Justice Thomas: America Now in Conflict Between Religious Liberty and Court’s Decree on Gay Marriage

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(Terrence P. Jeffrey – CNSNews) – In his dissenting opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges, Justice Clarence Thomas predicted that the court’s declaration that same-sex marriage is a right would ultimately lead to conflict between that purported right and religious liberty.

In his concurring opinion today in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Thomas concludes: “This case proves that the conflict has already emerged.”

In Obergefell, decided by a 5-4 vote in 2015, the Supreme Court declared that the 14th Amendment creates a right for people of the same sex to marry one another. Continue reading →

SBC Leaders Float Idea of Beth Moore As Next Denomination President

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(Pulpit & Pen)  Beth Moore, who is best known as Lifeway’s Cash Cow of Bashan, the extremely popular women’s teacher whose increasingly wild-eyed prophetic visions have gained prominence in a wide berth of evangelicalism well outside the SBC (especially in charismatic circles, as she coalesces with other egalitarian prophetesses like Anne Voskamp, Joyce Meyer, and Christine Caine), may very well be promoted as the next president of the SBC after the upcoming term of JD Greear.

Greear, who is seen as the favorite for the 2018 SBC election, holds to a modified Complementarian position that is, for all intents and purposes, Egalitarian. Also a Continuationist and a #woke Social Justice Warrior, the megachurch satellite campus pastor is well departed from Southern Baptist historic orthodoxy on a number of points. … Continue reading →

The Orthodox Christian view of sin

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5 NASB)

Those who have a problem with the Doctrine of Original Sin and the Wrath of God against all sin attempt to paint the God of Reformation Theology as some sort of ogre full of anger with very little love manifest except in the case of a chosen few. In their examples of how God operates in saving people, sin is never the issue. …  View article →

LGBT Christians

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“Even more problematic is how the Revoice conference identifies Christian with LGBT lifestyles. Their goal is to support and empower and encourage LGBT Christians as if the LGBT descriptor cannot be separated from Christians. One who was once immersed in a homosexual orientation and desire cannot just be a Christian now, but must be a LGBT Christian.”

(Fred Butler – Bible Thumping Wingnut)  The crazy train driving conservative evangelicals to normalize sexual perversion keeps chugging along down the track. While it may sound like a think-tank associated with the United Methodists, or the PCUSA or even the Unitarians, The Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender insists they are conservative evangelicals. They are even endorsed by such luminaries as Francis Chan, Matt Chandler, and Karen Swallow Prior. Continue reading →

Supreme Court sides with Colorado baker who refused to make wedding cake for same-sex couple

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(Fox News)  The Supreme Court ruled Monday in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, in one of the most closely watched cases of the term.

In a 7-2 decision, the justices set aside a Colorado court ruling against the baker — while stopping short of deciding the broader issue of whether a business can refuse to serve gay and lesbian people

The narrow ruling focused on what the court described as anti-religious bias on the Colorado Civil Rights Commission when it ruled against baker Jack Phillips.. Continue reading →

Are You Godly Enough to Watch Smut?

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“It is considered legalistic to suggest that perhaps this is unfitting fare for Christians and inconsistent with Scripture.”

(Tim Challies) The more time you spend reading history, the more you see how things that are considered normal by one generation are often considered scandalous by the next. The moral laxity of one age often gives way to the moral clarity of the one that follows. I’m convinced an area of moral laxity among today’s Christians is entertainment, and especially the general apathy toward blatant sexuality and nudity in our movies and television series. Continue reading →

The vast majority of the “visible church” are “cakes not turned”

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

8 Ephraim mixes himself with the nations; Ephraim has become a cake not turned. Hosea 7:8 (NASB) 

The Gospel is not something given to us in such a way that gives us the right to edit it. Nor is it our prerogative to change the focus of our local churches from what God intended. The Church Growth movement does both. Of course, this movement has pragmatism at its core. It is actually a philosophy. This philosophy says that if something produces the desired results then it must be right and, therefore, the will of God. However, there is a major flaw in this philosophy. It begins with a false assumption. View article →

The nature of hypocrisy

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

6 “I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go. My heart does not reproach any of my days. 7 “May my enemy be as the wicked And my opponent as the unjust. 8 “For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, When God requires his life? 9 “Will God hear his cry When distress comes upon him? 10 “Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times? Job 27:6-10 (NASB)

One of the easiest accusations that Christians can hurl at one another is the epitaph “Hypocrite!” I probably receive at least half a dozen emails or comments a week with that accusation firmly pointed at me. Most of those never make it through the spam process. What is a hypocrite? A hypocrite may be a very neat imitation of a Christian. He professes to know God, to converse with him, to be dedicated to his service, and to invoke his protection: he even practices prayer, or at least feigns it. Yet the cleverest counterfeit fails somewhere, and may be discovered by certain signs. The test is here: “Will he call on God at all times?” View article →

Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry – soaking, declaring and spinning into delusion

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Rick Becker exposes the occult practices that are going on inside Bethel Church in Redding CA through its School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM), or as students like to call it “Christian Hogwarts.” Becker shows the ways in which undiscerning “Christians,” especially the younger generation, are being deceived by wolves in sheep’s clothing who are looked up to, some even idolized, because of their celebrity status.  Two highly esteemed Bethel Church celebs are Bethel’s Senior Wizard Pastor and so-called “apostle” Bill Johnson, and Senior Associate Wizard Leader and one of BSSM’s founders Kris Vallotton. And let’s not forget the hugely popular Jesus Culture band that was birthed at Bethel.

