Judge rules in favor of Tastries owner in discrimination case

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(Kern Golden Empire) A Kern County judge ruled in favor of Cathy Miller, owner of Tastries Bakery, Monday in an ongoing dispute over refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex couple.

The court ruled the state could not force Miller to bake a cake that would directly go against her beliefs.

One of the factors in the case, the judge ruled, was that the cake had not been baked for the couple and was not on sale.

If Miller had refused to sell the couple a cake on display then the act would be discriminatory.    View article →

The Power of De-Conversion Stories: How Jen Hatmaker is Trying to Change Minds About the Bible

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Fans of Jen Hatmaker may not realize that she follows the same basic playbook used by former megachurch pastor and Oprah Winfrey pal Rob Bell and other progressive “Christians.” According to Michael J. Kruger, professor of Reformed Theological Seminary, the details may be different, but the overall point is the same.  Berean Research has posted numerous articles to show that even though they profess to be evangelicals, both Jen and her husband Brandon are firmly ensconced in the Religious Left. In other words, they’re progressives.  As you’re about to see, Jen rejects the inerrancy of Scripture.  A few years ago the Hatmakers came out in support of the LGBTQ community and in doing so the couple made it clear that they deny the biblical teaching on marriage, sexuality and family. Continue reading →

Meditation does not make you a better person, study finds

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(Francesca Marshall – The Telegraph) Meditation does not make you a better person according to a new study despite widespread claims that meditation can make you calmer and more compassionate towards other people.

Researchers have found that despite popular beliefs that meditation can make people more compassionate and less aggressive the evidence for this is limited.

The research by scientists at Coventry University in the UK, Massey University in New Zealand, and Radboud University in the Netherlands, reviewed 22 studies involving 1685 people to investigate the effect of various types of meditation. Continue reading →

Enjoying Christ’s fullness as mine

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. John 1:14-16 (NKJV) 

There is a certain hysteria currently amongst many of our 21st Century Puritans. While I gladly count myself as a Puritan, I also know that our enemy desires to shackle and nullify our witness and divert our focus by feeding our heightened perceptions as to what is godly and what is false with misleading and derogatory information that cause us to turn on one another. Having experienced this against my own ministry since its inception I can say that it is very frustrating and eye opening. View article →

Are All Angels Safe?

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(Marsha West – Christian Research Network)  Contrary to popular belief, angels are neither chubby little babes with rosy cheeks nor are they exquisite young women with gossamer wings decked out in long flowing gowns. The Bible reveals very little about angels. What we do know is that God sends angels to do His bidding.

The Bible mentions two elect holy angels (the good guys) by name: Michael and Gabriel. Scripture also mentions the Angel of the Lord; Michael the archangel; the Captain of the Host of the Lord; messengers; and guardians.

Also mentioned are fallen angels (the bad guys). Lucifer, one of God’s highest angels, led a revolt against God and was banished from heaven along with his followers which is said to be a third of the angels. There are many names for Lucifer such as Satan, Devil, Prince of Darkness and Beelzebub. The other rebels became demons. In the future God will judge Satan and his demons.

Angels are spirit beings.  They are neither male nor female. In every single angel visitation recorded in Scripture, angels always appear as men, never women.

Because I have written several articles on angels I am often asked if angels are among us today. Yes!

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Hebrews 13:2).

Those who believe they are experiencing an angel visitation must scrutinize what the angel purports. For example, does the angel point you to Jesus Christ or away from Him? Elect holy angels (from here on out referred to as angels) will always point you to Christ, never to anyone else, living or deceased, which includes the Apostles and the Virgin Mary.

Angels never espouse new doctrines or extra-biblical (special) revelation. Likewise, they do not point individuals to religions such as Mormonism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, et al.

Angels by no means encourage participation in the counterfeit religions’ holy days, festivals, ceremonies and rituals. Angels do not advance the idea of having a sacred place or space.

Angels would never suggest that people involve themselves in occult activities. Currently, Transcendental Meditation (TM) is all the rage, even among some Christians. Angels absolutely do not direct anyone to embrace this pagan practice. TM is not biblical meditation.  Instead of meditating on God’s Word, the practitioner goes into an altered-state-of-consciousness (alpha state) which is a light dream state in order to connect with “god.” It should be a big red flag that New Agers advocate TM. In fact, for the so-called psychic, meditation is the “spiritual practice” they employ when they wish to contact their “spirit guides.”

