We Ignored Our Nuclear Arsenal While North Korea Developed Theirs

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Breitbart reports:

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

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

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

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How should Christians communicate with apostates?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

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

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

The Changing of the Apostolic Guard: 13 Names to Watch

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

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

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

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Transgender camp offers programs for children as young as 4

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

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

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

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

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Fido And Fluffy Are Ruining The Environment, UCLA Study Says

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According to Hollywood Patch: 

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

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

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

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

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Christian News reports:

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

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

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

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The Christian is a new creation

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

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

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

The felt-needs gospel is no Gospel at all

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From Berean Research:

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

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

The “Felt Needs” Gospel                                                        Guest post by Grace Scott

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

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

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

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According to The Telegraph:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Antichrists, discernment, and faithfulness

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

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

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

Standing Up To The Enemy

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit Christian Research Service

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

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Disney Accused Of Illegally Tracking Children Via Apps

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According to Hollywood Reporter:

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

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

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

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Christian obedience

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

 

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

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

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

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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McClatchy reports:

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

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

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

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

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Genesis: Paradise Lost Coming to Theaters November 13

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

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

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

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Newsmax reports:

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

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

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

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

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Military.com has the story:

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

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

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There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

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 →

Daughter of CRI Founder Defends Hank Hanegraaff Amid ‘Fake News’ Charges That He Stole CRI Presidency

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The following news story from Christian Post is posted for informational purposes and not intended as an endorsement of CP or the content.

In this piece over at Christian Post (CP), Cindee Martin Morgan and her husband Rick state that, “no matter what people think of Hanegraaff’s conversion to Orthodoxy, it is wrong to slander him regarding his CRI leadership post that he has held for nearly 30 years…”

In their view, “Dr. Martin should be given the credit and the respect of making preparations for CRI in the aftermath of learning he would not have long to live.”

Now to CP’s story:

Dr. Walter Martin, founder of Christian Research Institute

The daughter and son-in-law of Walter Martin, founder of the Christian Research Institute, claims it is “fake news” that Hank Hanegraaff stole the CRI presidency, a charge now being inferred by Martin’s eldest daughter, Jill Martin Rische.

In a statement posted last week on their ministry page on Facebook, Rick and Cindee Martin Morgan wrote of the ongoing controversy surrounding Hanegraaff who converted to Eastern Orthodoxy a few months ago, rising to his defense.

They responded to a 26-second video titled “Why Walter Martin Did Not Choose Hank Hanegraaff,” which was posted on YouTube by Rische on July 24. It features the late Walter Martin speaking generally about the church being “overridden” with Christians who desire to be teachers but have no qualifications or education when it comes to the Bible. Hanegraaff does not have a formal theological education or any credentials.

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Leaked George Soros Plan to Turn Ireland into a Pro-Abortion Country

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Breitbart reports:

DC Leaks.com revealed last year that billionaire investor George Soros has been using his Open Society Foundation (OSF) to turn Ireland – what Planned Parenthood refers to as the “jewel in the crown of the pro-life movement” – into a pro-abortion country.

Catholic News Agency (CNA) broke the news last August of Soros’s leaked strategy to use Ireland as a prototype to upend anti-abortion laws in Catholic countries around the world.

CNA reported:

“With one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world, a win there could impact other strongly Catholic countries in Europe, such as Poland, and provide much needed proof that change is possible, even in highly conservative places,” the document says.

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Redemption as the Bible teaches it

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

 

15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Hebrews 9:15 (NASB) 

The Gospel is explained very well in the New Testament. The role of the Church in the World from the time of Christ’s Ascension until His return is very well defined for us there as well (to go and make disciples from all the earth, teaching them to observe all that He taught…) This Great Commission is not to ‘be the Gospel’ nor is it to ‘redeem the earth’ nor is it to ‘make the world a better place.’ No, it is to go and tell the Good News that we have a mediator of a new covenant and those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance that is made possible through the death of their Saviour who has redeemed through the shedding of His blood (see the passage above). You see, this is the Good News. This is the Gospel. To preach Jesus is to preach what Christ has done not what people have done, not what churches have done, not what religion has done or what being religious can do for anyone. It is simply to proclaim this message relying on the power and work of the Holy Spirit to draw those called by God to saving faith. Let’s take a closer look at this “redemption.” View article →