(Churchwatch Central) If the people of Bethel really read their bibles, they would notice that Jesus was very judgmental at times. Consider these words of Jesus to one of the churches in Revelation:
“But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.” Revelation 2:20
Our nation’s college students are abusing alcohol and other drugs in ways that threaten their health, their safety, and their academic success.
(Michael A. Fitts – Lifezette) This is the time of year that many college students return home to see family and friends, and to face nosy but well-meaning questions about school. Just as everyone at the holiday table will press them for information, students will be trying to assert some independence.
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 were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1-5 (NKJV)
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. …
Following is a satirical piece written in 2008 by the late Ken Silva:
Apprising Ministries gave you a description of this social justice “Jesus,” whose roots are firmly within spiritually bankrupt liberal theology, years ago in Will The Real Jesus Please Stand Up?
I am the Jesus of today’s liberal theology of inclusive, politically correct, universalism. I am only a human man—arguably the best example of a man and the greatest teacher to yet live. However, I was not born of a virgin; nor did I actually rise from the dead. Unfortunately as a mere Jewish Rabbi, I attracted such devoted followers that even after my death they wanted to keep my spirit alive so to speak. And so they went and built this elaborate theology around me, which is largely based on the writings of that rascal Paul. Sadly, they ended up making me into a god.
But I never I made any such outlandish claims. I teach that the most important thing we can do is to love one another. You see, that’s all that matters because we are the brotherhood of man. No one should ever criticize what another person honestly believes about God. After-all, all of humanity is actually already all God’s children. And even though we may take different paths of religion in this life, as all religions please God if they are sincere, in the end—as in Love Wins a la Rob Bell—we’ll all be with God because everyone is eventually going to be saved. Mankind is just too good to be condemned and God is too good to condemn him.
(World) In the midst of gloom-and-doom predictions of rapid climate change, a recent study shows computer models grossly overestimate the rate of global warming. The study, published in the Asia-Pacific Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, shows real-world climate change over the past 38 years is 0.096 degrees Celsius, about half of what computer models predict.
(A. Philip Brown, II Answers In Genesis) In a recent Huffington Post article, Mark Olmstead claims that, according to Jesus, some people are born transgender and that expressing transgender identity behaviorally is no big deal. In Olmstead’s view, people who panic, demonize, or make a fuss about nontraditional categories of gender expression should just “get over it.” To justify his claim, Olmstead appeals to Jesus’ statement regarding eunuchs in Matthew 19:12 (NASB). Specifically, he asserts that the phrase “eunuchs, who were born so from their mother’s womb” may legitimately be understood to include traditional eunuchs, intersex persons, and transgender persons.
(CNS News) Commenting on an Australian commission report that recommends ending mandatory celibacy of priests in the Catholic Church to apparently curtail sexual abuse, Catholic League President Bill Donohue said this possibly is Australia’s way of saying there are too many homosexuals in the Catholic clergy, and he added that in the United States “homosexuals committed most of the abuse” in the church over the last 50 years.
13 But go and learn what is the meaning of this; I desire mercy and not sacrifice, for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. Matthew 9:13 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)
Works righteousness is man’s default religion. The Jews mostly misunderstood the Old Testament sacrificial system. The point of the sacrifice was the taking away of sin and the pointing to the perfect sacrifice that would come in Christ, but most had turned it into a form of works righteousness. …
14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. John 10:14-16 (NKJV)
When those of us who came from an Arminian or Free Will background come to grips with the reality of God’s Sovereignty, it is amazing how we struggle with letting go of the responsibility to “earn” our salvation. …
(CBS San Francisco) California health officials have a new message for cellphone users.
For the first time ever, the California Department of Public Health has released guidelines about harmful cellphone radiation and how you can avoid it.
Dr. Karen Smith with the California Department Of Public Health said, “We recognize that there are a lot of people in the general public that have some concerns about their cellphones and whether using a cellphone is safe.”
(Breitbart) A federal judge in Pennsylvania has blocked the Trump administration’s new rule on Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate that exempts employers with religious or moral objections to providing contraception and abortion-inducing drugs and devices to employees through health insurance plans.