Now that we’ve offered some additional background on the aforementioned Christian Hogwarts, let’s go to Rick Becker’s report over at Famine In The Land: Continue reading →

Google is labeling a Trump-supporting Republican state senator a ‘BIGOT’

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(Alex Thompson – Vice News)  Trudy Wade is a Republican state senator from North Carolina and an enthusiastic supporter of President Trump.

But if you search “Trudy Wade” on Google, the search giant displays an old photo in the “knowledge panel” of its search results with “BIGOT” superimposed in big red letters.

It’s just the latest example of Google not vetting the information that gets pulled into its “knowledge panels,” which are meant to give users quick information without them having to click through search results (often on other, non-Google websites). Continue reading →

A New Man and a New Name

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Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. Acts 11:25-26

It has been as much as ten years since we have seen Saul. Ten years ago he left Jerusalem with his tail between his legs and went to Tarsus, his home town, defeated and disillusioned because he had been trying to serve God in his own eager zeal. He had not yet learned the process of dependence upon the Holy Spirit, upon the life of Jesus within. But in those ten years he has learned a lot. He was not entirely idle, as he tells us in Galatians. He preached the word throughout the regions of Syria, and of Cilicia, the area around Tarsus. Continue reading on Ray Stedman Daily Devotions

Hey #MeToo, Planned Parenthood Has Been Covering Up Sex Abuse And Child Rape For Decades

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(Matt Walsh – Daily Wire)  Planned Parenthood is very thankful for Samantha Bee and Roseanne this week. The controversies surrounding both women have managed to overshadow, even among conservative pundits and publications, the news that the abortion giant has been aiding and abetting child rapists and sexual abusers for decades.

In a damning report published by Live Action, citing eye witness accounts, court cases, video footage, and the testimony of victims, it was revealed that the tax-funded abortion corporation has been engaged in a criminal conspiracy to cover up sex crimes. The specific cases mentioned in the report are downright chilling.    View article →

Just Stop it, Part 2: How To Repent Of Lying

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We recently posted Just Stop It: Instructions on how to repent by Clint Archer of The Cripplegate. Following is part 2 of Archer’s series on sin and repentance. He writes:

This is one of those math questions that doesn’t look like a math question, and when you see it on a test it makes you want to cry:

If you encounter two men in the forest, each one guarding a path, and all you know is that one of them always tells the truth and the other always tells a lie, but you don’t know which one is the liar, what one question could you ask to determine which path to take? Continue reading →

Marijuana: Big Tobacco 2.0

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This is a predatory industry at war with America’s general welfare.

(J.J. McCullough – National Review)  Big marijuana news was made last week when the firm Aurora Cannabis merged with rival MedReleaf in a $3.2 billion deal — the largest in the history of the industry. The merger will help consolidate Auroa’s status as “the biggest pure play cannabis company in the world,” the CBC reported, noting the company’s “supply and licensing agreements in countries as far afield as Germany, Italy, Brazil and Australia.” … Continue reading →

Prayer that is powerful and effectual

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray on behalf of one another so that you may be cured. The petition of the righteous, being effective, has great power. James 5:16 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

Prayer, to me, has always been a very personal thing. Yes, I have always admired those people who can pray those long eloquent prayers publicly, but I am not one of those. When I pray, I do so with a one-on-one between me and God. Of course, there is always Paul’s exhortation from 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

17 unceasingly pray, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)   View article →

Should Christians listen to ‘Reckless Love’?

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Bible study author, speaker and blogger Michelle Lesley received the following questions from a visitor to her blog:

Should Christians listen to the song Reckless Love? Should churches use this song in their worship services or other activities? Aren’t songs like this OK if they point people to Jesus and the lyrics don’t blatantly contradict Scripture?

Good questions!  Here’s Michelle’s response:

Goodness, I have never seen so much buzz over whether or not a particular song is OK to listen to or use at church. Regardless of your opinion of the song itself, I think we could all agree that one awesome thing that has come out of the Reckless Love debate is that it has encouraged Christians to actually look at the lyrics of, and think theologically about, the songs they listen to on the radio or sing in their worship services. Continue reading →

Obama’s spying scandal is starting to look a lot like Watergate

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(Michael Baron – New York Post)  “F.B.I. Used Informant to Investigate Russia Ties to Campaign, Not to Spy, as Trump Claims,” read the headline on a lengthy New York Times story May 18. “The Justice Department used a suspected informant to probe whether Trump campaign aides were making improper contacts with Russia in 2016,” read a story in the May 21 edition of the Wall Street Journal.

