https://mypolaris.com/reading/?cat=biblical&output=rssdenny.wordpress.comhttps://www.worthynews.com/113966-christian-activist-dies-in-russian-custody-raising-fresh-concernsby Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – A prominent Christian preacher and activist known for his anti-war views has died in Russian custody, Worthy News learned Monday. The 43-year-old Khristolyub Bozhiy, known online as “Vegan Christ-Lover of God,” died after being transferred to a pre-trial detention center, according to advocacy group International Christian Concern (ICC), which closely followed the case. Bozhiy had reported being placed in solitary confinement shortly after his transfer earlier this month. “I was given five days in solitary as soon as I arrived… then another 15, for nothing at all,” he said in remarks cited by supporters. He had faced prosecution by Russian authorities since late 2023 over online posts linked to his outspoken views on religion—including criticism of Islam—and the war in Ukraine. DETENTION AND SENTENCING A court in Russia’s Voronezh region reportedly sentenced Bozhiy in February 2025 to three years in a colony-settlement after he was accused of offending religious feelings and promoting banned content. Authorities also ordered psychiatric treatment, a move critics say is sometimes used in politically sensitive cases. Earlier this month, Bozhiy was transferred to a detention facility and again placed in isolation, raising concerns among those close to him about his treatment. “He had tense relations with the administration,” a source familiar with the situation said, adding there were also reported conflicts with fellow inmates. DEATH UNDER DISPUTE Bozhiy’s father was informed on April 17 that his son had died, but was only told the circumstances days later, when he was summoned to collect the body, Christian sources said. Officials claimed the activist was found hanging in his cell, suggesting suicide. However, relatives have strongly disputed that account. Family members said Bozhiy had previously gone on a hunger strike under pressure and feared for his life, at one point saying authorities intended to “leave him to rot” in custody. A criminal case has been opened under Article 293 of Russia’s criminal code, which deals with negligence. PATTERN OF ACTIVIST DEATHS Bozhiy is not the only activist to have died in Russian custody. He was reportedly the third pacifist prisoner to die within a month, a pattern that has alarmed rights advocates. Investigative outlet SOTAvision reported that surveillance cameras near his cell may not have been functioning at the time of his death, though this has not been independently confirmed. In his writings and videos, including on the YouTube platform, Bozhiy described himself as a Christian activist, pacifist, and preacher advocating peace rather than war. In one of his final public protests, he held a sign reading: “Jesus commanded to love enemies, not to kill, for God is love. Murderers do not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Rights advocates say his death underscores growing risks faced by outspoken activists in Russia, particularly those critical of the war in Ukraine or government policies. The post Christian Activist Dies In Russian Custody, Raising Fresh Concerns appeared first on Worthy Christian News. Worthy Christian News » Christian PersecutionMon, 27 Apr 2026 19:21:41 -0500https://www.worthynews.com/113966-christian-activist-dies-in-russian-custody-raising-fresh-concernshttps://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/hitler-alice-bailey-and-replacement-theology/New Booklet: Hitler, Alice Bailey, and Replacement Theology—What Do They Have in Common? Lighthouse Trails is pleased to release our latest topical booklet, Hitler, Alice Bailey, and Replacement Theology—What Do They Have in Common? by Philip Gray. The booklet is 12 pages long and sells for $1.95 for single copies. Quantity discounts are... The post New Booklet: Hitler, Alice Bailey, and Replacement Theology—What Do They Have in Common? appeared first on From the Lighthouse. lighthouse trails researchMon, 27 Apr 2026 12:02:54 -0500https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/hitler-alice-bailey-and-replacement-theology/https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/kjv-readers-should-think-twice-before-switching-to-whitaker-houses-kjver-king-james-version-easy-read-bible/A Cautionary Note: KJV Readers Should Think Twice Before Switching to Whitaker House’s KJVER (King James Version Easy Read) Bible If you are someone who primarily reads the King James Version (KJV), you might want to think twice before switching to Whitaker House Publisher’s relatively new King James Version Easy Read (KJVER) Bible. It doesn’t seem like a good idea... The post A Cautionary Note: KJV Readers Should Think Twice Before Switching to Whitaker House’s KJVER (King James Version Easy Read) Bible appeared first on From the Lighthouse. lighthouse trails researchMon, 27 Apr 2026 07:36:00 -0500https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/kjv-readers-should-think-twice-before-switching-to-whitaker-houses-kjver-king-james-version-easy-read-bible/https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/splc-finally-indicted/Is it Too Early to Sing “Ding, Dong the Witch is Dead”? (SPLC Finally Indicted!) LTRP Note: The following is posted for informational and research purposes. The Southern Poverty Law Center has targeted Philip Zodhiates (among other innocent people and ministries), who rescued a child who was being sexually abused, and he spent nearly three... The post Is it Too Early to Sing “Ding, Dong the Witch is Dead”? (SPLC Finally Indicted!) appeared first on From the Lighthouse. lighthouse trails researchSat, 25 Apr 2026 20:33:04 -0500https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/splc-finally-indicted/https://www.worthynews.com/113920-christians-urge-pakistan-lawmakers-to-back-child-marriage-ban-in-punjabby Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent ISLAMABAD (Worthy News) – Christian advocates have urged legislators in Pakistan’s Punjab province to approve child marriage legislation in a country where millions of girls are married as children. “Pakistan is home to nearly 19 million child brides; 1 in 6 young women were married in childhood,” according to the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF. Advocates say Christian girls are particularly vulnerable, with reports of kidnappings, forced conversions to Islam, and marriages to Muslim men against their will. On February 11, Punjab’s governor signed the Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 2026 into effect. The law aims to raise the minimum legal age for marriage to 18 and impose penalties on violators, a move supporters have described as a “moral and social victory.” LAW AWAITS FINAL APPROVAL However, the ordinance will expire in May—90 days after its introduction—unless the Punjab Assembly approves it. “Although currently in effect, the measure is temporary,” said advocacy group Voice of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC). The group noted that the legislation has already passed a standing committee but still requires a final vote by the Punjab Assembly. Without approval, activists warn that protections for vulnerable girls could quickly disappear. OPPOSITION AND RISKS Opponents argue the ordinance conflicts with personal freedoms and interpretations of Islamic law that allow marriage after puberty. Christian advocacy groups say minority girls are often targeted due to their vulnerable social position in the predominantly Muslim nation. Rights organizations have documented cases of abduction, forced conversion, and coerced marriage involving underage girls. Observers warn that failure to pass the law could leave thousands at continued risk of exploitation and abuse. The post Christians Urge Pakistan Lawmakers To Back Child Marriage Ban In Punjab appeared first on Worthy Christian News. Worthy Christian News » Christian PersecutionSat, 25 Apr 2026 14:52:57 -0500https://www.worthynews.com/113920-christians-urge-pakistan-lawmakers-to-back-child-marriage-ban-in-punjabhttps://www.worthynews.com/113908-christians-concerned-over-jailed-egyptian-convert-facing-terror-chargesby Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent CAIRO (Worthy News) – Christians have expressed concern about the plight of Egyptian prisoner Saeid Mansour Abdulraziq, who converted from Islam to Christianity in 2016, joining the Russian Orthodox Church. Following his conversion, Abdulraziq reportedly faced harassment and intimidation from family members, the wider community, and local police, according to religious freedom advocates. Seeking safety, he fled to Russia, where he applied for asylum after publicly expressing his Christian faith and criticizing Islam. However, Russian authorities later detained and imprisoned him for about a year before revoking his asylum and deporting him back to Egypt in 2024. Upon his return, Egyptian authorities briefly detained and warned him to remain silent and avoid proselytizing, sources said. CONVERT CHARGED Despite initially being released, Abdulraziq was arrested on July 15, 2025, at a police station in Cairo while requesting identification documents reflecting his change of religion. He was formally charged days later with joining a terrorist organization, stirring unrest, and spreading false information. Advocacy groups say the accusations are linked to his conversion and Christian activities rather than any criminal conduct. While apostasy is not illegal under Egyptian law, attempts to change religious identity on official documents have often triggered national security-related charges. Observers say such cases highlight ongoing challenges for religious converts in the country. COURT UNDER SCRUTINY A court hearing was