We Have Met the Enemy and He is Us

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

According to Steve McCranie of Leaving Laodicea, hidden sleeper cells have found a home in the visible Church. “These certain men have crept (pareisdúō) into the church unnoticed, or by stealth.  The word means to ‘enter in craftily, under cover of darkness, like a thief,'” says McCranie. “They, like a terrorist sleeper cell, blend in with the others waiting for a time to attack from the inside, from the unprotected underbelly of the church.  They are most sinister.”

So, what are we to do?

McCranie tells us who some of these wolves in sheep’s clothing are and offers his advice on what we must do to keep the Body of Christ a “glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle.” He writes:

For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude 1:4 

Churchill once said, borrowing from an old African proverb, “When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.”  While there is much truth to that proverb, the opposite is also true.  “When the enemy is within, the enemies outside can hurt you.”  And they can hurt you bad.  Often permanently.

View article →

Americans Hold Record Liberal Views on Most Moral Issues

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

It should come as no surprise to learn from a new Gallup poll that pretty much anything goes with most Americans.  According to the report:

Americans continue to express an increasingly liberal outlook on what is morally acceptable, as their views on 10 of 19 moral issues that Gallup measures are the most left-leaning or permissive they have been to date. The percentages of U.S. adults who believe birth control, divorce, sex between unmarried people, gay or lesbian relations, having a baby outside of marriage, doctor-assisted suicide, pornography and polygamy are morally acceptable practices have tied record highs or set new ones this year. At the same time, record lows say the death penalty and medical testing on animals are morally acceptable.

View article →

False Converts Teaching False Doctrine Are Leading Professing Evangelical Christians Astray

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

Just prior to his death in 2014, Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries took on what he referred to as Big Tent postmodern liberal Christianity in a piece entitled “Good Works Actually Extend From God.” And as always, Ken nailed it: 

I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. (Jeremiah 10:23)

Labors in the Lord like this one here at Apprising Ministries would never have been necessary had the mainstream evangelical Christian community not decided to follow the mainline denominations, who’re now mortally wounded by adherence to the religious slavery of liberal theology. It was a serious error from which evangelicalism may indeed never recover.

Yet in His mercy, as the Internet started to gain more influence within Christendom, Jesus would begin to raise up a few initial ministries to pioneer the mission field of online apologetics and discernment ministry (OADM). Unfortunately self-righteous, and largely self-appointed, evangelical leaders chose to ignore these early watchmen.

Even so, over the past couple of decades—as God would begin calling His elect away from these false shepherds—He’s still graciously continued to try and reach them while spreading His truth through the work of a growing number of OADMs. At the same time Satan would launch his Christian counterfeit aka the Emerging Church (EC) via evangelicalism’s Leadership Network (LN).

View article →

Jesus Christ and His believers

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. Ephesians 5:25-27 (NASB) 

There are really only two groups of people in the world. There are those who are branches bearing fruit in the True Vine who is Christ and then there are those who either are totally separate from the vine in their rejection of Gospel or they are branches in in the True Vine who bear no fruit. Those branches which bear fruit have been cleansed by the washing of water with the word by Christ. Their sins are forgiven. The other group has not been cleansed so are in their sins whether they are in the True Vine or not.  View article →

Dr. Michael Brown (Sort of) Approves of These ‘Fine Christians…’ Watch at your Own Risk!

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , ,

Steve Kozar over at Museum of Idolatry put together a video to show how false teachers such as Heidi Baker and Bill & Beni Johnson of Bethel Church in Redding, CA use repetitive phrases and repetitive music to induce their audience into a trance-like state. You will see ordinary folks, who’ve been hypnotized, doing the most bizarre things imaginable, believing that the Holy Spirit is responsible for what they’re experiencing. Kozar begins with a warning to those who view the video that some might find what they see very disturbing.  Here’s what prompted the headline:

Recently, in an exchange on his Facebook page, Dr. Michael Brown was challenged (by Steven Kozar, Chris Rice and others) to call out these false teachers in order to protect his listeners from their very bad doctrine. False teachers like Jennifer LeClaire, Heidi Baker, Bill Johnson and Benny Hinn. Nobody suggested that Dr. Brown personally attack these people, but simply compare their teachings to Scripture. He repeatedly refused. Strangely,  he did not fully endorse them; instead he used vague generalizations like “as far as I know these are fine Christians.”  Dr. Brown wants to be respected as a very knowledgeable scholar and expert, but he continually expresses ignorance about the people and teachings from within his very own movement. Dr. Brown promotes these people on his own radio show, and he’s been a guest on Benny Hinn’s TV show.

