision controversy (Wilson has since left Federal Vision behind, thankfully), some Reformed Baptists have uneasily eyed Piper with suspicion on the topic.

Federal Vision, for those who don’t know, holds to twenty or so theological errors (so says the Orthodox Presbyterian Church) which make it aberrant. Since the OPC statement against Federal Vision, most Presbyterian denominations have gone on to formally condemn it. Continue reading

How abandoning Sola Scriptura shipwrecks your faith

(Berean Research) What is the difference between the spiritual transformation that happens through the Holy Spirit, and the Spiritual Formation movement that swept through our churches a few years ago?

The difference is night and day. I remember talking about this with the late Ken Silva in 2012. He helped me understand that the Spiritual Formation movement provided the platform and a channel through which mystical practices began entering many different evangelical and traditional denominations. Continue reading

What is the Day of the Lord?

1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. [Read verses 3-4 on the site] Thessalonians 2:1-4 (NKJV) 

I am not an eschatology “expert” or “specialist.” I believe eschatology is important and we should learn as much as we can from God’s Word about it because it is the fulfillment of God’s plan for His creation and His people. All I know to do is to look at what God’s Word says, keep it in context and make room for the Holy Spirit to write those truths on our hearts. Therefore, let us look at the Biblical term “Day the Lord.” View article →

‘Pope Francis’ Decrees New Feast Day on Liturgical Calendar for Mary, ‘Mother of the Church’

(Christian News Network) Roman Catholic leader Jorge Bergoglio, also known as “Pope Francis,” has decreed that a new feast day be added to the liturgical calendar to honor Mary, called “Mother of the Church.” The announcement has been deemed unbiblical as the Catholic Church continues to place inordinate emphasis on Mary.

The Vatican announced the decree on Saturday, noting that the new Roman Catholic holiday will be observed every year on the Monday after Pentecost. This year, the occasion will fall on May 21. Continue reading

Why Teenagers Are Becoming ‘Trans-curious’

(Joe Carter – The Gospel Coalition) “How is it possible young people are 329 percent more likely than adults to identify as transgender? How is it possible there are almost exactly as many teenagers who identify as transgender as there are adult men and women who identify as gay and lesbian? The only reasonable answer: the phenomenon is a social contagion driven by peers and pop culture, psychologists and pediatricians.”

The Story: A new study published in the medical journal Pediatrics finds many more teens than previously thought say they are transgender or identify themselves using other nontraditional gender terms. Continue reading

University Goes Further Into PC Oblivion With Brand New Pronouns to ‘Keep Students Safe’

(Western Journal) “Co,” “kit,” and “sie” are just a few of the personal pronouns advertised by Bryn Mawr College.

The Pennsylvania college’s “inclusion center” published a guide titled “Asking For and Using Pronouns: Making Spaces More Gender-Inclusive.”

The guide explains why pronouns are important, how to correct mistakes made in addressing people by their pronouns, and examples of personal pronouns, reported Campus Reform. View article →