North Carolina Court Dismisses Lawsuit of Judges Who Resigned Rather Than Officiate Same-Sex “Weddings”

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Christian News Network reports:

judgmentAn appeals court in North Carolina has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by two Christian judges who resigned their posts two years ago after being informed via state memos that they would be required to officiate same-sex “weddings” or face possible punishment.

The North Carolina Court of Appeals did not rule on the merits of the requirement, but only agreed with the lower court that the two judges did not have standing in the case because the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), which issued the memo, did not have power to fire them.

“Because defendants lacked the actual authority to sanction, suspend, or remove plaintiffs, the allegations in plaintiffs’ complaint, when viewed as true and considered in the light most favorable to plaintiffs, fail to demonstrate an injury that defendants were capable of inflicting upon plaintiffs, and by extension fails to show that such an injury could be redressed,” Judge Ann Marie Calabria wrote for the three-judge panel.

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Tullian Tchividjian Posts Possible Book Excerpt at Expastors.com

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Over at the liberal blog Patheos, Warren Throckmorton continues to chronicle what disgraced pastor Tullian Tchividjian has been up to since he admitted to having two adulterous relationships and had to resign from his pulpit at Coral Ridge Presbyterian in South Florida.  Shortly thereafter, Tchividjian was hired by Willow Creek Presbyterian as Director of Ministry Development.  When affair #2 came to light six months later, he was immediately fired.  Now we learn from Throckmorton that Tchividjian remarried in August and that he may be writing a book on his recent history where he reveals that he went through a suicidal period.  He writes:

tullian-tchividjian-3At the expastors.com website an article appears under Tchividjian’s name (oddly with his name spelled incorrectly in the first sentence and image) which promises a vulnerable look at the recent history of the troubled ex-pastor. I suppose it is possible that he had a little help with the article.

There was no mention of his recent remarriage in the expastors article.

Tchividjian reveals that he went through a suicidal period. It sounds like he is on the mend. Good for him and I wish him well.

In the comments section, there is a good deal of arguing back and forth about the nature of this article. Some are skeptical and others are angry. Some wonder if this is a part of the comeback prior to an upcoming book release with David C. Cook.

Many of my readers have shown interest in Tchividjian’s career and this seems to be an interesting turn of events.

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I know your works that you have a name that you live, and are dead

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

1 Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Σάρδεσιν ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ ἔχων τὰ ἑπτὰ πνεύματα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀστέρας· οἶδά σου τὰ ἔργα ὅτι ὄνομα ἔχεις ὅτι ζῇς, καὶ νεκρὸς εἶ. Revelation 3:1 (NA28)

1 And to the angel of the Sardis Church write,’ These things says the one having the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars. “I know your works that you have a name that you live, and are dead.”’ Revelation 3:1 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)

My brethren, the message from Revelation 3:1-6 goes contrary to most of what is taught in Evangelicalism today. The church at Sardis had a name that it was alive yet our Lord bluntly said that even so, they were spiritually dead. Since 2006 since I have been in this ministry I have seen my good friends like the late Ken Silva along with all of those associated with him denigrated because we stand firm with what God’s Word says about what constitutes real Christianity and what doesn’t. Then when we point out that certain ministries do not measure up we are called divisive, haters, and many other ugly things and then some of them resort to worldly things like lawsuits and denial of service attacks on our websites. Excuse me, but how can anyone justify that sort of behavior as Christian in any shape or form? View article →

Cruz, Lee Step Up Claims That Justice Department Isn’t Doing Enough to Protect Churches

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According to The Daily Signal:

Freedom of Thought Ben FranklinSens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah are pressing their case that the Department of Justice favors abortion clinics over churches, demanding that the law enforcement agency take steps to ensure “the rights of all American citizens”—not just some—are protected.

In a letter sent Tuesday, obtained first by The Daily Signal, Cruz and Lee criticize the Justice Department’s enforcement of a 1994 law. The intent of the law was to prohibit the use or threat of force and physical obstruction outside abortion clinics, guaranteeing safe access to such facilities.

Before passing the legislation, called the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, lawmakers extended the protections to apply to places of worship.

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World’s first baby born with controversial new “three-parent” technique

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Independent reports:

DNAThe world’s first child created using a controversial “three-parent” baby technique has been born in Mexico, it has been announced.

Limited details about the birth were revealed ahead of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine’s scientific congress in Salt Lake City next month, where it will be discussed more fully.