scheduled for April 21 before Egypt’s First Criminal Terrorism Circuit in Badr, though the outcome has not been made public. The court, which handles terrorism-related cases, has faced criticism over transparency and due process concerns. While awaiting proceedings, Abdulraziq has reportedly suffered physical abuse and lacks access to adequate basic necessities, according to sources familiar with the case. His lawyer, Saeid Fayaz, who met him in January, said the prisoner remained aware of his legal situation and appeared in relatively stable condition. Abdulraziq has also requested permission to worship in prison, obtain a Bible, and receive communion, requests that have reportedly not been granted. CALLS FOR RELEASE Rights advocates, including Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), have called for his immediate release and the dismissal of all charges. CSW Founder President Mervyn Thomas said earlier this year: “We are concerned that he was not permitted to attend a Coptic Orthodox Christmas mass and maintain that all charges against him are false.” He urged authorities to ensure that all citizens can practice their religion or belief without fear of intimidation, harassment, or legal repercussions. The case has also drawn attention to broader pressures facing Christian converts in Egypt, many of whom encounter hostility and uncertainty after leaving Islam. Egypt ranks 42nd on the 2026 World Watch List compiled by Open Doors, which tracks Christian persecution globally. The ranking reflects what researchers describe as “high” levels of pressure on Christians, particularly converts, who often face hostility from families, communities, and state authorities. The post Christians Concerned Over Jailed Egyptian Convert Facing Terror Charges appeared first on Worthy Christian News. Worthy Christian News » Christian PersecutionFri, 24 Apr 2026 07:53:28 -0500https://www.worthynews.com/113908-christians-concerned-over-jailed-egyptian-convert-facing-terror-chargeshttps://www.worthynews.com/113905-christians-weigh-options-after-evictions-in-indonesiaby Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent JAKARTA (Worthy News) – Christians in an area of Java, Indonesia’s most populous island, are weighing their options after authorities evicted worshipers following protests by residents against their church presence, Christian sources told Worthy News Thursday. “For the second time in two years, the Tesalonika Christians Oikumene congregation in Teluknaga, in the northeast of Tangerang Regency, has encountered community opposition during Easter celebrations at their prayer house,” said advocacy group Voice of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC), citing mounting pressure on the church in Banten Province on Java island. “The previous year, local officials sealed the building the day after Good Friday, forcing the believers to rent an alternative location to hold their Easter Sunday services,” VOMC added. “This year, authorities arrived in the middle of Good Friday services, evicting worshipers before sealing off the facility following protests from local villagers who opposed the church’s activities,” the group told Worthy News. The incident underscores broader concerns about opposition toward devout Christians in the world’s largest Muslim nation of some 270 million people. REPEATED EASTER DISRUPTIONS Some protesters have reportedly demanded the facility’s permanent closure, arguing that the congregation lacks a valid permit. Such disputes are common in parts of Indonesia, where approval for houses of worship often depends on residents’ support. The Tesalonika congregation applied for a building permit in 2023, but the process remains unresolved. Despite the tensions, officials have provided a temporary location for worship. Authorities have also pledged to help identify a longer-term solution that allows the group to meet peacefully, Christians said. PRESSURE ON MINORITY COMMUNITIES Similar challenges have been reported in other regions, complicating efforts by some Christian communities to establish recognized places of worship. While Indonesia officially guarantees religious freedom, enforcement can vary at the local level. Advocacy groups say minority communities may face pressure where local opposition influences decisions. Indonesia, a Southeast Asian nation of more than 17,000 islands, recognizes multiple religions, including Christianity. For the believers in Teluknaga, the immediate concern remains securing a stable place to worship without further disruption, Christians explained. VOMC said it had urged supporters to pray that the congregation would receive “patience, guidance, endurance, and steadfast faith” amid opposition, while also calling “for God to move the hearts of officials and communities toward peaceful, just solutions” and greater religious understanding across Indonesia. The post Christians Weigh Options After Evictions In Indonesia appeared first on Worthy Christian News. Worthy Christian News » Christian PersecutionFri, 24 Apr 2026 07:52:09 -0500https://www.worthynews.com/113905-christians-weigh-options-after-evictions-in-indonesiahttps://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/why-you-have-a-duty-to-be-a-christian-case-maker/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-you-have-a-duty-to-be-a-christian-case-makerThere’s a persistent misconception among Christians that apologetics—the defense of our beliefs—is optional. Many assume that because they already believe, they don’t need to make a case for Christianity. But this view overlooks something vital about the nature of truth, the commands of Scripture, and the legacy of Jesus Himself. As followers of Christ, we don’t merely have the luxury of being case makers—we have the duty to be. When I visit churches across the country, I like to ask one simple question: “Why are you a Christian?” The answers I usually hear fall into two categories. Most people say they were raised in the faith. Their parents were believers, they grew up attending church, and they’ve simply continued in the tradition they were given. Others tell me their faith rests on experience—a prayer answered, a sense of God’s presence, something miraculous that confirmed Christianity to them personally. On the surface, both of these answers sound good. But neither distinguishes Christianity as true. Think about that. My Mormon family members would give identical answers about their faith. My atheist relatives also cite upbringing and experience to justify their worldview. Those reasons—though sincere—don’t separate truth from error. If people holding opposing beliefs all appeal to the same types of explanations, then we can’t know which belief system is actually true. That’s why we must test what we believe. If our faith is true, it will withstand investigation. If it isn’t, we ought to have the courage to find that out. Christianity makes historical claims—claims that can be examined. And when we do, we find the evidence points toward truth. Evaluating that evidence doesn’t demonstrate a lack of faith; it protects us from error. It ensures that when we say “I believe,” our confidence is grounded in reality, not sentiment. If our faith is true, it will withstand investigation. If it isn’t, we ought to have the courage to find that out.Share on X But this isn’t only about personal assurance; it’s about identity. Christianity is an evidential faith. From its very beginning, God revealed Himself in ways that could be seen, verified, and recorded. Look at Jesus’ ministry. He didn’t merely preach abstract truths. He performed miracles and then said, “If you don’t believe what I tell you, believe because of the evidence of the works themselves.” When John the Baptist doubted from prison and sent his followers to ask Jesus if He was truly the One, Jesus didn’t reply, “Tell John to remember how he was raised,” or “Tell him to have more faith.” Instead, Jesus performed miracles in front of John’s messengers and said, “Report to John what you have seen.” That is the essence of evidential faith. The Apostles carried that same mindset. In Acts 1, when they chose Matthias to replace Judas, they didn’t look for someone who “loved God deeply” or who “had a powerful experience.” They looked for an eyewitness—someone who had personally seen Jesus’ ministry from baptism to resurrection. Christianity’s foundation was built on direct evidence. That’s why the New Testament writings are limited to those written by eyewitnesses or those who directly knew them. Other early writings like the Epistle of Barnabas or the Shepherd of Hermas may have inspired believers, but they didn’t qualify as Scripture because they lacked that evidential authority. Christianity is not a private vision religion. It isn’t based on one person’s unverifiable mystical revelation. It’s built on public events that occurred in history—events that could be observed, questioned, and confirmed. That’s why the first Christians were so persuasive. They didn’t just proclaim, “God spoke to me.” They said, “We saw Him. We touched Him. We were there.” We live in a culture that elevates private experience and personal truth. But the God of Scripture doesn’t ask us to believe blindly or feel our way toward Him. He calls us to examine the evidence He’s provided—to love Him not only with our hearts but with our minds. That’s why every believer must become a Christian case maker. When we make the effort to know why Christianity is true, we not only strengthen our own faith but prepare ourselves to share it confidently with a skeptical world. In the end, making a case for Christianity isn’t just about argument—it’s about alignment. It’s aligning our thinking with the very nature of the God who revealed Himself through evidence, eyewitnesses, and reasoned truth. As followers of Christ, we have every reason—and every duty—to