Who are heirs with Christ?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:16-17 (NASB) 

Even through as Christians we are justified and are under no condemnation (Romans 8:1) it is also clearly taught in God’s Word that Christians are to live lives of repentance from the works of the flesh. However, there are some who take the Doctrines of Grace and separate them from the great teachings of the Puritans such as John Owen, John Bunyan, Thomas Watson, Jonathan Edwards, et cetera that made it clear that in this life Christians are required to “work out their salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). … View article →

Remembering Elliot Miller

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(Eric Pement – Executive Director EMNR)  Former EMNR board member Elliot Miller passed into the presence of the Lord Jesus on April 11, 2018. Born in 1951, Elliot turned to Eastern mysticism and meditation during the Age of Aquarius in the 1960s, experimented with drugs and psychedelics, but in his confusion was confronted and converted by the real Christ during the Jesus Movement of the late sixties and early seventies. Southern California in that era provided many coffeehouses, cults, and communes, and Elliot lived for a while in one of the Christian communes in the west coast. I believe it was called Shiloh. Continue reading →

You Can’t Love Jesus with a Heart Full of Hate: 7 Reasons to Love and Forgive Your Enemies

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Bible study author, speaker and blogger Michelle Lesley offers 7 reasons God gives us in His Word to love and forgive our enemies. Here’s one example: You Can’t Love Jesus With A Heart Full Of Unforgiveness. The reason she gives is that “Your enemy – that person you hate and refuse to forgive because he hurt you – has sinned infinitely more against a holy and righteous God than he could ever sin against you.”  Sadly, most Christians never even consider that all sin is first and foremost against a holy God.

Now discover 6 more reasons Christians must forgive those who have sinned against them: Continue reading →

Drop in U.S. Catholic Church Attendance Under Pope Francis Sharpest in Decades

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(Thomas D. Williams – Breitbart) Catholic church attendance in the United States fell by six percent between the pontificates of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, the sharpest drop in decades, a new Gallup poll has revealed.

An average of 39 percent of U.S. Catholics attended church weekly during the heart of the Francis papacy, from 2014 to 2017, Gallup found in a survey released April 9, which represents a significant drop from the 45 percent of Catholics who attended weekly Mass from 2005 to 2008, in the early years of the Benedict pontificate. View article →

Read Our Research Paper on Roman Catholicism

God is holding on to you

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

(Warren Peel – Gentle Reformation)  Over and over again God reassures his people that he is holding on to us by his right hand. In Isaiah 41.10, for example: ‘…fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’ That is a wonderful promise to comfort us—our heavenly Father will not let us go. Even if we might try to break free of his grip and let go of him, he is holding on to us tightly and keeping us safe.

This is one way of picturing the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. Every true believer will inevitably make it safely home to glory because the Lord is preserving him or her. We persevere because he preserves us; we keep on going because he goes on keeping. The two halves of Psalm 63.8 reflect the two sides of the doctrine of perseverance: ‘My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.’ Our souls go on clinging to God in faith because his right hand is upholding us. View article →

‘Fake Weed’ Is Leading to Cases of Severe Bleeding

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(LifeZette) “Despite the perception that synthetic cannabinoids are safe and a legal alternative to marijuana, many are illegal and can cause severe illness.” 

Emergency rooms in Illinois are noticing a spike in synthetic pot users suffering from severe bleeding, and state health officials are warning the public to remain vigilant.

The Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) issued a statement on in March announcing that at least six people in northeastern Illinois had been hospitalized after using the man-made substance — also known as “fake weed,” “K2,” or “spice.” On Wednesday, the number of cases climbed to 118, including three deaths, the health department reported. View article →

I’m old enough to remember when ‘evangelical’ was a bad word

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According to Jesse Johnson “evangelical suffers from an ambiguity largely owning to its diversity. The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) is different than the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, yet members of both would sign the Manhattan Declaration. If you believe the gospel and the fundamentals (inerrancy, virgin birth, bodily resurrection, personal conversion, etc.), does that make you evangelical? There is no clear answer to that question.”  But what is clear says Johnson is that “an evangelical is someone who says with their feet that Catholicism and liberalism are wrong, but they just would never say so with their mouths. They leave the Catholic church on Sundays, but turn around and call Catholics our brothers in the Lord on Tuesdays. This is evangelicalism’s squishy middle.” Continue reading →

Comey’s Book Deal Shows He’s ‘Grandstanding, Glory Seeker’

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(Randy DeSoto – The Western Journal)  Radio talk show host Ben Shapiro accused James Comey of being a “grandstanding, glory seeker” as the former FBI director began a publicity tour to promote his soon to be released book.

