UK Christian festival features Islamic ‘worship’ chants

Syncretism is a “diabolically inspired supermarket of truth and error in the postmodern Church.” Berean Research fills us in on a “Christian” festival coming to the UK:

Imagine learning Quranic chants from an anti-Christ religion, to worship our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?  That’s exactly what’s going on at a so-called “Christian” festival this month.  Christian worshipers at the annual Greenbelt Christian festival near London can now learn Islamic worship chants to Allah.

It’s a Chrislamic syncretism that will be taught to kids, teens and adults August 25 – 28. The social justice/environmental festival is called Greenbelt 2017: The Common Good. Which explains a lot.  The chanting lessons are taught at the festival by the Ansari Qadiri Rifai Tariqa,  an international non-profit group, which invites Christians to learn how to use basic universal  Sufi chants. Greenbelt Christian leaders say the chants are rhythmic, and have healing properties.  Festival-goers are invited to “come, enter in, learn and participate”.

View article →

Five Service Members Sue Trump for Reinstating Ban on ‘Transgenders’ in U.S. Military

Christian News reports:

Five service members have filed a lawsuit against President Trump in an effort to challenge his reinstatement of the government’s ban on openly-transgendered persons serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

“Plaintiffs have undergone medical treatment for the purpose of gender transition,” the complaint, filed by the National Center for Lesbian Rights and GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders, outlines. “Plaintiffs have served honorably and successfully in the military since coming out as transgender, and their transgender status has not had any detrimental effect on their ability to serve or to fulfill their duties.”

View article →

What does it mean when the Bible says that the Son is the Express Image of God?

 

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. John 1:1-2 (NASB) 

I heard a sermon a long time ago in which the preacher defined a cult as any religious group that called itself Christian but denied the orthodox view of our Triune God. That means that those who deny the Doctrine of the Trinity, according to that definition, are not Christians, but heretics. The man-centered part of each of us, that is the flesh, rebels from such a strict “legalistic” view, but as our faith becomes more and more God Centered in all its aspects, that view becomes entirely justified in our hearts because as we come to know God as He reveals Himself to His children, we will not doubt His Word nor will we attempt to overlay His truth with “altered” truth nor will we add to it nor subtract from it nor take it out of context in order to make it more man-centered. If we compromised and did those things we would do so in order to become more acceptable to the majority and not be excluded and hated by the world and those who call themselves Christians, but who are really just part of the world system. View article →

IN RETURN FOR $1,144, TRUMP’S PRIMARY RELIGIOUS ADVISER WILL PROVIDE ‘DELIVERANCE’

Anyone who thinks Paula White is a Christian does not understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ nor do they grasp what the Christian faith is all about. We say this because Pastrix Paula holds to the heretical Word of Faith prosperity gospel which saves no one. What President Trump seems not to realize is that his spiritual adviser, close friend and confidant is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, as this piece over at The Intellectualist makes clear:

Tump’s primary spiritual adviser, Paula White, claims that in return for $1,144 she will use her best efforts to ensure spiritual deliverance.

According to the Christian Post [a site CRN does not endorse]:

Ms. White is in many ways, an example of the “prosperity gospel“, a movement that claims God, through Jesus Christ, shows divine favor on some by blessing them with wealth.

It is unclear how Mr. Trump and Ms. White initially met one another, but the President relies on her to organize his meetings with other evangelical leaders according to fellow evangelical Jim Bakker.

In an essay titled, “How Paula White, Donald Trump’s Spiritual Adviser, Harms Christians of Color,” Writer Nicola A. Menzie, a critic of Ms. White’s practices says the following:

View article →

Documents Show DOJ Was in Panic Mode After Loretta Lynch’s Secret Meeting With Bill Clinton Was Exposed

According to Katie Pavlich of Townhall, hundreds of documents related to the Clinton/Lynch secret meeting do exist and show beyond a doubt the DOJ was in panic mode. Not surprisingly, one Washington Post reporter tried to make the story go away. Pavlich writes a fascinating report and includes some of the documents:

When former Attorney General Loretta Lynch and President Bill Clinton were busted secretly meeting aboard Lynch’s private plane last summer by a local television reporter, a number of government watchdog groups filed lawsuits for documents surrounding the meeting. After all the FBI, under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice, was actively investigating Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for mishandling classified information at the time. In response to information requests, the FBI and DOJ said documents didn’t exist.