View article →

Top Private School Brings in Skirts for Boys Amidst ‘Surge’ in ‘Trans Children’

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

According to Breitbart:

One of Britain’s top private schools is bringing in ‘gender-neutral’ uniforms that would allow boys to wear skirts, as teachers report growing numbers of children ‘questioning their gender identity.’

The move by Highgate School in north London comes as activist pupils at schools across the country are demanding ‘gender-neutral’ bathroom facilities, a ban on terms they deem ‘sexist’, and for teachers to use gender-neutral pronouns such as “they”.

“This generation is really questioning being binary in the way we look at things,” headteacher Adam Pettitt told The Sunday Times.

View article →

La. Executive Board concludes study of ERLC

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission president Russell Moore drew criticism for his alleged disrespect toward evangelical supporters of Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election. Baptist Press reports that the issues have been resolved:

The Louisiana Baptist Convention’s Executive Board has concluded a study of “issues of concern” related to the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and issued a letter commending ERLC President Russell Moore for “confessing his failings.” The letter, addressed to the ERLC president and trustees, also urged Moore “to listen carefully and respectfully to Southern Baptists even as we listen to him.”

The LBC Executive Board voted to report to the convention’s annual meeting in November “that it has evaluated the complaints lodged against the ERLC, that its leadership has met with Dr. Moore and has sent a letter to the trustees of the ERLC and encourages the churches to continue their generous financial support for all our convention work,” according to a May 11 report by Louisiana’s Baptist Message newsjournal.

View article →

No Gray Areas

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

“…no lie comes from the truth.” (1 John 2:21b)

Have you learned yet that no lie is of the truth, that there is no possible harmony between a lie and the truth? In other words, that there are no gray areas in life; that a thing is either black (a lie) or it is white (the truth), and there are no gray areas, though there may be a mingling of black with white. Every Christian has an ability to exercise moral judgment to distinguish right from wrong. It is amazing how many Christians have not learned this yet and still go on echoing the lie of the world, that there can be a blending of truth and error. John utterly cuts the ground out from under that. I wrote to you, he says, because you have found this out, if you know Jesus Christ. You may not have thought through the implications, but you must know that there is no possibility of blending a lie with the truth.” View article →

Resurrection-Driven Ministry

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

The New Testament frequently reminds us of the difficulty that the true minister of the Gospel faces. The Apostle Paul says, “We are being killed all day long, we are like sheep led to the slaughter” (Rom 8:36), and, “We are in danger every hour. We die daily” (1 Cor 15:30–32). He says the servant of God is constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake (2 Cor 4:11). And yet Paul also says he does not lose heart (2 Cor 4:16).

And as he wraps up chapter four and begins chapter five of 2 Corinthians, he develops the theme of how a sure and certain confidence in the bodily resurrection fuels our joyful, enduring ministry, even in the midst of affliction. We do not lose heart, because momentary, light affliction is achieving for us an eternal weight of glory (2 Cor 4:16-18). In the opening verse of chapter 5, Paul continues this thought.

“For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

Paul can persevere in faithful service to the body of Christ—even the kind of service that requires him to lay down his life—because he knows something, because he has been persuaded of the truth. If you connect 5:1 with 4:16–18, you get, “Therefore, we do not lose heart . . . for we know.”  View article →

Loathing Sin & Grabbing for God’s Glory

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ ,

According to Eric Davis, the Lord Jesus came to deal with sin. He came to “make us see, loathe, and eradicate our inward sin, and see, love, and follow him.” He was not interested in “social justice, external humanitarian inspiration, or politico-social revolution,” says Davis.  So why is it that a large (and growing) number of professing Christians avoid the concept of sin?  And why do those who claim they’re followers of Jesus Christ choose to close their ears to what He taught on sin?

