Reprise: Responses to the Most Frequently Raised Discernment Objections

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First posted in January 2017

Bible study author, speaker and blogger Michelle Lesley responds to those who take her to task for “naming names.” Her answer to #6 “You’re being unkind, unloving, ungodly, divisive, hateful, self-righteous, mean, critical, etc. for calling out false teachers” is spot on.  You will find Michelle’s responses to the opposition a great help in contending with scoffers.  She writes:

Discernment- it’s a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it. While I’m a women’s discipleship blogger rather than a discernment blogger, discernment is part of discipleship. And it’s sorely lacking among Christian women today, which is why it’s regularly featured in my writing. Continue reading →

Why Dr. Michael Brown Has No Credibility

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In 2016, Anthony Wade came down hard on Christian apologist Michael Brown for showing a stunning lack of discernment over the years. In light of  the company he keeps (see the wolves he associates with here), should we have any confidence in Dr. Brown at all? Should someone who knowingly runs with ravenous wolves be considered credible? “Who we choose to lend our credibility to matters to the people who see us and listen to us,” reminds Wade.

Surprisingly, even though there’s an abundance of evidence to prove that Michael Brown, who is a charismatic, shares much of the of NAR false signs and wonders beliefs, some highly regarded Christian luminaries choose to not only defend him, they go to great lengths to marginalize his critics.  Anthony Wade, who happens to be an Assemblies of God pastor and a cessationist, says that as far as he’s concerned Dr. Brown has lost all credibility.  In a blog post over at 8:28 Ministries, Wade explains why he believes the Christian community should be very wary of Dr. Michael Brown. He writes: Continue reading →

AND THE WINNERS ARE: Trump Gives Out The Top 10 Fake News Awards For 2017

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(Ryan Saavedra – Dailywire) President Donald Trump and the GOP recognized the worst the media had to offer in 2017 on Wednesday with the Fake News Awards.

The press release highlighted reports from Harvard, the Media Research Center, and Pew Research Center that show the media has given the president overwhelming negative coverage through their highly-biased coverage.

The GOP released the top 10 winners of the 2017 Fake News Awards: View article →

To Whom Shall We Go?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

“You do not want to leave too, do you?Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God. (John 6:67-69)

Here is the mark of the true believer: He cannot quit! When Jesus said to them, Will you go away also? it is clear that he would have let them go if they had wanted to. He does not hold anybody against his will. Responding to our Lord’s words, Peter says three wonderful things:  View article →

President Trump Slams Roe v. Wade in March for Life Address: ‘It’s Wrong. It Needs to Change’

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President Donald Trump described the March for Life as a “movement born out of love” during his address to pro-life advocates Friday in Washington, D.C.

Trump is the first sitting president to address the March for Life. He spoke to the crowd live from the Rose Garden, with Vice President Mike Pence and pro-life advocates gathered around him.

“You come from many backgrounds, many places but you come for one beautiful cause,” Trump said, praising the pro-life advocates gathered on the Mall. “You come to build a society where life is loved, protected and cherished. … You are a movement born out of love.” Continue reading →

‘Pope Francis’ Places Crown on Head of Statue of Mary During Visit to Chile

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Photo credit Vatican News

Jorge Bergoglio, the leader of Roman Catholicism who is also known as “Pope Francis,” placed a crown on the head of a statue of Mary during his visit to Chile on Tuesday.

The coronation took place during mass at O’Higgins Park in Santiago, where the tens of thousands in attendance watched Bergoglio place a crown on the head of the Christ child, and then also on the head of Mary. In Chile, the statue is known as “Our Lady of Mount Carmel,” who is also known by Roman Catholics in the country as the patron saint and “queen” of Chile. View article →

See our Research Paper on Roman Catholicism

90% of Network Coverage of President Trump Negative in 2017

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From Inauguration Day (January 20) through the end of 2017 (December 31), the three evening newscasts aired 3,430 stories that talked about either President Trump or his administration, totaling 99 hours, 3 minutes of airtime – about 34 percent of all evening news.

