Breaking the Power of Sin

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Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin. John 8:11b

In this passage, a woman caught in adultery was brought by the church leaders to Jesus. I do not know if we can accurately picture what was going on when this woman was brought before Jesus. I can see her being dragged in, red faced, her hair in disarray. She is angry, upset, rebellious, and bitter, perhaps striking out against her accusers. But when she sees how Jesus handles this crowd of hypocritical judges, and feels that his sympathies are with her, somewhere the mercy and love that was in his face and voice began to touch her. She realized how wrong she was, that she had sinned, and she repented. When she did, Jesus forgave her, obviously anticipating his death upon the cross for her. View article →

A Guided Tour to 2017’s Bestselling Christian Books

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Blogger, author and book reviewer Tim Challies urges us to keep in mind that just because a book is published under a Christian label and sold in a Christian bookstore doesn’t mean the book is filled with truth. A large number of so-called Christian books are stuffed full of error. “At a time where truth is easier than ever to access and book reviews abound,” says Challies, “there’s no reason to be taken in by the junk.”

Now listen as Tim Challies offers his view of  some of the bestselling “Christian” books of 2017. He writes: Continue reading →

Law and Gospel in Judge Aquilina’s Court

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Rachel Denhollander spoke boldly about the depth of Nassar’s guilt.

(Todd Pruitt – Mortification of Spin) I will not rehearse the grotesque acts of Larry Nasser.

As you probably know by now, Nassar is the former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor whose crimes led to his disgraceful end. Today (January 24) he was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. It is estimated that Nassar sexually assaulted over 150 women and girls.

During the sentencing, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina gave some of those assaulted by Nassar an opportunity to address the court and the man who victimized them. Continue reading →

Touch Not My Anointed?

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Ever wonder what charismatics mean when they spout the words “Touch not My anointed one!” We know that in the Old Testament God had Samuel anoint David as Israel’s king. But does God still choose certain men for positions of power and then instruct someone to anoint them? Bible study author, speaker and blogger Michelle Lesley goes to the scriptures to show what “anointing” is all about. She writes:

“Never challenge or speak out against God’s anointed,” I recently read in a book for Christian women.

Have you ever heard someone say this? Is it biblical? Who are “God’s anointed”? Why should we never challenge or speak out against them? What does it mean to be “anointed” anyway? Continue reading →

God is Sovereign in Salvation

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

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 

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. Of course, part of that struggle is rooted in the misconception that “election” happens at salvation. Ephesians 1 makes it clear, however, that God chose His elect before the foundation of the world. An honest reading of Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians  shows us that God’s people are His in completion even though many of them have not yet believed and repented. They are our Lord’s sheep. View article →

The Roman Catholic ‘Mother Mary’ Deception and The Destruction of Souls

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(Soul Refuge) Do you remember the time when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray?

“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. ”  (Luke 11:1-2)

Did the Lord tell his disciples to pray “Our Mother which art in Heaven” or did he tell them to pray “Our Father which art in Heaven”? Can you find the Lord Jesus Christ ever telling his followers to pray a “Hail Mary” prayer?  Can you ever find the Lord Jesus Christ encouraging his followers to build a shrine to his earthly mother Mary? Of course, you will not find any of this stuff in the scriptures, so why do people do these things? The bottom line is that they have accepted and believed the words of mere men (man-made tradition) over the scriptures (the Word of God). It is of the utmost importance that people search the scriptures for themselves, as the Bereans did so that they may know the truth that can set them free. Continue reading →

Moody blues

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(World Magazine – Paul Butler & Marvin Olasky) Financial errors, insider dealings, and theological concerns force a change at an evangelical powerhouse

The story sounds like something out of a movie.

In 2017, a talk show host on the Moody Radio Network blows the whistle on the leadership of one of American evangelicalism’s flagship institutions, the Moody Bible Institute (MBI). On Jan. 9, 2018, she escalates the pressure with a hard-hitting headline on her blog: “A Luxury Suite, Questionable Loan to Officer, & Gambling: The Disturbing Truth About Leadership at MBI.” Moody within hours fires her and sends a man to her house to seize her laptop—but she is on her way to Mexico, with the computer. Continue reading →

Middle age sleep problems tied to cognitive decline down the line

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(Reuters Health)  People who suffer from sleep disturbances in midlife or as they age may be more likely to develop cognitive impairment than people who usually get plenty of uninterrupted rest, new research suggests.

Researchers examined data from four studies of the link between sleep and cognitive function, including two studies that followed almost 3,400 people for more than two decades, starting when they were in their 50s. In these two cohorts, people who suffered from nightmares and insomnia in middle age were more likely to experience cognitive impairment in old age than people who slept just fine earlier on. View article →

Is your Jesus the Jesus of the Bible or is he another Jesus?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it! 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 (NKJV) 

Every professing Christian, whether he or she is trained theologian or not, has constructed some kind of Christology in their mind, in their heart. Sadly, with the dearth of clear and correct doctrine being taught in our churches, most seem to believe that whatever their own concept of Christ is it is okay. After all, to have correct doctrine isn’t that important…right? Some think that Jesus came to give His followers a “better life” here and now. … View article →

Swimming bacteria defy Darwin

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(Baptist Press) Tiny biological motors that give bacteria the power to swim possess a complexity that baffles scientists and undercuts Darwin’s theory of evolution. A recent study in Scientific Reports claims the existence of the motors shows evolution produces inevitable and creative ideas, terminology that sounds more like the work of God than of natural selection.