Shapiro tweeted on Thursday, “Serious question: if Comey isn’t a grandstanding glory-seeker, why wait a year and a book deal before telling the whole story?” (See Shapiro’s tweet on the site)

President Donald Trump fired Comey in May 2017, citing the FBI director’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, and a memo from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein making the recommendation. View article →

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NASB) 

1 Οὐδὲν ἄρα νῦν κατάκριμα τοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Romans 8:1 (NA28)

1 Therefore there is no condemnation to the ones in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

In the English translations of the text above, the “therefore” translates ἄρα (ara), “as a result, then, so, therefore, possible.” Normally a “therefore” marks the conclusion of the verses immediately preceding it, but here it introduces the staggering results of the Apostle’s teaching in the first seven chapters (of Romans), which states that justification is by faith alone on the basis of God’s overwhelming grace. For those in Christ, there is “no condemnation.” What does that mean? View article →

Pro-Life Students Stage Nationwide Walkout to Protest Abortion

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(Deirdre Reilly – LifeZette) Two hundred high schools and 80 colleges participated in the pro-life walkout described below — but there was little or no local or national media coverage of these events.

Hundreds of pro-life high school and college students are walking out of their classrooms this morning for 17 minutes to protest abortion — and to honor the lives lost to the brutal procedure.

Inspired by California high school student Brandon Gillespie — a teen who was inspired to take a stand after teacher Julianne Benzel was suspended March 14 for posing a hypothetical question about a potential pro-life walkout — students from up to 200 high schools and 80 colleges indicated they would walk out of their classrooms, a spokesperson for the event told LifeZette. View article →

‘Chappaquiddick’ Star: ‘Everybody Gave [Ted Kennedy] a Pass’

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(Christian Toto – NewsBusters) Jason Clarke got quite the education after accepting the lead role in Chappaquiddick.

The movie, out April 6, follows the events surrounding the 1969 death of Mary Jo Kopechne. Sen. Ted Kennedy (Clarke) was driving Kopechne, a campaign worker for his late brother Robert F. Kennedy, home on the Massachusettes island of Chappaquiddick when he crashed his Oldsmobile through a fence, landing the car in a pond. Continue reading →

How To Do Online Discernment Ministry, part 1

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Photo credit: 8:28 Ministries

“No matter if you are in your pew listening to a sermon, choosing a book at the Christian bookstore, or reading some essays online, you need discernment to determine if what you are absorbing aligns with God’s word or is a lie designed to incrementally steer you away from the narrow path.”

In this 2 part series, Elizabeth Prata of The End Time offers her perspective on assessing whether an online apologetics and discernment ministry is “operating appropriately within an edifying sphere of the gift, or is just a critical crank out to get someone or has an ax to grind.” Here’s part 1: Continue reading →

Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 18:1-6 (NKJV) (Read verses 4-6 on the site)

The Bible is the Word of God. It is inerrant, inspired, and our final authority for faith and life. The Bibles we have in our day are translations of Greek and Hebrew manuscripts. These translations are rendered into most languages of the earth in our time. When we study the Bible, dig into God’s Word to know Him and His ways then He will bless us with knowledge as He gives us wisdom, discernment, and direction. … View article →

Ben Shapiro: Response to London Attacks ‘Demonstrates What Happens When an Entire Civilization Loses Their Mind’

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(Michael Morris – CNSNews) On his daily Facebook Live podcast “The Ben Shapiro Show” yesterday, host and Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Wire Ben Shapiro brought attention to the recent spike in murders in London, saying, London’s reaction to the recent knife attacks “demonstrates what happens when an entire civilization loses their mind.”

“Soon, we’ll end up all sitting in blank rooms with no furniture because anything can be used as a—maybe pillows, but no, we could use pillows for suffocation,” stated Ben Shapiro. … Continue reading →

Hybels steps down from Willow Creek following allegations of misconduct

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(Manya Brachear Pashman and Jeff Coen – Chicago Tribune)  Forty-two years after founding one of the nation’s most influential evangelical megachurches, the Rev. Bill Hybels told his congregation Tuesday night that he would step down from the helm of Willow Creek Community Church six months ahead of schedule.His departure comes less than a month after a Chicago Tribune investigation disclosed that Hybels had been the subject of inquiries by church leaders into claims that he ran afoul of church teachings by engaging in inappropriate behavior with women in his congregation — including employees — allegedly spanning decades. The inquiries had cleared Hybels. Continue reading →

