Liberal AGs Have Begun a War Against the First Amendment

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

According to Kim Holmes of The Daily Signal, liberals see too much freedom of speech as injurious to their cause. Thus, they’re pulling out all the stops to squash freedom of expression. Holmes writes:

Last week, a line was crossed in the ongoing campaign of liberals to criminalize freedom of expression. The attorney general of the U.S. Virgin Islands subpoenaed a decade of materials and work by a private advocacy group that had dared to question the orthodoxy of climate change.

The group is the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and the attorney general is Claude E. Walker, who had recently signed on to a campaign of over a dozen attorneys general to ferret out so-called climate change “deniers.” It is possible that CEI was being targeted by Walker precisely because one of its attorneys, Hans Bader, had criticized New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who was leading the campaign.

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But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. (2 Peter 1:20 KJV)

20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. (2 Peter 1:20 ESV)

20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, (2 Peter 1:20 NASB)

20 This first knowing, that every prophecy of scripture by private explanation does not take place. (2 Peter 1:20 The Apostolic Bible Polyglot)

20 This first knowing that all prophecy of scripture of any personal interpretation does not happen. (2 Peter 1:20 translated from the NA28 Greek text)

I remember the conversation like it was yesterday. The young man was so excited that he could barely contain it. He could not stop talking about his experience at his new church in Tulsa under a very well known Word Faith pastor. He went on and on and on. I had been a Christian about 10 years by then and had not yet entered into that long period of dryness that God put me through that ended just a few years ago so this must have been in the early 1990’s. In any case, neither the young man nor his wife would engage me personally in conversation nor would they look at me directly. They only talked to those around me. However, with each emphatic point he made that I knew was unbiblical I would try to interject something, but was ignored. Finally, there was a point in the conversation when he made one of those points and everyone became quiet and I simply said, “But that is not Biblical and what you are describing is subjectivism, not anything that can be proved by Scripture.” His answer was simply this, “God still speaks to His people and not all of His truth is found in the Bible.” I then asked, “Will He then say things to these prophets that are contrary to what the Bible says or will He say things that these people prophesy that does not take place? If so, what then?” He then pooh-poohed me away and would not let me engage him in any more conversation. The “religion” he was involved in has its foundation in mens’ private interpretation of the Bible along with God speaking prophecy directly to them thereby “confirming” their false interpretation of the Word of God. I never could find out from them how one could know how one could really know if that word from God was really from God or if it was just their over active imagination or an attempt at fraud. View article →

Rev. Graham to Bruce Springsteen: “A Nation Embracing Sin” And “Political Correctness Is Not Progress”

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CNSNews reports:

Reverend Franklin Graham criticized rocker Bruce Springsteen for canceling a concert in North Carolina because he opposes the new state law there that prohibits biological males from using women’s locker rooms, showers, and bathrooms, stating that Springsteen’s pro-homosexual views are not progressive, but conducive to “embracing sin” and worshipping “godless secularism and political correctness.”

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Todd Bentley posts “proof” of angel feathers and gem stones

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

One of the NAR/Dominionist’s lying prophets declares that “Revival is in the air and I know as the wind of the Spirit blows it will spread everywhere quickly! This revival season will be a moving revival touching coast to coast.”

So if the Prophet Todd’s coast to coast revival falls flat, will NAR leaders declare this man a false prophet?

CRN has been warning the brethren for years about this diabolical movement and its modern day “apostles” and “prophets.”  Unfortunately Todd Bentley, who’s the worst of the worst, somehow manages to draw undiscerning Christians into his web of deception. Berean Research has the latest:

Romans 16:17 tells us to mark and avoid false teachers. Todd Bentley has been marked and (hopefully) avoided by most discerning Christians, but unfortunately he claims millions of followers around the world who are impressed by his “miracles.” Now he has snapped a photo of something that allegedly fell from the ceiling. (Why do these miracles only happen at apostate NAR churches, like Bethel Redding?)

I guess it’s pretty common these days. Ho-hum:

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Oxford theology students can skip Christianity lessons

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

According to The Telegraph:

Theology students at Oxford will no longer be required to study Christianity throughout the course for the first time in 800 years after undergraduates complained about lack of diversity.

Changes are being made to the degree to mirror shifts in religious beliefs and culture in the wider British society, according to academics.

