Five Key Takeaways from Comey Show on Capitol Hill

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Brendan Kirby reports that fired FBI director James Comey, who we just learned is a leaker, doubted Donald Trump’s honesty but confirmed that the president never attempted to quash the Russia probe.  In a piece over at LifeZette, Kirby lays out what he deems to be the main takeways of Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee. He writes:

Former FBI Director James Comey said Thursday that he doubted President Donald Trump’s honesty and suggested that he made inappropriate requests of him regarding fired National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

At the same time, Comey reiterated before the Senate Intelligence Committee his written testimony, released Wednesday, that he had volunteered to Trump he was not a subject of the FBI’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election campaign. He also testified that Trump never asked him to stop the counterintelligence investigation.

View article →

 

The Tyranny of Decadence

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

Society is experiencing the same sort of moral anarchy that occurred when the Weimar Republic ruled Germany and liberal ideas and pleasure seeking became the norm. Dr. Peter Jones is the Executive Director of truthXchange and one of the world’s foremost experts on paganism.  According to Dr. Jones, there has been a pagan transformation of the West, starting with the sexual revolution of the 60’s — and what the change agents have in mind is far worse than any of us can imagine.  He believes the battle for the spiritual health of our children has just begun.

In his latest blog post, Dr. Jones gives us a glimpse of what liberals have in store for the culture; likewise for Christians.  He writes:

In our present world, decadence is replacing decency. For the sake of personal freedom our culture sanctions a sexual revolution that German sociologist, Gabriele Kuby believes “will quite possibly prove to be the most destructive revolution in history.”  She goes on to state that “the extent to which that satanic system will go for [sexual] freedom…is nowhere better seen than in abortions.” Someone has said: “Abortion is the willingness to kill for the sake of the willingness to copulate.”

View article →

Judge Dismisses Homosexual Activists’ ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ Suit Against Pastor

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

Christian News reports:

A federal judge has dismissed an international lawsuit filed by an African homosexual activist group, which accused an American pastor of committing “crimes against humanity” for speaking out against homosexual behavior in the country.

U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor, appointed to the bench by then-President Bill Clinton, issued an order on Monday declaring that the matter lacked the jurisdiction of a U.S. court.

Throughout his conclusion, however, he repeatedly blasted Scott Lively, author of “The Pink Swastika,” as aiding and abetting “a vicious and frightening campaign of repression” against homosexuals, and characterized his writings as “crackpot bigotry.” Lively denies the allegation as being without substantiation and as giving “the left fodder for propaganda.”

View article →

Regarding Harry Potter Part 3

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

Follow the fruit…

The Harry Potter book series was marketed through Scholastic Books to their target group of 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, through sales at school book fairs as well as use in the classroom. Scholastic gives a place of honor to John Dewey (Oct. 20, 1859 – June 1, 1952) on their website for good reason.  John Dewey would have delighted in being able to place a wedge between Muggle parents and their magical children. Mr. Dewey’s intent was always for the educational system to have more sway in children’s minds than their parents. The truthXchange published an article by Steve Baarendse on September 23, 2011 entitled “The Muggles’s Protest.”  It is a warning and a plea to the Christian community about the inherent dangers of Harry Potter. View article →

‘Global Warming’ Is a Myth, Say 58 Scientific Papers in 2017

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

Breitbart reports:

“Gblobal warming” is a myth — so say 80 graphs from 58 peer-reviewed scientific papers published in 2017.

In other words, the so-called “Consensus” on global warming is a massive lie. And Donald Trump was quite right to quit the Paris agreement which pretended that the massive lie was true.

By “global warming” these papers don’t, of course, mean the mild warming of around 0.8 degrees Celsius that the planet has experienced since the middle of the 19th century as the world crawled out of the Little Ice Age. Pretty much everyone, alarmists and skeptics alike, is agreed on that.

View article →

Syphilis cases hit highest level since 1949 amid rise in men who have sex with men

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ ,

Websites which help people find hook ups may be fueling a rise in unprotected sex. The Telegraph has a story titled “Syphilis cases hit highest level since 1949 amid rise in men who have risky sex.” Laura Donnelly cautions that most cases were associated with transmission in gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men.  According to the report:

Syphilis cases have reached the highest level since 1949 following a rise in unsafe sex as fears about HIV have faded, new figures suggest.

The official data shows the number of diagnoses has doubled in five years, with most cases occuring in gay and bisexual men.