In this piece over at The Cripplegate, Eric Davis reveals what the One who spoke the universe into existence wants those He created to know about…sin:

It’s an alarming trend, especially in some of our younger generations. Many of us professing Christians cannot stand to hear the word. When we do, we cry foul. “It’s unloving,” “It’s toxic,” “It’s legalistic,” “It’s graceless.” We leave churches who speak of it. We ignore older saints who bring it up. We avoid authors who write about it. We harden our hearts when identified in our lives. I suppose we could call it something like “hamartiphobia”: a fearful repulsion of things like hearing teaching about sin, experiencing the exposure of our sin, and being confronted on our sin.

View article →

Court Rules Kentucky Print Shop Has Right to Avoid Making Gay Pride T-shirts

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

The Wall Street Journal reports:

A Kentucky appellate court on Friday ruled that the Christian owner of a printing shop in Lexington had the right to refuse to make T-shirts promoting a local gay pride festival.

The dispute represents the latest court fight testing the limits of antidiscrimination protections for gays and lesbians following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 landmark ruling legalizing gay marriage nationwide.

View article →

Furtick joins Rod Parsley’s 2017 NAR ‘Dominion Camp’

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

According to Berean Research, prophet-pastor Steven Furtick of the highly influential Elevation Church has been “full-on N.A.R. (New Apostolic Reformation) for years, and now he’ll be delivering this summer’s fresh anointing of apostolic covering at the annual [Dominion Camp Meeting] event.”  Furtick is featured with several other NAR wolves in DCM’s promo picture posted on their site:

Elevation’s pastor Steven Furtick is aligning with Jesse DuPlantis, Perry Stone and others for Apostle Rod Parsley’s annual Dominion Camp Meeting. Parsley says he is ready to release a seven-times greater anointing into your life.

Check out the promo video…

View article →

Taxpayer-Funded University LITERALLY Creates Segregated Dorm For Black People

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

Seems the inmates are running the asylum at some of our institutions of higher education. According to Eric Owens, there’s a second segregated community for “students passionate about diversity” at CU Boulder: Multicultural Perspectives.  CU Boulder also offers a “dormitory ghetto called ‘Spectrum’ which is reserved only for ‘LGBTQIA-identifying students.’ The unwieldy acronym ‘LGBTQIA’ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (or transsexual), queer, intersex and asexual (or ally).” Daily Caller has the story:

The University of Colorado Boulder is creating a special new residence hall that will segregate black people away from the general student population.

Officials at the taxpayer-funded school have announced a plan to transform Hallett Hall, a campus residence hall, into three separate “Living Learning Communities” beginning this fall, reports Campus Reform.

One of these “Living Learning Communities” will be set aside exclusively for “black-identified students and their allies.”

A second segregated community, “Multicultural Perspectives” will be for “students passionate about diversity.”

View article →

Teaching the Truth in our Hymns

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Joe Willmann of Concordia Publishing House demonstrates the power that music has on our memory, and the way it helps us to internalize words:

For a minute, let me engage in a little thought experiment with you. Complete the following phrases from some popular songs from yesteryear:

Don’t go chasing __________________.

I heard it through the __________________.

Bye, bye Miss _____________________.

And I would walk __________________, and I would walk ____________________.

I’ll give you a moment . . .

Are you done yet?

Now the point of this experiment wasn’t to see if you would know the words waterfalls, grapevine, American Pie, 500 miles, or 500 more. No, the point of the experiment was to show you the power that music has on our memory, and they way it helps us to internalize words. You know those phrases by heart, and if you didn’t immediately remember them, now that you see the words, you can immediately hear the song in your head as you read the phrase. And how long have these songs stuck with you? Here is when they first came out…

View article →

Senate Judiciary Chairman Confirms Trump Is Not Under FBI Investigation

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

Breitbart reports:

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on Thursday vouched for President Trump’s assertion in a letter to former FBI Director James Comey that he was not under investigation by the FBI. Grassley told committee members at an executive meeting that he and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) had met with Comey last week, and that he had briefed them on who the targets of the various investigations are.