Instead, those in second year will have the option to take papers which will include “feminist approaches to religion and theology”, the Times Higher Education magazine reported. Johannes Zachhuber, professor of historical and systematic theology and the theology faculty’s board chairman, suggested students could avoid studying Christianity altogether and instead favour subject such as “Buddhism in space and time”.

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God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6 NASB)

Despite what those say who insist that the only attribute of God that ever comes into play is His Love, the only ray of hope in man’s spiritual darkness is His sovereign grace. It alone can rescue man from his propensity to lust for evil things. The passage above (James 4:6) tells us that God gives “more grace.” What does this mean? It shows that His grace is greater than the power of sin, the flesh, the world, and Satan (cf. Romans 5:20). Who obtains God’s grace? Do the proud? View article →

Adult Coloring and Meditation – What Every Christian Should Know

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙ , ,

From Berean Research:

Coloring book Evidently adult coloring books are all the rage so many professing Christians have taken to coloring. Why’s this a problem?  Because it involves way more than the sort of coloring children do. Adult coloring can involve meditation — and it’s not biblical meditation.

“Meditative coloring,” explains Jessica Pickowicz “is the practice of coloring specific patterns while emptying the mind, allowing thoughts to roam free, and achieving spiritual enlightenment.” She warns that some coloring books can take participants into the world of the occult which is not a safe place for the Christian (or anyone else) to roam.

The Bible says that Satan masquerades as an angel of light. (2 Cor. 11:14)   So, has the wily serpent made his imprint on the pages coloring books?  Pickowicz thinks so.  She writes:

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Betrayed with a kiss: Azusa Now’s One World Religion

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙ , , ,

Berean Research reports the shocking details of an “act of reconciliation” that occurred between evangelicals and Catholics at the Azusa Now: The Call event that was led by NAR false prophet Lou Engle:

A kiss is just a kiss? Not when it betrays the Lord Jesus Christ.  It’s been six weeks since I posted: Azusa Redux: Lou Engle, Greg Laurie uniting denominations?

That’s a question that was resoundingly affirmed by Lou Engle in the sound of one sloppy wet kiss.  The NAR-affiliated false teacher Lou Engle, founder of the “Azusa Now: The Call”  exchanged foot kisses with a Roman Catholic leader live on stage in front of a cheering audience of 100,000+ packed into the LA Coliseum this past weekend.  (See video at 6 hours and 55 in:)

The video shows the two throwing themselves to the floor in prostrate humility, each proclaiming that Christians and Catholics must unite in the name of unity.  The kiss started with Matteo Calisi, the Roman Catholic leader appointed by Pope Benedict, who founded United in Christ, an organization that strives for ecumenism between Christians and Catholics. Telling the audience that division between Christians and Catholics is a “diabolical sin,” and that Jesus “doesn’t care” that Christians and Catholics disagree on biblical doctrine, he did what many Christians find unthinkable.

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“This Is Not Incest”: Colorado Man Leaves Wife for Sexual Relationship With Mother

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ ,

According to Christian News Network:

An Colorado man who found his biological mother three years ago after being put up for adoption as a child has left his wife to marry his mother and have children together.

“This is not incest. It is [Genetic Sexual Attraction] GSA,” Kim West, 51, told the outlet New Day. “We are like peas in a pod and meant to be together.”

“I know people will say we’re disgusting, that we should be able to control our feelings, but when you’re hit by a love so consuming you are willing to give up everything for it, you have to fight for it,” she said.

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The Devil is the father of those who refuse to acknowledge God’s Word as truth

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

43 διὰ τί τὴν λαλιὰν τὴν ἐμὴν οὐ γινώσκετε; ὅτι οὐ δύνασθε ἀκούειν τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐμόν. 44 ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστὲ καὶ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν. ἐκεῖνος ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἦν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οὐκ ἔστηκεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν αὐτῷ. ὅταν λαλῇ τὸ ψεῦδος, ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλεῖ, ὅτι ψεύστης ἐστὶν καὶ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ. (John 8:43-44 NA28)

43 “Why do you not understand what I say? Because you are not able to hear my words. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and the truth is not in him. When he speaks a lie it is from his own character, because he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:43-44 translated from the NA28 Greek text)