View article →

We Ignored Our Nuclear Arsenal While North Korea Developed Theirs

Breitbart reports:

Center for Security Policy President Frank Gaffney joined SiriusXM host Raheem Kassam on Wednesday’s Breitbart News Daily to discuss the North Korean nuclear crisis.

“There’s a lot of history here, and most of it’s pretty ugly,” Gaffney responded when Kassam asked him to trace the origins of the nuclear standoff.

“I think, basically, since the end of the Korean War, we’ve had a succession of administrations – Republican and Democratic – who have faced a very unhappy reality, Raheem,” Gaffney said. “And that is the massive, if uneven, shall we say, North Korean military … so closely positioned at the Demilitarized Zone to Seoul, the capital of South Korea, that at will, from a standing start, they could essentially devastate the 24 or so million people who live in and around that capital city.”

View article →

How should Christians communicate with apostates?

8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. 10 For, “The one who desires life, to love and see good days, Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. 11 “He must turn away from evil and do good; He must seek peace and pursue it. 12 “For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, And His ears attend to their prayer, But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:8-12 (NASB) 

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, but have also embraced the mysticism of the Eastern religions. Syncretism is the new byword. On the other hand, God is good. He keeps His promises. The Lord told Peter that He is the one building His Church and no evil will ever be able to destroy it. (Matthew 16:18) If this is true, and it is because our Lord spoke it, then how do we reconcile the rapid apostasy of so much of the visible Church with what He said? God always keeps a remnant during times of rampant apostasy. These Christians are the small group whom God has reserved who have not bowed the knee to Baal. These are also the ones in whom God is developing Christlikeness and through the fires of persecution by those in the visible Church who have succumbed to the heresies and ungodliness going on in it, He is teaching them how to stand firm and never compromise with evil. In this they learn the difference between debate and dialogue and know that the former actually clarifies the truth and why they hold to it while the latter is only a conversation which has the intent of compromising the truth. View article →

The Changing of the Apostolic Guard: 13 Names to Watch

Holly Pivec of Spirit of Error penned this piece in 2013. She lists 13 self-professed apostles, prophets and teachers that we should keep an eye on; likewise, she reveals the reasons these people are influential in the NAR cult. Pivec mentions the Grand Poobah of the NAR, C. Peter Wagner who passed away in October 2016. Number 1 on the list is “Super Apostle” Bill Johnson, senior co-pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, CA.

I think we are witnessing a time of leadership transition in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement. The first-generation NAR leaders–those who formulated the major teachings of the NAR movement–have begun stepping aside and a new generation of apostles and prophets have risen to take their places.

The first-generation leaders–and particularly apostle C. Peter Wagner and prophet Bill Hamon –developed much of the theological framework for the NAR movement, including teachings about the restored church offices of apostles and prophet and dominionism. But these first-generation leaders are aging–both Wagner and Hamon are in their 80s.  Thus, the torch is being passed to the next generation of NAR leaders.

View article →

Transgender camp offers programs for children as young as 4

This is the world in which we now live. Fox News has the story:

A summer camp for transgender and “gender fluid” children is taking in children as young as 4.

The camp seems like any other. Children arrive with a packed lunch, make friendship bracelets, sing songs and get silly. But each day at check-in, campers make a name tag with their pronoun of choice. Some opt for “she” or “he” while others choose “they” or something else.

And enrollment at the camp is booming. The number of children at the San Francisco Bay area camp has tripled to about 60 youngsters, from age 4 to 12, since it opened three summers ago, with kids coming from as far away as Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and even Africa. There is talk of opening branches of the camp across the country.

View article →

Fido And Fluffy Are Ruining The Environment, UCLA Study Says

According to Hollywood Patch: 

When it comes to global warming, Fido and Fluffy are part of the problem, a new study by UCLA indicates.

Most cat or dog lovers would say they can’t imagine living in a world without pets, but as the threat of global warming increases, environmentally conscious pet lovers may need to make some tough choices, according to the study.

Pet ownership in the United States creates about 64 million tons of carbon dioxide a year, UCLA researchers found. That’s the equivalent of driving 13.6 million cars for a year. The problem lies with the meat-filled diets of kitties and pooches, according to the study by UCLA geography professor Gregory Okin.