So much for those who dismissed charges of Obama administration infiltration of Donald Trump’s campaign as paranoid fantasy. Defenders of the Obama intelligence and law enforcement apparat have had to fall back on the argument that this infiltration was for Trump’s — and the nation’s — own good. Continue reading →

How To Tell if it’s a Prosperity Gospel Church

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“71 percent of American prosperity megachurches use the image of the senior pastor as the primary advertisement on the church’s homepage.” 

(Tim Challies) The prosperity gospel is a diverse, popular, and worldwide movement that understands faith to be the instrument through which Christians can attain physical health, material riches, and divine favor. There are countless thousands of these churches around the world with various levels of adherence to the key tenets of the wider movement, yet they rarely advertise themselves as prosperity gospel churches. So how can we know if a church is part of this movement? In Kate Bowler’s book Blessed, she provides some helpful guidance. Continue reading →

Paige Patterson Fired by Southwestern, Stripped of Retirement Benefits

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“Patterson supporters seemed willing to live with the decision but it infuriated many, especially conservative Christian women, who said Patterson had not been explicitly held accountable and had been allowed to retire with his stature intact.”

(Kate Shellnutt – Christianity Today) A week after trustees voted to immediately shift Paige Patterson to “president emeritus” at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS), the board’s executive committee has stripped the Southern Baptist stalwart of all “benefits, rights and privileges.” Continue reading →

Apostates, tares, fiery trials, and tests

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household! Matthew 10:24-25 (NASB) 

When God saves a person, it is a resurrection from spiritual death to spiritual life. No matter how many years that person lives in this life after that, that condition will not change. However, all those whom God saves are left to deal with their flesh in a demon infested temporal place that He uses to purify and mold them unto the image of their Saviour. This process is dealt with all through the New Testament and is referred to as fiery trials or tests. …  View article →

Yes, Alexa Is Spying On You, Even If Unintentionally

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“First of all, let’s be clear about one thing. Alexa, Siri and Cortana are always listening. If they weren’t, how would they know when you said their name to wake them up?”

(Jazz Shaw – Hot Air)  Continuing with our ongoing investigation into What The Heck Are These Newfangled Machines Up To, an interesting story popped up last week involving the Amazon digital assistant known as Alexa. One family in Oregon ran into an unexpected and potentially embarrassing situation after discovering that Alexa was far more interested in what they were talking about than they’d originally imagined. Even more alarming was the fact that she was pretty proactive about it too. … Continue reading →

Do believers need the Gospel?

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“We all need this message, every day! Paul knew this. The Gospel is the mighty rushing wind of power and sustenance for every believer on earth who lives by the Spirit. “

(Elizabeth Prata – The End Time)  Paul opens his massive and majestic letter to the Romans with effusive rhapsodies of his love for the Roman believers and his gratitude for their faith- which he said is known the world over. He speaks of his intense desire to come to them so that he can be encouraged by their faith. Paul mentions them all the time to everyone. And so on. Continue reading →

Willow Creek Hires Independent Firm to Help Reconcile With Bill Hybels’ Accusers; Women Say They Want Truth First

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(Leonardo Blair – Christian Post)  Two weeks after Willow Creek Community Church’s elder board apologized for initially brushing off several women’s sexual misconduct accusations against founder Bill Hybels as lies, some of the pastor’s most vocal accusers have rejected an independent conciliation effort offered by the megachurch as an olive branch.

“The elders have said publicly that they are trying to reach out and ‘care for the women’ involved. But what would true caring look like? In my view, this is not the time to enter into any kind of reconciliation process. That is grossly premature. As I have said in prior statements, truth finding must precede reconciliation,” Nancy Beach, Willow Creek Community Church’s first female teaching pastor, wrote in part in a blog post on Friday. Continue reading →

Seeker-Sensitivity Circa 1975

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God saved me in 1986, but that was by no means the beginning of the history of my Churchianity and religiosity. No, I grew up going to church. When I was in the U.S. Navy (June 1973-July 1976) I was stationed in Washington D.C. I was in a period of rebellion at that time in which I wanted nothing to do with “church” in any form. My family was all Southern Baptists, which is the dominant denomination in Oklahoma where I grew up. However, in 1975 I moved to a new apartment just off of Columbia Pike in Arlington, Virginia. There was a married couple on my floor that I became acquainted with over the next several weeks. They invited me to their church. It was in the District. I resisted for quite awhile, but finally agreed to go. It was nothing like “church” that I was used to. …  View article →

‘Heretic’ in the Vatican

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“The shift may seem like small beer to non-Catholics — and Francis’ suggestions are already the practice among many priests. But the changes have become the touch-paper for conservative dissent, enflaming mutterings of disapproval into open mutiny. The Vatican’s conservative flank is increasingly taking action.”

(Hannah Roberts – Politico)  ROME — “They call me a heretic.”

Not the words you’d expect to hear from the head of the Roman Catholic Church. But that’s what Pope Francis told a group of fellow Jesuits in Chile earlier this year, acknowledging the fierce pushback from arch-conservatives in the Vatican. Continue reading →