According to critics, the procedure is tantamount to genetic modification of humans or even “playing God”. But supporters say it allows women with a particular type of genetic disease to have healthy children who are related to them.

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Rewriting Earth’s Creation Story

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According to Rebecca Boyle of The Atlantic, geologists admit that the scientific community is very quick to criticize those who operate on faith but that’s exactly what they do.  Mark Harrison, a geologist at the University of California at Los Angeles, confessed: “We as a scientific community created an origin myth that has no more intellectual value than Genesis.”  Boyle writes:

earthHumanity’s trips to the moon revolutionized our view of this planet. As seen from another celestial body, Earth seemed more fragile and more precious; the iconic Apollo 8 image of Earth rising above the lunar surface helped launch the modern environmental movement. The moon landings made people want to take charge of Earth’s future. They also changed our view of its past.

Earth is constantly remaking itself, and over the eons it has systematically erased its origin story, subsuming and cannibalizing its earliest rocks. Much of what we think we know about the earliest days of Earth therefore comes from the geologically inactive moon, which scientists use like a time capsule.

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Do not love the world nor the things in the world because If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him

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 “process” of being transformed unto Christlikeness as Paul stated above. 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 →

Transgenderism Can Be Helpful

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CNSNews has a piece by economist Walter E. Williams dealing with “biological determinism,” professional sports and the armed forces.  In it he brings up some interesting “what ifs” that many Americans probably haven’t even considered.  He writes:

transgender9North Carolina’s legislative body passed the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, which mandates a statewide policy banning individuals from using public bathrooms that do not correspond to their biological sex, as opposed to their opinion of their sex. That means people must use bathrooms and other public facilities where occupants can be in various stages of undress according to whether their sex chromosomes are XX, in the case of females, or XY, in the case of males. The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community claims that the use of biology to determine sex is oppressive and limits alternatives. I agree. I all but argued this in a column earlier this year titled “You Are What You Say You Are.” Let’s look at some possible benefits of freeing oneself from the oppression of biological determinism.

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Candidates Spar in Debate, Offer Vastly Different Visions for Leading the U.S.

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Here’s the Wallstreet Journal’s view of last night’s debate:

trump-and-clintonHillary Clinton and Donald Trump clashed Monday night in one of the most eagerly awaited presidential debates in modern political history, offering dramatically different visions of how they would lead the country as they attacked each other’s biggest vulnerabilities.

Both nominees came to the stage at Hofstra University sharing the burden of being among the best-known and least liked candidates ever to run for the White House.

Mrs. Clinton, who had prepared methodically for the showdown, managed to put Mr. Trump on the defensive for most of the night and avoided being knocked off her own message as was the fate for many of his opponents at Republican primary debates.

Mr. Trump, meanwhile, pressed the Democratic nominee on her email practices at the State Department and her shifting position on trade, but didn’t raise questions about the Clinton Foundation and the influence of its donors.

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2 Samuel 19: a case study in true and false repentance

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Jesse Johnson of The Cripplegate contrasts true and false repentance.  According to Johnson, “False repentance can come from a heart that honestly believes it deserves grace. ‘God better forgive me, I deserve it!’ is the attitude. Meanwhile, true repentance comes from someone who knows they deserve death.”

repentance-2A few weeks ago, I wrote about the need to discern between true and false repentance. Second Corinthians 7 teaches that not all tears of remorse flow from a truly repentant heart. Some cry because they were caught, and others cry because they offended God. Those two groups do not necessarily overlap.

In God’s providence there are a few examples given to us in Scripture that juxtapose these two types of repentance. The most obvious is Saul vs. David. Saul and David both sinned, were confronted by a prophet, and then acknowledged their sin. In fact, they both use almost the same words: “I have sinned against Yahweh” (1 Samuel 15:24; 2 Samuel 12:13).

But the narratives make clear that Saul’s “repentance” was superficial, while David’s was supernatural. The prophet did not extend forgiveness to Saul, while he did to David. Saul was concerned about what others thought, while David was concerned only with what Yahweh thought. And there are probably six or seven other contrasts as well.

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Is Kris Vallotton Embracing Anti-Trinitarian Heresy?

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Berean Research has the answer:

Modalism was declared a heresy by the early church centuries ago, but it keeps popping up like a Whack-A-Mole game. Unfortunately, Modalism is rearing its head once again in our time. It is a growing theological error within evangelicalism that twists the very the nature of God revealed to us through His Word, by denying the Trinity.