View article →

Lutheran ‘Pastor’ Allows Son Who Likes Pink, Female Fashion to ‘Transition’ to Girl

Christian News reports:

A pastor of a Lutheran church in New Jersey was recently featured in an online video in which he and his wife told the story of their 10-year-old son, who they have allowed to present as female for the past two years.

Christopher Bruesehoff of Holy Counselor Lutheran Church in Vernon and his wife Jamie state that their son Benjamin, who now goes by the name Rebekah, began showing an interest in pink and sparkles at a young age, and became more discontent with being grouped with the boys.

“Rebekah has always been gender non-conforming,” Jamie states in the video released by Barcroft TV. “As young as two or three she gravitated to typically feminine things. She loved pink and sparkles and all things girly. And that was fine with us.”

View article →

The Christian is a new creation

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:1-14 ESV)

The Doctrine of Regeneration tells Christians that the life they live now will not be as it once was, but will take on the characteristics of regeneration. The Christian is a new creation. The attributes of this pertain to spiritual quality rather than physical substance, however, the evidence of it will become manifest in how the Christian walks through each day and deals with the circumstances of life. View article →

The felt-needs gospel is no Gospel at all

From Berean Research:

Have you ever fallen for a feel-good gospel that ministers to your ache for feeling special, or longing for admiration from a god who dances over you and thinks you’re the apple of his eye? What about sermon messages or books that help you look deeply into your past pains, or prayers that ask God for visions of His dream for your future?

Unfortunately, many churches, conferences and Christian program materials are designed to meet the felt needs of the sheep, ultimately focusing on themselves rather than a risen Savior, or using Him as a means to an end. Today we feature our guest blogger Grace Scott, who has researched the dangers of a so-called Felt-Needs Gospel, which is really no gospel at all:

The “Felt Needs” Gospel                                                        Guest post by Grace Scott

We must be aware of men (and women) who are influencing the next generation to have a low view of sin. We as moms, dads, pastors, grandparents, and youth leaders, need to protect them from the subtle but false teaching that pervades much of American Christianity in the form of a “felt needs” Gospel. The premise is that ministering to “felt needs” will predispose seekers to the gospel message. However, having “felt” needs met promotes a low view of God, an erroneous view of sin, and can actually hinder understanding of the Gospel message.

Bill Johnson, Mike BickleBrian HoustonJoyce Meyer, and Christine Caine are very well-known and written about as examples of false teachers with a global platform.

View article →

Male cosmetics counters could hit department stores in five years, L’Oreal boss says

According to The Telegraph:

Male make-up counters could become a reality within five years, the UK boss of L’Oreal has said, as it is no longer a taboo for the “selfie generation”.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Vismay Sharma, the cosmetics giant’s UK managing director, said that demand for make-up among men was growing fast.

Speaking about the industry as a whole, he said male-targeted counters in department stores and drug stores could be a reality in “five to seven years”.

According to Mr Sharma taboos are changing and make-up is becoming more accepted for men among what he describes as the “selfie generation”.

View article →

How Trump’s Transgender Military Ban May Help America Preserve Natural Law

Alex McFarland tackles what great thinkers throughout history have called self evident truth or “natural law.” He points out that, “The framers of the Constitution understood that if we recognize God’s weaving of natural law and objective morality into the fabric of life, we could experience a blessed ‘manifest destiny.'” However, if these things are not recovered, McFarlad warns that “we will continue to head toward inevitable tragedy.” He believes there’s hope for the reason that in decreeing that the US armed services “not capitulate to the transgender lobby, the president actually scored a point for the defense of natural law.”

Here’s Alex McFarland’s piece over at LifeZette:

After centuries of its banning by Rome, the edict of Milan made Christianity legal in A.D. 323. Emperor Constantine not only deemed that Christianity was not a threat to the nation and culture, but two years later, he made it the official state religion.

Countless writers have speculated whether Constantine embraced Christianity out of sincere conversion, or of mere political opportunism.

A case can be made either way, and it’s doubtful we will know definitively in this life. Though he certainly couldn’t have known the ramifications of his decisions, Constantine’s support for Christianity would benefit the entire world and immeasurably change history.

