Apprising Ministries shows you that evangelical charismatics like John Piper, Louis Giglio, and Beth Moore are opening the door for Caine’s advancement of Brian Houston’s charismaniac Hillsong heresies into the mainstream of evangelicalism.
God’s sovereignty and His perfect knowledge of man
O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. Psalms 139:1–4, ESV
Our God is beyond our understanding. Thankfully, He has revealed Himself to us, to a degree, in His Word. Those who claim to serve Him, but treat His Word as if it was not important, or refuse to submit to the truths therein are fools. That has always puzzled me about those who take a sliver of God’s Word, misinterpret it, and then build massive man-cenetered doctrines around their misinformation. Have they no fear of God?
God is Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Omnipotent. He knows all, is everywhere at once, and is all-powerful. He is Sovereign! Those who play games with Christianity must have no understanding of this for if they did, they would not dare trifle with God Almighty!
Pastor Carl Lentz using bait and switch with homosexuality
All in Christ should be longing for their eternal body
I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 2 Peter 1:13–14, ESV
Unlike Peter, the Lord has not made it clear to me the putting off of my body will be soon (see the passage above). However, I do not deny that my desire for the ending of this tabernacling in this earthly tent grows deeper with each skirmish or battle in the Truth War.
However, over the last few years as I have witnessed the growing darkness in American culture and the corresponding apostasy in the “visible church” my focus has been more and more on the eternal. This, of course, leads to much joy because my life is lived more and more from a heavenly perspective even when experiencing much resistance from those who hate God’s truth.
Chris Fabry Live—casting out demons and breaking generational curses
Jesus Christ is the express image of God
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. John 1:1–2, ESV
I heard a sermon a long time ago in which the preacher defined a cult as any religious group that called itself Christian but denied the orthodox doctrine of our Triune God. That means that those who deny the Doctrine of the Trinity, according to that definition, are not Christians, but heretics.
The man-centered part of each of us, that is the flesh, rebels from such a strict “legalistic” view, but as our faith becomes more and more God Centered in all its aspects, that view becomes entirely justified in our hearts because as we come to know God as He reveals Himself to His children, we will not doubt His Word nor will we attempt to overlay His truth with “altered” truth nor will we add to it nor subtract from it nor take it out of context in order to make it more man centered.
If we compromised and did those things we would do so in order to become more acceptable to the majority and not be excluded and hated by the world and those who call themselves Christians, but who are really just part of the fallen world system.
NYC Hillsong hipster Pastor Carl Lentz hedging on homosexuality
Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment
“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” John 7:24, ESV
What is the definition of the English word “fact?” The following is from the Merriam Webster Online Dictionary:
fact noun \ˈfakt\
Full Definition of FACT
1: a thing done: as a obsolete : feat b : crime <accessory after the fact> c archaic : action
2 archaic : performance, doing
3 : the quality of being actual : actuality <a question of fact hinges on evidence>
4 a : something that has actual existence <space exploration is now a fact> b : an actual occurrence <prove the fact of damage>
5 : a piece of information presented as having objective reality — in fact: in truth
Origin of FACT
Latin factum, from neuter of factus, past participle of facere
First Known Use: 15th century
The part that says, “a piece of information presented as having objective reality” is where I would like to concentrate in this post. I am a firm believer that there is something called absolute truth. Also, there exist truths that are objective. These are facts.
On the other hand, there is information that is subjective in nature that is presented as if it has objective reality when actually this is not so because there is nothing objective behind the “proof.” For instance, there are times when I use a form of the word “purpose” in what I write to convey a truth of God “purposing” to do something or that as Christians we should purpose in our hearts to obey the Lord, et cetera because these are found in Sacred Scripture.
However, there are some who would attempt to make the case that this is “Purpose Driven” language and this “proves” that I have become compromised and am now a disciple of Rick Warren. I contend that this type of thinking is what our Lord was referring to in John 7:24 about judging by appearances.
The wisdom of Rick Warren: Purpose Driven Catholics
For years now Warren has been actively working to assist Roman Catholic parishes in luring people away from the historic orthodox Christian faith and into apostate Roman Catholicism.
Apprising Ministries documents for you some of this ongoing apostasy of a man whom the Southern Baptist Convention has just rewarded with a prime position from which to teach its pastors at the upcoming SBC pastors convention.
Glenn Beck goes off on “religious people”
Marsha West, correspondent for the Christian Research Network, informs us of controversial conservative Glenn Beck’s convocation speech at evangelical Liberty University (LU) where he took to the podium and gave a sermon laced with Mormon theology.
