Global Leadership 2017 doubles down on carnality

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Bill Hybels’ claims his vision is for a better life and a better world. According to Berean Research, Hybles’ mission misses the point, as it completely takes the focus off of Christ:

On Aug. 10-11, 2017, hundreds of church host sites in North America along with telecast centers in over 100 nations world-wide will tune in to the 2017 Global Leadership Summit, hosted by founder Bill Hybels of Willow Creek church in greater Chicago.  That means a wide swath of pastoral and church leadership will hear how to lead their churches through following Christ and biblical principles worldly, non-Christian leadership authors, social justice organizations, and corporate gurus from Facebook and Google. When we call these leaders non-Christian, let’s be honest and call them “enemies of the Gospel,” which God’s Word says they are. (Luke 11:23 and James 4:4)

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Mental Illness Gets New Attention from Police

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LifeZette reports:

A new South Carolina law requires all police officers to be trained on how to de-escalate situations involving people with mental illnesses.

The Criminal Justice Academy in Columbia has a 4 1/2-hour class dedicated to covering the topic of mental health. The cadets are taught how to pick up on cues from a person who may be mentally ill, de-escalate the situation, and get that person to communicate with them.

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‘Kids endangered by puberty blockers’, academics warn

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According to The Christian Institute:

Giving out hormone blockers to ‘pause’ puberty ‘endangers’ young children, medical experts have warned.

In an article published in the New Atlantis science journal, experts warned against using hormone-suppressing drugs to encourage gender-confused children to “transition.”

The authors concluded that there is little scientific evidence to support the use of hormone blockers and they should not be considered a prudent option.

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The Pilgrim’s Heart Part 2 – Back to Fundamentals

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:1-15 (NASB) Read 9-15 in the article.

In the 1960s, the premier football team in the NFL was the Green Bay Packers. They won the NFL title in 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966 and 1967. They also won the first two Super Bowls. Their coach through all of these winning seasons was Vince Lombardi. View article →

Yet Another One –An Undiscerning Believer– Is Being Deceived!

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Lois Putnam of Learn to Discern Granny has a quote from Roger Oakland women should heed: “In fact, in many churches … books replace the Bible altogether.  Rather than teach verse-by-verse … the leader of the women’s study teaches page-by-page through a book that is very appealing to the flesh and provides additional revelation to the Bible.  When a discerning woman in the study goes to the pastor and expresses her concerns, she is often chided for being divisive, or her concerns are totally overlooked.” Putnam offers some good advice to women and men alike:

Not long ago a dear friend wrote me an e-mail that she titled: “Yet Another One.”  In her note she wrote that a former pastor’s wife had just messaged many on Facebook touting “Jesus Calling.”    Now this seasoned pastor’s wife seemed to have absolutely no clue, or discernment, that there were any problems with Sarah Young’s devotional Jesus Calling.  Sadly, she had never read Warren Smith’s classic critique: Another Jesus Calling.

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Church of England Overwhelmingly Votes to ‘Welcome and Affirm’ Transgenders

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Christian News reports:

Photo credit: Hans Musil3

According to the denomination’s website, the General Synod voted on Sunday to approve a motion that “recognizing the need for transgender people to be welcomed and affirmed in their parish church, call[s] on the House of Bishops to consider whether some nationally commended liturgical materials might be prepared to mark a person’s gender transition.”

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TBN Spends $20 Million on Attorneys’ Fees in Four Years

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Barry Bowen of The Christian Sentinel has the story:

In 1987, Congress held hearings to examine government oversight or the lack thereof for religious institutions. The hearing was spurred on by allegations of fraud involving televangelist Jim Bakker and PTL.

Pastor D. James Kennedy meekly told Congress, “I would think that if a person is going to give money to something, that they have … a responsibility to learn where it is going.”

Donor Responsibility. It is an important concept. Christians should check out televangelists before sending them checks or making donations by phone. Besides examining a preacher’s theology, donors should determine if giving to them is good stewardship.

Trinity Broadcasting Network, America’s largest religious TV network, is amassing huge legal expenses. The network has spent more than $20 million on attorneys’ fees since 2012.

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The Pilgrim’s Heart Part 1 – Introduction

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One of my favorite books outside of the Bible is John Bunyan’s allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress. Bunyan wrote this wonderful book while in prison for preaching without license from the Church of England. He was a 17th Century Baptist non-conformist preacher who was counted among the Puritans. The continuing appeal of this book, even into the 21st Century, is its inherent Christian authenticity. Through this authenticity we learn what real Christianity is and what it isn’t. View article →

I’m a Pediatrician. How Transgender Ideology Has Infiltrated My Field and Produced Large-Scale Child Abuse.