Thus, one out of every three minutes of broadcast evening news coverage was devoted to the Trump story last year, a new Media Research Center (MRC) studyshows.

Investigation into alleged Russia “collusion” was the top item covered (1,234 minutes) – getting more than ten times the attention of the second-most covered topic: response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia (104 minutes). View article →

A New Prophet Chosen for the LDS Church

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LDS Prophet Russell M. Nelson

(Eric Davis – The Cripplegate) Yesterday, a new prophet of the 16-million-member Mormon church was announced. Ninety-three-year-old Russell Nelson will now serve as the 17th prophet and president of the LDS faith. Nelson was set apart and ordained for the position on Sunday, January 14th, at the Salt Lake City temple. The announcement came in a live-streamed broadcast from the temple yesterday morning. Joined by newly selected First Counselor, Dallin Oaks, and Second Counselor Henry Eyring, Nelson gave a short address followed by questions from various individuals from the press. In his earlier days, Nelson was an accomplished cardiothoracic surgeon, having helped pioneer various advances in the field. He then has served as a Mormon apostle since 1984.

For those less familiar with the process, this brings up a few questions: What is the position of prophet in Mormonism? What is the history behind the position? How is a new prophet chosen? And how does this line up with the 66 books of Scripture? Continue reading →

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:1-3 (NKJV) 

A friend once, a few years ago, sent me a link to a webpage that contained Purpose Driven devotionals. He wanted me to read one specifically and address it at that time, which I did. The devotion was titled, “Faith: Doing Exactly What Jesus Says to Do.” Let that title sink in for a bit. The devotion never wavered from that theme. My brethren, that is not a biblical definition of faith. On the other hand it is a description of one who is faithful and obedient. In fact, the focus of that devotion led one to believe that our faith is “works based.”  View article →

Only 24% of Catholic Women Attend Mass Weekly

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According to Michael W. Chapman of CNS News, a majority of professing Catholic women objectively disobey the Church’s teaching on pretty much everything. Are those who disobey the Roman Catholic hierarchy true Catholics?

Chapman has the details of the survey:

A new survey shows that only 24% of Catholic women of all ages in America attend Mass once a week — Sunday Mass attendance is mandatory in Catholic teaching — but for those women born prior to the liberal reforms of Vatican II, a higher percentage (53%) of them go to Mass weekly.  View article →

See our Research Paper on the Roman Catholic Church

Other Religions’ View of ‘Human Life’ Versus God’s View of ‘Human Life

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(Bodie Hodge – Answers In Genesis) Human life—is it precious? Or is it no different from the life of a mosquito? Human life—is it worth living? Or should we just kill whomever we want? Save a human baby? Or sacrifice our children? From the baby in the womb to the elderly in the nursing home—are they made in the image of God? Or made in the image of an animal?

These are serious questions that impact life or death—perhaps your own one day. Our culture is in dire need of direction. You would think these questions would be easy to answer, but depending on your worldview or religion, the answers can be trickier than you may think. View article →

President Donald Trump will become first president to participate in the national event via live satellite feed from the White House

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(LifeZette) White House press secretary Sarah Sanders announced Wednesday that President Donald Trump will become the first sitting president to address the March for Life in Washington, D.C., via satellite feed — very good news for the pro-life community.

“This will take place from the Rose Garden,” said Sanders. “The president is committed to protecting the life of the unborn, and he is excited to be part of this historic event.” View article →

Does your righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Romans 10:1-4 (NKJV) 

I am sure when our Lord told His disciples in His Sermon on the Mount, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven…” that there were some who were getting the idea that the way of our Lord was some form of works righteousness that was at a higher, but better level than that of the Scribes and Pharisees who were all about legalism. Some today still have that idea. …   View article →

Michael Brown is Either Forgetful or a Liar: Rosebrough Pulls Brown Quotes From the Dumpster

