The Discernment of Charles Spurgeon, a Foundation for the Modern Believer

“In an age where spiritual confusion and false teachings were rampant, Spurgeon’s theology of discernment offered a beacon of clarity to believers. Spurgeon relentlessly taught the importance of testing all teachings and beliefs against the ultimate standard: the Word of God. Spurgeon’s keen understanding of the Scriptures allowed him to identify and refute false teachings, while also equipping his congregation with the tools necessary to discern truth from error.”

(The Dissenter) Charles Haddon Spurgeon, affectionately known as the “Prince of Preachers,” remains one of the most influential Christian leaders in modern history. His vast collection of sermons, writings, and theological teachings continue to inspire believers and shape the Christian faith even today…. Continue reading

Budweiser’s new pro-America ad sets social media ablaze: Can’t put the ‘genie back in the bottle, guys’

The company’s new ad features one of Budweiser’s famous Clydesdale horses passing iconic American landmarks

(Yael Halon – Fox News) Budweiser’s new pro-America ad set Twitter ablaze over the weekend as critics derided the company for a misguided attempt at quelling the backlash over Bud Light’s endorsement partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.  Continue reading

Exposed: The Charismatic Excesses ‘Jesus Revolution’ Conveniently Left Out

By Marsha West

Beware of supposing that a teacher is to be trusted because although he holds some unsound views, he yet ‘teaches a great deal of truth.’ Such a teacher is precisely the man to do you harm: poison is always most dangerous when it is mixed with wholesome food. ~ J.C. Ryle

When the Jesus movement hit southern California beach towns like a tsunami during the 1960s, mainline Reformed denominations suddenly seemed out of step with what was happening in the culture. The mood dramatically shifted almost overnight. Protestant Creeds and Confessions and long-held traditions were frowned upon by the counterculture generation dubbed “hippies.” The inerrant, sufficient, infallible, God-breathed Word of God would no longer be the final authority for faith and life.

Early on, Calvary Church pastor Chuck Smith began reaching out to hippies and welcomed them into the small church he pastored — and young people showed up in droves. Those barefoot “dirty hippies” became what was known as “Jesus freaks.” The Jesus movement soon morphed into the Calvary Chapel movement as many other Calvary Chapel churches were planted by those who came and went, those who would eventually establish a global church network.

Not long afterwards the Market-driven Church became the evangelical model for the right way to “do church.” The Purpose-Driven/Seeker Sensitive movement was built on utilitarian pragmatism – whatever works. In other words, if churches build it to look like the culture, seekers will come.

But the march toward pragmatism and a market-driven paradigm is not what this piece is about. It’s about a book based on the 1960s Jesus People movement by Greg Laurie & Ellen Vaughn. Greg Laurie’s memoir was recently made into a movie, Jesus Revolution. Some of you may have read the book or gone to see the movie by now. Even so, hang in there because many important details were conveniently left out of the movie, which I’m going to bring to light, details you’ll no doubt find shocking.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Jesus Revolution, but are aware of who Greg Laurie is, his memoir will transport you to the tumultuous 60s & 70s and the events that occurred during what was deemed the “revival” that ushered in the Jesus movement. Back then many young people heard the name Jesus for the first time in their lives. The message that spread up and down the California coast and far beyond was that Jesus Christ would save sinners who were bound for hell if they would give their lives to Him. Through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, hippies, bikers, prostitutes and druggies came to faith in Christ, repented of their sins and were baptized in the Pacific Ocean (or elsewhere). Let there be no doubt that the 60s & 70s revival was Good News for those who truly got saved.

Out of the counter-culture Jesus movement another movement emerged that drew many “Jesus freaks” through the doors of Calvary Chapel (CC) located in Costa Mesa California. The main characters in the movie frequented the church Pastor Chuck Smith led — Lonnie Frisbee and Greg & Cathe Laurie.