live up to that legacy. For more information about the nature of Biblical faith and a strategy for communicating the truth of Christianity, please read Forensic Faith: A Homicide Detective Makes the Case for a More Reasonable, Evidential Christian Faith. This book teaches readers four reasonable, evidential characteristics of Christianity and provides a strategy for sharing Christianity with others. The book is accompanied by an eight-session Forensic Faith DVD Set (and Participant’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case. The post Why You Have a Duty to Be A Christian Case Maker? appeared first on Cold Case Christianity. coldcasechristianityFri, 24 Apr 2026 07:00:01 -0500https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/why-you-have-a-duty-to-be-a-christian-case-maker/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-you-have-a-duty-to-be-a-christian-case-makerhttps://www.worthynews.com/113876-evangelist-killed-in-uganda-after-gospel-outreach-church-leaders-sayby Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent KAMPALA (Worthy News) – Church leaders in central Uganda have expressed shock after an evangelist was reportedly killed following a Gospel outreach event. Alfred Kitenga was beaten and stabbed at about 9:30 p.m. on April 9 along the Northern Bypass in the Kawaala area of Wakiso District, according to Christians familiar with the case. The attack occurred as Kitenga and his wife, Anna Grace Nabirye, were returning home after preaching in the Namungoona area of Kampala, the capital, Christian news agency Morning Star News reported. Nabirye said the couple accepted a ride from men who claimed to be motorcycle taxi drivers and fellow Christians who had attended the event. “We believed them because they said they were fellow believers who had listened to the message,” she said. During the journey, the riders diverted to another route, and additional men later appeared, she added. VIOLENT ASSAULT “What followed was sudden and violent,” Nabirye recalled. She said the attackers beat them and fatally stabbed her husband before leaving her near her home. Church leaders later found Kitenga’s body along a roadside and alerted police, who took it for postmortem examination. “This is a painful loss for the Body of Christ,” a local church leader stressed. Authorities have launched an investigation. On Wednesday, no suspects had been arrested, and no motive was officially confirmed SAFETY CONCERNS The killing has raised concerns among Christian groups about the safety of evangelists, particularly during evening outreach. Some church leaders are urging greater caution and additional security measures for evangelism teams. Uganda generally guarantees religious freedom, though incidents of violence have been reported. Advocacy group Open Doors, Uganda was not among the most severe countries for Christian persecution but has recently recorded attacks in some areas. Muslims make up about 12 percent of the population. The post Evangelist Killed In Uganda After Gospel Outreach, Church Leaders Say appeared first on Worthy Christian News. Worthy Christian News » Christian PersecutionThu, 23 Apr 2026 11:50:43 -0500https://www.worthynews.com/113876-evangelist-killed-in-uganda-after-gospel-outreach-church-leaders-sayhttps://www.worthynews.com/113865-pastor-detained-while-preaching-in-britain-vows-to-fight-case-like-apostle-paul-worthy-news-investigationby Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent LONDON (Worthy News) – A Christian pastor detained over the weekend while evangelizing in a British town says he will follow the example of Apostle Paul and prove to authorities he was targeted for preaching the Gospel. Steve Maile, senior pastor of Oasis City Church in Watford, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Central London, was arrested Saturday, April 18, by three police officers while publicly sharing his faith, Worthy News established. Video footage obtained by Worthy News shows Maile repeatedly insisting that he had committed no offense. At one point, an officer appears to allege that he assaulted someone—an accusation Maile firmly denies. Maile was later released and posted a video on social media thanking supporters for their prayers. PASTOR CITES PAUL’S DEFENSE In the video, Maile said he intends to defend himself in a manner similar to Paul, who invoked his legal rights under Roman law, according to the Bible. “Paul, when he sat in prison and was abused by the Roman authorities, said, ‘I’m a Roman citizen. I’ve got rights too,’” Maile said. “That’s what I’m going to do.” He added that he plans to consult lawyers and challenge the case, saying he is prepared to take the matter further. Maile said he had been released on bail for three months. CLAIMS OF ABUSE AND DETENTION Maile told supporters he had been “absolutely brutalised and victimised by the British police” and was left in “excruciating pain” after spending about 12 hours in custody, including time in what he described as “double handcuffs,” and being held in a cell. “Folks, I’ve been up all night with bruising and pain in my body. I was unable to sleep,” he said while holding up a King James Bible. He described the allegations against him as “totally false” and maintained that he had not assaulted anyone. During the arrest, he can be heard telling officers: “There is no offense being committed here… I have not assaulted anyone.” WARNING FROM REVELATION Maile said his preaching included a warning drawn from the Biblical Book of Revelation, referring to judgment and salvation. He cited a passage about “the books” being opened and those not found in the “Lamb’s book of life” facing eternal punishment. Such passages, associated with final judgment, are often used by some Christian preachers to call listeners to repentance and faith. Maile said he shared that message during his interaction with police. POLICE RESPONSE AND INVESTIGATION Authorities confirmed that a man in his 60s was arrested on suspicion of assault and a public order offense involving “racially or religiously aggravated disorderly behaviour.” Hertfordshire Constabulary said in a statement: “On Saturday 18 April, a man aged in his 60s was arrested on suspicion of assault and a Section 5 public order offence.” The statement added that “He has been released on bail while enquiries into the public order offence continue. No further action is being taken in relation to the assault.” Authorities have not disclosed any financial conditions related to the bail. DEFIANT RESPONSE AFTER RELEASE Despite the investigation, Maile struck a defiant tone following his release. “You will never ever stop Steve Maile from preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said. He also insisted that he had been arrested solely for preaching the Bible. The circumstances surrounding the public order allegation remain under investigation. CRITICISM AND PUBLIC DEBATE He claimed institutions such as the government, monarchy, and police were “in bed with Islam,” without elaborating. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described the Muslim community as “the face of modern Britain. King Charles III has in the past praised what he views as the Islamic world’s cultural and spiritual heritage. As Prince of Wales, he once said that “the Islamic world is the custodian of one of the greatest treasuries of accumulated wisdom and spiritual knowledge available to humanity.” BROADER TENSIONS OVER PREACHING Maile is not the first street preacher in Britain to face police action following complaints from members of the public. Pastor Dia Moodley was arrested in Bristol last November on suspicion of inciting religious hatred after discussing differences between Christianity and Islam. He later claimed he had been attacked by a group of men, though those allegations remain disputed. In another incident in February, police in London’s Whitechapel district declined to act against a street preacher despite objections from bystanders, citing the individual’s right to free speech. POLICE WARNING IN SEPARATE INCIDENT Separate footage obtained by Worthy News appears to show a police officer identifying himself as being from Guildford Police Station in Surrey, southwest of London, issuing a warning to a street preacher over alleged public disturbance. “My understanding is that the other day you were given a community protection warning,” the officer says, adding that the behavior was “causing harassment, alarm, and distress.” The preacher challenges the claim, asking: “What have I done that’s wrong? What, preaching the word of God?” The officer replies that the warning had been breached and that a community protection notice was being issued. POLICE CITE DISTRESS COMPLAINTS The officer warns that breaching the notice could lead to arrest. “Causing annoyance, upset, and distress to the local community and businesses of Guildford town centre,” the officer says, describing the alleged conduct. He adds that concerns include “the content that you are choosing to preach” and “the amplified volume of your voice,” which he says “comes across as shouting.” “This is upsetting to people to the extent that they call the police,” the officer says. TIMING UNCLEAR, BROADER QUESTIONS RAISED It was not immediately clear when the incident occurred. Yet it raised broader questions. The Maile case highlights ongoing tensions in the United Kingdom over the balance between freedom of expression and laws governing public order and hate speech. For now, Maile remains on bail as authorities continue their investigation. The post Pastor Detained While Preaching In Britain Vows To Fight Case ‘Like Apostle Paul’ (Worthy News Investigation) appeared first on Worthy Christian News. Worthy Christian News » Christian PersecutionWed, 22 Apr 2026 18:50:51 -0500https://www.worthynews.com/113865-pastor-detained-while-preaching-in-britain-vows-to-fight-case-like-apostle-paul-worthy-news-investigationhttps://www.worthynews.com/113836-christians-killed-in-coordinated-nigeria-attacks-as-concerns-grow-worthy-news-focusby Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent (Worthy News) – Communities in Nigeria’s central Plateau state were grieving Wednesday after suspected Islamic gunmen killed at least eight Christians and injured 10 others in a series of coordinated overnight attacks, Christian sources said. “The attacks were reported across Bassa, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom local government areas, forcing residents to flee their homes as gunfire spread through the affected communities,” explained advocacy group International Christian Concern, which closely followed the case. The first incident was said to have occurred around 8 p.m. local time on Saturday in Kpasho, a community in the Kwall District of Bassa Local Government Area (LGA), where armed men reportedly ambushed four youth traveling on a motorcycle. “One person was killed at the scene, while another later died in the hospital. The other two sustained injuries and are receiving treatment,” ICC added. About two hours later, attackers reportedly stormed the Hurum Gashish NTV community in Barkin Ladi LGA and opened fire on residents, according to Christians familiar with the situation. “Four people were killed, and five others were wounded in the attack,” ICC said. In a third attack, which took place around 11 p.m. local time, gunmen “invaded the Shonong Bachi community in Riyom LGA, shooting sporadically and killing two people. Three others were injured,” the advocacy group explained. ATTACK DETAILS In published comments, Nanpet Dala, a volunteer with the International Community on Nigeria (ICON) group, said “security operatives” arrested four youth from the area and later described them as “terrorists,” a development that triggered a protest and road blockade by residents demanding their release and an end to the killings. “Security operatives are very close to the place where the attack happened, but they intentionally refused to intervene,” Dala added. It was not immediately clear who was responsible. However, investigators and rights groups say attacks against Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt are often linked to Fulani extremist militants, as well as jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and its offshoot Islamic State West Africa Province, which operate in parts of the country. “The latest attacks have left several families displaced and added to growing concerns among Christian communities in rural Plateau, where violence has continued to affect villages in the state’s Middle Belt,” ICC stressed. Speaking in Jos, Plateau’s capital, Rwang Tenglong, national publicity secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, confirmed the attacks, saying “the affected communities were mourning their dead and supporting the wounded.” SECURITY CONCERNS He condemned the killings and said the injured victims had been taken to nearby health facilities for treatment. Plateau State Police Command did not immediately comment, but authorities have come under mounting pressure to increase security for Christians in the region. U.S. President Donald J. Trump has previously condemned the killing of Christians in Nigeria, calling it “unacceptable” and urging authorities to do more to protect religious minorities. Trump has warned he could order additional airstrikes on Nigeria if the killings continue, after previously authorizing strikes on suspected Islamist militants on Christmas Day last year in the country’s northern Sokoto state. “I’d love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike,” he said. In separate remarks last year, Trump accused Nigeria’s government of failing to protect Christians and used the term “genocide” to describe the violence. “I think Nigeria is a disgrace. The whole thing is a disgrace,” he said. “They’re killing people by the thousands. It’s a genocide. And I’m really angry about it.” TRUMP RESPONSE Nigeria’s government rejected those accusations, saying that “Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike” are targeted by Islamist attackers. Trump acknowledged that “Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians.” While persecution “is most acute” in northern Nigeria, attacks have increasingly spread to other parts of the country, according to Christian rights investigators. Nigeria ranks 7th on the annual World Watch List (WWL) of Christian charity Open Doors, which tracks Christian persecution globally. “Christians suffer significant and severe persecution – to such a degree that Nigeria has been the most violent place in the world for followers of Jesus for several years,” Open Doors said in the report seen by Worthy News. PERSECUTION CONTINUES “In northern Nigeria, 12 states have implemented Islamic law, creating a system where Christians live as second-class citizens, and conversion from Islam can be severely punished.” Christians make up nearly half of Nigeria’s roughly 235 million people, researchers say. The post Christians Killed In Coordinated Nigeria Attacks As Concerns Grow (Worthy News Focus) appeared first on Worthy Christian News. Worthy Christian News » Christian PersecutionWed, 22 Apr 2026 12:27:05 -0500https://www.worthynews.com/113836-christians-killed-in-coordinated-nigeria-attacks-as-concerns-grow-worthy-news-focushttps://coldcasechristianity.com/podcasts/podcasts-about-jesus/my-most-requested-case-ever-investigating-the-shroud-of-turin-podscast/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-most-requested-case-ever-investigating-the-shroud-of-turin-podscastIn this episode, cold-case homicide detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace finally turns his investigative lens on one of the most talked-about religious artifacts in history: the Shroud of Turin. Is it a medieval forgery created for profit, or a powerful piece of physical evidence that points to the crucifixion of Jesus? J. Warner walks through the chain of custody, the historical record, the scientific testing, and the forensic details, while also exposing the limits of what any single piece of evidence can truly prove. Drawing on decades of experience presenting cases to juries, he explains how a detective evaluates artifacts, weighs competing explanations, and navigates the space between “possible” and “reasonable” doubt. He also shows why—even if the Shroud were authentic—it could never replace the historical case for the resurrection grounded in early eyewitness testimony. If you’ve ever wondered whether Christians should use the Shroud of Turin when making a case for Christianity, or avoid it altogether, this episode will help you think it through carefully.  Here is the audio podcast (the Cold-Case Christianity Weekly Podcast is located on iTunes or our RSS Feed):  For more information about the reliability of the New Testament gospels and the case for Christianity, please read Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels. This book teaches readers ten principles of cold-case investigations and applies these strategies to investigate the claims of the gospel authors. The book is accompanied by an eight-session Cold-Case Christianity DVD Set (and Participant’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case. The post My Most Requested Case Ever: Investigating the Shroud of Turin (Podcast) appeared first on Cold Case Christianity. coldcasechristianityWed, 22 Apr 2026 07:00:07 -0500https://coldcasechristianity.com/podcasts/podcasts-about-jesus/my-most-requested-case-ever-investigating-the-shroud-of-turin-podscast/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-most-requested-case-ever-investigating-the-shroud-of-turin-podscasthttps://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/autistic-children-and-the-telepathy-tapes-not-a-good-situation-for-the-kids-or-for-anyone/Autistic Children and “the Telepathy Tapes”—Not a Good Situation for the Kids or for Anyone You may have heard of it by now; a whole lot of people have—It’s a YouTube series called The Telepathy Tapes, and the series claim to fame has been obtained by discussing non-verbal Autistic children and young people, who are... The post Autistic Children and “the Telepathy Tapes”—Not a Good Situation for the Kids or for Anyone appeared first on From the Lighthouse. lighthouse trails researchMon, 20 Apr 2026 22:04:20 -0500https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/autistic-children-and-the-telepathy-tapes-not-a-good-situation-for-the-kids-or-for-anyone/https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/largest-u-s-study-finds-teen-cannabis-use-linked-to-slower-cognitive-development/“Largest U.S. Study Finds Teen Cannabis Use Linked to Slower Cognitive Development” LTRP Note: The following is posted for informational purposes and also for a warning. Lighthouse Trails has published three booklets on the physical and spiritual dangers of marijuana and psychedelics. (See links below.) “Study of more than 11,000 teens finds... The post “Largest U.S. Study Finds Teen Cannabis Use Linked to Slower Cognitive Development” appeared first on From the Lighthouse. lighthouse trails researchMon, 20 Apr 2026 20:39:37 -0500https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/largest-u-s-study-finds-teen-cannabis-use-linked-to-slower-cognitive-development/https://www.worthynews.com/113780-uk-evangelicals-report-rising-hostility-despite-religious-freedom-worthy-news-in-depthby Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent LONDON (Worthy News) – About one in three evangelical Christians in Britain say they have experienced hostility because of their beliefs, according to a new report by the Evangelical Alliance United Kingdom. The study, titled “Confident Faith, Contested Culture,” found that