Sadly, many Christians who have embraced The Silence aka contemplative, or centering, or breath prayer are woefully unaware that they’re practicing unbiblical meditation.

“Christian yoga” is also spreading like a wild fire through the visible Church. This may not set well with some readers, but practicing yoga is taboo….even when your yoga instructor’s a professing Christian.

The bottom line is this: Angels would not, could not, promote anything God expressly forbids –and He forbids His children from participating in any way shape or form in pagan religious practices or disciplines.  The Bible makes it abundantly clear that God’s people are not to embrace the world’s philosophies.

Bear in mind that holy angels are incapable of going against God, whereas unholy angels continuously go against God in their quest to lead people astray.  In 2 Corinthians 4:4 we learn that Satan is the “god of this world.”

The phrase “god of this world”… indicates that Satan is the major influence on the mind-set expressed by the ideals, opinions, goals, hopes and views of the majority of people. His areas of influence also encompass the world’s philosophies, education, and commerce. The thoughts, ideas, speculations and false religions of the world are under his control and have sprung from his lies and deceptions. (Source)

Does God allow His people to contact angels through mediums? According to Leviticus 19:31  we are commanded not to involve ourselves with “mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.”

So the answer is No!

It is a complete waste of time to “call your angel” or to try to contact angels by constructing an altar…lighting candles…burning incense…through meditation…or any other way that allegedly makes angels feel comfortable. God expressly forbids any contact with the spirit realm! And besides, the regenerate Christian has direct access to God through the Son, Jesus Christ. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)

So, what would be the purpose of calling on angels when we can go directly to God through His Son?

Anyone who contacts angels (or spirit guides) is inviting demon contact!  The Bible tells us that demons can and often do possess human beings! Do holy and unholy angels have the authority to indwell believers?  No!  The reason they’re unable to indwell humans is obvious: at the moment of regeneration the Holy Spirit takes up residence or comes to live within the new believer. And once the Spirit takes up residence, He never leaves, not even for a second. Listen to the Lord Jesus:

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17). (emphasis mine)

Those who are truly saved are God’s property:

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4).

I need to stress that God’s elect cannot be demon possessed. They are, however, susceptible to demonic oppression.

Demonic oppression is when a demon is temporarily victorious over a Christian, successful in tempting a Christian to sin, and able to hinder a Christian’s ability to serve God with a strong testimony. (Source)

I’ll close with this warning: Contacting angels is neither wise nor safe.

Research Papers:

Angels, Demons & Spiritual Warfare

New Age/New Thought Spirituality

Occult – Sorcery

Copyright by Marsha West, 2012.  Revised April 2021.

If You Can’t Heal ‘Em, Beat ‘Em?

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(Costi Hinn – Defining Deception) Why in the world does church history matter? That’s a question more Christians should be able to answer – and a highly important one at that.

In his phenomenal work, Why Church History Matters, Robert F. Rea defines history as “the study of the past in order to understand the present and improve the future.”[1] History teaches us valuable lessons about the good, the bad, and the ugly. It teaches us about the nature of the way things have been and how they came to be. These are certainly lessons we do well to learn because they remind us that even the best of men are still men at best. Furthermore, lessons from history provide us with the motivation to change the future, even when it’s painful to face the facts. Continue reading →

Pope Francis is giving in to the Chinese Communist Party

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(Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian – Washington Post) Such a capitulation of spiritual authority would damage the Catholic Church in China for years to come. How do we know? Because this very scenario has played out before — in communist Hungary.

The Vatican appears to be seeking a rapprochement with China, almost 70 years after Beijing broke ties. But the Catholic Church has little to gain and much to lose from mending ties with the Communist Party-ruled country. And Pope Francis should be under no illusions: Any agreement the two sides may strike will be entirely on Beijing’s terms. View article →

See our Research Paper on Roman Catholicism

Whoever does not love abides in death

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 1 John 3:11-15 (NKJV) 

At least once every few weeks I encounter a “brother” or “sister” in the Lord whose “ministry” seems to be to generate as much hatred as possible within the visible Church for some other Christian or group of Christians. …  View article →

Come soon Lord Jesus!

