Hank Hanegraaff Must Step Down After Converting to Eastern Orthodoxy: CRI Founder’s Family

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The following article by Stoyan Zaimov of Christian Post is posted for informational purposes and not as an endorsement of CP.  Zaimov’s story contains an interview with Jill Martin Rische, the spokesperson for most members of Dr. Walter Martin’s family, where she reveals that they’re requesting that Hank Hanegraaff leave his leadership post at Christian Research Institute (CRI.) As of this writing, daughter Cindee Martin Morgan has not called for Hank to step down.  In May, Morgan stated her view of the controversy in a piece titled “Christians Are Jumping to ‘Shameful Conclusions’ About Bible Answer Man’s Conversion to Orthodoxy, Says Daughter of CRI Founder.”

CRN has reported on Hank’s conversion to Eastern Orthodoxy since the news broke in April. You can follow the story here.

Now to Stoyan Zaimov’s piece:

Family members of Dr. Walter Martin, founder of the Christian Research Institute, are calling on current CRI president Hank Hanegraaff to step down due to his conversion from evangelicalism to Eastern Orthodoxy.

A majority of the family members have signed a statement asking the “Bible Answer Man” to leave his leadership post.

Jill Martin Rische, the eldest daughter of Dr. Martin and who leads Walter Martin Ministries alongside her husband, Kevin Rische, told The Christian Post in a phone interview on Thursday that she and many other evangelical Christians were “shocked an [sic] surprised” when Hanegraaff was formally received into the Eastern Orthodox Church back in April.

She argued that Hanegraaff has since been teaching a blend of Eastern Orthodoxy and evangelical Christianity on the “Bible Answer Man” show, which she called “fundamentally dishonest.”   View article →

Related:

Christians Are Jumping to ‘Shameful Conclusions’ About Bible Answer Man’s Conversion to Orthodoxy, Says Daughter of CRI Founder

Bible Answer Man Renounces Evangelical Christian Faith

[Added 7/16/17] Walter Martin’s daughter, Cindee Martin Morgan, was accused by Dr. Martin’s eldest daughter of being “untruthful” in her article at Christian Post in May. Cindee and her husband Rick created a video response in order to allow Walter Martin’s own words to show that Cindee was neither untruthful, or mistaken. View the video here

See CRN’s excellent Research Paper on the Roman Catholic Church

 

Group of Religious Leaders, False Teachers Surround and Lay Hands on President Trump

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According to Christian News:

Rodney Howard-Browne Facebook photo

A group of religious leaders, including several known for their false teachings, appeared in the oval office on Monday, where they surrounded President Trump and laid hands on him.

Rodney Howard-Browne, known for the “Holy Laughter Movement” and his claim of being a “Holy Ghost bartender,” said that he had been asked by prosperity preacher Paula White, who reportedly serves as a spiritual advisor to the president, to pray over Trump.

“Yesterday I was asked by Pastor Paula White-Cain to pray over our 45th president,” he wrote on Tuesday in sharing several photos of the occasion to Instagram. “[W]hat a humbling moment standing in the Oval Office, laying hands and praying for our president—supernatural wisdom, guidance and protection. Who could ever even imagine. Wow. We are going to see another great spiritual awakening.”

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The Pilgrim’s Heart Part 4 – The Undivided Heart

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me;

For I am afflicted and needy. 2 Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man; O You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You. 3 Be gracious to me, O Lord, For to You I cry all day long. 4 Make glad the soul of Your servant, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. 6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; And give heed to the voice of my supplications! 7 In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You, For You will answer me. 8 There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord, Nor are there any works like Yours. 9 All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name. 10 For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God. 11 Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. 12 I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever. Psalms 86 (NASB) Read 13-17 in the article.

The pre-Christian era of the Roman Empire (prior to Constantine), was made up of many diverse ethnic groups. Each had its own religious beliefs. The Romans were good at allowing those they conquered to keep their gods as long as they paid homage to Caesar or the Emperor as lord. In most of those cultures, that was no big deal. However, for the Christians who lived within the Roman Empire it was a very big deal. Why? Jesus Christ is Lord! It does not matter who else claims to be lord. It does not matter who or what we elevate to lordship status. Jesus Christ is Lord of all no matter the circumstances. The Roman Empire sent many Christians to their martyrdom because they refused to bow to Caesar’s statue and call him lord. Those who would try to hang on to their beliefs, but save their lives by worshipping Caesar were compromising. I would hate to have been them when they stood before the Lord after they died. View article →

Actually, Eugene Peterson Does Not Support Same-Sex Marriage

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Earlier today we posted “Eugene Peterson’s Error Isn’t About Gay Weddings” to inform you that Eugene Peterson stated in an interview with Jonathan Merritt of Religion News Service that he had changed his mind on same-sex marriage — he’s all for it. Now we learn from Christianity Today, (CT), a site we do not endorse, “LifeWay Christian Stores had reached out to “confirm with Eugene Peterson or his representatives that his recent interview on same-sex marriage accurately reflects his views.” Had Peterson indeed shifted on the issue, America’s largest Christian retail chain would have stopped selling his books, which include dozens of versions of The Message as well as A Long Obedience in the Same Direction and The Pastor.”