Racialism vs Christian Unity

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

Several months ago I was in a discussion group on Facebook that I am fond of when I ran head-on into a “minister/pastor” who claimed to be an authority on something I confess I knew very a little about at that time. That subject was the Social Justice Gospel. He proclaimed that he and all those in his “church” were “Social Justice Warriors.” I tried very hard to rebuke much of what he and his friends were saying by using what the Word of God says the Gospel is and what it isn’t. Most of his friends disappeared from the discussion, but he was stubborn. He tried to tell me that my interpretation of the Gospel was a misunderstanding.  I needed to be “awoken” to “wake up” to be “educated” and realize that as a white person I was inherently guilty of all the crimes suffered by his race, et cetera. I never told him that I was a mixed race person who actually viewed people as either Christian or not. When I wouldn’t budge, he got tired and left. I was baffled by the whole thing. What is going on? View article →

Francis Chan: ‘God Might Kill You If You Criticize Church Leaders’

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Francis Chan praying with false teacher Mike Bickle

During a speaking engagement*, popular preacher and author Francis Chan told the group that God will destroy anyone who questions or criticizes the teachings of Christian leaders. Steven Kozar of Messed Up Church has the story which includes a must watch video of Bethel’s guest speaker so that we can see for ourselves that he was not kidding around; he was as serious as a heart attack. Here’s Steven Kozar’s post:

There’s a recent video sermon from Francis Chan which has eerie similarities to a cult leader indoctrinating his followers. His basic argument is this: Continue reading →

Boston Marathon Runners Can Compete as Gender ‘They Specify Themselves to Be’

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(Heather Clark – Christian News) The Boston Athletic Association, the group behind the Boston Marathon, has confirmed that it allows runners to compete as the gender with which they self-identify—a controversial allowance that has raised questions about whether it gives male runners who identify as female an unfair advantage.

“We take people at their word. We register people as they specify themselves to be,” Tom Grilk, chief of the Boston Athletic Association, told the Boston Herald. “Members of the LGBT community have had a lot to deal with over the years, and we’d rather not add to that burden.” View article →

Bethel medical conference raises concerns

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(Anita Brady – Record Searchlight) “[Bethel] has the goal of infiltrating all aspects of society (the Seven Mountains Mandate) and locally/globally influence it to their version of Christian faith. Angel feathers and gold dust, grave sucking, fire tunnels, faith healings, and praying in tongues are on the agenda of this ‘church.’”

Mid-April, Bethel will hold its fourth annual Medical Healing Conference in Redding. Be assured the word “medical” is used to try to make this conference seem legitimate. It is not. Continue reading →

Who or what is an antichrist?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 1 Timothy 4:1 (NKJV) 

According to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in John 15 the mark of Christian authenticity is abiding or remaining in Him. This is not simply a continual profession of faith, but a remaining faithful to Christ in our orthodox Christian faith. According to Paul, apostasy is a two-fold action of departing from the faith and giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. The Apostle John called the Christian leaders who do this antichrists. View article →

A warning about Hillsong’s Facebook marketing ‘con job’.

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

(Churchwatch Central) Brian Houston often says that it’s by the grace of God he is where he is today. This is completely fraudulent on so many levels. With that in mind and given its wordwide impact, it is worth examining the marketing arm of Hillsong.

While biblical Christianity trusts that Jesus will grow His church through the preaching of His gospel, Hillsong has relied heavily on marketing research and innovations to grow their empire. In this example, we highlight their latest marketing ploy. Continue reading →

A Naked Emperor in the Southern Baptist Convention

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How long will it take before the Southern Baptist Convention disqualifies and/or disciplines some of its leaders such as Rick Warren, Andy Stanley & Beth Moore who are in blatant unrepentant sin, wonders Bible study author, speaker and blogger Michelle Lesley. “Is there any amount of sin these pastors and teachers, and those like them, can commit that will cause those in SBC leadership to pull their materials off the shelves of LifeWay, deny them a seat at the table, and urge them to repent and step down from their positions?” The answer is that the SBC has chosen to let sleeping dogs lie. So it appears that SBC celebs who remain in unrepentant sin will not suffer any consequences whatsoever. At least not from the SBC’s hierarchy. Continue reading →

Secular Humanism and genuine Christian faith

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Luke 24:1-7 (NKJV)  (Read verses 5-7 on the site)

Secularism is a philosophy. When he was still living and ministering R.C. Sproul taught a series titled Secularism. In this teaching series Sproul contended that the philosophy of Secularism is the driving force behind the collapse of the Christian World View with it being replaced with that of Secular Humanism. This view contends that there is no possibility of any person knowing or finding absolute truth. View article →