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. Revelation 3:11 (NKJV) 

3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 2 Peter 3:3-4 (NKJV) 

It is one thing to say, “Come soon Lord Jesus!” and quite another thing to live as if you mean it. There are even some today who are of the “progressive” mindset that teach we should live this life with our focus on the here and now rather than eternity. Why? This is to create a better world or make this world a better place. …  View article →

16 Bombshells In the Nunes Memo the Media Does Not Want You to Know About

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(John Nolte – Breitbart)  In its partisan zeal to protect the ongoing witch hunt against President Trump, our Nixonian media went into hyper-drive last week to ensure that the unethical and un-American behavior of President Obama’s FBI and Justice Department remained covered up from the public.

After this cynical effort failed with the release of the Nunes memo Friday, the media quickly switched tactics and is now working feverishly to muddy the waters about the horror show revealed in the memo. Continue reading →

Amputating Discernment Ministry from the Body of Christ

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Photo credit: 8:28 Ministries

“If there were ever a dire need for discernment ministry done right and biblically, it’s now,” says Bible study author, speaker and blogger Michelle Lesley. So why do so many Christians rail against discernment ministries? According to Michelle, “One of the most common arguments I hear against discernment ministry is that it’s the job of the pastor, not discernment ministries, to teach discernment. And with that statement, I could not more heartily agree! Discernment work is half of a pastor’s job description.” Right, but “when was the last time you heard a pastor rebuke someone who contradicts sound doctrine? Or call a false teacher by name? Or teach about a currently popular false doctrine and warn against it?” The answer is, not very often, if ever. Continue reading →

How Can We Change?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

Come now, let us settle the matter, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 1:18-20)

When we read Isaiah 1, there is a problem immediately evident. God’s analysis of the human race is that we are fundamentally tainted with self-centeredness so that we do not want to do good. We only want to minister to our own needs and our own lives. As a solution, God says in v. 16, Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good. But, the question arises, how can evil people do good things? Continue reading  Rey Stedman Daily Devotions

Memo Describes Use of ‘Dirty,’ Dubious Steele Dossier for Warrants

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(Jim Stinson – LifeZette) House Permanent Select Committee memorandum is released, says report’s bias was not disclosed but was used to get FISA warrants

Information on President Donald Trump contained in the so-called Steele dossier was biased and unverified, but that didn’t stop the FBI from using it in a special classified federal court to get surveillance warrants to spy on two American citizens in 2016.

A four-page summary memo released by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence indicates that an initial surveillance warrant on Trump campaign volunteer Carter Page, and four subsequent renewals, would never have been sought without the questionable dossier in hand. View article →

Jesus Devastates an Old Earth

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(Bodie Hodge – Answers in Genesis) I was attending a Christian conference and staffing an Answers in Genesis booth. As I walked around to look at the other booths at the beginning of this conference, a man quickly came up to me (from his booth), even though there was a crowd waiting to speak with him. He evidently felt the need to confront me (in front of the crowd at his booth) because he saw that I was wearing an Answer in Genesis conference badge.

In a hostile tone, the first thing out of his mouth was something akin to, “Is Answers in Genesis here at the conference? Well, I guess I am going to have to find your booth and set you straight about the age of the earth!” Continue reading →

Tom Brady’s Hydration Advice: Water Under the Bridge?

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(LifeZette) Nutritionist warns that while drinking lots of water is vital, a world-class athlete’s regimen could be disastrous for the rest of us

Tom Brady’s hydration method might work for a world-class athlete, but one nutritionist warned that drinking as much water as the quarterback could kill you.

Brady, in his book “The TB12 Method,” claims that drinking more than 35 glasses of water per day will help you flush out the toxins in your body and even help you prevent sunburns. View article →

Apostasy is the fruit of false prophets

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. 8 But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, 9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. 1 Timothy 1:5-11 (NKJV) 

Carefully read the passage I placed at the top of this post. What is the aim of the charge of a true discipler? It is to produce the good fruit of love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. That is the good fruit of genuine prophet of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. On the other hand, our Lord Himself told us in His Sermon on the Mount how to discern whether a prophet was false or not.  View article →

MEMO FIGHT 2018: Is The FBI Corrupt? Did They Save Hillary? Did They Target Trump? Are Republicans Lying? Are Democrats?

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(Ben Shapiro – Daily Wire) Is the FBI corrupt?

Did they corruptly target President Trump’s 2016 campaign?

Are Republicans bashing the FBI in an attempt to cover for Trump’s alleged obstruction of justice or campaign criminal activity?