Christianity, true Christianity, is not about feelings or experiences as “proof” of its veracity. No, read the accounts given to us in the book of Acts and in the rest of the New Testament. It is all about real events that happened that were witnessed by real people. Jesus was a real person who walked and ministered. He was illegally arrested, tried, and executed. However, He was resurrected after three days and nights in the tomb. Real people witnessed all of these things. No one has ever been able to provide evidence to refute any of it. Paul said that Jesus’ resurrection is the key to our hope and if it is not true then our religion is false. The reason we can know that it was true is that we have the proof of eyewitness accounts of it in the Word of God. Therefore, when so called “christian leaders” in our time write books or give interviews or whatever in which they attempt to refute the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, His deity, or the fact of His resurrection or they try to cast doubt on any of it, we must understand that those we are listening to have a different spiritual father than genuine Christians. View article →

Lou Engle of The Call Prostrates Himself, Kisses Foot of Catholic Leader as Act of “Reconciliation”

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Christian News Network reports:

Lou Engle of The Call is again raising concerns after a Roman Catholic leader prostrated at his feet on Saturday in declaring that he wanted to “kiss his feet” in an act of reconciliation between Christians and Catholics, and Engle returned the act by likewise kissing the man’s shoe.

The gesture took place during “Azusa Now,” an event hosted by The Call, which was attended by over 100,000 people at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

“Believing that decades of globe-spanning prayer have saturated the heavens, we will boldly ask God for the rain of revival,” a description of the event states. “We will consecrate an entire day—15 hours—for the purpose of unity, miracles, healing, and the proclamation of the gospel.”

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See our Research Paper on Roman Catholicism

The Cross of Christ seperates the living from the dead

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

19 “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.” (John 14:19 NASB)

When our Lord spoke of the “world” in John 14:19, he was talking about those in this temporal existence who are not believers. They are not true Christians even though some in that group may profess to be so. In this context he was also referring to the Jewish religious leaders of his own day who so opposed him and his ministry and who would continue to oppose the early church as is seen all through the books of Acts for example. What is it that separates those alive in this world who truly see Jesus for who he really is, believe and are saved from those who refuse to do so, reject the gospel, and remain in their sins, even if they may develop a form of Christianity that suits them that is absent of the real Jesus? View article →

Evangelicals divided, a movement fractured, Part 2

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

Marsha West, General Editor CRN

Marsha West, General Editor CRN

In part one I examined the term “evangelical” and laid out what true evangelicals believe and why they believe it.  Admittedly the movement has evolved largely because of pragmatism – whatever works.  Pragmatism has resulted in the gospel of Jesus Christ that’s set forth in the scriptures being watered down and a false Gospel with its Christless Christianity being spread far and wide.  In our postmodern world it is rapidly becoming something other than what Jesus himself declared in Matthew 28:16-20.

What the true gospel has been replaced with is the social gospel, i.e. theological liberalism.  Why did it change?  Because the liberal agenda cannot be accomplished without change.

Liberals are all about feeling good about themselves.  As such they’ve got an unquenchable desire to do “good works” to make themselves feel good. To the liberal, or post-evangelical aka emergent, it matters not what the Bible says; what matters most is how they feel about things.  I mean, it’s all about self-esteem, right?  So it’s not surprising that feelings trump even the God-breathed words in Scripture.  It matters not that the Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the Bible because what He said in the old days has become irrelevant.

Liberals believe they’ve come to a new understanding of what the Bible does and doesn’t reveal so it’s incumbent upon them to bring that dusty ol’ book out of the stone age and see to it that it blends nicely with our enlightened culture.  To that end, post-evangelical/emergents have taken it upon themselves to apply a new meaning to anything in the scriptures that might offend someone’s sensibilities.  After all, the post-evangelical/emergent’s political and social agenda takes priority over everything else, even if it means they have to modify the writings of men who actually observed and reported on events that took place several thousand years ago – the eye witness accounts!

The thinking goes that if the Bible says something that doesn’t make me feel good about myself or hurts my feelings, then I am entitled to completely ignore it.  Or… I can twist the intended meaning until it says what I want it to say.

People who do this have a very low view of Scripture.  Moreover, they have no understanding of sin and the holiness of God.

Too Many Cooks Spoil The Stew

Also responsible for what theologian Michael Horton called “theological ambiguity” in evangelicalism is a witch’s brew of syncretism stew.  As I stated in the first installment, one of the main ingredients in this concoction is discernment disintegration.  A good way to ruin any recipe is to allow a lot of cooks to add their own ingredients to the pot because the stew becomes unpalatable!  In the case of the Bible, the recipe is already perfect!