It follows warnings from health officials that risky sexual behaviours – including unprotected activity, “chem sex,” the use of “hookup” apps such as Grindr – and “poz” parties where HIV positive men select sexual partners – are fuelling the rise.

The figures from Public Health England show 5,920 syphilis diagnoses in 2016 – a rise of 12 per cent in one year, and a near doubling from 3,001 cases in 2012.

View article →

 

Idolatry and the False Prophet of Rome

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

Mike Gendron of Proclaiming the Gospel shares a prayer by “Pope” Francis who believes that God hears the prayers of those who pray to a stone statue:

Calling himself a pilgrim with the pilgrims, Pope Francis asked “which Mary” did the crowds come to honor? The Mary who is “a teacher of the spiritual life, the first to follow Jesus on the ‘narrow way’ of the cross by giving us an example, or a lady ‘unapproachable’ and impossible to imitate?” He then bowed down before a statue of Mary and offered it a golden rose.

View article →

Check out our Research Paper on Roman Catholicism

Regarding Harry Potter Part 2

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

Is the Harry Potter book series a matter of Christian liberty or forbidden fruit?

A Puritans’ Mind author, Dr. C. Matthew McMahon thoughtfully and scripturally examines the question, “Is Harry Potter really necessary?”2

There is much wisdom found in St. Augustine’s quote, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” The apostle Paul presented it like this:

14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Romans 14:14 (NASB)  View article →

Total Vetting Fail: Left-Wing Snowden Fan Girl Reality Winner Gets Access to Our NSA Secrets

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

John Hayward of Breitbart has the details of far-left zealot and Bernie Sanders supporter, Reality Winner, who has been charged with leaking classified documents. One troubling detail in the report is that the 25-year-old female Air Force veteran tweeted to the Iranian Foreign Minister, “There are many Americans protesting U.S. government aggression towards Iran. If our Tangerine in Chief declares war, we stand with you!”

So naturally John Hayward wonders if it is “fair to ask when the media will get around to asking [Bernie] Sanders if he disavows his treacherous supporter – as the press would certainly be doing if a red-hatted MAGAphile supporter of Donald Trump, boasting a Twitter feed full of right-wing causes and celebrities, had looted the NSA to help a “resistance” movement take down President Hillary Clinton.”

Hayward is not speculating.  What he says here actually happened. Here’s his report:

The news reads like something out of a screwball comedy: a far-left activist named “Reality Leigh Winner” somehow received clearance to work for the National Security Agency, which she allegedly proceeded to rob of classified material in the name of the kookburger anti-Trump “Resistance.” In the post-Edward Snowden era, how does someone like this get anywhere nearsensitive data?

Speaking of Snowden, Ms. Winner is a huge fan of his. He was one of only 50 accounts she followed on Twitter, along with WikiLeaks, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, and the Anonymous hacker collective. Her own Twitter posts were filled with foaming-at-the-mouth anti-Trump tirades such as, “Why burn a flag? Donald Trump thinks crosses burn much better.”

View article →

A View More Troubling Than Pro-Choice

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ ,

Even Christians will tell you that they’re personally against having an abortion but they think abortion should remain legal. Alan Schlemon of Stand To Reason explains why he believes this view is “even more disturbing than the view held by the ardent pro-choice advocate who works at Planned Parenthood.” He writes:

Most people are familiar with the two traditional positions on abortion: pro-life and pro-choice (I’m not comfortable with these terms, but let’s go with them now for the sake of simplicity). There’s a somewhat in-between view, however, that is troubling. I call it the modified pro-choice position. The person who holds this view believes the unborn is a valuable human being, so they are pro-life in that sense. They still feel, however, that the law should permit women the right to choose an abortion. Their view is expressed by the statement, “I’m personally against abortion, but I don’t think we should make it illegal.”

View article →

 

You can overdose on opioids by touching the drug

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

Most folks are unaware that it’s possible to overdose on opioids like fentanyl by touching the drug or even by taking in particles that are nearly impossible to be seen by the naked eye. Law enforcement officers are especially vulnerable as they’re exposed to opioids on the job.  Michelle Chavez has this troubling story in a piece over at Fox News titled “Ohio police officers on the frontline fighting opioid crisis.” She writes:

Ohio police officers are taking added precautions while on patrol as they try to save others overdosing on opioids.