Rather than God being three distinct persons, Modalism states that God is a single person who, throughout biblical history, has revealed Himself in three modes or forms. In other words, God in the Old Testament was Father God. Then He became Jesus 2,000 years ago. At Pentecost, God morphed into the Holy Spirit.

you have no problem with denying the doctrine of the Trinity, yourself this: To Whom was Jesus praying in the garden? And what about all those other times Jesus was doing what His Father was doing? (There are hundreds of questions you should struggle with as you read Scripture.)

Do you see the problem?

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Obama, Colin Powell help T.D. Jakes celebrate 40 years in ministry

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Over the weekend, Word of Faith mogul T.D. Jakes, who now has a talk show that airs on Oprah Winfrey’s television network, OWN, celebrated 40 years of fleecing the flock with help from some big guns.  According to Dallas News:

t-d-jakes-2

Photo credit: The Cripplegate

Pastors and televangelists from around the world — including Joel Osteen, founder of one of the largest Protestant churches in the U.S., and Brian Houston, founder of Hillsong Church in Australia — sent messages via recorded videos.

Jakes, 59, who grew up in Vandalia, W.Va., also received congratulations from President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Jakes delivered a private sermon that Obama attended at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., the morning of his inauguration.

“With compassion and grace, you’ve inspired and touched the hearts of people across America and around the world through the power of faith,” Obama said in a written statement. “As you reflect on the difference you’ve made, know that I deeply appreciate your friendship, your commitment to expanding possibility, and your prayers for me, my family and this country we love.”

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Federal Judge Rules Wisconsin School District Must Allow Girl in Boys’ Restroom While Lawsuit Proceeds

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Christian News Network reports:

Transgender bathroom 2A federal judge has issued a temporary injunction against a Wisconsin school district, ordering officials to allow a female student who identifies as a boy to use the boys’ restroom while her case moves forward in court.

“There’s no question that Ash has already suffered harm and has had physical repercussions from the policy as well as emotional repercussions,” wrote U.S. District Judge Pamela Pepper, nominated to the bench by Barack Obama, wrote on Tuesday.

As previously reported, Ashton Whitaker, 16, sued the Kenosha Unified School District No. 1 and Superintendent Sue Savaglio-Jarvis in July for being denied use of the boys’ restroom and for continuing to be referred to by her feminine name. Her attorneys contend the acts violate Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

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The Church Should Take the Lead in Fighting Porn

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Bret Kunkle of Stand to Reason offers three steps for the Church to take to deal with porn:

Porn isn’t a problem, it’s an epidemic. Even celebrities like Russell Brand,Terry Crews, and Pamela Anderson (yes, that Pamela Anderson, the former Playboy model) are speaking out. So, where’s the church in this battle? Should’t we be leading the fight against this immense social evil?

According to the latest research by Barna, the vast majority of Christian leaders believe porn is a bigger problem than it was two decades ago. Here’s just a sampling of what Barna found in The Porn Phenomenon study:

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How Cruz got from “vote your conscience” to “vote for Trump”

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Politico reports:

ted-cruzMinutes before Ted Cruz took the stage at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick cornered the senator, huddling with him in a last-ditch effort to coax an endorsement of Donald Trump. It didn’t work.

“A missed opportunity,” Patrick fumed after Cruz’s notorious snub. “He makes his own decisions.”

Two months later, amid political troubles home in Texas, unyielding pressure from the Republican establishment in Washington and growing irritation from the conservative grass roots, Cruz reversed course. The senator gave his imprimatur to a man he once called a “pathological liar” and a “bully” during their bitter primary campaign.

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What God Reveals

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All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16, KJV)

There was great openness about Christ. There was an utter absence of anything like the Jesuitical plan of saying one thing and meaning another, or using expressions that had double meaning in them. It is true that our Lord did not explain to the great mass of the people all that He said to them, for they were so stupid that they would not receive it.

But, at the same time, there was nothing that His hearers really needed to know that He concealed from them. He carried His heart where all might read it and even in His common teaching to the multitude, there was, if they had but had eyes to see it, all that He taught to His disciples in the most private place.