“Natural selection is supposed to be blind, random, and uncaring, but not here,” Discovery Institute experts noted Jan. 8 on the organization’s blog. View article →

Pope Says Molestation Victims are Slandering Pedophile Priests

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(Pulpit & Pen News) The Pope has shocked the world for accusing victims of one of the Papacy’s most notorious pedophile-covering bishops of “sander,” blaming the victims and shaming them into further silence.

Bishop Juan Barros, by all accounting in the press, helped to cover up the sins of Chile’s worst pedophile priest, the “Reverend” Fernando Karadima. The guilt of Karadima himself is not in question, and the Romanist church itself found Karadmia guilty of sexually abusing minors and sentenced him to – get this – a “life of prayer and penitence.” Wave after wave of parishioners claimed that Karadima had molested them, from 1984 to 2003. In 2004, the Romanists began to investigate Kadima, and even though the Vatican prosecutor said he found the claims substantiated and the claimants trustworthy, the church trial was halted for three years because Catholic officials said it was “beyond the statute of limitations.” View article →

See our Research Paper on the Roman Catholic Church

Rediscovering the Holiness of God

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“Where did holiness go?” wonders David Schrock. “Evangelicals who only speak profusely of God’s love,” says Schrock, “have too often discarded his holiness. As A. W. Tozer observed more than a generation ago, ‘we lack reverence—not because we are free in the gospel, but because God is absent, and we have no sense of His presence.’ We offer to others a message of salvation from judgment, when we ourselves do not tremble before God.”

In this piece over at Credo Magazine, Dr. Schrock helps us rediscover the Holiness of God. He writes: Continue reading →

Where is the Lord God of Elijah?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over. 15 Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him. 2 Kings 2:13-15 (NKJV) 

As we stand in the thick of the battle, not falling or retreating, it is because we are wearing and using the armor of God. Our God is not a product of man-made religion. He is not created by man in the form of the creature. No, He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, holy, righteous, and just. The great object to be desired is God, YHWH, Elijah’s God. With YHWH all things flourish. His absence is our decline and death.  View article →

Three Seminary Presidents to Unleash Mark Driscoll at Conference

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(Pulpit & Pen News) The “Unleashed Conference” is a Phoenix-area conference organized by Ryan Rice of North Valley Community Church. According to its website, the point of the conference is to help the city of Phoenix, which they call “one of the most post-Christian and Biblically illiterate cities in America,” and so bring together “local and national leaders about how preaching God’s Word has expanded the Kingdom of God from generation to generation and how churches that commit to communicating the timeless truths of Scripture are thriving in the midst of troubled times.”    View article →

‘Bethelated’ spirits? Bethel teaching we can walk through walls & walk on water

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Kevin Dedmon is responsible for the majority of bizarre Bethel Church practices .

(Churchwatch Central) Back in 2008 with many involved in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), the Lakeland revival was going on – with Todd Bentley being recognized as a New Breed (little god) on earth. This theology came out of the New Order of the Latter Rain (NOLR). (That is the sonship spirit, the power gospel and the kenotic Christ.)

‘Prophet’ Paul Cain (a heavy advocate of the NAR), announced he was now seeing the fulfillment of what the NOLR prophesied about the New Breed when he prayed for Todd Bentley. (Cain was involved in the NOLR.) Continue reading →

Bad Examples of Women Pastors (But Great Examples of Godly Women)

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Should there be equality in the roles of men and women as many Christians believe?  Or has God gifted women to fulfill only the roles He has specifically designed for them…. which does not include women becoming pastors, nor is it a woman’s role to teach men.

In this piece over at Junction City, Gabriel Hughes discusses the role of women in the Church. He writes:

In 1 Timothy 2:11-12, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.” The context here is church leadership, an instruction that continues into chapter 3. A woman is not permitted to be a pastor in a church (elder, bishop, overseer, etc.). Only a man can be a pastor. Continue reading →

Chip and Joanna Gaines Announce New Partnership With Tim Tebow

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The final season of HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” promises to share moments with some very special guests, and viewers are sure to recognize the famous faces.

Joanna and Chip Gaines welcomed former first lady Laura Bush to the set for the upcoming episode “A Model Cabin Makeover,” where the couple will be renovating the home of friend and metal artist Jimmy Don Holmes.

According to Country Living, the renovation reality stars have a budget of no more than $70,000 to renovate Holmes’ small outdated home into his mountain-living dream home. View article →

The Whole Armor of God

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

(Mike Ratliff – Possessing the Treasure) 1 Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. 2 But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 (NKJV) 

Satan opposes the believer in many ways. No matter how he attempts to subvert our faith, the method he uses is a fiery missile. With these fiery darts he attempts to attack or question or deny God’s character and credibility. Continue reading →

Fruit bearing

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Matthew 7:15-20 (NKJV) 

The fruit of a ministry in God’s economy is not the number of people “converted” under it. No, the fruit, which will be what God will use to judge, refers to the effectiveness that ministry has in leading and developing within those who are ministered to by it unto a Christ-like life produced by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23). … View article →

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?

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“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 →