U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone, an Obama appointee, said Friday that the state was “likely to suffer serious and irreparable harm” if she did not order a preliminary injunction.
(CRN Editor) Steven Kozar, curator of the Museum of Idolatry, offers proof that Bethel Church of Redding CA is linked to the world of the occult. According to Kozar, Australian couple Ken and Jenny Hodge, founders of Christalignment, “has been following the Bethel methods to a tee.” In Kozar’s story we learn that the couple has been thrown under the bus by Bethel’s Kris Vallotton, Bill Johnson & Company. This story has many twists and turns!
CRN believes that it is important for the Body of Christ to know what goes on at the infamous Bethel Redding — it will curl your hair! So we recommend Steve Kozar’s informative piece over at MoI:
Related: Holy Pivec’s piece “The ‘Christian’ Tarot card controversy at Bethel Redding” includes updates at the bottom. Pivec informs us that “Since writing this a couple of hours ago, I noticed that Christalignment has altered their website descriptions of their Destiny Cards, removing the word “tarot” and making other significant changes to the wording I cited above, including distancing themselves from animal totems and their claim that their cards will certainly predict the future. See screen captures of their original page below and compare it to the current page.”
(CNS News) An entire family – man, woman, son and daughter – in Arizona is transgender.
The father identifies as a woman. His fiancée, the mother-to-be, identifies as a man. The son considers himself a girl and, of course, the daughter thinks she’s actually a boy. An entire transgender family, all under one roof.
Daniel Harrott was born a woman, while his fiancée, Shirley Austin was born a man. Both have previously been married.
Have you never questioned those who travel? Have you paid no regard to their accounts—that the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, that he is delivered from the day of wrath? (Job 21:29-30)
Life seems to be unfair. There appears to be a basic unfairness at the root of things, and this is what causes many people to be troubled by Christians’ claims about a loving, faithful, just, and holy God. You often hear the question raised, If there is a good God, why does He let this kind of thing happen?…
Christian Post (CP) has a piece by Leah Marianne Klett urging parents who want to give their families a “clean, uplifting alternative” to the filth Hollywood pumps out to purchase a free one-month trial to PureFlix.com. But is this really a wise choice for Christian parents, as Klett suggests?
In January 2016, she reported on this alleged Christian alternative to Netflix in “Pureflix an arm of dominionist International Coalition of Apostolic Leaders” which we’re reposting for those who may have missed it the first time around, as it’s important for parents to have the facts. As you will see, she actually took the time to research Pure Flix Digital and discovered that the company is part of the New Apostolic Reformation network. Unfortunately some reporters can’t be trusted to do their research, even those who write for popular “Christian” sites such as CP.
So with this background in mind, here’s that report:
Is Christian-themed movie subscription site PureFlix a strategic tool of the New Apostolic Reformation, or does this movie company simply focus on delivering films with a pro-Christian message? I’m about to make a case for the former.
We know that one of the hallmarks of the NAR (New Apostolic Reformation) movement is taking dominion over seven spheres of life on Earth, in order to activate the reign of Jesus’ Kingdom. It’s called the “7 Mountain Mandate,” in which Christians are to dominate and fix business, government, media, education, the family, religion, and arts and entertainment.
CNBC has the latest statistics on this risky behavior among teens:
Of eighth, 10th and 12th graders surveyed, 24 percent said they’ve used the drug in the past year, according to research from the University of Michigan. The 1.3 percent increase is the first significant rise in seven years.
The increase in teens using marijuana comes as more states legalize pot for medical and recreational use.
This year, 14.1 percent of high school seniors said they see “great risk” in smoking marijuana occasionally, down from 17.1 percent last year. Also, 64.7 percent said they disapprove of using the drug regularly, down from 68.5 percent last year.
Todd Starnes, host of Fox News and Commentary has the story:
The Hallmark Channel is a throwback to an age when Hollywood produced family-friendly films and love stories that did not involve leather and whips.