There was no wish, on His part, to keep back any Truth of God that ought to be made known to those who gathered to hear Him. I have heard it said that there are certain Truths in God’s Word which it is better for us not to preach. It is admitted that they are true, but it is alleged that they are not edifying. I will not agree to any such plan! This is just going back to old Rome’s method.   View article →

Robert Morris: God Needs Us to Pray So He Can Heal the Land

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Truth - falseLiberal professor Warren Throckmorton regularly uses his blog over at Patheos to discredit those he disagrees with, including charismatics — and he often gets it right, as he did in this piece where he addresses “The Awakening” that was held at Gateway Church on September 22.  The founder and senior pastor of Gateway is Word of Faith/prosperity preacher Robert Morris. Throckmorton provides a video and transcript of Morris’ welcoming attendees to the event.  Also mentioned in the piece is high-profile pastor Tony Evans of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship.   Here’s what he says about the misuse of 2 Chronicles 7:14 by two prominent pastors who should have a clear understanding of what Scripture teaches:

As Tony Evans did after him, Robert Morris recited the incantation to get God to change his mind (2 Chronicles 7:14):

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Here I will repeat what I wrote about Tony Evans’ misuse of 2 Chronicles 7:14:

I have never understood why people mistake this as a promise to America.  American citizens are not His people called by God’s name. This verse is not addressed to Americans. This verse is the second half of a sentence started in verse 13 and concerns the dedication of the Jewish temple led by King Solomon. …

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Famous Faith Healer in Hospital due to Failing Health

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The Grand Poobah of the NAR, C. Peter Wagner, has been hospitalized.  Wagner is the former professor of Church Growth at Fuller Theological Seminary School of World Mission, founder of Global Harvest Ministries, the presiding “apostle” of the International Coalition of Apostles, which he also founded, and co-founder of World Prayer Center. According to Jeff Maples of Pulpit & Pen “Wagner has propagated serious damnable error into the church.”  CRN couldn’t agree more.  Maples goes on to say that. “While his promotion of charismatic nonsense, blaspheming the Holy Spirit regularly, has made major inroads into the professing church, it goes without saying that his false teachings are being exposed right before our eyes.”  Jeff suggests that “our first prayer should be for Wagner to repent and turn to Christ for the forgiveness of sins.”  CRN agrees with him on that, too.

Here’s the story:

peter_wagnerFounder of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), C. Peter Wagner, and proponent of charismatic chicanery such as faith healing, perhaps doesn’t have enough faith to heal himself. The famous huckster and author of the book, How to Have a Healing Ministry in Any Church, has been admitted to the hospital, according to Rebecca Greenwood of Christian Harvest International. Wagner’s wife, Doris, has written a letter asking for prayer, Greenwood reports on her Facebook page, stating,

This past Friday Peter was admitted back into the Heart Hospital in a very weakened condition. After several days of extensive testing, the general consensus of his many excellent doctors is that Peter has become severely dehydrated from the ongoing treatment to control his fluid retention. The treatment is very much a balancing act and the dilemma is that he is now both dehydrated and fluid overloaded at the same time…To further complicate the matter, the treatments for either problem cause the other issue to escalate further.

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Girl Who Identifies as Boy Becomes First “Transgender” Allowed on School’s Football Team

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 Christian News Network reports:

footballA Canadian girl who identifies as a boy has become the first “transgender” player allowed on her school’s football team.

Kennedy Cooley, 17, transferred to Halifax West High School after students at her previous school made her feel “unaccepted” for identifying as a boy. She had heard that Halifax West would be more accepting, but was still apprehensive.

“I’d heard that a lot of the guys are like family, they really get along together, they all know each other, and they’re really close friends,” Cooley told CTV News. “I was just really nervous about going in there and maybe, somebody wasn’t okay with me being transgender.”

At Halifax West, she was permitted to join the boy’s football team.

Hebrew Roots Heresies

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Elliott Nesch of Holy Bible Prophecy examines the Hebrew Roots movement.  The primary heresy, says Nesch is that in Hebrew Roots beliefs, Christians must keep the Torah.

torahBecause of the many heresies of modern Christianity today, many believers have fled from the apostate denominations only to find themselves ensnared in Hebrew Roots heresies. What is the Hebrew Roots movement? According to House of David Fellowship:

Hebrew Roots is a movement emerging around the world that advocates returning to the understanding of the Scriptures, perspectives, and beliefs of first-century faith. We are removed from Protestant Christianity, Rabbinic Judaism, and Messianic Judaism because of core belief differences.