View article →

Antichrists, discernment, and faithfulness

1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 3 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:1-3 (NASB) 

According to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in John 15 the mark of Christian authenticity is abiding or remaining in Him. This is not simply a continual profession of faith, but a remaining faithful to Christ in our orthodox Christian faith. According to Paul, It is a two-fold action of departing from the faith and giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. The Apostle John called the Christian leaders who do this antichrists. View article →

Standing Up To The Enemy

The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it (Nehemiah 2:20).

The men who opposed the rebuilding of the wall stood outside the covenant of promise. None of the three had any claim to the promise of God to inherit the land. That is why Nehemiah took this stand.

The form their opposition took is also prophetic of our struggles. They first mocked and ridiculed. This is usually the first weapon the enemy employs. You may have felt it when you began to recover from your ruin. Your friends laughed at your desires to change. They may have ridiculed your religious convictions and resented with scorn your implied criticisms of their conduct.

Also, Nehemiah’s enemies began to threaten and slander him with charges of rebellion and disloyalty. If ridicule does not work, then the opposition stiffens and becomes openly unfriendly and threatening. It is the next level of resistance that those who seek to rebuild will encounter. View article →

Kris Vallotton – Conviction is the Holy Spirit Reminding You How Awesome You Are

Kris Vallotton is the number two man at NAR cesspool Bethel Church in Redding CA. Anthony Wade examines Vallotton’s teaching that the conviction of the Holy Spirit is simply when He reminds us how awesome we are.  But is this teaching even remotely biblical? In this piece over at 8:28 Ministries, Wade explains what the Bible actually does teach about the conviction of the Holy Spirit: He writes:

Photo credit Christian Research Service

We have long documented the absurdly heretical teachings emanating from Bethel Church in Redding California. A literal cesspool of false doctrines, Bill Johnson has built an empire on teaching wildly unbiblical doctrine. They are the heart of the NAR, false signs and lying wonders, and experiential Christianity heresies. They operate a heretical school of the supernatural where they claim to teach the gifts of the Holy Spirit even though the Bible says that is solely at the discretion of the Spirit. Besides this usurpation of God, Bethel promotes gold dust, gemstones, angel feathers and glory cloud false manifestations. As Johnson has gotten older we have seen more and more leaders emerge from Bethel fueled by his poor teaching. Jesus Culture comes from Bethel and they teach kids to run through “fire tunnels” and try to perform false healings wherever they go. False Prophet Shawn Bolz comes from Bethel. He specializes in fake words of knowledge that he seems to glean from his smart phone. Then there is the number two man at Bethel, Kris Vallotton. Co-founder of the aforementioned heresy school, Vallotton is also a shameless prosperity pimp and is far more active in his social media than Johnson, providing us with a continual glimpse into the mind of someone who abuses the Bible for a living. This week’s example can be found at the above link and reveals that Vallotton not only shares the heretical beliefs of the word-faith crowd but does so at a breathtakingly arrogant level. Let us reason together so that we can more easily spot wolves with similar tendencies.

View article →

Disney Accused Of Illegally Tracking Children Via Apps

According to Hollywood Reporter:

A San Francisco mom says her child was illegally tracked while using the Disney Princess Palace Pets app.

Amanda Rushing, on behalf of her child referred to as “L.L.,” is suing The Walt Disney Company, Disney Electronic Content and others in a proposed class action filed Thursday in California federal court.

Rushing claims an advertising-specific software development kit is surreptitiously embedded in the code for the app, and that’s how Disney is collecting personal information and tracking online behavior.

View article →

 

Christian obedience

 

1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1:1-7 (NASB) 

Part of the process I go through to determine what God wants me to write about or what to study is, of course, prayer and meditation. That meditation involves searching Sacred Scripture, seeking God’s truth. Sometimes that involves going deeper where I stop and dig deeper into a certain word or truth. Over the last several years as I have obeyed my Lord in this ministry I have seen great downgrade in American evangelicalism only get worse. Those who were obviously wolves in sheep’s clothing have only become worse. However, there have been many who looked good who have abandoned orthodoxy, revealing that they were part of the downgrade. Because of these things and a dire need for a remnant, those truly in Christ, to know God’s truth in order to walk in His light, I have determined that I must continue until God makes it clear it is time to stop. A huge part our walk in the light of God is obedience. A huge part our walk in light of God is obedience. In this post we will do a word study of the Greek lexical definitions for the noun and verb forms of our English words “obedience” and “to obey.” From there we will do a study of how these words are used in the New Testament and that would give us the understanding of the writers of those books of the Christians’ obligations to know and obey God’s commands. View article →

The ‘Prophets’ and ‘Apostles’ Leading the Quiet Revolution in American Religion

This article is for informational and research purposes and is not intended as an endorsement of Christianity Today.