When Beck learned that a large number of Christians, including some LU donors, came out in protest, he became outraged and used his position as a popular TV/radio host and his news outlet, The Blaze, as a bully pulpit to go after his critics.
I have not come to bring peace, but a sword
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10:34, ESV
The character and the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ is not well understood by the majority of people on planet Earth. In fact, many professing “Christians” have an image of Him in their understanding that is based upon fleshly reasoning.
This “other” Jesus is not Biblical for the most part. They have given their Jesus a whole new set of values and traits that conflict sharply with the Jesus presented in the Gospels in His own words. In fact, many of their attributes of “their Jesus” come directly from how he is portrayed in pop culture.
There’s no third way
Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Baptist Theological Seminary, expresses his concern that, when it comes to the sin of homosexuality, more and more churches are bending to political correctness by declaring that the Church must accept practicing homosexuals.
Dr. Mohler reminds us that:
A church will either believe and teach that same-sex behaviors and relationships are sinful, or it will affirm them. Eventually, every congregation in America will make a public declaration of its position on this issue. It is just a matter of time (and for most churches, not much time) before every congregation in the nation faces this test.
Tullian Tchividjian on TBN’s Praise the Lord tonight
Pray with boldness not insolence
οὗ ἐγενήθην διάκονος κατὰ τὴν δωρεὰν τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς δοθείσης μοι κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ. Ἐμοὶ τῷ ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ πάντων ἁγίων ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις αὕτη, τοῖς ἔθνεσιν εὐαγγελίσασθαι τὸ ἀνεξιχνίαστον πλοῦτος τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ φωτίσαι [πάντας] τίς ἡ οἰκονομία τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῦ ἀποκεκρυμμένου ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων ἐν τῷ θεῷ τῷ τὰ πάντα κτίσαντι, ἵνα γνωρισθῇ νῦν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς καὶ ταῖς ἐξουσίαις ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις διὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἡ πολυποίκιλος σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ, κατὰ πρόθεσιν τῶν αἰώνων ἣν ἐποίησεν ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν παρρησίαν καὶ προσαγωγὴν ἐν πεποιθήσει διὰ τῆς πίστεως αὐτοῦ. διὸ αἰτοῦμαι μὴ ἐγκακεῖν ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσίν μου ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, ἥτις ἐστὶν δόξα ὑμῶν. Ephesians 3:7–13, NA28
Of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God having been given to me according to the working of his power. To me, the least of all the saints, this grace was given to the gentiles to preach the unsearchable wealth of Christ and to enlighten all men as to what is the stewardship of the mystery hidden from the ages in God, the one who created all things that it might be made known now to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenlies through the Church the many faceted wisdom of God according to the plan of the ages, which he made in Christ Jesus our Lord in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through faith in him. Therefore, I ask you not to despair concerning my afflictions for you, which is for your glory. Ephesians 3:7–13, translated from the NA28 Greek text
If we are honest, we must all agree that that there is a growing disrespect of God in today’s various teaching on prayer let alone worship. While boldness does mean that those who are truly in Christ need not have any inhibitions as they come before God, they must still never forget that God is God.
To treat God as if he is a “buddy,” to bring him down to our level in any way, is truly blasphemous. It is insolence in action to do any other than respect and worship God as he deserves. He is not our “buddy” or “pal,” but our heavenly Father and our God. What does it mean to come before him in boldness while not being insolent?
Having obtained access by faith into grace, we rejoice in hope
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1–2, ESV
What is the difference between faith and hope? Are they the same thing? They are not the same, but they are two sides of the same coin. If I want my old College to win in football against our biggest rival that is hope. On the other hand, if I believe it will happen then it is faith. With this faith, my hope is enhanced. It becomes active.
On the other hand, if I have little faith that it will happen then my hope becomes simply wishful thinking. What about our faith through which we are saved by grace? Is this faith simply working up enough belief so that our hope becomes strong, or is there more to it than that?
Believe in God
Pastor Danny Cortez and his SBC gay-affirming New Heart Community Church
Ray Comfort and Franklin Graham on TBN’s Praise the Lord tonight
Rick Warren and NAR’s Samuel Rodriguez headline ERLC at the SBC
Are you Reformed or fundamentalist or both?
The “emergent” or “emergence” movement in the visible church began as an opposition to Right-Wing Conservatism or “Fundamentalism” in the Southern Baptist Convention that took over that denomination beginning in the early 1970’s and becoming mostly successful in 1980’s and 1990’s. Of course, that movement into “right-wing” conservatism was in response to an earlier push in the denomination that was taking it to the left into liberalism. The result was “fundamentalism.” Since this ministry has existed I have been called many names by angry people who disagreed with the message here. One the “emergents” liked to throw at me was, “you are just a “fundamentalist!” However, I have also heard the term used in a positive way.