Although the Lauries are important to the story, the principle focus of this piece is Chuck Smith and Lonnie Frisbee, the catalysts for the CC movement. Continue reading

Personal Holiness vs Self-Righteousness

24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat but swallow a camel! Matthew 23:24 (LSB) 

A huge trap that Christians can fall into is conforming to self-righteousness. It is a form of idolatry and that always causes spiritual blindness (Romans 1:24-25). Self-righteousness puts all effort towards godliness in the wrong place. It creates a form of piety that is all about outward appearances while putting little or no priority on matters of the heart. It is all about appearances and what others think rather than being totally committed to abiding in Christ from within first. The self-righteous are consciously holy…. Continue reading

The Curse of Mediocrity

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. 29 Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers; 30 and those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified; and those whom He justified, He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? Romans 8:28-39 (LSB) Read verses 32-39 on the site.

Relativism has enslaved this post-modern 21st Century. The push to equalize everything continues unabated even though it has become apparent to continue down this path is bordering on insanity. There was a Nike commercial being shown a few Christmas Seasons ago featuring Lebron James, the NBA star…. Continue reading

Ministries With An ‘F’ Transparency Grade – 2023

See the ministries that received an “F” grade. Search the database and see the grade of your favorite ministry, plus total revenue and contributions.

(William Cole Smith – MinistryWatch) MinistryWatch stands for transparency and accountability.  That’s why we think it is important for Christian ministries to be as transparent as possible with donors and with the public.

So MinistryWatch will grade every ministry in its database based on transparency…. Continue reading

The Dangers of AI

(Brian Mark Weber – The Patriot Post) Remember when artificial intelligence was the stuff of science fiction?

Not long ago, we were introduced to ChatGPT, a powerful chatbot designed to replicate human speech and thought. At the time, a reporter for The New York Times boasted that “ChatGPT is, quite simply, the best artificial intelligence chatbot ever released to the general public.”

No one doubts the impressive ability of the system to generate ideas at the stroke of a computer key…. Continue reading

Charismatic Prophetess Explains the Importance of Casting Demons Out of Yourself ‘You Just Blow Them Out’

(Protestia) Like a younger version of Kat Kerr before she started smoking the electric lettuce or eating the devil’s jambalaya, Emma Stark is an up-and-coming prophetess from Ireland. She founded the Glasgow Prophetic Center with her husband in 2019 and describes herself as “a prophet who hears from God’, ’a traveling lecturer in spirituality’ and ’a church pastor. ‘Her website says of her:

Emma is a prophet who operates with authority and authenticity as she ministers and teaches around the world, giving clear and direct prophetic input to leaders, churches and ministries, equipping the body of Christ to better hear from God and to apply His revelation to transform lives, communities, cities and nations.

Continue reading

The Biden 10-Step Plan for Global Chaos

“Why and how, in just two years, have a confused and often incoherent Joe Biden and his team created such global chaos? Let us answer by listing 10 ways by which America lost all deterrence.”

(Victor Davis Hanson – America Greatness) Why is French President Emmanuel Macron cozying up to China while trashing his oldest ally, the United States?

Why is there suddenly talk of discarding the dollar as the global currency? Continue reading

Church Group Kicked Out Of ShepCon For Passing Out Heretical Literature Attacks Phil Johnson for Clout + Get Real Whiny

(Protestia) Last month, a church group attending the Shepherds Conference and handing out literature offering $25,000 to anyone who can come to their church and convince them that justification is not by faith alone, were kicked out of the event.

The excised were members of Christ Covenant Church (Denver, CO) led by ‘pastor’ Scott Jarrett, who have become convinced that justification by faith alone is insufficient for salvation. Instead, they believe men and women are saved by grace through faith, but that the salvation must be maintained through faithful obedience to God’s Law…. Continue reading

The ‘Biden Crime Family’ Was All-in on Gain-of-Function Research

“McCormick created a timeline proving a “conspiracy” between Hunter and Joe Biden, along with Biden’s then-spokesman (now national security adviser) Jake Sullivan of using U.S. aid to give to, in this case, Ukraine’s energy needs and then positioning Hunter for a board position on the Ukrainian energy company, Burisma.”