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(Pulpit & Pen) Michael Brown recently said that Hank Hanegraaff – who left Christianity for the idolatry and heretical doctrines of the Eastern Orthodox Church – still affirmed all the “fundamentals” of the Christian religion. Perhaps being a scholar in Hebrew doesn’t exactly equate to an educated opinion on interfaith apologetics, but Eastern Orthodoxy, in case you didn’t know, denies Penal Substitution, Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura, and promotes things like the veneration of Mary, Saints, and icons. This apparent inability to recognize what is and is not authentic Christianity didn’t stop James White at Elephant Room 3 from bringing on Michael Brown to discuss together why he (and according to Brown, charismatics like Heidi Baker and Bill Johnson) are orthodox (lower-case “o”) believers. Continue reading →

6 Deadly Enemies of Marriage

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Tim Challies reminds Christian couples that “Kneeling at the bedside or sitting by the fire, the husband and the wife meet with the Lord together, praising him for his goodness and grace, confessing their sin against him and against one another, and pleading for his wisdom and help.”  Tim urges us to consider what he believes are 6 deadly enemies of marriage:

Marriage is under attack. Marriage has always been under attack. The world, the flesh and the devil are all adamantly opposed to marriage, and especially to marriages that are distinctly Christian. Marriage, after all, is given by God to strengthen his people and to glorify himself; little wonder, then, that it is constantly a great battleground.

I have been thinking recently about some of the foremost foes of Christian marriage and, really, the foremost foes I see creeping up to assault my own marriage. Here are 6 deadly enemies of marriage, and Christian marriage in particular. Continue reading →

Is She a False Teacher? 7 Steps to Figuring it Out on Your Own

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Bible study author, speaker and blogger Michelle Lesley gives her perspective on how to determine who the wolves in sheep’s clothing are and why we should steadfastly avoid them.  “Birds of a feather flock together,” reminds Michelle.  “If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. Bad company corrupts good morals. It’s all true. A teacher who frequently, favorably, and unrepentantly associates herself with false teachers should be avoided.”

To find out if a Bible teacher, author, or a Christian celebrity is doctrinally sound you must (1) Know your Bible; (2) Pray; (3) Know your criteria (which includes women teaching men). What are 4, 5, 6 & 7? Continue reading →

Godly thinking

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) 

Philippians 4:8 is one of the most profound statements in the New Testament. This is part of the Apostle Paul’s closing statements to the church at Philippi. His epistle to the Philippians is a wonderful letter, full of encouragement and deep spiritual truth about how to live this Christian life no matter what fiery trials we are going through. In chapter 4 v8 we come upon this profound statement and we stop. We ask if this is even possible for us. How can we do this since we must live in this life in which we are pulled in every direction and so must find the time for such things. Perhaps a deeper look at the underlying Greek would help. View article →

A Move of the Holy Spirit & Christian Emotionalists

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Christians who depend on signs and wonders, such as gold dust falling from the ceiling, personal prophecies and other visible signs, are seeking a golden calf of experience over faith says Elizabeth Prata of The End Time.  It is Prata’s belief that believers who seek after signs are dishonoring the Holy Spirit and robbing Him of his glory. In the Comments, Sheryl brings up a good point. “If you’re depending on emotional experiences, then you’re subjectively looking inward to feelings that are deceptive and fluctuate, which results in instability of assurance of salvation.”

Now to Elizabeth’s blog post, which includes a quote by Charles Spurgeon’s on “Christian emotionalists”: Continue reading →

University of Iowa lawsuit pits gay rights against religious freedom

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Huh?

(News 4 Tucson) The University of Iowa is caught up in a legal fight with a conservative Christian student group that denied a leadership position to a student who is gay.