roughly 35 percent reported mainly non-criminal hostility—such as verbal pressure or negative assumptions—while fewer than 5 percent said they faced hate crimes. Despite this, most evangelicals say they remain free to practice their faith, with more than 88 percent reporting they can worship and express beliefs openly across society. At the same time, around 55 percent said they feel comfortable being open about their Christian faith in the workplace. However, nearly half—48 percent—said it has become harder to express their beliefs publicly over the past five years, pointing to cultural rather than legal changes. CULTURAL PRESSURES Researchers said this reflects a widening gap between formal religious freedoms and what they described as growing “pressure, marginalization, and misunderstanding.” The survey of 884 evangelicals, conducted in late 2025, found that many believers are increasingly cautious about expressing their views in public. Christians in visible roles—such as politics, education, and media—are seen as facing greater scrutiny, particularly over views on issues like sexuality and gender. While 79 percent said they feel able to speak publicly about their faith, others cited fears of being misunderstood or harming relationships. The report said such concerns can lead some Christians to self-censor despite legal protections for religious freedom. CONCERNS OVER SOCIAL CHANGE The report also highlighted unease about the rise of Christian nationalism, with about 64 percent expressing concern about its influence in Britain. Evangelicals were found to be politically diverse, with many changing voting preferences in recent elections. Separately, some Christian groups have raised concerns about broader cultural shifts, including immigration and the growing influence of Islam in British society. Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman warned in 2024 of rising extremism and pressure on institutions, calling the situation a “crisis.” The advocacy group Christian Concern has also pointed to what it sees as moral and spiritual challenges facing the country, with its Head of Public Policy, Tim Dieppe, saying many Christians “lack confidence in their beliefs and cannot define or defend their faith well.” CALL FOR CONFIDENCE Despite these concerns, the Evangelical Alliance said religious freedoms in Britain remain “real, meaningful and worthy of gratitude.” It stressed that the main challenge for believers is not legal restriction, but how their views are perceived in a changing cultural environment. The report urged Christians to avoid withdrawing from public life and instead engage constructively. It pointed to continued public openness to discussions about faith. The study ultimately called for greater confidence “to live faithfully, speak respectfully, and contribute constructively” to society. The post UK Evangelicals Report Rising Hostility Despite Religious Freedom (Worthy News In-Depth) appeared first on Worthy Christian News. Worthy Christian News » Christian PersecutionMon, 20 Apr 2026 08:29:05 -0500https://www.worthynews.com/113780-uk-evangelicals-report-rising-hostility-despite-religious-freedom-worthy-news-in-depthhttps://coldcasechristianity.com/videos/gen-z-and-morality-what-do-they-really-believe-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gen-z-and-morality-what-do-they-really-believe-videoJ. Warner and Sean McDowell discuss Gen Z’s shifting views on morality and truth, highlighting how beliefs about gender, happiness, lying, science, and religion diverge from historic Christianity. They emphasize the importance of developing a biblical worldview, relational conversation, and critical questioning skills to help young people navigate competing cultural narratives and build lasting faith.  To see more training videos with J. Warner Wallace, visit the YouTube playlist. For more information about strategies to help you teach Christian worldview to the next generation, please read So the Next Generation Will Know: Training Young Christians in a Challenging World. This book teaches parents, youth pastors and Christian educators practical, accessible strategies and principles they can employ to teach the youngest Christians the truth of Christianity. The book is accompanied by an eight-session So the Next Generation Will Know DVD Set (and Participant’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case. The post Gen-Z and Morality: What Do They Really Believe? (Video) appeared first on Cold Case Christianity. coldcasechristianityMon, 20 Apr 2026 07:00:09 -0500https://coldcasechristianity.com/videos/gen-z-and-morality-what-do-they-really-believe-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gen-z-and-morality-what-do-they-really-believe-videohttps://www.worthynews.com/113766-pastor-killed-in-russian-strike-on-ukrainian-church-during-easter-gatheringby Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief (Worthy News) – A pastor was killed and several worshippers seriously wounded after a church in Ukraine was struck during an Easter gathering, highlighting the growing toll on Christian communities amid the ongoing war. Minister Ruslan Utyuzh was among those killed in the attack, leaving behind his wife and two children. According to reports cited by Baptist Standard, several church leaders were inside the building at the time, and seven or eight people sustained serious injuries. The congregation, which had served more than 300 believers, lost not only a place of worship but a central hub of spiritual life. Former Ukrainian parliament member Pavel Unguryan described the strike as a direct assault on peaceful worshippers and called for urgent prayer and global attention. The attack is part of a wider pattern. Since the war began, more than 700 churches across Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed, and at least 58 pastors and priests have been killed. Many of these churches have also functioned as humanitarian centers, providing food, shelter, and hope during the crisis. Mission Eurasia, which has close ties to the affected congregation, noted that churches serving their communities in times of hardship are often specifically targeted. The group continues to document religious persecution throughout the conflict. Colby Barrett, producer of the documentary “A Faith Under Siege,” said the strike was likely deliberate, alleging the use of a Russian KAB-1500L precision-guided bomb. He explained that churches are being hit not only as physical structures but as lifelines of faith and support for the people. Yet even in tragedy, faith persists. Barrett recounted a recent near-miss drone attack on a Kyiv megachurch filled with pastors. Despite the danger, services continued the next day, and 200 people came forward for baptism. Hope for Revival Amid the destruction, many Christian leaders in Ukraine are witnessing a deepening spiritual hunger. As buildings are lost, the Church itself is rising—marked by prayer, repentance, and renewed commitment. What the enemy has meant for harm, many believe God is turning for good, as seeds of revival begin to emerge even in the midst of war. The post Pastor Killed in Russian Strike on Ukrainian Church During Easter Gathering appeared first on Worthy Christian News. Worthy Christian News » Christian PersecutionSun, 19 Apr 2026 19:26:17 -0500https://www.worthynews.com/113766-pastor-killed-in-russian-strike-on-ukrainian-church-during-easter-gatheringhttps://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/why-is-it-so-critical-for-christians-to-hold-a-forensic-faith/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-is-it-so-critical-for-christians-to-hold-a-forensic-faithThere are several ways people come to hold their beliefs, but not all of them are equally trustworthy. Some of us hold beliefs that are unreasonable—we cling to them even though the evidence points clearly in another direction. Think about someone who still insists that warts come from touching frogs. We now know that’s false, and yet a person might continue to believe it. That’s a belief held in spite of the evidence—a belief that stands against reason. Then there are blind beliefs—things we accept without ever examining the evidence, sometimes without even realizing evidence exists. I can tell you from my own life, I hold one of these. I believe my father is my biological father. I wasn’t raised by him, and I’ve never taken a paternity test. I hold that belief because it seems reasonable based on what I know, but I don’t have direct evidence. I could be right, or I could be wrong. The point is, the belief isn’t rooted in proof—it’s rooted in trust without verification. Finally, there’s a third kind of belief—the one I call a forensic belief. This is the kind built on evidence, investigation, and reasoning. These are the kinds of beliefs detectives rely on, and they’re the kinds we should aim for. When I take amoxicillin, for example, I don’t just believe it works because someone said it does. I’ve experienced its effects and read the reports explaining why it works. My confidence is grounded in real data. That’s what a forensic belief looks like—faith informed by facts. Now, this distinction isn’t just academic. It cuts straight to the heart of our spiritual lives. How do you hold your beliefs about God? Some people hold unreasonable beliefs about God—ideas that contradict what the evidence of history, science, or Scripture shows. Others hold blind beliefs—they inherited their faith or absorbed it from their culture, but they’ve never really tested it. Either way, their beliefs might be right or wrong, but they don’t know why they believe what they believe. And that’s dangerous. Because when challenges come—when doubts arise, when skeptics ask tough questions—those who believe blindly or unreasonably often find their faith collapsing under pressure. But those who’ve developed forensic