(Victoria Taft – PJ Media) Remember when Hunter Biden tagged along on Joe’s trip to China in 2013? Photographers captured the moment when Hunter followed his dad and daughter Finnegan down the stairs of Air Force Two. The Obama White House produced a fawning video about it (watch it below). It was a trip that would pay millions in dividends for what some people call “The Biden Crime Family.” Continue reading

Truth Amidst Turmoil: Discerning and Defending the Faith in the Age of Subtle Spiritual Deception

“These elusive doctrines, often veiled and hard to recognize, pose a significant risk to the Church’s stability and vitality. Subtle contemporary heresies, including the prosperity gospel, easy-believism, and teachings that place our own virtues and ethical actions above God’s grace and kindness, may not be immediately apparent. However, these insidious threats demand the Church’s unwavering vigilance and astute discernment to safeguard its foundational beliefs.”

(The Dissenter) During the early days of Christianity, the fledgling Church faced numerous obstacles and disagreements over its teachings and doctrines. Much of the professing Church found itself at odds over how to interpret scripture and understand doctrine, eventually giving rise to what would be known officially as “heresies”—beliefs or teachings that went against the accepted teachings of the Church. Continue reading

James MacDonald Arrested For Felony Assault

(Ray Fava – Evangelical Dark Web) Former pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel was arrested in California last month following a car accident in a parking lot. The charges include felony assaults, and the incident is being characterized as road rage.

According to police, MacDonald was trying to parallel park his truck about 10:15 a.m. in the 900 block of Orange Avenue when he struck the woman’s car. The two exited their cars, and he “attacked” her, according to Coronado police. Continue reading

Are We Ashamed of the Gospel?

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16 NASB)

Western Christians, especially American Christians, are, for the most part, double minded. Materialism, humanism, and liberalism have so contaminated them that they believe that they will never be persecuted for their faith. It is as if the idea that persecution for being a Christian is unthinkable. In many parts of the World persecution is actually becoming worse. It is estimated that over 16,000 Christians are martyred each year. However, in the USA Christians are more concerned about football or TV shows or money or possessions than contending for the faith. Continue reading

Enchanted and Ensnared by Music

“Be discerning with your music. Every song you sing, every hymn you utter on the Lord’s Day, every single lyric that you use at any time – either in congregational worship or in personal worship – test it all against Scripture.” 

(Brandon Hines, 2016) One of the biggest heretics of Church History was a scholar in the 200s named Arius. Arius’s heresy was a denial of the divinity of Jesus. He taught that only the Father was God and that Jesus was merely a creation of God. This heresy was clear and is one of the most blatant examples of heresy throughout the entire history of heresy. Arius has been described as an Arch-Heretic and is an icon for historical false teachers. How was it, then, that Arius spread his doctrine if it was as clearly venomous as it is?… Continue reading

Nearly 100% of the Top 40 Worship Songs over Last Decade Come from 4 Megachurches

“After cross-referencing the Top 100 lists from each, we found that there were only 114 songs associated with just 43 discrete songwriters or churches.”

(Protestia) According to a new report by Worship Leader Research, a mere four megachurches were responsible for producing and releasing nearly all the top worship songs released in the last decade, offering a deep insight into why not only all the songs sound alike, but why their theology is frequently so squishy, vapid, and unbiblical. Continue reading

Ex-Obama staffer blows whistle on Biden ‘kickback scheme’ after Hunter joined Burisma: ‘Malfeasance in office’

(Bailee Hill – Fox News) A former Obama administration staffer is blowing the whistle on the Biden family’s business dealings, accusing President Biden of being involved in a “kickback scheme” in connection with his son Hunter’s overseas business dealings while he was vice president.

Mike McCormick, a stenographer for the White House for 15 years, told “Fox & Friends First” the FBI has been ignoring his alarms on the matter despite his willingness to testify under oath before the federal grand jury investigating Hunter. Continue reading

Manifestations of the Gender Cult

“The alarming truth is that the Rainbow Mafia and members of the gender cult don’t really care about children or other gender-dysphoric individuals. These unfortunate people are just a means to the cultists’ twisted ends.”