If we are honest and think through things like this from a Biblical perspective, a Christian world-view, we should come to understand that to some being a Christian fundamentalist is a positive thing while to others it is the next thing to being a self-righteous Pharisee. Also, this word is used in the news media in a negative context to describe religious people who commit acts of terrorism or retreat from society into cultic communes. The emergents, as do all Christian liberals, view fundamentalists with anger and resentment. They view them as backward and mired in dead religiosity. However, is that what fundamentalism is?
More unity as Pope Francis calls Muslims “dear-brothers”
Apprising Ministries looks at this event in light of Beth Moore’s talk of a coming “outpouring” of the Spirit, Rick Warren’s advancing unity with the Church of Rome, and the pope’s friend Tony Palmer playing the pope’s message of unity at the ministry conference of charismaniac leader Kenneth Copeland.
You’ll see that we have good reason to wonder just how far-reaching this growing spiritual unity may eventually stretch.
Having been freed from sin, you were enslaved to righteousness
17 χάρις δὲ τῷ θεῷ ὅτι ἦτε δοῦλοι τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὑπηκούσατε δὲ ἐκ καρδίας εἰς ὃν παρεδόθητε τύπον διδαχῆς, ἐλευθερωθέντες δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐδουλώθητε τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ. Romans 6:17–18, NA28
But thanks be to God that you used to be slaves of sin, but you have become become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching; having been freed from sin, you were enslaved to righteousness. Romans 6:17–18, translated from the NA28 Greek text
But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. Romans 6:17–18, ESV
What does it mean that genuine Christians have been enslaved (ἐδουλώθητε) to righteousness (δικαιοσύνῃ)? So many professing Christians today have absolutely no concept of this. It would be safe to say that those professing Christians who are ignorant of this are the vast majority. Some of those ignorant of this have never been properly discipled so their concept of the correct way to walk before the face of God in this life, is based in some sentimental or “culturally relevant” standard instead of what God’s Word says. On the other hand, there are also some in this group who are not genuine Christians. They are not regenerate so they would be those who are still δοῦλοι τῆς ἁμαρτίας.
Justification and the God-centered gospel
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 1 John 1:1–4, ESV
Most, if not all, of the contention that I have experienced in this ministry has to do with people’s demand to be “justified” on their own terms. For instance, one fellow angrily told me that the genuine gospel was to do good works, to feed the hungry and minister to the homeless. Another one insists that all he has to do is love God and love everyone and that is how he experiences “salvation.” Are these valid forms of the Gospel?
Rick Warren keynote speaker for SBC’s 2014 pastors conference
PC 2014 is coming up in just a couple of weeks and is the lead-in for the annual SBC general conference immediately following.
Apprising Ministries shows you that, rather than rebuking Warren’s sinful ecumenicism, instead the SBC is rewarding him with this prime spot to share his warped wisdom and further influence its pastors.
Yer another reason why the SBC is suffering from a mortal wound.
A living sacrifice
Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, διὰ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν τοῦ θεοῦ παραστῆσαι τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν θυσίαν ζῶσαν ἁγίαν εὐάρεστον τῷ θεῷ, τὴν λογικὴν λατρείαν ὑμῶν· καὶ μὴ συσχηματίζεσθε τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ μεταμορφοῦσθε τῇ ἀνακαινώσει τοῦ νοὸς εἰς τὸ δοκιμάζειν ὑμᾶς τί τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ, τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ εὐάρεστον καὶ τέλειον. Romans 12:1–2, NA28
Therefore, I urge you brothers through the compassions of God to present your bodies as living, holy sacrifices, well pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service. And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may discern the will of God, that which is good and well pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1–2, translated from the NA28 Greek text
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1–2, ESV
Works righteousness is the default religion of man. However, God’s ways are not man’s ways. Neither are His thoughts man’s thoughts. His ways are higher than man’s. The Natural Man believes that the way to be justified by God is to do good works or not be as bad as those really evil people.
However, Romans 1–11 makes it clear that no one is righteous or innocent. All have sinned. All are guilty. Also, there is not one thing anyone can do about that problem. Oh, people have and still try all sorts of things to try to earn salvation, to be justified by God. They become very religious. They do good works. However, Paul makes it crystal clear that that is all a total waste of time.