The network has earned millions of loyal fans for broadcasting movies that promote the virtues of faith and family — stories that tug at your heartstrings.
“We are a place you can go and feel good,” Bill Abbott, the chief executive of Crown Media, told the Washington Post.
Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? (James 2:5 ESV)
You may wonder, “What? Do all Christians have to live in complete poverty and not own anything? Do we have to get rid of all of our honor, prestige, and power? What are prosperous people, such as business owners and government officials, supposed to do? Should they sell their possessions and give up their authority in order to buy heaven from the poor?” The answer is no. Scripture doesn’t say that you can buy heaven from the poor. But it does say that you should be counted among the poor and also be spiritually poor. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3)
R. C. Sproul has now completed the good fight, he has finished the course, he has kept the faith. Absent from the body, present with Lord. — Steve Lawson
Beloved theologian R.C. Sproul is with the Lord now. According to Ligonier Ministries:
Dr. R.C. Sproul went home to be with the Lord this afternoon around 3 p.m. surrounded by his wife, Vesta, and family in his hospital room in Altamonte Springs, Fla. He was 78. He died peacefully after being hospitalized twelve days ago due to severe respiratory difficulties exacerbated by the flu and complicated by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Remembering R.C. Sproul, 1939-2017
R.C. Sproul, theologian, pastor, and founder of Ligonier Ministries, died on December 14, 2017, at the age of 78, after being hospitalized due to complications from emphysema. Dr. Sproul is survived by his childhood sweetheart and wife of fifty-seven years, Vesta Ann (Voorhis); their daughter, Sherrie Sproul Dorotiak, and her husband, Dennis; and their son, Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr., and his wife, Lisa. The Sprouls have eleven grandchildren, one granddaughter deceased, and seven great-grandchildren.
R.C. Sproul was a theologian who served the church. He admired the Reformers not only for the content of their message, but for the way they took that message to the people. They were “battlefield theologians,” as he called them. Many first heard of the five solas of the Reformation through R.C. Sproul’s teaching. When R.C. taught about Martin Luther, it was as if he had met the sixteenth-century Reformer. R.C.’s commitment to sola Scriptura led him to play a key role in drafting and advocating for the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978). He also served as president of the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy. Because of his commitment to sola fide, justification by faith alone, R.C. took a bold stand of opposition to Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT) in 1994. He later opposed the New Perspective on Paul and also the Federal Vision view. Like the Reformers, R.C. was willing to take bold stands for the central and essential doctrines of historic orthodox Christianity. He was a defender of the authority of God’s Word and of the gospel.
A few days ago we posted “Christalignment: Our cards lead the way….into the occult” and reported that a blog calling itself Christalignment uses “destiny cards,” which is just another name for tarot cards, to practice the prophetic. What’s the big deal? Tarot cards are used to tell one’s future. Fortune telling is an occult practice. Occultists believe they are endued with magical or supernatural powers. These folks are into witchcraft, satanism, and other forms of psychic discernment (tarot cards, astrology, seances, Runes, palm reading, teacup reading, etc.). So it is clear that the Christ in Christalignment is the New Age Christ, not the Christ of holy Scripture, as God’s people are not to participate in occult practices such as “destiny card” reading. (Deut. 18:10)
In a piece entitled “Charismatics Now Using ‘Christian’ Tarot Cards” Pulpit & Pen reported Bethel Church’s association with Christalignment by claiming that “some associated with Bethel Church in Redding, California – are engaging in what is essentially tarot card reading.” Bethel leader Kris Vallotton came out with a Facebook post denying the charge. Although Vallotton denies it, Churchwatch Central says his statement is misleading. In this article, CWC reveals that Bethel is fully aware of this tarot card ministry:
After denying the charge, Bethel was exposed for promoting necromancy, in the form of what is known as ‘grave-sucking’. Now Bethel and their leadership claim they are not responsible for promoting New Age occultism in the form of ‘tarot card readings’. This article refutes well known Bethel leader Kris Vallotton’s claims that this fringe group (Christalignment) does not represent Bethel. This article reveals Vallotton’s statement is very misleading.