The case pits a university policy barring discrimination based on sexual orientation against the religious beliefs of a 10-member group called Business Leaders in Christ. The group sued after the state’s flagship university in Iowa City revoked its campus registration in November. [

The group says its membership is open to everyone, but that its leaders must affirm a statement of faith that rejects homosexuality. The university says it respects the right of students, faculty and staff to practice the religion of their choice but does not tolerate discrimination of any kind. View article →

Black Lives Matter Leader Leads Séance In Methodist Church: Summons Spirits Of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, And Shaka Zulu

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(Jeffrey Cawood – Daily Wire) “Abdullah methodically poured bottled water into a potted plant displayed before the pulpit as the audience responded by chanting, ‘Ase,’ awaiting ancestral energy to fill the chapel.”

Dr. Melina Abdullah — a professor at California State University who also leads the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter — recently summoned the spirits of several deceased people to fill a Methodist church with ethereal energy, including Martin Luther King, several other slain civil rights leaders, victims of police brutality, and an African warrior named Shaka Zulu.  View article →

Real Salvation

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV) 

Our salvation is far more than simply justification by faith, which in and of itself is incredible, but also includes the imputation of the actual active righteousness of Christ, His good works or keeping of the Law, which is required for our complete acceptation by God into His Kingdom. I know that many reading this may not see the point of this or have no idea what I am talking about. However, please understand, I am praying that you will understand the truth of this because this is a huge missing piece from the gospel in the church in our time. … View article →

Pope Francis awards architect of safe-abortion fund pontifical honor

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(Life Site News) “To say that Lilianne Ploumen is ‘pro-abortion’ is an extreme understatement and doesn’t even come close to the scandalous reality of her activism.”

On January 12, reports began surfacing on Twitter that Lilianne Ploumen, former minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation in the Netherlands, was honored by Pope Francis with the title of Commander in the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great.

The Lepanto Institute was able to confirm from a December 22, 2017, Dutch radio broadcast that Ploumen indeed received the honor. In a brief video clip promoting the broadcast, Ploumen displays the medal while saying that she received it from the Pope.  View article →

See our Research Paper on Roman Catholicism

Toronto Blessing & Pensacola Outpouring failed end-times prophetic revivals?

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(Churchwatch Central) Back in the day, it was continually claimed by leaders (particularly Dr Michael Brown), that the Toronto Blessing and the Pensacola Outpuring (aka Brownsville Revival) were not connected in anyway. In this article we let their own Apostles and followers tell the truth neglected by New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) Apostles like Dr Michael Brown.

We’ve documented this all before from another source also worth looking at.

David Yonggi Cho and Ken Sumrall’s “prophecy” over Pensacola

Older prophecies explain why these revivals were meant to occur, demonstrating how cult-like they are. Can anyone now claim that the Toronto Blessing and Pensacola Outpouring triggered Christ’s return and changed the nations for the glory of God? Why would Michael Brown want this failed prophetic end-times revival on his resume?  View article →

Seven Reasons 1 Timothy 2:12 Isn’t the Crazy Aunt We Hide in the Closet when Company Comes Over

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Bible study author, speaker and blogger Michelle Lesley queries: “Are we more afraid of the wrath of woman than the wrath of God?” According to Lesley, although they may not realize it, for a large number of professing Christians the answer is, sadly, yes. It is evident that many believers fear man (what other people think about them) far more than they fear God (what God thinks about them).

In this piece Michelle examines Paul’s instructions to Timothy: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.”  Clearly, a women should not wield authority over men.  Consequently “We need to stop blushing ashamedly,” chides Michelle, “and stand unapologetically firm when it comes to denouncing female teachers who preach to men.”

So with this in mind, here are  seven reasons why the serious Christian must stand firm: Continue reading →

For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him. 1 Peter 3:17-22 (NKJV) 

The Lord Jesus Christ suffered unjustly on behalf of those He came to save because it was God’s will. He perfectly accomplished God’s purposes in this. Even though those in Emergence Christianity are attempting to hijack our Lord’s Crucifixion for their own purposes, let us never forget that His violent, physical execution did terminate His earthly life when He was “put to death in the flesh”, nevertheless, He was “made alive in the Spirit” on the third day. … View article →