“Senator Feinstein and I heard nothing that contradicted the President’s statement,” he said.

Feinstein then said after Grassley’s statement, “I very much appreciate what you’ve said and it’s very accurate, and we were briefed.”

View article →

The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1-5 (NASB) 

When we look at the Moon in its phases what we are actually seeing is part of that created body orbiting the Earth facing the Sun and so reflecting its light back to us while the part not facing it being in shadow, appears dark. The dividing line between the two is called the Terminator. On one side is day and on the other is night. One side is light, one side is dark. However, we must remember that the Moon simply reflects light back to us, it has no light of its own, no brightness or luminosity generated that makes up its nature unlike the Sun. Also, if we look at our Lord’s Transfiguration, we see that the glory in which Moses and Elijah saw was actually the glory being manifested from our Lord. It was His glory or δόξα which awakened Peter, James, and John to their astonishment. As the passage above, from John 1, states, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” What is this light and what is this darkness? What is this life? What has this to do with the dividing line between God Centeredness and Man Centeredness? View article →

The President’s Pastor: Paula White Has Connections and Power. But Where Does She Get Her Money?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

Jillian Kay Melchior has written an exposé on prosperity preacher Paula White for Heatstreet. Pastrix Paula is known for many things, but most recently she is known as President Donald Trump’s friend, close confidant and his “pastor.” Melchoir gives us a glimpse into this wolf in sheep’s clothing’s early life and her rags to riches story. One thing we learn is how the girl who grew up in a trailer park managed to become a multi-millionaire….and chair of the president’s Evangelical Advisory Council. Melchior writes:

Donald Trump & Paula White. Photo credit: Christian Today

The most politically influential Christian in America is a controversial Florida preacher many evangelical Republicans may never have heard of: Paula White, a Florida televangelist.

“Inside this little blond Barbie package is a pit bull!” White recently said of herself. And that pit bull, who has known Donald Trump for about 15 years, is now chair of the president’s Evangelical Advisory Council—a powerful board of Christian leaders advising the administration on everything from political appointments and judiciary nominees to legislative priorities.

White has led prayers at both the Republican National Convention and the inauguration. When Trump met in February with prominent conservatives to discuss appointing Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, White sat at the president’s immediate right. She also opened a Rose Garden ceremony last week and stood behind the president as he signed an executive order on religious liberty.

View article →

Oregon may allow drivers to choose nonbinary, rather than male or female, for licenses

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

The Oregonian reports:

Oregon may soon become the first U.S. state to allow residents to identify as “nonbinary,” neither male nor female, on their driver licenses and identification cards.

Transgender Oregonians say the change would validate their identities and make them safer as they hand over their licenses at restaurants, health clinics and airports. Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles officials say they have had no opposition to the change, which they first announced plans to carry out last summer.

View article →

UK Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Appeal of Bakers Punished for Declining ‘Support Gay Marriage’ Cake

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

According to Christian News:

The U.K. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the appeal of a Christian family that was ordered to pay damages to a homosexual rights activist for declining to write the words “support gay marriage” on a cake.

“The fact that the Supreme Court is willing to hear arguments is very encouraging and reflects the importance of the issues and the high-profile nature of the case,” Ashers Baking Company Manager Daniel McArthur said in a statement following word of the development.

View article →

The Spirit is who makes alive the flesh does not profit anything

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

63 The Spirit is who makes alive. The flesh does not profit anything The Spirit is who makes alive. The flesh does not profit anything. The words which I have spoken to you are Spirit and are life. John 6:63 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

Things are either right or wrong. We see this very clearly in the non-compromising adherence to the truth with the Apostle John. However, let us not forget that what he wrote for us in God’s Word is that very thing. We are reading the inspired Word of God and in John 6, the very words of our Lord are, for the most part, in response to His critics who were in the darkness of unbelief. View article →

Benny Hinn’s claims to being an Apostle

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙

Churchwatch Central presents the evidence that Word of Faith prosperity preaching icon Benny Hinn claims he is a modern day “Apostolic Leader” and an “Apostle.” They start by showing us what is on Hinn’s website:

“One of Benny Hinn’s greatest ministries has been as mentor and apostle for a growing army of Christian leaders.”