Before I move on, it’s important for readers to understand that the truth of the Gospel is inherently offensive to the unsaved. To try to make it palatable to those who are dead in their sins requires completely changing the message.  But wait!  That is exactly what post-evangelical/emergents are bent on doing.  I repeat. They have no understanding of sin and the holiness of God.  “Sin is desperately wicked,” says Todd Pruitt.  “It is mutiny against God. It is a rejection of his Lordship and love. Therefore sin and its consequences must never be trivialized (Gen 3; Rom 1:18ff, 6:23).”

2016 Presidential Campaign

In our current presidential election cycle we hear the term evangelical used daily.  An example of this use comes when pundits talk about the self-proclaimed evangelical, deal maker and billionaire, Donald Trump. It’s said that he’s garnering significant support from “evangelicals.”  I’m not going to spend a lot of time on all the distasteful things Donald Trump has said and done during the campaign.  But I do need to point out a few for the purpose of showing that his moral values aren’t in sync with the values of conservative evangelicals.

It’s no secret that Trump has had serial marriages, that he betrayed his first wife (the mother of three of his children) and then dumped her and married his mistress, a marriage that lasted six years. He’s also been frank about bedding other men’s wives.  There’s talk of questionable business dealings and his comment that Planned Parenthood, which has profited off the murder and dismemberment of innocent womb babies, does “good work,” which is odd for a man who declares himself to be pro-life.  In regards to the “marriage” of Elton John and David Furnish he chirped, “If two people dig each other, they dig each other. I’m very happy for them.”  He admits that he’s “always been greedy” and we all know he has a foul mouth.  During debates he verbally assaults his opponents, saying such childish things as “You’re ugly and your mother dresses you funny,” and “Liar, liar, pants on fire.”  Well, those weren’t his exact words – but close enough.

Now, if Donald Trump is a born again (regenerate) Christian, he’ll understand that his past behavior is sinful and that the sins he committed were against God — ultimately every sin is against God. (Psalm 51:4)  Therefore, he must humble himself and plead for forgiveness.  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:9,10)  This is the mark of a truly regenerate person.

When he was asked if he had ever repented of his sins his response was, “I’m not sure I have, I just go and try and do a better job from there. I don’t think so. I think I if I do something wrong I think I just try and make it right. I don’t bring God into that picture. I don’t.”  This is Donald Trump’s worldview, straight from the horse’s mouth.  His view is works based, I don’t need God, I can do it myself.  “I Am.”

Sin And Repentance…Not So Much

Trump’s not alone.  A whole host of professing evangelicals share his worldview.  As for sin, they either don’t grasp the meaning of sin and why it’s necessary to repent…or they figure they’ll repeat a certain sin so why bother?  I suggest that not having a genuine desire to eliminate sin from one’s life and a strong need to repent when one does sin, shows a blatant disregard for how God looks at sin.

I know, I know, he who is without sin cast the first stone.  Relax.  I’m not condemning Donald Trump or anyone else to hell.  Only God can make that determination.  I get that.  So why do I bring up Trump’s past?  As a reminder to my brethren that he has done many things that offend God. Everyone has.  But Donald Trump is a professing Christian who has sin in his life and there’s been no repentance.  What’s keeping him from doing that?

Well, he says he hasn’t done anything that requires repentance, even though the Bible says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) During an interview he admitted that he can’t remember ever asking God for forgiveness or needing to.  Is this the mindset of an evangelical Christian? According to the definition of a true evangelical, it’s not.

Donald Trump is what I would call a good deed doer.  People who do good deeds think they’re all in with God (high five!) and they don’t feel the need to repent.  Why should they when a loving God—and He’s that—overlooks their sins because of all the good they do.   Good deed doers believe their generosity will cover any past, present, or future sins they commit.  They view God as a big smiley face in the sky.

But I digress.

Character Counts

Following are just a few reasons evangelicals ignore Donald Trump’s peccadilloes:

  • He’s the only candidate that can beat Hillary Clinton.
  • The Religious Right aka Christian Right lost battle after battle in the fight to reclaim America for Christ and now they want a tough guy to fight for them.
  • They want to punish a traitorous GOP establishment by electing an outsider.
  • They’re not electing a pastor in chief, they’re electing a commander in chief. (Securing the border and having a strong military is more important than a man’s character?)
  • He’s seen as a modern day Cyrus, the pagan king who freed the Jews from 70 years of captivity and allowed them to return to Israel – and they prospered.