According to Elizabeth Prata of The End Time “many of these people on the list teach not immature and temporary error, but permanently damning heresy.” Three examples are Rick Warren, Steven Furtick and Christine Caine. Clearly, the woman who put together this list has zip, zero, nada discernment. See who else is included on Crosswalk’s list of important Christians you should follow:
Crosswalk Ministry recently posted a story titled 20 Important Christians You Should Follow on Social Media. Crosswalk.com’s About says,
Crosswalk.com aims to offer the most compelling biblically-based content to Christians on their walk with Jesus. Crosswalk.com is your online destination for all areas of Christian Living – faith, family, fun, and community.
After seeing the list of “important” Christians you should follow, Crosswalk should not be your destination for anything. Why? Most of their list is populated by false teachers. Sadly, the author of this list states that she is a teacher/leader at her church. It is apparent that the author lacks discernment, which is terrible for a church teacher/leader. It’s clear that the publication’s editors lack discernment, too, because they allowed it to be published.
NAR prophetess Jennifer LeClaire, aka Sneaky Squid Spirit, recently made this “mega announcement”:
After eight years with Charisma magazine, I resigned from my role as senior editor to follow God’s higher call for my life and ministry in June. I stayed on as a consultant for several months but am now moving forward to the “next” I prophesied in January.
I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as the first female editor in the company’s history. I would like to think the Lord used me to inspire and equip people through this platform, which grew online from thousands to millions of visitors a month during my time there.
I will continue releasing my voice through my book and itinerant travel ministry, my Ignite prophetic network, Awakening House of Prayer, AwakeningTV.com and the other ministries under the umbrella of Jennifer LeClaire Ministries.
Related: False Teacher of the 2017
13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” Matthew 15:13-14 (NKJV)
What is Sola Scriptura? This is a Latin phrase. Sola has the idea of “alone,” “ground,” or “base” while scriptura means “writings” and refers to Sacred Scripture or what we refer to in the vernacular as The Holy Bible. Sola Scriptura means that Sacred Scripture alone is authoritative for the faith and practice of the Christian. That being true it must also be true that “all Scripture is ‘God breathed’ (given of inspiration of God) and is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness… (2 Timothy 3:16).” Sola Scriptura was the rallying cry of the Protestant Reformation. One of first things the reformers did after breaking from the Roman Catholic Church was to translate the Bible into the common language of their people. This was violently resisted by the Roman Church with many translators, such as William Tyndale, paying with their lives for putting a non-Latin Bible into the hands of the common people.
From Berean Research:
A few day ago we posted Michael Brown has been WHITE-washed and urged our visitors to share Churchwatch Central’s (CWC) piece. CWC continues their exposé on NAR charismatic apologist Dr. Michael Brown. In their latest blog post they give an explanation of the false Kenotic Jesus of the NAR. Briefly, the kenosis theory states that while He was on earth Jesus gave up some of His divine attributes. This theory is not taught in the Bible. What the Bible does teach is that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. As a man on earth, Jesus did not give up any of His divine attributes (Col 2:9).
Once again we urge our visitors to share CWC’s piece:
Todd White, Michael Brown, Mike Bickle, Heidi Baker, Bill Johnson, John Wimber, C. Peter Wagner and many other top NAR Apostles may need to be seriously considered worse than demons. This sounds like an outrageous statement.
But why even say such an ‘unloving’ thing?
Blogger, author, and book reviewer Tim Challies reveals what he considers the 5 most ridiculous books that Christians purchased, loved and passed on to their friends, starting with The Prayer of Jabez. Watch the vlog or read the transcript:
If you were to scan the lists of the best selling Christian books of all time you’d see some truly amazing books there. You’d see some books that have helped us better understand who God is and books that have instructed us. and how we as Christians can live lives of obedience to Him, and like you, I’m genuinely thankful for these books. Sadly though, you’d also see some truly flat-out awful books. Today I’ve narrowed down that list to the five most ridiculous books to ever become Christian bestsellers.