East Liverpool Officer Chris Green almost died on the job last month after accidentally overdosing on fentanyl because of exposure on the job. Green told Fox News he noticed drugs in a suspect’s vehicle during a routine traffic stop then took the necessary precautions when directly dealing with the substance.

A colleague back at the police station later pointed out powdery particles on Green’s shirt. Green wiped it off, then he collapsed.

He was briefly hospitalized and treated before being released.

View article →

Jury Awards $2M to Granddaughter of TBN Founders, Finding Jan Crouch Acted ‘Outrageously’

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

According to Christian News:

An Orange County jury Monday awarded $2 million for past and future damages to the granddaughter of a founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, finding that her grandmother acted “outrageously” to allegations that the plaintiff was molested when she was 13 by a TBN employee.

Jan Crouch died in May of 2016.

Carra Crouch will only collect $900,000 of the verdict because jurors, who deliberated for about 7 1/2 hours over three days, found that Trinity Christian Center, the Santa Ana-based nonprofit that runs the evangelical Christian broadcasting giant, is responsible for 45 percent of the damages.

View article →

Regarding Harry Potter Part 1 of 3

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

“Come now, and let us reason together…” Isaiah 1:18

The purpose in writing this 3 part series is to address concerns about the cultural phenomena; Harry Potter book series by author J.K. Rowling and the spiritual impact on our children. The books are about a wizard named Harry Potter, who attends the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The question is, “Should Christians (specifically children) be participating in filling their minds and imaginations with subject matter that Scripture has warned against, or should it be avoided?” View article →

What Your Church Needs to Know Before Doing a Priscilla Shirer Study

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

We have warned our readers about popular speaker, author and Bible study teacher Priscilla Shirer a number of times (here) for the reason that some of her teaching is dangerous. For one thing, Shirer is a proponent of unbiblical contemplative prayer. In a piece over at Lighthouse Trails, we learn that she’s promoting Jan Johnson who also encourages her followers to adopt practices that stem from Roman Catholic mysticism.

According to LHT: In her book, Invitation to the Jesus Life: Experiments in Christlikeness, Johnson shows her resonance with a number of contemplative figures with quotes by and references to them.  One particular name that jumps out is New Age sympathizer Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.

LHT begins with these quotes:

Roman Catholic mystic Teresa of Avila

The repetition [of a word or phrase] can in fact be soothing and very freeing, helping us, as [Roman Catholic mystic] Nouwen says, “to empty out our crowded interior life and create the quiet space where we can dwell with God.”—Jan Johnson, When the Soul Listens, p. 93

Years ago, I got a chance to meet Jan Johnson. . . . I was encouraged and redirected in so many ways. As a young woman trying to navigate the ins and outs of my relationship with the Lord, Ms. Jan spoke wisdom into my life that was extremely pivotal in my life—personally and in ministry.—Priscilla Shirer (emphasis added; http://www.goingbeyond.com/blog/wisbits; quoted in 2010 and still up on Shirer’s website)

This week, our office received a call from a woman who was concerned that her church is going to be doing a study using material by Priscilla Shirer. Our caller wanted to get some information she can show her pastor as to why her church should not be doing a Priscilla Shirer study. Because Priscilla Shirer is a contemplative proponent, we concur with our caller’s concerns. In John Lanagan’s booklet,  Beth Moore & Priscilla Shirer – Their History of Contemplative Prayer, Lanagan shows how both Moore and Shirer have been advocates of contemplative spirituality for quite some time. In that booklet, and this is what we want to focus on in this article, Lanagan discusses a woman named Jan Johnson. Because Priscilla Shirer embraces and has gleaned spiritually from Johnson, we need to take a closer look at what Johnson believes.   View article →

Trump: ‘I Am Calling It What We Need and What It Is, a TRAVEL BAN’

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , , ,

CNSNews reports:

In four tweets on Monday morning, President Donald Trump doubled down on his “travel ban” and criticized his own Justice Department for watering down the original ban – out of political correctness, he said.

The four tweets, printed below, started coming at 6:30 a.m.

— “People, the lawyers and the courts can call it whatever they want, but I am calling it what we need and what it is, a TRAVEL BAN.

— The Justice Dept. should have stayed with the original Travel Ban, not the watered down, politically correct version they submitted to S.C.”

–The Justice Dept. should ask for an expedited hearing of the watered down Travel Ban before the Supreme Court – & seek much tougher version!

–In any event, we are EXTREME VETTING people coming into the U.S. in order to help keep our country safe. The courts are slow and political!”