faith, who’ve taken the time to investigate, to study, and to understand the evidence that supports what they believe, can stand firm. Their faith is not rooted in wishful thinking but in reasoned conviction. Because when challenges come—when doubts arise, when skeptics ask tough questions—those who believe blindly or unreasonably often find their faith collapsing under pressure.Share on X Now, does that mean a forensic believer has every question answered or every doubt eliminated? Not at all. No one can build a worldview so airtight that it removes every possible doubt. Even the most reasonable conclusions leave room for some uncertainty. But that doesn’t mean your faith is blind—it means it’s human. The goal isn’t certainty; it’s confidence built on solid ground. When Christians adopt a forensic mindset, their faith becomes more than emotion or tradition—it becomes conviction. We no longer say, “I just believe because I was raised this way,” but, “I believe because I’ve examined the evidence and found it to be true.” That kind of faith doesn’t waver when culture shifts or when skeptics scoff, because it’s anchored in truth that withstands scrutiny. This is why I’m so passionate about encouraging believers to make the case for what they believe. Christianity is not a blind leap into the dark; it’s a reasonable step into the light. The evidence for God’s existence, the reliability of Scripture, and the truth of Jesus’ resurrection can all be investigated. And while you’ll never remove every question, you can know that your trust is not misplaced. At the end of the day, a forensic faith is the only kind of faith strong enough to survive in a skeptical world. It’s the difference between saying, “I believe, but I don’t know why,” and saying, “I believe because I’ve looked carefully—and the evidence leads here.” That’s what it means to hold a faith worth holding, a faith that can stand up to scrutiny and still point unmistakably toward truth. For more information about the nature of Biblical faith and a strategy for communicating the truth of Christianity, please read Forensic Faith: A Homicide Detective Makes the Case for a More Reasonable, Evidential Christian Faith. This book teaches readers four reasonable, evidential characteristics of Christianity and provides a strategy for sharing Christianity with others. The book is accompanied by an eight-session Forensic Faith DVD Set (and Participant’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case. The post Why Is It So Critical for Christians to Hold a Forensic Faith? appeared first on Cold Case Christianity. coldcasechristianityFri, 17 Apr 2026 07:00:06 -0500https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/why-is-it-so-critical-for-christians-to-hold-a-forensic-faith/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-is-it-so-critical-for-christians-to-hold-a-forensic-faithhttps://www.worthynews.com/113735-india-christians-fear-crackdown-on-missions-under-foreign-funding-lawby Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent NEW DELHI (Worthy News) – Christian workers in India fear proposed legislation will accelerate a government crackdown on foreign-funded mission groups, especially those supporting Dalits, viewed as “outcasts” in the country’s ancient Hindu social hierarchy. The amended Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill (FCRA) is due to be debated in parliament during its June–August session, according to sources familiar with the planning. Under the proposal, the Indian government could seize the assets of any organization that has its FCRA license blocked or that has a “lapsed license,” creating bureaucratic difficulties for Christian missionaries. Hindu nationalists could target Christian properties meant to benefit Dalits and other marginalized groups in India, the world’s largest Hindu-majority nation of over 1.4 billion people, Christian leaders warn. CRACKDOWN ON DALIT SUPPORT Dalits, formerly known as “untouchables” and comprising over 200 million people, are considered outside the traditional four-tier Varna system, facing extreme poverty, discrimination, and systemic oppression. Hindu nationalists have expressed outrage about the spread of Christianity among Dalits, with many reportedly turning to the Christian faith, Worthy News documented. Joseph D’Souza, head of the All India Christian Council, warned that mission groups now face “a dangerous and deeply alarming crisis, with immediate and potentially irreversible consequences.” Advocacy group Release International accused the Indian government of seeking to exert control over Christian charities and mission organizations by limiting their access to foreign funding. The group noted that since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014, over 20,000 FCRA licenses had lapsed or been canceled, cutting off foreign funding sources for those impacted. RESTRICTIONS ON FOREIGN FUNDING “For more than 50 years, the sacrificial offerings of ordinary believers—from Brazil and South Africa to Mexico and Australia—have been the foundation of social upliftment for India’s most marginalized,” said Paul Robinson, CEO of Release International. He added that the proposed amendment reflects an increasingly hostile environment for Christians in India, home to more than 60 million Christians, or roughly 4–5 percent of the population. India ranks 12th on the World Watch List compiled by advocacy group Open Doors, which tracks persecution of Christians worldwide. The group links the ranking to rising Hindu nationalism, anti-conversion laws, and increasing violence and harassment against Christians. He noted that a growing number of Indian states have already adopted so-called “anti-conversion laws,” effectively restricting evangelism. While officially intended to protect against “forced conversions,” these laws often serve in practice as a pretext for persecuting Christians and others viewed as threatening Hindu dominance, critics say. Evangelical Christians stress that the Bible teaches that conversion is voluntary and based on a personal choice to follow Jesus Christ. The post India Christians Fear Crackdown On Missions Under Foreign Funding Law appeared first on Worthy Christian News. Worthy Christian News » Christian PersecutionThu, 16 Apr 2026 22:50:00 -0500https://www.worthynews.com/113735-india-christians-fear-crackdown-on-missions-under-foreign-funding-lawhttps://coldcasechristianity.com/podcasts/the-trinity-is-not-a-problem-its-the-solution-podcast/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-trinity-is-not-a-problem-its-the-solution-podcastIn this episode of the Cold-Case Christianity podcast, J. Warner Wallace tackles one of the most controversial and misunderstood doctrines in the Christian worldview: the Trinity. Drawing on his experience as a cold-case homicide detective, J. Warner treats the identity of God like a crime scene, building a suspect profile from Scripture and then asking: Who actually fits the evidence? J. Warner explains why the word “Trinity” doesn’t need to appear in the Bible for the doctrine to be thoroughly biblical, how the classic attributes of God (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, eternality, immutability, Creator and Sustainer, and the sole object of worship) apply not only to the Father, but also to the Son and the Holy Spirit, and why this forces us to a triune understanding of God if we’re going to be honest with the text. He also explores why groups like members of the LDS Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Oneness Pentecostals—who may claim to believe in Jesus—still fall outside historic, orthodox Christianity when they deny the triune nature of God. Along the way, J. Warner offers a clear, working definition of the Trinity (“one what and three whos”), warns about common heresies like modalism and Arianism, and shows how the earliest creeds and confessions weren’t inventing new ideas but summarizing the best inference from biblical data. This episode will help you clarify your own thinking, disciple your kids and students, and confidently engage missionaries and friends who say, “We’re Christians too,” while rejecting the Trinity. Here is the audio podcast (the Cold-Case Christianity Weekly Podcast is located on iTunes or our RSS Feed):  For more information about the impact Jesus and His followers had on science, read Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World That Rejects the Bible. This unique and innovative book makes a case for the historicity and Deity of Jesus from history alone, without relying on the New Testament manuscripts. It contains over 400 illustrations and is accompanied by a ten-session Person of Interest DVD Set (and Investigator’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case.   The post The Trinity Is NOT a Problem… It’s the Solution (Podcast) appeared first on Cold Case Christianity. coldcasechristianityWed, 15 Apr 2026 07:00:26 -0500https://coldcasechristianity.com/podcasts/the-trinity-is-not-a-problem-its-the-solution-podcast/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-trinity-is-not-a-problem-its-the-solution-podcasthttps://coldcasechristianity.com/videos/why-its-important-to-have-an-enthusiastic-faith-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-its-important-to-have-an-enthusiastic-faith-videoJ. Warner explains why having an enthusiastic and prepared faith is crucial for effectively presenting the case for Christianity to others. He stresses the value of passionate commitment, clear communication, and teamwork in evangelism, encouraging believers to move from passive listeners to “sheep dogs” who actively protect and advance their faith in culture.