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Michelle Cretella is the pediatrician.  In a piece over at The Daily Signal, Dr. Cretella, who is a board member and researcher for the American College of Pediatricians, reveals what pediatricians who don’t go with the flow are up against. For one thing, “The transgender movement has gained legs in the medical community and in our culture by offering a deeply flawed narrative. The scientific research and facts tell a different story.”

Read it and weep.

Transgender politics have taken Americans by surprise, and caught some lawmakers off guard.

Just a few short years ago, not many could have imagined a high-profile showdown over transgender men and women’s access to single-sex bathrooms in North Carolina.

But transgender ideology is not just infecting our laws. It is intruding into the lives of the most innocent among us—children—and with the apparent growing support of the professional medical community.

As explained in my 2016 peer reviewed article, “Gender Dysphoria in Children and Suppression of Debate,” professionals who dare to question the unscientific party line of supporting gender transition therapy will find themselves maligned and out of a job.

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America’s First Free-Roaming Genetically Engineered Insects Are Coming to New York

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Technocracy News has this comment on genetically engineered insects:

And away we go… Moths with a genetically modified kill switch to be released into the wild. The words ‘likely’ and ‘unlikely’ are used repeatedly to justify the release: ‘unlikely to impact the environment or humans’ and ‘likely killed off my pesticides’. The USDA has again fallen under the spell of Technocrats who elevate science to a state of godhood and themselves as the high priests.

Gizmoto has the story:

Diamondback moths may be a mere half-inch in length, but their voracious appetite for Brussels sprouts, kale and cauliflower make them a major pain for farmers. This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved a potential solution: moths genetically engineered to contain a special gene that makes them gradually die off. A field trial slated to take place in a small area of upstate New York will become the first wild release of an insect modified using genetic engineering in the US.

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‘When Does a Human Life Begin?’ Answered by Science

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According to Leah Jessen of LifeZette, “many intelligent and educated people don’t know fundamental truths about human life, such as when life begins.” She writes:

“When does a human life begin?”

This question should not be hard to answer — but in today’s culture, the topic is more contentious than ever.

“This is not about opinions, politics, or religion — nor should it be. It is about modern, objective, relevant science,” Brooke Stanton, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Contend Projects, wrote on her organization’s website. Based in Washington, D.C., and founded two years ago, the secular and nonpartisan Contend Projects is working to inform people, based on science, about when life begins.

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The Compromised Church is a Friend of the World

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2 (NASB) – Read 6-14 in the article.

One of the most subtle aspects of the Compromised Church is its friendship with the world. All through the Bible we are told that we are not to love the things of this world, nor are we to be conformed to this world, nor are we to see this world as our home, but we are to have our treasure in Heaven rather than in the world. We are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We are to live this life with eternity in mind. View article →

The Compromised Church and Ungodly Discernment

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1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. 3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. 1 John 2:1-6 (NASB) 

One of the most tragic aspects of the Compromised Church, which is a product of its emphasis on numbers, baptisms, relevance, and worldliness is its complete lack of correct theology pertaining to salvation and assurance. Those who are believing they became part of the Kingdom of God in these churches are, for the most part, responding to a doctrine of salvation based upon some form of works righteousness which is the belief that one’s standing before God is founded and maintained by works of merit. These works begin with walking an aisle at an invitation then praying a sinner’s prayer followed by baptism. Assurance of salvation is then always looking back at that moment as when the believer chose to be “saved” by obeying the call at the invitation. View article →

The Fight for Charlie Gard’s Life: Maybe Doctors Aren’t Right

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Dr. Meg Meeker believes that Charlie Gard’s parents, who live in Great Britain, should have the final say over their son, not gov’t bureaucrats or faceless “experts.” Charlie’s story has made headlines, even in America, and it’s a very troubling story indeed. Here’s how Dr. Meeker tells it in a post over at LifeZette:

Charlie Gard’s parents are embroiled in the fight for their son’s life and — importantly — the fight for their right to be parents.

Diagnosed with a rare mitochondrial disease, a condition that disables the cells of the body from functioning adequately, little Charlie — who is not yet a year old — has been on life support. And the British courts, not his parents, are assuming responsibility for his life.