View article →

Why You Should Be Skeptical of Global Warming Alarmists

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

According to Terry Jarrett of LifeZette the cause of so-called global warming may be solar activity, not carbon dioxide as we’ve been led to believe. Jarrett writes:

When it comes to the global warming debate, both alarmists and critics agree on one thing: The earth has warmed by roughly 0.8 degrees Celsius over the past 150 years. It’s the cause of this warming, however, that remains in dispute. And while the public is constantly bombarded with messages about the evils of carbon dioxide emissions, there are actually compelling reasons to believe that contemporary global warming has been driven by rising solar output, not carbon dioxide.

To start with the basics, when the sun’s ultraviolet radiation strikes the earth’s surface, it is re-emitted as heat in the form of infrared radiation (IR). Carbon dioxide is one of the atmospheric gases that absorb and re-radiate this heat.

View article →

The mature in Christ have a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of God

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. Ephesians 1:15-17 (NASB)

This ministry is dedicated to the teaching of God’s truth, uncompromised, with the knowledge that in being obedient in this, God will use this to shine His truths into the hearts of His people thereby drawing them from just being professors in Christ to being mature believers who are obedient to Him in every part of their lives. I know what the former is like. I remember vividly that period prior to God drawing me to Himself, the process He used to do it, and the remarkable result afterward. View article →

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NASB) 

My father died in 2010 at the age of 86. My mother will be 91 in October of this year if she makes it, but only God knows that. She seems to be nearing the end of her journey to the Celestial City.  I have reflected much on this lately and, in light of this, my own priorities.  Have I been wasting much of the valuable time and energy given to me by our Lord in building on His foundation with wood, hay, and straw? Have I been focusing on the things of this world, seeking the pleasures of this world to the exclusion of walking close with my Lord, living in His Word and prayer? Have I been putting self ahead of the needs of others? You see, what marks a true Christian over a false Christian is whether Christ’s character is being developed in theirs or not. This character development results in the believer’s perseverance. View article →

The photo that lost radio’s ‘Bible Answer Man’ thousands of listeners

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

According to Tim Funk of Charlotte Observer, between 100 and 150 radio stations dropped BAM from their daily lineups. “That picture of Hank kneeling before a Greek Orthodox priest – that was hard for many evangelicals to see,” said Mike Carbone, chief operating officer at The Truth Network.  TTN dropped BAM from six of its stations, including those in Charlotte and Raleigh. “Hank is as likable a guy as you’ll find,” said Carbone, “but we were not able to go where he was going.”

CRN posted several stories on Hanegraaf’s shocking conversion to Eastern Orthodoxy that can be read here.  Now to Tim Funk’s report:

For nearly three decades, Hank Hanegraaff has been the “Bible Answer Man” to millions of evangelical Christians who tune in to his Charlotte-based radio program with questions – big and small – about Scripture.

“What does the Bible teach about debt?” they ask him. “When is divorce permissible?” And – the question that gets asked the most – “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?”

Two months ago, Hanegraaff, whose faith had long been focused on exploring the truth of a book, went through a different kind of religious experience. It was, he says, “one of the premiere moments in my life.”

On Palm Sunday, he and wife Kathy and two of their 12 children were “chrismated,” or confirmed, at St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church in southeast Charlotte. During the sacramental rite, a priest anointed them with oil and invoked the Holy Spirit.

And then …

View article →

Does God Lie?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son (1 John 5:10b).

One of the most common experiences of life is to act upon the word or testimony of another person. We will do the most amazing things in response to the simple declaration of a person we have never met before. I had the privilege of leading a group of pilgrims to the Holy Land. We were innocents abroad. Most of us had never been there before, and we did not know what we would run into. But we had been given assurance, by means of a letter from a person in New York, that someone would meet us at every place we landed and would help us to get through all the intricacies of entering a foreign land. On the strength of that letter, some twenty-five of us committed ourselves to the tender mercies of a stranger and discovered that it all proved true. The word of that letter proved true, and on the basis of it, we committed ourselves to a considerably risky venture.  View article →

Ontario passes ‘totalitarian’ bill allowing gov’t to take kids from Christian homes

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

Lianne Laurence of LifeSiteNews reports what’s happening to parent’s rights in Canada:

Liberals have passed what critics describe as “totalitarian” Bill 89 by a vote of 63 to 23 on the last day before Queen’s Park adjourns for the summer.