Thanks to the blanket media coverage of all things related to President Trump, the election of 2016, and supposed collusion with Russia, it’s easy to be confused. And thanks to the conservative focus on FISA warrants, James Comey, and Hillary Clinton, it’s even easier to be confused. So, let’s take a moment to separate out the various strands of the narrative. View article →

Reprise: Seeing the Unseen: The Nature of Spiritual Warfare

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First posted July 19, 2017

Did the Lord Jesus teach his followers to “bind” the powers of darkness?  Should the emphasis on spiritual warfare be on prayer-infused power encounters? What exactly does the Bible teach on the nature of spiritual warfare? Well, according to Christian apologist Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason (STR), the Bible has a lot to say about how we are to defend ourselves against other worldly forces in the unseen realm. We must be armed to the teeth!

What does a Christian’s armor look like? “The very first step in arming ourselves for battle against the devil is to gird our loins with truth (Eph. 6:14).” In this piece from STR’s Solid Ground magazine, Koukl tells us what the Bible teaches about the armor of God. Some who read this will be surprised by his teaching for the reason that the way in which charismatics go about dealing with the demonic is highly unbiblical, only they don’t know it. To make matters worse, attempting to “bind Satan” is a ridiculous and foolish practice.  Taking on powerful, lying, deceptive demons is dangerous! Continue reading →

The Gospel Coalition Says Church Should Be ‘Safe Space’ for Homosexuals

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(Pulpit & Pen News) The leftist [Social] Gospel Coalition wants your church to know how it can be a “safe space” for homosexuals. Written by Rachel Gilson, the “director of theological development” at Campus Crusades for Christ (CRU) Northeast, the post wags its literary finger at readers within the local church, shaming them for not being a safe enough of a place for people to live in their sin.

Gilson is a lesbian who wrote about her experiences at Christianity Today in a post entitled, “I Never Became Straight. Perhaps That Was Never God’s Goal.” In that article, she made the astonishing claim, “Slowly, I came to understand that ‘making me straight’ wasn’t the answer. There is no biblical command to be heterosexual.” Of course, being fruitful and multiplying – a central command from God to humanity – is a pretty clear requirement of heterosexuality. Homosexuals are clearly incapable of this reproductive fruitfulness. Continue reading →

Christians and Apostates

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For “He who would love life And see good days,Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:8-12 (NKJV) 

This era of the Church is one of extreme deception due to compromise with the standards and focus of the world. Separation between the Church and the world is not being kept. Instead, the holy barrier between the two has been breached as false prophets have welcomed in not only the world and its ways into their churches. Not only that, but they have also embraced the mysticism of the Eastern religions. …  View article →

Destiny Destiny No Escaping That’s For Me

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(Doug Evans – Asleep No More) You can’t read an article or listen to a homily from the Charismatic fringe without hearing the word “Destiny” being beaten into your head. Not just false prophesy but falsely prophetic merchandise like Destiny Pants and Destiny Cards are being sold to the theologically gullible. This got me to thinking; where is all this Destiny nonsense coming from.

Destiny is not just a vacuous concept, it’s a tired and overworked  Buzzword that the charismatics have been flinging at their followers like #4 birdshot at a flock of mallards. Destiny is defined as “the events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future” AND “the hidden power believed to control what will happen in the future” Continue reading →

Jesus Did Not Say Lust is the Same as Adultery – Response to Jerry Fallwell Jr.

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(all THINGS for GOOD) To be clear, this post is about theology, not politics.

In a recent interview on CNN, Dr. Jerry Fallwell Jr. said, “Jesus said ‘if you lust…in your heart, it’s the same as committing adultery.”

We need to be really clear…that is not what Jesus said.

Jesus’ Context

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is teaching that the Law not only addresses external sins, but also sins of the heart.

What He actually says is, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:27-28 Continue reading →

Jim Caviezel: New ‘Passion of the Christ’ Will Be ‘Biggest Film in History’

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(The Western Journal) Actor Jim Caviezel, who starred as Jesus in the 2004 film “The Passion of the Christ,” confirmed in a recent interview that he plans to reprise his role in an upcoming sequel to the blockbuster hit.

Moreover, Caviezel promised that the sequel, which is reportedly in the works, will be the “biggest film in history.”

“There are things that I cannot say that will shock the audience,” the 49-year-old Catholic actor told USA Today. “It’s great. Stay tuned.” View article →