But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Matthew 7:21 (NKJV) 

There are many false teachings in our time within the visible Church. What we must never forget is that there is nothing new under the Sun. The heresies we encounter now are actually very old. Some have been around a long time in their current form while others are recycled versions of an older heresy that was dealt with hundreds of years ago. Why should our enemy and his seed come up with new attacks when the old ones wreak havoc, deepen spiritual blindness, and keep people mired in man-made religiosity instead of becoming spirit-filled, obedient Christians? View article →

ACLU, Lambda Legal Sue Ohio to Obtain Birth Certificate Change for Those With Gender Dysphoria

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(Heather Clark – Christian News Network) The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio and the transgender advocacy group Lambda Legal have filed a lawsuit against the Ohio Department of Health and the Office of Vital Statistics in an effort to force the State to allow those with gender dysphoria to change the sex on their birth certificate.

The organizations claim that the State’s practice of declining to issue an amended document deprives the person of an “accurate” birth certificate. View article →

MLM-ing Essential Oils at Church

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙

Bible study author, speaker and blogger, Michelle Lesley, responds to a question from her Mailbag: Our church has recently had a visitor come who is now promoting essential oils to the women who are flocking to a class she is having in one of their homes. This makes me very uncomfortable as it appears (to me) that she has visited to increase her MLM [multi-level marketing] customer base while touting medicinal cures via essential oils. Do you have any research on this?

Sounds like a multi-level mess! There are several different issues going on here, so let’s dig in… Continue reading →

Pope: Christians Should Feel Shame for Global Strife

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(Robert Spencer – Frontpage) “In speaking of those who have left the world ‘fractured by divisions and wars,’ Pope Francis doesn’t seem to have said a word about the religion that actually teaches that believers should wage war against and subjugate unbelievers. But of course, about that religion he has said, ‘Authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence.’”

Never missing an opportunity to confuse, disappoint, and demoralize the Catholic faithful, Pope Francis, according to the Latin American Herald Tribune, said on Good Friday that “Christians ought to express shame for the actions of those who are leaving future generations a world ‘fractured by divisions and wars.’” Continue reading →

Roseanne Barr and Laura Ingraham Battle Liberal Elites

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(Jeffrey Lord – CNSNews) Well that didn’t take long.

My prediction was made in this space on October 28, 2017. The headline: “Laura Ingraham: New Fox Star, New Left-Wing Target.”

In which I said the following of the Fox announcement that Laura Ingraham- she the radio talker, ex-Reagan staffer, Justice Clarence Thomas Supreme Court clerk and all-around conservative superstar – would be hosting a new Fox opinion show at 10 pm weekdays. I wrote: View article →

Genuine saving faith is that which prevails over death

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He *said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  Matthew 16:13-20 (NASB) (Read verses 17-20 on the site)

Genuine Christians, God’s heirs, are those who have believed.

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NASB)   View article →

Resurrection Day – He Has Risen!

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

(Josh Buice – Delivered By Grace)  As we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus—we must remember that the resurrection of Jesus is the high point of Christian theology. Why did the chief priests and the religious community of the Jews try to cover up the resurrection of Jesus (see Matt. 28:11-15)? The truth is—out of all of Jesus’ miracles—from the creation of the world (Col. 1:15-16) to the virgin birth (Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:21)—there is no miracle greater than the resurrection that occurred after the brutal Roman crucifixion (Matt. 28:1-10). The resurrection of Jesus stands at the center of Christian theology and points to the validity of all of Jesus’ teachings. If Jesus was not resurrected on the first day of the week (Sunday) after his crucifixion—his prophecy in Matthew 12:40 and John 2:19 would not have been true.

View article →

Do not fashion yourselves like unto this world

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.  Galatians 1:3-5 (NKJV) 

In the late 1970’s I read of a physician in a large urban hospital finding a man admitted with many of his vital organs failing due to extreme alcohol and drug poisoning. He recognized him as one whom he had treated a few years earlier for the same problem. The man was destitute and had been given free medical care. They had treated the man as a project to recover his health. After many weeks he appeared to be completely recovered so they sent him back into the world free from the affects of drugs and alcohol. However, it looked now as if that merciful reclamation project had been totally wasted. The man died the next day. View article →

What Does Jesus’ Death Accomplish?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

(Stacie McKeever – Answers In Genesis) If Jesus suffered the punishment for death on our behalf, why do we still die?

Consider further the following:

  • Our sins are removed from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).
  • We are set free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1–4), yet we continue to sin (Paul chronicled his struggle in Romans 7).
  • Jesus “has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4), yet many continue to suffer from horrible illnesses even after they receive the gift of eternal life.
  • The kingdom of God is one of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17), yet we continue to cry and experience great sorrow.