Now to the Kate Shellnutt’s report:

A day after a Religion News Service interview portrayed retired pastor and author Eugene Peterson as shifting to endorse same-sex marriage, the evangelical leader retracted his comment and upheld the traditional Christian stance instead.

“To clarify, I affirm a biblical view of marriage: one man to one woman. I affirm a biblical view of everything,” he said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

Peterson, best known for creating The Message Bible, also regrets the “confusion and bombast” in the fallout of his remarks, which were widely shared and commented on online yesterday.

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Getting wasted with the Holy Spirit at Bethel Redding

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In part 2 of a series Holly Pivec of Spirit of Error penned on Bethel Redding’s Firestarters course, we were alerted to Bethel Church’s attempt to draw people into the world of the occult by teaching participants how to “burn with passion for God.” In this installment Pivec reveals that students were taught to imagine themselves holding a huge bottle of wine and encouraged to “get drunk.”  This is no joke, brethren.  She witnessed this bizarre behavior and shares what she saw:

When I recently attended the Firestarters adult Sunday School class at Bethel Church in Redding, California, I was shocked by the teacher’s announcement at the start of the class. “There are only three rules in this class. Rule 1: Get drunk. Rule 2: Stay drunk. Rule 3: Get other people drunk.”

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The Dark Secret in America That Threatens Kids

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According to Dr. Meg Meeker of LifeZette, there is an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases among teens.  Yet ‘Teen Vogue’ and other popular magazines relentlessly push sex on young people. Dr. Meeker has the story:

When I see magazines, movies, or television shows that market sex to kids, I go ballistic.

Here’s why: There is a dark secret in America that is threatening our kids about which most parents and teens don’t know: Our youth are living with an unprecedented epidemic of sexually transmitted infections.

That’s according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet if your teen reads magazines, watches television, or streams movies — he will never know this.

How bad is it? Let me give you a few solid medical facts.

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Eugene Peterson’s error isn’t about gay weddings

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Berean Research examines what’s behind Eugene Peterson’s change of mind on homosexual marriage:

Stop the presses: Another progressive Christian pastor is “gay affirming.”

Well, it’s not exactly surprising that “The Message” author and retired pastor Eugene Peterson would announce that he has changed his mind on homosexual marriage and would perform a “gay wedding” in his own church.

The real news is that this really isn’t about same sex marriages, or even homosexuality. The error is much bigger than that.

First, the hullabaloo: Folks are talking about a Religion News Service article penned by progressive Jonathan Merritt, in which Peterson states:

“I wouldn’t have said this 20 years ago, but now I know a lot of people who are gay and lesbian and they seem to have as good a spiritual life as I do. I think that kind of debate about lesbians and gays might be over. People who disapprove of it, they’ll probably just go to another church. So we’re in a transition and I think it’s a transition for the best, for the good. I don’t think it’s something that you can parade, but it’s not a right or wrong thing as far as I’m concerned.”

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The Pilgrim’s Heart Part 3 – The Worshipping Heart

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

 

1 The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; Let the many islands be glad. 2 Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. 3 Fire goes before Him And burns up His adversaries round about. 4 His lightnings lit up the world; The earth saw and trembled. 5 The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 6 The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples have seen His glory. 7 Let all those be ashamed who serve graven images, Who boast themselves of idols; Worship Him, all you gods. 8 Zion heard this and was glad, And the daughters of Judah have rejoiced Because of Your judgments, O Lord. 9 For You are the Lord Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods. 10 Hate evil, you who love the Lord, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked. 11 Light is sown like seed for the righteous And gladness for the upright in heart. 12 Be glad in the Lord, you righteous ones, And give thanks to His holy name. Psalms 97 (NASB)

I love to worship my Lord. Why? It is not about me. It is about Him. When we truly worship the Lord, we do so in spirit and truth. We worship and bless Him. Worship is not about us. I have seen many people get upset because they do not enjoy certain types of worship music. When we do that, we have it backwards. I have also seen many people sit through wonderful praise and prayer songs as if they are in some sort of trance. They may even be singing along, but their hearts are somewhere else. Does this bless God? View article →

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

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

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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