Let’s face facts.  Any so-called evangelical who’s not concerned with a person’s moral character is at best a nominal Christian and at worst a false convert.  This should come as no surprise as liberals, wolves, and wingnuts have managed to grab the reins of the evangelical movement and corrupt it from within.  Thus, syncretism stew.  The result of the cultural shift in this country is that true evangelicals can no longer take comfort in knowing that there are millions of people that share their values.  Why? Because chances are it is no longer the case and even if it was it would be impossible to know.

On a more positive note, we can take comfort in the fact that God is on the throne.  The Bible tells us that our omnipotent sovereign God removes kings and sets up kings. (Daniel 2:21, Rom 13:1) There has never been a ruler on Planet Earth that God did not establish. No Bible believing Christian would entertain the idea that the Lord gasped and said, “No way!” when Nero became Emperor.

The Bible clearly teaches the criteria for choosing a leader:

Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads. (emphasis added) (Deuteronomy 1:13)

When Voting

Keep in mind that it is wiser to vote for a candidate who’s committed to ridding America of some of the evils we face than to stay home because the person falls short in some areas.  One evil we face is the murder of the unborn. We know that Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, who at this juncture have the best chance of winning the nomination, are pro-life. On the other hand, Hillary Clinton, who will probably become the Democratic nominee, will never protect the life of the unborn.  Both Trump and Cruz have promised to protect the unborn.  Most assuredly many more babies will die if there is another Democrat in the White House.  Okay, take a deep breath…it is my opinion that voting for the lesser of the two evils is not a compromise. Listen to what apologist Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason says on this weighty subject in “When Compromising Is Not a Compromise”:

The possible question we’re faced with is this: If we were forced to choose between feeling or looking virtuous but having no actual effect, or appearing ignoble but accomplishing some good, which path should we take? When we must choose one or the other, are we obliged by God to make a moral statement or to have a moral impact?

Goodness requires more than making a moral statement. Rather, it requires having a moral impact. Jesus condemned Jews who abused the practice of Corban (Mark 7:11), a pledge to God that appeared righteousness, but helped no one. Let me be clear: The motives of pro-lifers voting “consistently pro-life” are different from those who used the practice of Corban as a religious cloak for avarice. However, the result is the same: moral statements with no moral impact….

In other words, it’s better to choose someone who is committed to eliminating some of the evil, than contributing to the victory of one who is not committed to eliminating any of the evil but, on the contrary, will promote it. This is not a compromise. This is good moral thinking. (H/T Bill Muehlenberg)

Choose wisely, brethren.

Part 1

Recommended: 

Extra Biblical Methods By Cameron Buettel and Jeremiah Johnson

John MacArthur addresses comments by evangelicalism’s most famous evangelist, Billy Graham, that are clearly out of sync with the biblical gospel.

An Evangelical Leader Makes Trump His Golden Calf By Steve Deace

Phil Johnson: “’Evangelical’ support for Trump proves the American evangelical movement isn’t truly_evangelical_ in any historic sense of the word”

Resolution On Moral Character On Public Officials—Southern Baptist Convention

God’s Will in the 2016 US Election By Kathleen Peck

Copyright 2016 Marsha West.

8 Questions for PayPal on Its Decision to Boycott North Carolina

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

On April 5th PayPal’s CEO announced that the company was no longer going to open a new operations center in Charlotte, N.C., because “legislation has been abruptly enacted by the state of North Carolina that invalidates protections of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens and denies these members of our community equal rights under the law.”  Katrina Trinko of The Daily Signal wonders if PayPal will also oppose discrimination that people of faith face in America. In question 7 Trinko asks:

Does PayPal intend to leave and/or not start company operations in states such as Oregon, where Aaron and Melissa Klein paid a $135,000 fine for not baking a cake for a same-sex couple, or New York, where Robert and Cynthia Gifford have been forced to change their wedding business because they won’t host same-sex weddings at their home? If not, why?

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Rev. Graham: PayPal Hypocrite, Does Business in Countries Where Homosexual Behavior Is Illegal

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News ∙ , ,

CNSNews has the story:

In response to PayPal’s decision to not open a new center in North Carolina because of the state’s law against men using women’s bathrooms and locker rooms, Rev. Franklin Graham said PayPal is a “hypocrite” and noted that PayPal does business in countries where homosexual behavior is illegal, but it decided to fault North Carolina.