This is why back in the 80s and 90s, Benny Hinn was claiming that God would strike people dead if people questioned him and other “men of God” like Paul Crouch.

According to NAR Leader, C. Peter Wagner, greater amounts of spiritual authority are delegated by the Holy Spirit to individuals, that is, Apostles:

“In my judgment, views of leadership and leadership authority constitute the most radical of the nine changes from traditional Christianity.  Here is the main difference: The amount of spiritual authority delegated by the Holy Spirit to individuals.  I have attempted to use each word in that statement advisedly.” [Source]

You can see Benny Hinn wielding this delegated ‘spiritual authority’ and his so-called ‘apostolic authority’ in this statement…

View article →

Largest church in the world losing members after pastor embezzled 12 million

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

People who are barely making a living are no longer giving their hard earned money to fund a lavish lifestyle for shyster pastors, claims Cheryl Preston in a report over at blasting news. “Christians are walking away from mega-churches because of the false doctrine of the prosperity gospel — they are not however walking away from Christ.” Preston writes:

For decades, the Yoido Full Gospel Church in South Korea has been considered the biggest mega-church in the world. In 2014 however, the pastor Yong Gi Cho was convicted of embezzling 12 million dollars from the church. He was given a suspended sentence and has since retired. According to an MSN article by Matthew Bell, PRI’s The world, church membership has been declining ever since. This is not an isolated example because Christians all over the world, are leaving churches, but not their faith in #Christ. The false doctrine of the prosperity gospel is one major reason…

View article →

Democrats Wanted Comey Fired — Until Tuesday

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Jim Stinson of LifeZette reminds us that it wasn’t all that long ago that liberals were demanding James Comey’s resignation — before turning it against Trump. He writes:

Few Democrats suffered such severe political whiplash over the firing of FBI Director James Comey as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Over the course of just a few months, Schumer has shifted wildly on the FBI director. The Democratic leader heaped praise on Comey for decisions that benefitted Democrats and tried to damn Comey for decisions that hurt Democrats. On Tuesday, Schumer suggested the decision to fire Comey was indicative of a “cover-up.”

View article →

Walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:1-8 (NASB) 

Any attempt to please God by rule keeping or law keeping in order to “earn” right standing with Him is fruitless effort. Not only is it impossible, failure is inevitable. Also, for Christians to “evangelize” through legalism is a total waste of time. These well-meaning people tell unbelievers to stop sinning instead of preaching Jesus to them. I find this a ludicrous mind-set since no one who still lives in the temporal can be sinless. On the other hand, as we see in the passage above (Romans 8:1-8), those in Christ are in right standing before God because the law of the Spirit of life has set them free in their Saviour from the law of sin and death. However, this does not mean they are free to live this life as antinomians, that is, taking the grace of God for granted and living any way they choose. How can we live this life as we should my brethren? As we see in Romans 8:1-8 (above) those who walk correctly before the face of God do so according to the Spirit. View article →

It is not ‘character assassination’ for the church to be the church

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

Denny Burk, Professor of Biblical Studies at Boyce College, contends “for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” In this piece, he takes on “Progressive Christians” and deals with their propensity to erase 2,000-years of Church history in an effort to see that the Church becomes more inclusive, more relevant, more open-minded.  In other words, PC’s are “re-imagining” Christianity to look less like historic orthodox Christianity and more like the world. Burk writes:

Photo credit: RightNow Media

Last night, Jonathan Merritt penned an article for Religion News Service excoriating Christians who have distanced themselves from Jen Hatmaker. He writes:

Hatmaker’s original sin is that she broke ranks with the evangelical powers-that-be on same-sex relationships. In an interview with me last October, Hatmaker stated that if she found out one of her children were gay, she would love that child just the same. If an LGBT friend of Hatmaker’s got married, she said she would attend the wedding. And Hatmaker said she believed LGBT relationships could be holy.

View article →