Indeed it is good to be removed from Protestant Christianity, Rabbinic Judaism, and Messianic Judaism because of doctrinal differences. But what are those differences? In the movement’s favor, the Hebraic Roots movement avoids pagan traditions such as Christmas and emphasizes fruits, good works and obedience. However, their zeal for the Torah and allegiance to Moses has caused them to usurp the supreme authority of Yeshua Hamaschiach (Jesus Christ) in the New Covenant. Is the Torah the foundation of Christianity? Did Yeshua teach His followers to observe the Mosaic Law? Is it sinful to transgress the Law of Moses? Are Christians obligated to keep the Sabbath, observe the Jewish Feasts and eat a Kosher diet?

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Science Shows Homosexual Behavior “Is as Bad as God Says It Was”

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CNSNews reports:

healthThe detrimental health consequences of homosexual behavior are so well documented in the medical literature today that science itself confirms “that homosexuality is as bad as God said it was” and this reality cannot be changed, said Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality.

During a Sept. 14 interview with Rev. Michael Heath, LaBarbera talked about how the scientific data on homosexual behavior mirrors what God said in the Bible about the issue.

“But that’s the shame of our movement, that the homosexual activists behave as if they have the truth,” said LaBarbera.  “We act as if we’re ashamed of the truth, when in reality, we have the truth.”

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Black Lives Matter: We’ll Tear Down New Orleans’ Monuments Ourselves

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According to Breitbart:

andrew-jacksonThe ‘Take ‘Em Down Nola’ group, which has aligned itself with the Black Lives Matter movement, is now saying publicly they plan to tear down New Orleans’ most iconic monument in the city.

During a protest outside of New Orleans City Hall, a group of Take ‘Em Down Nola, which has made threats against the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) and Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration in the past, said police will have to step aside this weekend as they plan to physically tear down the equestrian Andrew Jackson monument in the French Quarter.

“So you plan on tearing down the Andrew Jackson monument?” one reporter asked the spokesman of Take ‘Em Down Nola.

“Yes,” the spokesman responded.

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Making babies without eggs may be possible, say scientists

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According to the BBC:

Human embryoScientists say early experiments suggest it may one day be possible to make babies without using eggs.

They have succeeded in creating healthy baby mice by tricking sperm into believing they were fertilising normal eggs.

The findings in Nature Communications, could, in the distant future, mean women can be removed from the baby-making process, say the researchers.

For now, the work helps to explain some of the details of fertilisation.

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What do you think about all this Satan stuff?

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By Marsha West

It’s a fact of earthly life that when God opens the windows of heaven to bless us, the devil opens the doors of hell to blast us. When God begins moving, the devil fires up all his artillery. — Adrian Rogers

According to a number of Bible scholars, Isaiah 14:12-15 tells the story of Lucifer, an archangel, who fell from God’s grace and became the devil.  Lucifer conspired to make his throne higher than the clouds (he contrived to dethrone God) at which time he was booted out of heaven.

Lucifer is Latin for “morning star” or “light-bearer.” (In 2 Peter 1:19 the “morning star rising in your hearts” is not a reference to Satan.) The way Isaiah describes him is a far cry from the way in which he’s viewed by our culture:

How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.

Many people have heard the story of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman God created.  All humanity is related to this pair.  Adam and Eve came into the world without a sin nature.  Moreover, they were created with a free will.  We learn from the book of Genesis that they made their home in the Garden of Eden. It was into that garden that Satan, often referred to as the wily serpent, came with evil intent.  He found Eve alone and by using lies and deceit convinced her to disregard God’s command to Adam “…you must not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for when you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) The serpent told Eve that God had withheld knowledge that would give humans hidden wisdom….and make them like God. So Eve threw caution to the wind, disregarded God’s warning, and took a bite out of the fruit.

The serpent was right that God withheld knowledge from them.  The moment she ate of the fruit her eyes were opened…and sin came into the world.  Wanting Adam along for the ride, Eve then offered the fruit to her husband and, without thinking twice, he took her suggestion and ate it.  Instantly, Adam and Eve went from being God-centered to being self-centered.

When God confronted them with what they had done, what did Adam do?  He laid the blame on his wife! “It’s her fault, not mine!” So, by Adam choosing to ignore God’s specific warning, he precipitated what we know of as the “Fall of Man.”