“PayPal gets the hypocrite of the year award!” said Rev. Graham in an April 6 post on Facebook. “This company says they’re not coming to North Carolina because the legislators and Gov. Pat McCrory have passed a law to protect women and children against sexual predators by not allowing men to use women’s restrooms and locker rooms.”

Graham continued,  “Congressman Robert Pittenger made a great point yesterday: ‘PayPal does business in 25 countries where homosexual behavior is illegal, including 5 countries where the penalty is death, yet they object to the North Carolina legislature overturning a misguided ordinance about letting men in to the women’s bathroom? Perhaps PayPal would like to try and clarify this seemingly very hypocritical position.’”

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Planned Parenthood Files Lawsuit Over Indiana Law Banning Abortion of Down Syndrome Children

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Christian News Network reports:

The abortion giant Planned Parenthood has filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new Indiana law that bans the murder of unborn children based on a Down Syndrome diagnosis or any other disability, but stops short of ending all abortion in the state.

As previously reported, H.B. 1337 was signed into law last month to protect babies that would otherwise be killed because of an adverse diagnosis.

“Indiana does not allow a fetus to be aborted solely because of the fetus’s race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, or diagnosis or potential diagnosis of the fetus having Down syndrome or any other disability,” the bill, introduced by Rep. Casey Cox, R-Fort Wayne, reads.

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“Star Wars” will have gay characters

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According to LifeSiteNews:

Star WarsIf J.J. Abrams, the director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, has his way with future scripts, expect homosexual characters.

Abrams was hosting a pre-Academy Awards event at his production company Bad Robot when asked about prospects for homosexual characters. He responded, “Of course, of course. When I talk about inclusivity it’s not excluding gay characters. It’s about inclusivity. So of course.”

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Blindness has blinded his eyes?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

15 Μὴ ἀγαπᾶτε τὸν κόσμον μηδὲ τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. ἐάν τις ἀγαπᾷ τὸν κόσμον, οὐκ ἔστιν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ πατρὸς ἐν αὐτῷ· (1 John 2:15 NA28)

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15 translated from the NA28 Greek text)

If we are not prayerful and become careless in our own abiding in our Lord, we can become distracted and then susceptible to the wiles of our enemy to become discouraged and even despair about distractions all around us coming from the current state of Evangelicalism. On the other hand, when we are in the heat of battle and God is using us, it is amazing how clear we can see the compromises. We see believers with a love for truth and a profession of faith, but also with a love for this world and the things of this world that becomes evident in those compromises. When this takes place in “Christian leadership” what are the evidences we should look for? Are there consistent ones that obviously point to ones that we can say, “Blindness has blinded his eyes?”  View article →

Obama admin threatens to withhold billions from North Carolina over bathroom privacy law

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According to LifeSiteNews:

The Obama Administration is making noises about cutting North Carolina off from federal funding after last month’s legislative move by the governor and some state lawmakers to protect the state’s residents’ privacy and safety.

Administration officials announced Friday they were reviewing whether the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act overturning a Charlotte city ordinance allowing men to use women’s restrooms and showers should result in the federal government withholding funding for schools, highways and housing, to the tune of billions of dollars.

Experts have indicated that such an extreme step was not likely, at least not right away, according to The Charlotte Observer, but the administration’s review is sending a message to North Carolina that there could be consequences for its new law.

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UK Therapist Suspended for Sharing Christianity with Muslim Co-Worker Loses Appeal

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Christian News Network reports:

An occupational therapist who was suspended from her job for nine months after her Muslim co-worker alleged that she was trying to convert her to Christianity has lost her appeal before an employment tribunal.

As previously reported, Victoria Wasteney, now 39, had developed a friendship with her colleague Enya Nawaz, now 28, as they worked at the St. John Howard Center in London. The two had discussed Islam and Christianity, and Wasteney had talked to Nawaz about her church’s efforts to fight human trafficking.

“The whole basis of our conversations around faith started with her telling me that she’d had an encounter with God, that she felt she had been brought to London for a particular reason,” Wasteney told reporters. “We were both interested in what one another were involved in. It was part of the normal process of building a relationship with someone, to talk about primarily things we were interested in outside of work.”

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Why Mike Bickle’s IHOP Needs A Warning Label For Teens

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , ,

“One of the most concerning phenomena I’ve seen in terms of false movements is the manifestation of spirits – familiar spirits – masquerading as the Holy Spirit,” says Amy of Berean Research. “I’ve been reporting about and warning of the dangerous teaching of Mike Bickle’s spiritual influence over young vulnerable students, many of whom are willing to give up everything just to come live at his campus at IHOP (International House of Prayer) in Kansas City.”