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Transgender Men in Women’s Showers Must Get ‘Dignity and Respect,’ Says U.S. Army

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According to Breitbart:

Female soldiers must give “dignity and respect” to transsexual men who join them in their shared shower rooms, according to training manuals leaked by soldiers in a mandatory class.

But this “dignity and respect” is a one-way street, according to the training slides, which were developed by officials working for former President Barack Obama. “Transgender Soldiers are not required or expected to modify or adjust their behavior based on the fact that they do not ‘match’ other Soldiers,” according to the slides, which were first leaked by TheFederalist.com:

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The Point of No return

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night (John 13:30).

The chapter began with satanic influence on Judas. In verse 2 John says, The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus (John 13:2). Here you see that Judas’s greed has given the devil an opportunity. When we resist God’s love and follow a determined march toward evil, it gives the devil opportunity. And he had the opportunity to implant thoughts in Judas’s heart that would take deep root immediately. So he had already put it into Judas’s heart to betray Jesus; the deal had been arranged. When Jesus gave him the morsel and Judas took it and ate it without a word or a sign of repentance or remorse, he passed the point of no return.

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Megachurch Leader Says Critics of Choir’s ‘Make America Great Again’ Trump Slogan Ode Are ‘Evangelical Gnats’

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Christian News reports:

Pastor Robert Jeffress. Photo credit Gage Skidmore

A well-known megachurch leader and Trump supporter says that those who have been critical of last Saturday’s choir performance of a song based on Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan are “evangelical gnats” who are just upset that Trump won the election.

“They are absolutely nothing but evangelical gnats who are looking for any excuse to nibble at the president,” Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church of Dallas told the Christian Post this week. “If you take these critics’ argument to their logical end, then Christians need to quit saying the Pledge of Allegiance.”

As previously reported, the song, which had been written by the church’s former music minister, Gary Moore, was performed by the Southern Baptist choir during Saturday’s “Celebrate Freedom” rally in the nation’s capital. The event was co-sponsored by Jeffress’ congregation and featured a message from the president.

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Trump’s Warsaw Speech a Coup for Poles, Disaster for Eurocrats

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Edmund Kozak of Lifezette covers what some are calling President Trump’s “Reaganesque” speech:

President Donald Trump delivered a speech Thursday in Warsaw, Poland, sure to boost the anti-globalist ruling government of the eastern European nation — and undercut his EU critics.

“The Polish experience reminds us — the defense of the West ultimately rests not only on means but also on the will of its people to prevail,” Trump said before a huge crowd at Warsaw’s Krasinski Square.

“Your oppressors tried to break you, but Poland could not be broken,” he continued.

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Malaysia, Indonesia Muslim groups call for Starbucks boycott

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Chicago Tribune ran the Associated Press report:

Muslim groups in Malaysia and Indonesia have called for a boycott of Starbucks because of the coffee chain’s support for LGBT rights.

Malaysian group Perkasa, which supports a hard-line form of Islam and nationalism, this week called on its more than 500,000 members to stay away from Starbucks coffee shops. This week and last, leaders of Indonesia’s second largest mainstream Muslim group, Muhammadiyah, with an estimated 29 million members, denounced the chain.

The groups were apparently reacting to comments made several years ago by former CEO Howard Schultz in support of gay rights that drew renewed attention amid an increasingly anti-LGBT climate in both of the predominantly Muslim countries.

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The Compromised Church and Humanism

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

13 “But He is unique and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, that He does. Job 23:13 (NASB) 

2 “I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. Job 42:2 (NASB) 

5 For I know that the Lord is great And that our Lord is above all gods. 6 Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. Psalms 135:5-6 (NASB) 

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; 11 There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; 12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”; 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood, 16 Destruction and misery are in their paths, 17 And the path of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Romans 3:9-18 (NASB) 

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 (NASB) 

12 There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12 (NASB) 

Humanism: A system of thought that centers on humans and their values, capacities, and worth; the doctrine emphasizing a person’s capacity for self-realization through reason

Reformed Theology – the theological system which emphasizes the omnipotence of God and salvation by grace alone

If you haven’t done so already, please prayerfully read the scripture I have placed at the beginning of this chapter as well as the definitions for “Humanism” and “Reformed Theology.”