The couple soon learned the consequence of sin — death.  Until sin there was no death.  (2 Cor. 11:3) As a result of the Fall, all human beings are in bondage to sin….and the kingdom of Satan.

Giving Satan’s Whereabouts Some Serious Thought

Two boys were walking home from Sunday school after hearing a strong preaching on the devil.

One said to the other, ‘What do you think about all this Satan stuff?’ 

The other boy replied, ‘Well, you know how Santa Claus turned out. It’s probably just your Dad.’

What do you think about all the Satan stuff?  Do you believe Satan exists?  If you do, where do you think he hangs out? He must be a regular globe trotter.  Every minute of the day, in every part of the world, exorcisms are being performed on people who are supposedly possessed by the devil.  If these exorcisms are indeed legitimate, the implication is that Satan can be in a million places at once.

According to Scripture, Satan is a personal being. Note that Jesus used the personal pronoun when referring to him:

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44)

Logically, Satan can only be in one place at a time.  So I’ve been giving his whereabouts some serious thought.  To me it makes sense that he would be headquartered on Capitol Hill.  I could be mistaken, though.  Perhaps he’s in the Middle East or even Hollywood.  Regardless of where the “liar” resides, you’ve got to admit that some pretty powerful demonic forces are working their wiles on a number of our elected officials.  I mean, think about it; the Left’s diabolical agenda is most certainly influenced by lying spirits.  Who knows?  Perhaps Satan himself influences decisions made by people who run our government, the media…business…education…entertainment and so on.

But I digress.

The Bible contains many references to angels and demons.  To Bible believing Christians like myself, the spirits are very real — a clear and present danger.

Long after I came to faith in Christ, I remained skeptical of Satan and his legions.  After reading the Bible, I came to believe that there are indeed “spiritual forces of evil.” As I pointed out in my introduction, we first meet Satan (the serpent) in Gen. 3:1. He showed up in the Garden of Eden with the intent of tricking Eve into disobeying God. The instant Jesus uttered “It is finished” while hanging from the cross, Satan was defeated. (John 12:31, Rom. 16:20, Col. 1:13-14, Col. 2:15, 1 John 3:8, Heb. 2:14-15)  The Revelation of Jesus Christ reminds us that he will get his comeuppance. (Rev. 20:1-3) Without going into the gory details, let’s just say Satan and his demons will be sent spiraling into the abyss where they will cool (or warm) their heals for all eternity.  God’s judgment is final, by the way.  No spirit or human being sentenced to eternal damnation (Mat. 25:46) in the lake of burning sulfur (Rev. 20:10) will be let out on good behavior — or for any reason!

But before Satan takes up permanent residence in the place prepared for him and his angels, he’ll remain the “god of this world.” (Cor. 4:4)  Answers.com explains Satan’s influence:

Satan is the major influence on the mind-set expressed by the ideals, opinions, goals, hopes and views of the majority of people. His areas of influence also encompass the world’s philosophies, education, and commerce. The thoughts, ideas, speculations and false religions of the world are under his control and have sprung from his lies and deceptions.

Angels were created with a free will.  A number of them exercised their free will when they chose to rebel against God, at which time they were cast out of heaven to Earth.  For thousands of years God has allowed the rebellious spirits to wreak havoc on this planet and they’ve been doing a pretty thorough job of it.

In Eph. 6:12 Paul “outs” mankind’s true enemy:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

The Bible defines the struggle as “spiritual warfare.”  Spiritual warfare has been ongoing since the Fall of Man. Satan may have won a multitude of battles but in the end he will be the Big Loser.

A word of warning before I move on.  Evil spirits have supernatural powers that humans do not possess, never will possess, and should not endeavor to possess.  Deceptive spirits have tricked certain people into thinking that they’re endowed with supernatural powers, that they’re the “enlightened ones” (EO).  Allegedly EO’s are a spiritually advanced order of philosophers and peacemakers.  (Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey are said to be EO’s.)  They believe they’re here to help usher in a new way of being on the planet.  In other words, they’re here to help humans evolve to a higher plane of existence.  EO’s think they possesses superior intellect and have been given extraordinary insights…some are even magically empowered.  Many EO’s seek guidance from spirits through practicing meditation and yoga.

In Scripture God makes it clear that spirits, including angels, are not to be evoked, called on, invited in, or channeled.  We should never try to connect with spirits and we certainly shouldn’t try to glean information from them.  In fact, Jesus often told the demons to keep quiet!

