(Breitbart) By inserting negative search suggestions under the name of a candidate, search engines like Google can shift the opinions of undecided voters by up to 43.4 percent, according to new research by a team at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology and reported exclusively by Breitbart News.
The lead author of the study, Dr. Robert Epstein, has previously conducted research into what he calls the Search Engine Manipulation Effect (SEME). … Continue reading
(Pulpit & Pen) Dr. Michael Brown refers to the New Apostolic Reformation (commonly known by the acronym, NAR) as the “so-called NAR.” As virtually anyone with basic reading comprehension can easily know, NAR exists. It hasn’t been a secret. Although its name has been changed over the years, there is no doubt that the New Apostolic Reformation was and is an organized and relatively open movement in charismatic Christianity. Dr. Brown, who is the lead apologist for the heretical movement, is unique among NAR leaders in that he enjoys close fellowship with non-charismatic evangelical leaders. For the most part, Brown denies that NAR exists or is a strange, convoluted conspiracy theory when in front of non-charismatics, but among NAR audiences, he recognizes its existence and embraces its chief leaders. Continue reading
(Bradford Richardson – Washington Times) “We have had enough, and we’re not going to take it anymore. Canada is a nation that has a Charter of Rights, which include freedom of religion and freedom of conscience. Our rights have been trampled by the sex-ed curriculum in our schools.”
“Mom, you won’t believe what my teacher’s talking about right now.”
That is the text message Regina Young, a parent in North Carolina’s Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, said she received from her seventh-grade daughter one day. Continue reading
27 Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” 28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Matthew 19:27-30 (NASB) (Read verses 29-30 on the site)
God awoke this believer from a spiritual stupor in 2004. From my rebirth in January 1986 through the end of 2003 I rode a roller coaster of faithfulness and backsliding to the point that I despaired of ever being able to be consistent in my walk. What always amazed me during that period is how God still used the spiritual gifts He had given me despite my own sorry spiritual state. …
(Jordan Standridge – The Cripplegate) “The pope’s false teaching would have been bad enough had he just whispered it in the child’s ear. But then, with the child’s permission he decided to relay to the crowd the false teaching as well. He didn’t have to do that. He could have just lied to the child, and one could have said he buckled under pressure. But the moment the pope went out of his way to teach the crowd, was the moment that he went from being a coward to a tool of the devil.”
Pope Francis has made several controversial statements throughout the years, but perhaps none quite as controversial as the one in this video. You can watch it here. Continue reading
(Cal Thomas – Fox News) “What would happen in our culture and especially in our politics if all of those who call themselves evangelicals began obeying the commands of Jesus of Nazareth?”
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (Matthew 6:24)
The verse refers to money, but in light of today’s debate about the unaccountable devotion many Christian leaders have for President Trump it is not a stretch to apply it to their relationship with him. Continue reading
(Faith Moore – PJ Media) “Is there such a thing as toxic femininity? If not, there should be. It would be the practice of claiming that anything male is inherently wrong and must be destroyed and replaced with femininity. Oh wait, that already has a name. It’s called ‘feminism.'”
For a while now, feminists have been trying to find a way to combat “toxic masculinity.” The feminist belief that rape and other sexual crimes stem from societal norms about masculinity has caused the term “toxic” to come to encompass any behavior that is traditionally considered male. … Continue reading
1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” Revelation 17:1-2 (NASB)
John the Baptist was the one who was sent to make the way straight, to prepare the way for the one was to come. Of course the one who was to come is our Lord Jesus Christ the long awaited Messiah of the Jews. …
(Josh Buice – Delivered By Grace) Yesterday morning, I had the privilege to preach Romans 1:24-32 in our series through Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. In our previous study, we covered Paul’s warning regarding God’s wrath and how it’s poured out upon those who continue to suppress the truth and ignore the reality of God’s existence and God’s grace. Many people in our present culture like to talk about God’s judgment as if it’s an eschatological judgment reserved for the future. Could it be that the judgment articulated in Romans 1 is already present in our culture today? If so, what is the evidence of such judgment? Continue reading
According to Elizabeth Prata of The End Time, the word broken is being used by Christians to change perceptions, even to redefine sin. “Is it acceptable to use the word broken when referencing already-saved Christians? Or even non-saved people?” inquires Prata. No! “The truth is, we are not broken. We are sinners WITHOUT righteousness. We are totally corrupt. We need HIS external righteousness. We are not just broken, but beyond repair. We’re dead! That’s why the Bible says when we’re saved, we are a new person, from a new birth, regenerated, born again, given a new heart.”
Elizabeth has more thoughts on substituting the word brokenness for what the Bible calls sin. She writes: Continue reading
(Bob Smietana – Christianity Today) Last night, Willow Creek Community Church made a promise to its members following the early departure of its founder and senior pastor, Bill Hybels.
“Even though Bill is no longer in his role, our work to resolve any shadow of doubt in the trustworthiness of [Willow] is not done,” the church’s board of elders told members in a Friday evening letter. “With the benefit of hindsight, we see several aspects of our past work that we would have handled differently, and we have identified several areas of learning.” Continue reading
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12 (NASB)
Christian apologetics and discernment are very serious things. It is very easy to incorporate the ways of the world into method and focus in this. When this happens then attacks on professing Christians come from an impure motive. This then causes the ones making the accusations to use slander, speaking evil against their target falsely. …
(Derek Thomas – Ligonier Ministries) According to Jesus, it is what we do in secret that matters most. Jesus is not suggesting that the outward is unimportant—far from it. “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14).