Continue reading →

Jordan Peterson, Jung, and Hope for the Faint-Hearted

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

Who is Jordan Peterson? If you don’t already know, you will, as he’s the West’s “hottest intellectual.”  Dr. Peterson’s website informs us that he’s a Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, a clinical psychologist, a public speaker, and the and author of “12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos.” He’s become a regular guest on the popular  Fox News show Tucker Carlson Tonight and perhaps other Fox shows as well.  Because of his popularity among people of faith, Dr. Peter Jones thought it was important to put up a warning flag about this man. What you’ll learn about him may surprise you. For one thing, he’s a big fan of famous Swiss psychologist and occultist Carl Jung.  Why does this matter? You’re about to find out. Continue reading →

Live the rest of your life for the will of God

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. Colossians 4:5-6 (NKJV) 

There are really only two mindsets. There is the natural man mindset that we were all born with, then there is the transformed mindset that comes as a result of being transformed by the renewal of our minds as a way of life and walking before the face of God. (Romans 12:1-2) The natural man mindset sees things of God as foolishness or unfairness while the transformed mindset is in the process of learning to see things as God sees them. View article →

CNN Host Baffled Over Charisma Magazine Founder’s ‘Willful Blindness’ in Placing Trump’s Policies Over Personal Character

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Charismatic journalist Stephen Strang’s skilled tap-dance around CNN host’s straight-forward questions rivals that of the greatest tap dancer of all time, Fred Astaire. Heather Clark of Christian News Network has the story:

CNN “New Day” co-host Alisyn Camerota grilled Charisma Magazine founder Stephen Strang on Wednesday in asking why he and other evangelicals continue to unconditionally support Donald Trump and seemingly brush aside or overlook alleged impropriety in his personal life. Continue reading →

51% of Churchgoers Don’t Know of the Great Commission

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According to new research conducted by the Barna Report, a large number of U.S. Christians are clueless that the Lord Jesus  gave specific instructions to His followers to make disciples (share the Gospel of salvation with the lost and teach them the entirety of God’s truth found in the Bible) as they go about their daily lives. Here’s Barna’s stunning report:

Matthew 28:18-20 is the most well-known biblical record of what is commonly referred to extra-biblically as “the Great Commission.” But despite the significance of these and other verses that call Christians to “go and make disciples of all nations,” a surprising proportion of churchgoing Christians in the U.S. are generally unaware of these famous words from Jesus. Continue reading →

Good Friday Was Not Cosmic Child Abuse

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The account of the crucifixion of Christ is found in the New Testament:

    • Matthew 27:33-36, And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
    • Luke 23:33, And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
    • John 19:17-18, They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between.

Josh Buice reminds us that “The entire scene of the cross is filled with brutality, blood, insult, shame, and death.” So, why do Christians call the day Christ was nailed to a cross Good Friday? Should we really think of His brutal crucifixion as a good day….or was it, as some say, actually “cosmic child abuse”? In his blog post over at Delivered By Grace, Pastor Buice takes on the naysayers. He writes:  

On Good Friday each year, Christians remember the most glorious sacrifice and the most horrific murder that ever occurred in human history. Why do we refer to the Friday after Thanksgiving as “Black Friday” and the Friday before Easter “Good Friday”? Should they be reversed? It’s the day set aside on the calendar to remember the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of his people and the heinous murder of God’s Son. Why would we celebrate that day as a good day? Many people flow through Good Friday as if it’s a normal day and they give little to no recognization for the significance of what happened on the day Jesus died. Others celebrate it from a heart of worship. Still others mock the day—calling it cosmic child abuse.  Famed atheist Richard Dawkins writes the following:

The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully. [1]

Is God guilty of abusing his Son on the cross? According to Isaiah 53, “It pleased the LORD (YHWH) to crush him (Jesus)” (Is. 53:10). Some have stated that the Father was “well pleased” with his Son at the baptism (Matt. 3:17), and then he was vengeful with his Son on the cross. How should we reconcile such statements? Why was Good Friday a good day? How can the death of Jesus be considered a good thing? Is it cosmic child abuse worthy of laughter or substitutionary sacrifice worthy of worship? View article →

The Awful Reality of Hell

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

“They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (v. 42). – Matthew 13:24-43

The doctrine of eternal punishment, though unpopular and frightening, is found as a part of the confession of every branch of the Christian church. It has only been in the last century that under the influence of liberalism some have denied the reality of hell. There was a time when preachers proclaimed that “man is very bad and God is really mad.” In those days there was revival, and the church was strong and influential. Then in the nineteenth century it was decided that “man is not so bad, and God surely is not mad.” We reap the rewards of this spineless “Christianity” in society today.   View article →

Pope Francis: ‘There Is No Hell’

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(Michael W. Chapman – CNSNews) In another interview with his longtime atheist friend, Eugenio Scalfari, Pope Francis claims that Hell does not exist and that condemned souls just “disappear.” This is a denial of the 2,000-year-old teaching of the Catholic Church about the reality of Hell and the eternal existence of the soul.