Christians who are in contact with so-called angels will read this article and get a little testy with me because they see nothing wrong with contacting angels — and they don’t want anyone raining on their parade!  But here’s the thing.  Getting a little wet beats getting struck by a lightning bolt from Above.

God makes it clear that He forbids contacting spirits or consulting mediums for any reason.  In other words, taking part in occult activities is taboo.  (Deut. 18: 10-12) You ask, “Why does God care?”  As I pointed out, the spirits are malevolent.  Likewise, they’re counterfeit…phony…fakes!

One final point.  Many Christians have a misconception of “spiritual warfare.”  Nowhere in Scripture are believers told to go into enemy territory and “cast out” demons.  What should God’s people do to those bad boys?  Paul tells us to be “strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”  Peter admonishes us to, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour…”

Be strong in the Lord!  Resist the devil!  Put on the full armor of God!  When God’s people stand firm in their faith the tempters make tracks.  (To help give Christians an inside look at angels and demons fighting for control of the mind of a back-slidden Christian, read the allegory I wrote on the armor of God here.)

An All Out Spiritual Battle

Thanks largely to the secularization of America, the culture is becoming darker, more corrupt and perverse every day.  Almost everyone I know has gone through, or is currently going through a trial, including myself. I would go so far as to say that there’s an all out spiritual battle going on for the hearts and minds of men! What’s behind this?  To use Paul’s terminology in Eph. 6:12: rulers, authorities, cosmic powers and spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. In other words, Satan and his minions.

Some who are reading this may think I’ve gone round the bend.  But consider this.  A large number of rational people who resist the idea that Satan exists do believe in angels. Others believe in ghosts and that the ghost is often someone they know such as a deceased loved one.  Moreover, a growing segment of our society believes that extraterrestrials visit this planet.  I could go on, but there’s not enough space to cover all the things people believe.  What’s important to understand is that the infallible, inerrant, God-breathed Word of God says there are forces of good (angels) and evil (demons) that occupy the “heavenly realms” – and even the minds of the unregenerate.

The names alone should be enough to convince us not to mess with the spirits.  The Bible calls the chief of fallen angels Satan, Beelzebub and Belial.  He’s also called the old serpent, our adversary, god of this world, prince of darkness, father of lies, great dragon…enemy…deceiver… murderer…I’ll leave it at that.  Fallen angels are liars (1 Kings 22:22,  23;  2 Chron. 18: 21, 22).  So what’s the point of addressing them?

Demons have nothing but contempt for humans.  And they’re hellbent on destroying God’s entire creation.

Before I close, I should point out that some professing Christians reject the notion of Satan.  And as I said, many people who deny his existence believe there are benevolent angels!  Likewise, they believe in ghosts, fairies, and extraterrestrials!

Some skeptics think the devil’s a mythological character.  Others say he’s merely a symbol of evil, still others think of the devil as a sort of caricature.  (Parents who view him that way often dress their children in devil costumes on Halloween.  Most of the costumes are a combination of red and black, with bat-like ears, a long tail with a spear on the end of it and a three-pronged pitchfork.  Some women’s devil costumes are sexy.)

Christians who read and study Scripture are well aware that Satan relishes being thought of as a silly, or sexy, caricature.  Who would fear someone who goes around in red tights sporting a cape and carrying a phony pitchfork. No one takes these sorts of devils seriously.  I mean, why would anyone fear such a goofy-looking creature?

But what we must remember about Satan is that he’s very real and he doesn’t wear a goofy costume.  He comes as one of us.  He “disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” (2 Cor 11:14-15) 

Recommended:

Are all angels safe? By Marsha West

Angels, Demons & Spiritual Warfare

Adapted from “American’s All Out Spiritual Battle, Part 1,” 2010 by Marsha West (Part 2, Part 3)

Copyright 2016 by Marsha West.

 

Fox’s “Lucifer” Returns to Mock Christians, Biblical Story of Creation

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

According to News Busters:

luciferFox’s Lucifer has returned for a second season with its comic book version of Satan in the episode “Everything’s Coming Up Lucifer.” After last season’s cliffhanger that God’s wife/Lucifer’s mother escaped from Hell, Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis) is on a mission to find her here on Earth, as he tells his therapist, Linda Martin (Rachael Harris). Lucifer explains the Creation to her and let’s just say it is a bit different from the Biblical one.

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