A Christian movement characterized by multi-level marketing, Pentecostal signs and wonders, and post-millennial optimism.

Bob Smietana interviewed authors Brad Christerson and Richard Flory wrote on the rise of  “Network Christianity.” As you will see, the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), a term coined by the late C. Peter Wagner, has yet another name to add to the ever growing list, “INC.” According to Orrel Steincamp, “The current Latter Rain leaders have so purposefully muddied the waters that only those who are dedicated history buffs can discern the historical essentials behind the current teaching on a Second Pentecost eschatology. ACTUALLY, only insiders know the Latter Rain playbook, and they cover it up and pawn if off as a new revelation with a new name. No! the Latter Rain has been around since the early days of 20th century.” (source)

It was revealed in Smietana’s interview with Christerson and Flory that people involved in this theological cult are convinced that God is behind it all and that He’s appointing people into high level positions such as modern-day apostles and prophets–and even government cabinet members–and that these people will “know what to do when they get there.” Moreover, they’ll be listening to God (presumably His voice), and the Holy Spirit will use them to “supernaturally make America or the world into the kingdom of God.”  They claim that some of these people that are in these high-level positions are part of the Trump administration. “But they are not Pentecostals, and they have nothing to do with these groups. The movement just latches on to them and claims God is using Trump to bring in the kingdom.”

So with this in mind, on to Bob Smietana’s interview:

View article →

Dawn of the bionic age: Body hackers let chips get under their skin

McClatchy reports:

If you’re prone to forgetting your card key for the office or your computer password, here’s a solution: Get a microchip implanted in your hand.

That’s what Brian McEvoy has done multiple times. He’s got five implants, mostly for functional reasons but one just for fun.

“There’s a glow-in-the-dark implant on the back of my right hand,” said McEvoy, a 36-year-old electrical engineer from St. Paul, Minnesota.

For years, owners have implanted microchips in their pets to recover them if they go astray. Farmers use them in cattle. Now, humans are experimenting with subdermal microchips, which are the size of a large grain of rice, to make modern life easier.

View article →

Genesis: Paradise Lost Coming to Theaters November 13

Mark November 13, 2017 on your calendars,” urges Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis. “it’s a day you won’t want to miss.” Why? It’s the day the powerful film Genesis: Paradise Lost hits theaters.  Here’s more of the exciting news from Ken Ham, plus a trailer of the movie:

Genesis: Paradise Lost (formerly known as Genesis 3D) is a visually stunning film that animates the first chapter of Genesis, as God creates the world from nothing. Narrated by my friend Voddie Baucham, Genesis comes to life before your eyes as plants spring forth from the earth, planets are formed, the earth responds to God’s command to bring forth the animals—including what we today call dinosaurs (there are lots of dinosaurs in this film!), and Adam and Eve explore the beautiful world God created.

View article →

Trump Says US ‘Losing’ War in Afghanistan, Wants to Fire Top General

Newsmax reports:

President Donald Trump is reportedly impatient with military advisers and declared in a recent meeting the United States is “losing” the war in Afghanistan, NBC News reports.

He also suggested firing Gen. John Nicholson as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan in hopes of reversing course, according to senior administration official who talked to NBC.

In a two-hour meeting on July 19 in the White House situation room, Trump complained about NATO allies, asked whether the United States could get part of Afghanistan’s mineral wealth and compared the advice of his top generals to that of a consult to New York’s 21 Club, which lost profits in the 1980s based on bad advice.

View article →

Commandant: ‘I Will Not Break Faith’ With Transgender Coast Guardsmen

Military.com has the story:

As military services await guidance following President Donald Trump’s announcement last week via Twitter of a ban on transgender service members, the commandant of the Coast Guard is speaking out, saying he has no intention of leaving transgender Coast Guardsmen out in the cold.

Speaking on the topic for the first time at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Tuesday morning, Adm. Paul Zukunft said his first action upon becoming aware of Trump’s tweets was to have his office reach out to all 13 members of the Coast Guard who have self-identified as transgender.

View article →