The interview between Scalfari and the Pope was published March 28, 2018 in La Repubblica. The relevant section on Hell was translated by the highly respected web log, Rorate Caeli. Continue reading →

Sin Didn’t Kill Jesus—God Did

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(Tim Challies) This sponsored post is adapted from The Gospel According to God: Rediscovering the Most Remarkable Chapter in the Old Testament by John MacArthur—a book explaining the prophetic words of Isaiah 53 verse by verse, highlighting important connections to the history of Israel, the New Testament, and our lives today.

A Shocking Truth

The reality of Christ’s vicarious, substitutionary death on our behalf is the heart of the gospel according to God—the central theme of Isaiah 53. Continue reading →

‘Roseanne’ BLOWS UP In The Ratings. Trump Supporters Cheer. But There’s One Really Big Problem For Conservatives.

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

(Ben Shapiro – Dailywire) On Tuesday night, Roseanne’s reboot premiered — and it blew up in the ratings. Fully 18.2 million Americans between the ages of 18-49 watched the show. It received a 5.1 rating. It was the best Tuesday night premier for ABC since 2006. Americans tuned in in shocking numbers.

Many conservatives are overjoyed at this — they see it as a cultural moment of great import, because Roseanne’s character is a Trump supporter. She shellacks Hillary on the show. Her sister, a purported Hillary supporter, couldn’t even bring herself to vote Hillary — she voted for Jill Stein. Continue reading →

The transformed mindset vs the natural man mindset

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (NKJV) 

As believers mature in Christ they will find that they will also, by the Spirit, be turning over all parts of their lives to the sovereignty of God. This is a huge part of the process God uses to transform us unto the image of the Son. What is our part? View article →

New CBS Sitcom ‘Living Biblically’ Decried as ‘Hollywood Mockery of Christians’

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(Heather Clark – Christian News Network) “The script for Living Biblically reads like it has been written by your typical, cynical, atheistic, internet trolls, as the story lines feed into almost every stereotypical caricature of Christianity that we find on the World Wide Web.”

Despite its producers stated intentions not to be offensive, but to bring religion into primetime television, a blasphemous new sitcom on CBS called “Living Biblically” is being decried as a “Hollywood mockery of Christians” and in need of prayer itself. Continue reading →

Backlash after Planned Parenthood branch tweets: ‘We need a Disney princess who’s had an abortion’

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(Fox News) A local Planned Parenthood office in Pennsylvania had some advice for the creators at Disney Tuesday after tweeting about the need for princesses who have “had an abortion” or are “trans.”

The tweet from Planned Parenthood Keystone, which was viewed by Fox News but has since been deleted, said, “We need a disney princess who’s had an abortion. We need a disney princess who’s pro-choice. We need a disney princess who’s an undocumented immigrant. We need a disney princess who’s actually a union worker. We need a disney princess who’s trans.” View article →

EC’s Frank Page resigns over ‘personal failing’

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(Baptist Press) Frank S. Page has resigned as president and chief executive officer of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, effective today (March 27) over what is described as “a morally inappropriate relationship in the recent past.”

Florida pastor Stephen Rummage, chairman of the Executive Committee, released a 300-word statement Tuesday afternoon (March 27) in behalf of the EC’s officers noting the circumstances of Page’s resignation:

“Last evening, the officers of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee met via phone conference with Dr. Frank Page during which he announced his plans for retirement. Today, I spoke with Dr. Page and learned that his retirement announcement was precipitated by a morally inappropriate relationship in the recent past. Continue reading →

All in Christ are actually damaged goods

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NKJV) (Read verse 11 on the site)

There is a push in the United States to make it illegal to preach the truth from God’s Word where it pertains to the sin of homosexuality. Of course the emphasis of those laws or initiatives is to protect the rights of certain people based on their sexual preference, which is also called gay rights. They say that to preach what the Bible says about homosexuality is to foment hate; therefore, the laws are placed under the umbrella of hate crimes. View article →