God is sovereign. He is omnipotent. He is perfect. He is Holy. He is Just. He is immutable. That means He does not change. He spoke His truth at the beginning of creation and that truth is still the truth now and will be for all eternity. God said in Isaiah 55:8-9 that His thoughts and ways are not as ours are. In fact His thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than ours. When I say “ours” I am speaking of all mankind. There are no exceptions. God said this to Isaiah and Isaiah wrote it down. It is given to us in the Bible which is the perfect Word of God. View article →

Fracturing the Rock of St. Peter: Pope Francis and ‘Doctrinal Anarchy’ in the Catholic Church

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The brouhaha is over Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation on the family, Amoris Laetitia, where the pontiff declared that divorced and civilly remarried Catholics can now receive Holy Communion. The RCC has always considered divorced/remarried Catholics to be living in a state of adultery and because adultery is a sin against God, they were not allowed to take communion. According to Jonathan Kleis of Reformissio, “A key problem is that the Pope’s own position on this issue has been ambiguous. Although last year he backed an Argentine bishops’ directive advocating support for giving Holy Communion to some remarried divorcees and, a few months ago, wrote a letter thanking Maltese bishops for their guidelines on interpreting the document, he has yet to state an official position…”  So now things are starting to get ugly.  Kleis writes:

Trouble is brewing in Rome. As I wrote a while back about the fractures developing in the foundation of the Catholic Church over the interpretation of Pope Francis’s Amoris Laetitia, the situation has only become worse. Not only have requests for clarification gone unheeded, but talk has now begun of “doctrinal anarchy” as regional conferences of bishops around the world have been issuing contradictory guidelines for the admission of divorcees to the sacraments. In an article posted on the National Catholic Register, Edward Pentin writes:

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See our Research Paper on Roman Catholicism

Hasbro Says It ‘Eliminated Old Delineation of Gender’ to Think of Toys More ‘Inclusively’

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Christian News reports:

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the CEO of Hasbro outlined that the company has changed its thinking regarding certain toys being geared toward particular genders. Brian Goldner told the outlet that Hasbro has found that a significant percentage of boys are interested in My Little Pony, and that girls might like some of the Star Wars products the company will soon be releasing. “You’ve pivoted Hasbro’s focus from mostly boys to girls as well, and the stock hit an all-time high in February. What does that say about the marketplace?” reporter Tatiana Siegel asked.

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The Compromised Church and spiritual blindness

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

 

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! Matthew 6:22-23 (NASB) 

Since God placed me in this ministry back in 2006 I have been immersed in a battle against a most disturbing phenomenon in the Church in America. In this post we will take a closer look at it. What is it? It is the willful ignorance in our spiritual leaders. View article →

‘Astonishing’ rise in demand for exorcisms putting mental health at risk, report finds

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According to The Telegraph, the exorcism industry is in part “driven by immigrant communities and Pentecostal churches which are very open about their exorcism services.” Exorcisms are being performed despite the fact that the writers of the New Testament never admonish believers to cast demons out of people. What we are told to do is to put on the armor of God and stand firm against demonic activity (Ephesians 6:10-20). James tells us to resist the devil (James 4:7) and Peter says that when it comes to the spiritual forces of wickedness we are to be alert and of sober mind (1 Peter 5:8). We must not give the devil a foothold in our lives. (Ephesians 4:27). Never are we told to address demons or to attempt to perform an exorcism. Again, we are told to keep our spiritual armor on and to “resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

An “astonishing” rise in harmful Christian exorcisms is being partly driven by migrant communities, a think tank has warned.

A report by Theos, a think tank focusing on religion, found that experts were concerned that the “booming industry” in exorcisms was putting Christians’ mental health at risk.

The report, which examines the relationship between Christianity and mental health, said: “Exorcisms are now a booming industry in the UK, with a number of interviewees noting the astonishing increase in demand – often, as one noted, in defiance of any actual rules or procedures put in place by any church.”

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CNN Blackmail: Massive Backlash After Network Threatens Reddit User

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The reporter accused of coercing an apology from the creator of the Donald Trump wresting meme threatened the man with punishment unless his remorse is genuine and his “ugly behavior on social media” stops. LifeZette has the story:

CNN found itself ensnared in yet another ethical quagmire on Wednesday after a young reporter apparently tracked down the creator of a mock video tweeted by President Donald Trump and extracted an apology from him.

The Reddit user created the controversial animated GIF that showed Trump bodyslamming a man at a WWE match. The man in the original video was Vince McMahon, the former president of WWE and a personal friend to Trump. In the mock video the CNN logo was placed over McMahon’s head.

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