​  To see more training videos with J. Warner Wallace, visit the YouTube playlist. For more information about the nature of Biblical faith and a strategy for communicating the truth of Christianity, please read Forensic Faith: A Homicide Detective Makes the Case for a More Reasonable, Evidential Christian Faith. This book teaches readers four reasonable, evidential characteristics of Christianity and provides a strategy for sharing Christianity with others. The book is accompanied by an eight-session Forensic Faith DVD Set (and Participant’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case. The post Why It’s Important to Have an Enthusiastic Faith (Video) appeared first on Cold Case Christianity. coldcasechristianityMon, 13 Apr 2026 07:00:55 -0500https://coldcasechristianity.com/videos/why-its-important-to-have-an-enthusiastic-faith-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-its-important-to-have-an-enthusiastic-faith-videohttps://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/why-should-christians-pay-attention-to-holocaust-remembrance-day/ “Why should Christians pay attention to Holocaust Remembrance Day?” “For as long as the Jews are the chosen people of God, they will remain the chosen target of Satan.“ By Olivier MelnickShalom in Messiah Ministries Every year in the Spring, Israel commemorates Yom Ha Shoah to remember the Holocaust.... The post  “Why should Christians pay attention to Holocaust Remembrance Day?” appeared first on From the Lighthouse. lighthouse trails researchMon, 13 Apr 2026 05:16:00 -0500https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/why-should-christians-pay-attention-to-holocaust-remembrance-day/https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/belief-writings/why-does-our-faith-need-evidence/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-does-our-faith-need-evidenceIf you’ve got a son or daughter in high school or college—or a niece, nephew, or grandchild—you probably know the story I’m about to describe. A young person grows up in the church, attends youth group, memorizes verses, and maybe even serves in ministry. Yet somewhere along the way, that same young person decides it isn’t for them. They say they don’t think it’s true, or they raise intellectual objections that sound sophisticated—sometimes just as an excuse to avoid belief altogether. But regardless of the reason, they walk away. For some, it’s temporary. For others, it’s permanent. Almost every Christian family I talk to has lived this heartbreak. That story raises a haunting question: why does it happen? Why do so many of our sons and daughters leave the faith? I’m convinced that one reason is that too many of us have inherited an accidental faith. We’re Christians because we were raised this way, because our parents brought us to church, or because it just “feels right.” We happen to believe something that’s true—but we often can’t explain why it’s true. We know what we believe, but if someone presses us on why we believe it, we stammer. We can’t make the case. And when our children watch that happen, they internalize it. They begin to think our faith is just a matter of blind belief—and who wants to ground their life on blind faith in a skeptical age? Sooner or later, that kind of belief gets challenged. Someone comes along—maybe a professor, a friend, or a content creator online—who seems more thoughtful, more confident, and more persuasive. And if a young person’s faith wasn’t anchored in evidence but built on comfort, culture, or convenience, it begins to crumble. Add to that our fallen human nature—our desire to chase passions rather than truth—and you’ve set the stage for apostasy. Let’s be honest: if you’re a teenager who’s uncertain Christianity is true, but you encounter a worldview that allows you to indulge your appetites without guilt, it’s easy to say goodbye to Christianity. That’s the tail that wags the dog. Belief becomes a casualty of desire. But that’s precisely why our faith must be more than emotional or cultural. It must be forensic. We need a faith that can stand up to cross-examination—a faith grounded in evidence. This doesn’t mean we have every answer or can eliminate the need for trust. Even a detective reaches a point in the investigation where the evidence is clear enough to warrant a verdict, even though not every question is answered. The same is true for belief in God. We can follow the trail of evidence to a reasonable conclusion, and then we take a step of trust—not a blind leap, but a confident one. An evidence-based faith changes how we respond when storms hit. When you know something is true evidentially, your emotions don’t dictate your devotion. You may struggle, doubt, or even wander for a season, but truth has a way of pulling you back. It’s what I sometimes call “rubber band theology”—the further you stretch away from truth, the more it hurts when you snap back. Evidence holds you steady when emotions or temptations try to sway you. An evidence-based faith changes how we respond when storms hit. When you know something is true evidentially, your emotions don’t dictate your devotion.Share on X That’s why we need to help our young people—and ourselves—develop a forensic faith. It’s not just about winning arguments; it’s about enduring through life’s toughest moments. A forensic faith keeps us from being tossed around by false ideas. It steadies us when life doesn’t go as planned. And when we’ve spent a season “chasing stupid,” as I like to say, it’s the tether that brings us home. In the end, faith built on evidence is faith built to last. When you know why Christianity is true, you’re far less likely to abandon it when the cultural winds shift—or when your feelings fade. You stand tall because you know what you believe and why. That kind of confidence isn’t arrogance—it’s conviction. And in a world full of doubts and distractions, conviction is exactly what we, and our kids, need most. For more information about the nature of Biblical faith and a strategy for communicating the truth of Christianity, please read Forensic Faith: A Homicide Detective Makes the Case for a More Reasonable, Evidential Christian Faith. This book teaches readers four reasonable, evidential characteristics of Christianity and provides a strategy for sharing Christianity with others. The book is accompanied by an eight-session Forensic Faith DVD Set (and Participant’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case. The post Why Does Our Faith Need Evidence? appeared first on Cold Case Christianity. coldcasechristianityFri, 10 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0500https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/belief-writings/why-does-our-faith-need-evidence/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-does-our-faith-need-evidencehttps://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/the-contemplative-mystical-experience-the-new-age-kundalini-experience/The Contemplative Mystical Experience = The New Age Kundalini Experience Contemplative prayer [via Spiritual Formation] has already spread extensively throughout the Roman Catholic and Protestant mainline churches. And it has now crossed over and is manifesting itself in conservative denominations as well—ones that have traditionally stood against the New Age.—Yungen... The post The Contemplative Mystical Experience = The New Age Kundalini Experience appeared first on From the Lighthouse. lighthouse trails researchFri, 10 Apr 2026 06:39:10 -0500https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/the-contemplative-mystical-experience-the-new-age-kundalini-experience/https://coldcasechristianity.com/podcasts/podcasts-about-christianity/cops-christians-and-a-culture-on-edge-podcast/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cops-christians-and-a-culture-on-edge-podcastIn this episode of the Cold-Case Christianity podcast, J. Warner Wallace takes you inside the current crisis of confidence in American law enforcement—from the perspective of someone who actually wore the badge. Drawing on decades of experience as a gang officer, undercover cop, SWAT operator, and cold-case homicide detective, Jim helps Christians think more clearly and biblically about the role of police in our culture. Are all officers the same? Is there a difference between local cops and federal agents like ICE? How should thoughtful followers of Jesus respond to viral videos, headlines, and public outrage?  If you’ve ever struggled to reconcile your Christian worldview with what you see on the news about policing, this episode will help you rethink assumptions, make careful distinctions, and respond with both truth and compassion. Here is the audio podcast (the Cold-Case Christianity Weekly Podcast is located on iTunes or our RSS Feed):  For more information about how to flourish based on secular research and the ancient wisdom of the bible, please read The Truth in True Crime; What Investigating Death Teaches Us About the Meaning of Life. This book teaches readers 15 rues for life, recognized in murder investigations. It also makes a case for the reliability of the Bible from Biblical anthropology. The book is accompanied by a sixteen-session Truth in True Crime Video Series (and Participant’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case. The post Cops, Christians, and a Culture on Edge (Podcast) appeared first on Cold Case Christianity. coldcasechristianityWed, 08 Apr 2026 07:00:34 -0500https://coldcasechristianity.com/podcasts/podcasts-about-christianity/cops-christians-and-a-culture-on-edge-podcast/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cops-christians-and-a-culture-on-edge-podcasthttps://coldcasechristianity.com/videos/how-can-we-know-if-the-evidence-for-jesus-is-even-reliable-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-can-we-know-if-the-evidence-for-jesus-is-even-reliable-videoJ. Warner explores the reliability of the evidence for Jesus, explaining that the skepticism toward the Gospels often stems from a distrust of their historical validity. He argues that even using strict forensic standards, the Gospel writers’ transformation from outsiders to eyewitness insiders bolsters their credibility, and that sufficient non-Christian sources close to the events also confirm the historicity of Jesus.  