The answer is emphatically no. Still, it is also possible to have outward works but no inner reality. In this instance, religion is a pretense. Six times in the Sermon on the Mount, alluding to three distinct exercises, Jesus employs the term secret:
There are a gazillion reasons for those who attend Bethel Church in Redding, CA to RUN AWAY from that “church.” Steven Kozar of Messed Up Church lists 10:
1. Bill Johnson & Kris Vallotton (and other Bethel pastors) put their own words above the Word of God. Listen to them talk and you’ll hear very few actual Bible verses, but you will hear a lot of their own thoughts and ideas that they claim to have received directly from God. This is not accidental. They believe they are a new and better type of Christian leader who can hear directly from God and get “downloads” of new information. They believe the Bible is merely a good starting point that has useful information about God, but to really know Him you must go further than the Bible-you need to go “off the map.” Continue reading
(George Stiekes – Proclaim & Defend) And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Job 1:8
There are so many questions asked in the book of Job. When God’s people suffer hurt and tribulation, it is not unusual at all for them to ask questions.
(Matt Walsh – Daily Wire) If you want to catch a glimpse of the horrific, dystopian implications of socialized medicine, you need not skim through a science fiction novel. Simply look overseas to Europe, where yet another sick child has been sentenced to death by a U.K. death panel. First Charlie Gard and now this.
Little Alfie Evans was put into a coma by a mysterious brain condition that doctors still have not been able to diagnose. Doctors at Alder Hey hospital in London have decided that Alfie will never get better and his life is no longer worth living. … Continue reading
(Clint Archer – The Cripplegate) “They don’t use computer graphics to remove the clothes off actors in nude scenes; that’s them baring what God wants to be covered in public (Gen 3:7,21; 9:22-25). And they don’t CGI a finger on the Christian actor to create the illusion of a rude gesture.”
Actor William Shatner once did a parody performance of himself reacting to his obsessed fans at a Star Trek convention. He exploded with a sharp rebuke: “Get a life! It’s only a TV show!”
To a Trekkie that’s like being told Santa isn’t real…by Santa.
(Kyle Drennen – NewsBusters) “Singer Cher touted the “humility” and “grace” of openly gay Olympic skater Adam Rippon, who made headlines for his repeated attacks against Vice President Mike Pence.”
On Thursday, TIME magazine released its annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people, spanning across politics, entertainment, music, and sports. Predictably, the reliably liberal publication featured 14 glowing profiles of liberal activists, politicians, entertainers, and athletes, but only managed to find four conservative figures to highlight, one of which was a nasty hit piece.
9 I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; 10 and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; 11 for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Romans 7:9-24 (NASB) (Read verses 13-24 on the site)
If we are honest, each of us would have to confess that there are sins that have an incredible hold on us. It seems that no matter how devoted we become in our walk before our Lord, there will be some sins that trip us up, making us stumble and fall to our deep chagrin….
(Breitbart) Glenn Beck is reportedly downsizing his assets as his media empire dwindles, posting his private jet for sale for an undisclosed amount on a site that sells used aircraft.
The Daily Beast reported that Beck listed his 1966 DC9-15 aircraft–which he purchased for $1 million in 2015–for sale on Controller, a online retailer for used aircraft.
The jet’s registration number listed on the website, N8860, is the same Federal Aviation Administration registration number given to a jet belonging to Mercury Radio Arts—Beck’s radio production company. Continue reading
Catholics are not the only ones who make use of their Smartphones to communicate with spirits. While on stage in front of hundreds of (undiscerning) fans, Shawn Bolz, who supposedly has a prophetic and healing anointing, uses his phone to foretell a person’s future. He claims he can see deceased folks in heaven and pass down messages from them. If you’re thinking, “That’s spiritualism,” you’re right. Evidently Shawn Bolz isn’t aware that spiritualism is expressly forbidden by God. (Deuteronomy 18:9-14)
But this is not about John Edward wanna be Shawn Bolz.
In a piece from Reuters we learn that some Catholics have taken to their Smartphones to perform exorcisms on people who are allegedly possessed by demons. Philip Puella has the story: Continue reading
(Leah MarieAnn Klett – Christian Post) “In a recent interview with Justin Peters, Hinn further opened up about the extreme lifestyle his uncle kept while traveling the world to preach his prosperity gospel.”
Costi Hinn, the nephew of Benny Hinn who frequently speaks out against his uncle’s “prosperity theology,” called Bethel Church leader Kris Vallotton a “false prophet” who rakes in “easy money” by “deceiving people.”
Vallotton, senior associate leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California, recently shared a photo on his Facebook page showing where his luxury car had been keyed by an unknown assailant. Continue reading
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NASB)
It wasn’t that long ago that I received a warning email from a friend that a firestorm had been started within the internet discernment blogs about what some were calling the “damnable heresy of Lordship Salvation.” I and many of my good friends responded with sound Biblical doctrine to the assault and I don’t think the enemy’s attack accomplished much of anything other than getting some of us to dig deeper into God’s Word then prayerfully respond in the power of the Holy Spirit. …
(Manya Brachear Pashman – Chicago Tribune) Two Christian book publishers have suspended publication of books by Bill Hybels, the megachurch pastor and best-selling author who stepped down from the helm of Willow Creek Community Church amid allegations of improper conduct with women.
Tyndale House Publishers in Carol Stream has suspended its plans to publish “Everyone Wins When a Leader Gets Better,” which was scheduled for release in August. That month, Hybels was to have hosted the renowned Global Leadership Summit, a conference sponsored by the related nonprofit Willow Creek Association, but Hybels bowed out of that as well. Continue reading