(Nate Jackson – The Patriot Post) The ideology pushing gender confusion has become a cult. It’s not a cult in the typical sense of a single charismatic leader deceiving followers with promises of deliverance or some such. But there are an awful lot of Americans drinking the proverbial Kool-Aid when it comes to gender issues, and cult members demand not just tolerance but unwavering devotion. Continue reading

Pentagon Leaks Imply World War III Has Already Begun

(Kevin Downey JR – PJ Media) Remember when leftist harpies screeched that Trump would start World War III? They were only off by one president.

According to a leaked document dated March 23, 2023, the UK, the United States, and several other European nations have boots on the ground in Ukraine.

How Do We Respond to a God That Doesn’t Give Timetables?

“Think of the children of Israel, enslaved for 400 years, trying to hold onto the promise given to their father Abraham that they would have a land of their own, and yet having no timetable on when God would make good on that promise.”

(Michael Kelly – thinke) Nobody likes to wait.

Not for food, not for service, not at the DMV, not for a lull in the video streaming – not for anything. One of the reasons we hate to wait comes from our culture. We live in a culture in which everything is measured against time…. Continue reading

Psychology’s Culpability in the Transgender Movement

“I’m writing this because I want to make sure pastors and parents see the massive worldview shift that is taking place in the schools and so-called sciences. The transgender movement has become the gravitational center of our culture. It is fed by the Bible of psychology, and it targets our kids. We should at least be familiar with the book that is being used to justify the massive surge in the transgender movement.”

(Jesse Johnson – The Cripplegate) Last month, Minnesota introduced legislation making it a “trans-refuge” state. If the legislation passes, it would become a crime for parents to refuse to give their children “gender affirming” care, and parents could lose custody of their children if they refuse to play the gender games. Continue reading

Ken Ham Rebukes Andy Stanley for His Affirmation of Evolution

(The Dissenter) The following rebuke was written by Ken Ham in a post on Twitter:

Watch the short video clip attached of Andy Stanley. He is a teacher with a large flock in Georgia. How should we respond to what he is teaching in this clip?

God’s Word has a severe warning for those of us who are teachers. God instructs us that teachers/leaders are going to be a problem…. Continue reading

Courage Is Contagious

But it takes courage. And when we put that courage into action and stand for truth and for protecting the innocent, others will see it and join in. If it can happen in the NHL, it can happen in the circles we run in. We must band together to stop the woke onslaught.

(Chris Queen – PJ Media) It’s no secret that we live in a world where our culture is turning away from truth and reality. The most egregious examples of this are the sudden obsession with drag queens and the way leftists trip over each other to defend and promote transgender people. Continue reading

Hawley rips Garland for ‘false’ testimony on DOJ recruiting efforts inside churches

Those developments followed a leaked FBI memo that talked about “Radical Traditionalist Catholic” groups and claimed that these groups express an “adherence to anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ and white supremacist ideology.”

(Elizabeth Elkind – Fox News) EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Josh Hawley on Tuesday accused Attorney General Merrick Garland of providing false testimony to the Senate last month when he said his department is not developing sources inside Catholic churches and other houses of worship, and demanded to know how many “undercover informants or other agents” are aiding the department from these religious sites. Continue reading

Five Observations of Modern Church Liberal Drift and Apostasy

(The Dissenter) Believers in Christ’s atonement are now in declared religious union with those who make light of it; believers in Holy Scripture are in confederacy with those who deny plenary inspiration; those who hold evangelical doctrine are in open alliance with those who call the fall a fable, who deny the personality of the Holy Ghost, who call justification by faith immoral, and hold that there is another probation after death, and a future restitution for the lost. Yes, we have before us the wretched spectacle of professedly orthodox Christians publicly avowing their union with those who deny the faith, and scarcely concealing their contempt for those who cannot be guilty of such gross disloyalty to Christ. —Charles Spurgeon Continue reading