Included in Amy’s piece are “the most disturbing images you will ever see.”

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Joy and The Resurrection

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

22 καὶ ὑμεῖς οὖν νῦν μὲν λύπην ἔχετε· πάλιν δὲ ὄψομαι ὑμᾶς, καὶ χαρήσεται ὑμῶν ἡ καρδία, καὶ τὴν χαρὰν ὑμῶν οὐδεὶς αἴρει ἀφʼ ὑμῶν. (John 16:22 NA28)

22 “Therefore, you now have grief, but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice and no one takes your joy from you.” (John 16:22 translated from the NA28 Greek text)

According to my stats page, What is Joy?, is by far my most popular post. It was also one of the first ones I wrote when I started this ministry in 2006 and its focus has been the focus I have attempted to maintain since I started, which is the edification of the Body of Christ by pointing all to the true source of our joy instead of what the world attempts to sell us as a replacement, which is just temporal happiness. That true source is our Lord Jesus Christ and the fact that we have eternal life in Him. He has also given us the Encourager, the Holy Spirit and eternal promises from the Father that we are not left here alone. Also, and by far that which is strangely overlooked today, is the joy that we have in the promise of the Resurrection. The fact that our Lord was dead on our behalf, but is now alive and has promised that we too will be raised to be with Him with glorified bodies forever is not well understood by most believers today. View article →

Four-Year-Old Booted From Preschool After Mother Objects to Lessons on Homosexuality, Gender

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According to Christian News Network:

A four-year-old girl in Colorado has been booted from preschool after her mother expressed concern over diversity teaching in the classroom that included books on homosexuality and gender identity.

R.B. Sinclair told the Denver Post this week that her daughter’s preschool teacher at Montview Community Preschool and Kindergarten had been reading books to the children on same-sex “couples” and about worms questioning their gender.

She said that her daughter came home one day and expressed concern that her father would no longer like girls.

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Mississippi Gov. Signs Religious Freedom Law Protecting Right to Decline Part in Same-Sex Ceremonies

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Christian News Network reports:

The governor of Mississippi has signed into law a bill that provides protections to pastors, faith-based organizations and business owners who object to being complicit in another’s same-sex ceremony.

“I am signing HB 1523 into law to protect sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions of individuals, organizations, and private associations from discriminatory action by state government or its political subdivisions, which would include counties, cities and institutions of higher learning,” Gov. Phil Bryant said in a statement on Tuesday.

“This bill merely reinforces the rights which currently exist to exercise of religious freedom as stated in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” he said.

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But God, being rich in mercy

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

4 ὁ δὲ θεὸς πλούσιος ὢν ἐν ἐλέει, διὰ τὴν πολλὴν ἀγάπην αὐτοῦ ἣν ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς, 5 καὶ ὄντας ἡμᾶς νεκροὺς τοῖς παραπτώμασιν συνεζωοποίησεν τῷ Χριστῷ, — χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι — 6 καὶ συνήγειρεν καὶ συνεκάθισεν ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, 7 ἵνα ἐνδείξηται ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσιν τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις τὸ ὑπερβάλλον πλοῦτος τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ ἐν χρηστότητι ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. (Ephesians 2:4-7 NA28)

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us,  5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, he made us alive with Christ — by grace you have  been saved — 6 and he raised us with him and seated us with him in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus,  7 that he might display in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-7 translated from the NA28 Greek text)

Let us this day focus on our wonderful God with worshipful, grateful hearts. Back several years ago when I was confronted with Reformation Theology I was amazed that the passages that the Holy Spirit used to “nail it” firmly in my heart that it was what best lined up with the Bible in all areas of doctrine were many if not all of the same passages that I had taught from, memorized in Evangelism Explosion training, and read every day during my devotions. They were all very dear to me because they spoke of the saving work of God on my behalf. Of course, I must confess, I was never a “theological Arminian,” just a default one since that is what most SBC churches teach. It was as this confrontation took place over each point of doctrine I was amazed that in every case it really came down to whether our salvation is a work of cooperation between us and God (Synergism) or if it is all of God (Monergism). It was as I did some serious study on the Sovereignty of God throughout the Bible that the last thread of synergism I held on to finally broke away. View article →