Pro-family advocates warn Bill 89 gives the state more power to seize children from families that oppose the LGBTQI and gender ideology agenda, and allows government agencies to effectively ban couples who disagree with that agenda from fostering or adopting children.

Bill 89, or the Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act, 2017, repeals and replaces the former Child and Family Services Act that governs child protection services, and adoption and foster care services.

It adds “gender identity” and “gender expression” as factors to be considered “in the best interests of the child.”

View article →

Hollywood Suffers Meltdown Over Paris Climate Move

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

Todd Starnes, host of Fox News & Commentary, reports that Hollywood’s so-called esteemed ‘scientists’ fear President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord will put us on a “slippery slope to the hothouse.” He writes:

“Today, our planet suffered,” tweeted Leonardo DiCaprio.

President Trump’s decision to withdraw the Paris Climate Accord has sparked widespread hysteria in juice bars and luxury spas across Hollywood.

As a candidate, Trump vowed to “cancel” the Paris climate deal – slamming what he called “draconian climate rules.”

“The Paris accord is very unfair at the highest level to the United States,” the president told a gathering Thursday in the Rose Garden.

House Speaker Paul Ryan praised the president’s decision and thanked him for “withdrawing from this bad deal.”

“The Paris climate agreement was simply a raw deal for America,” Ryan said. “Signed by President Obama without Senate ratification, it would have driven up the cost of energy, hitting middle-class and low-income Americans the hardest.”

But some of Hollywood’s most esteemed scientists fear the president’s decision will put the nation on a slippery slope to the hothouse – an apocalyptic future with melting igloos and polar bears unable to put their Coca-Colas on ice.

View article →

Heresy Hunter’s Open letter to Michael Brown…

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

In letter posted a few days ago, Churchwatch Central (CWC) had a lot to say to Dr. Michael Brown, who is a charismatic, for calling those of us who are involved in online apologetics and discernment ministries “self-appointed heresy hunters.” Actually, what we are is “wolf hunters.” The name fits, as we’re the ones who go after wolves in sheep’s clothing who are savaging the sheep.  Some of those we call out are New Apostolic Reformation self-appointed prophets and apostles who’ve introduced every heresy imaginable into the visible Church. In short, wolf hunters report on anyone who doesn’t hold to the essential doctrines of the Christian faith.

See also Discernment is rooted in maturity in Christ by Mike Ratliff

Wolf hunters fear God, not man; thus, we will often “names names.” One of the names we’ve brought to the attention of the Christian community is prominent apologist Michael Brown (here).  Why?  For sending wolves into sheep pens.  Dr. Brown responded to what some bloggers were reporting about him — and CWC has hit back.

Dear Dr. Brown,

Recently you took aim at Christians and labeled them as, “self-appointed heresy hunters” who “are like a doctor who amputated his patient’s head because the patient needed eye-glasses.” You went as far as to painting them to be “like the hypocrites Jesus spoke of who strained out a gnat yet swallowed a camel.” You’ve unfairly stereotyped them by claiming they are “damning some of God’s children to hell because of a difference over a non-essential doctrine or practice.”

We already know what you think about us with your false accusations and your fallacious arguments as to ignore the claims about you and your theological practices and leanings. Yet you hold to an ideal in hoping “God reveal to them the fullness of His truth and love, and may the discover the fullness of the Spirit’s power.”

Do you sincerely want that desire to come to pass? Then keep supporting your NAR Apostle and Prophet friends. Keep strengthening the “relational structures” of your NAR network and keep promoting a culture of ‘unity’ at the expense of love and truth.

View article →

Do not be conformed to this world

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

 

1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 (NASB) 

One of the markers of genuineness in a Christian is separation from the World. This isn’t a physical removal from planet Earth or a disintegration of the body of a Christian. A genuine Christian’s character should be in a continual upgrade unto Christlikeness. That means that as he or she cooperates with God in their sanctification, working out their salvation with fear and trembling, their character will take on more and more of Christ’s character. They will love what He loves and hate what he hates. God is love, but He hates a certain type of love.  View article →

Trump Pulls US Out of Paris Climate Accord

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

Newsmax has the story:

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement, “vowing to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens.”

“We’re getting out, but we’ll start to negotiate and we will see if we can make a deal that’s fair,” Trump said in an announcement in the White House Rose Garden. “If we can, that’s great. And if we can’t, that’s fine.”

View article →