To see more training videos with J. Warner and Jimmy Wallace, visit the YouTube playlist. For more information about the impact Jesus and His followers had on science, read Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World That Rejects the Bible. This unique and innovative book makes a case for the historicity and Deity of Jesus from history alone, without relying on the New Testament manuscripts. It contains over 400 illustrations and is accompanied by a ten-session Person of Interest DVD Set (and Investigator’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case. The post How Can We Know If the Evidence for Jesus Is Even Reliable? (Video) appeared first on Cold Case Christianity. coldcasechristianityMon, 06 Apr 2026 07:00:59 -0500https://coldcasechristianity.com/videos/how-can-we-know-if-the-evidence-for-jesus-is-even-reliable-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-can-we-know-if-the-evidence-for-jesus-is-even-reliable-videohttps://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/celebrating-the-atonement-and-the-resurrection-while-promoting-contemplative/Celebrating the Atonement and the Resurrection While Promoting Contemplative – A Profound Contradiction Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.… And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the... The post Celebrating the Atonement and the Resurrection While Promoting Contemplative – A Profound Contradiction appeared first on From the Lighthouse. lighthouse trails researchSun, 05 Apr 2026 07:07:46 -0500https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/celebrating-the-atonement-and-the-resurrection-while-promoting-contemplative/https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/belief-writings/ask-yourself-why-are-you-a-christian/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ask-yourself-why-are-you-a-christianWhen I ask Christians across the country, “Why are you a Christian?” the top three answers are almost always the same. In fact, after years of asking this question, I can usually predict the responses of any congregation before I even pose it from the stage. The first and most common answer is, “I was raised in the church. My parents were Christians. I’ve been a believer all my life.” It’s part of their family heritage. The second most popular answer is, “I had an experience that convinced me God is real.” Maybe it was an answered prayer or a moment that felt miraculous—something that seemed to affirm that their beliefs were true. And third, people often say, “I was a different person before I met Jesus. He changed my life.” There’s nothing wrong with those answers; in fact, they’re good ones. But here’s what I’ve noticed: when I talk to my own family, many of whom are Mormons or atheists, I hear the same kinds of answers. My Mormon brothers and sisters will say, “I was raised in the church. I’ve had personal experiences that confirmed my faith. My life is better because of my beliefs.” These are sincere responses—but if you don’t believe Mormonism is true, doesn’t that raise a concern? Why do our answers as Christians sound just like the answers given by people in belief systems we don’t think are true? Shouldn’t our reasoning be different if Christianity is actually grounded in reality? That question changed how I approached faith. It made me realize that we, as followers of Jesus, need to have better answers. Not just truthful in our hearts, but evidentially reasonable in our minds. If you’re a pastor, this call is for you too. It’s not enough to preach only what the Word of God says; we must also explain why we have good reasons to trust what it says. Our congregations deserve to understand the historical, philosophical, and scientific foundation behind the Christian worldview. If you’re not getting that from the pulpit, take it upon yourself to dig deeper. The church becomes stronger—not weaker—when every believer learns how to make the case for the hope they have. The church becomes stronger—not weaker—when every believer learns how to make the case for the hope they have.Share on X We live in an age where information is everywhere. There’s no excuse to say, “I just didn’t know how to look into that.” The truth is a few clicks away. What’s often missing isn’t access but passion. We already spend hours each week constructing arguments about things that matter far less than eternity: who will win the next NBA finals, who should be MVP, or which political candidate is right. We research, debate, and share our opinions with enthusiasm. That investigative energy is part of who we are—it’s how our minds were built. What if we simply redirected that investigative passion toward the truth that matters most? Imagine if we spent as much time studying the evidence for the resurrection as we do watching our favorite Netflix series. Believe me, I get the temptation. I binge-watch shows too, but when those eight hours are gone, they’re gone for good. What if we invested even a fraction of that time in learning to articulate the case for God’s existence, the reliability of Scripture, or the truth of the gospel? What if we were as quick to share well-reasoned facts about Jesus as we are to share opinions about sports or politics? That’s the challenge I’m laying before you—before all of us. Becoming a Christian case maker isn’t about earning salvation or scoring points in debates. It’s about expressing love—love for God with all our minds, and love for others by giving them good reasons to trust the truth. Now is the time for believers to rise above cultural indifference and casual answers. Let’s use our time and attention, our passions and resources, to dig into the evidence that supports the faith we claim to hold. Because in the end, if Christianity is true—and it is—it’s worth investigating, defending, and sharing with a world that desperately needs it. For more information about the nature of Biblical faith and a strategy for communicating the truth of Christianity, please read Forensic Faith: A Homicide Detective Makes the Case for a More Reasonable, Evidential Christian Faith. This book teaches readers four reasonable, evidential characteristics of Christianity and provides a strategy for sharing Christianity with others. The book is accompanied by an eight-session Forensic Faith DVD Set (and Participant’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case. The post Ask Yourself: Why Are You a Christian? appeared first on Cold Case Christianity. coldcasechristianityFri, 03 Apr 2026 12:49:49 -0500https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/belief-writings/ask-yourself-why-are-you-a-christian/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ask-yourself-why-are-you-a-christianhttps://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/two-video-interviews-with-doreen-virtue/Two Video Interviews With Doreen Virtue: One on Ritual Abuse, and One on John Mark Comer LTRP Note: Former prominent and prolific New Age follower and leader, Doreen Virtue, became a born-again believer in 2017. Since then, she has been warning about the dangers of the New Age movement as well as other spiritual deceptions affecting... The post Two Video Interviews With Doreen Virtue: One on Ritual Abuse, and One on John Mark Comer appeared first on From the Lighthouse. lighthouse trails researchFri, 03 Apr 2026 05:34:11 -0500https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/two-video-interviews-with-doreen-virtue/https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/some-say-oprah-not-a-new-ager/Some Say Oprah Not a New Ager!—Nothing Further From the Truth Over the last year or so, we have heard some people say that Oprah Winfrey is not a New Ager. Although Oprah would like people to believe that, nothing could be further from the truth. For over twenty years, Lighthouse... The post Some Say Oprah Not a New Ager!—Nothing Further From the Truth appeared first on From the Lighthouse. lighthouse trails researchFri, 27 Mar 2026 06:00:01 -0500https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/some-say-oprah-not-a-new-ager/https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2024/09/01/occupied-who-owns-the-land-of-israel/James A., Ph.D. Although the title is “Who Owns the Land?” of Israel, the answer to that question really begins with “Who Owns the Earth?”. In his documentary “Occupied”, claiming to prove that Israel is being illegally occupied by “Jews” having stolen the land of Israel from the “Palestinians”, this question is overlooked by Stew […]Do Right ChristiansSun, 01 Sep 2024 11:03:26 -0500https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2024/09/01/occupied-who-owns-the-land-of-israel/https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2024/08/10/does-revelation-29-39-prove-modern-day-jews-are-not-real-jews/Does Revelation 2:9, 3:9 Prove Modern Day Jews Are Not Real Jews? James A., Ph.D. One of the most misquoted verses in the New Testament used by Replacement Theology advocates (Reconstructionists among Calvinists/Reformed, Dominionism among Orthodox/Catholic, which incorporate preterism or historicism) often cited to “prove” that the modern day Jew in Israel and abroad is […]Do Right ChristiansSat, 10 Aug 2024 10:14:02 -0500https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2024/08/10/does-revelation-29-39-prove-modern-day-jews-are-not-real-jews/https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2021/08/24/twitter-suspends-me-over-trump-vaccine-tweet/James A., Ph.D Twitter has, for the umpteenth time, suspended my account…AGAIN. This time, in “lockstep” with all the other people telling the truth about the COVID scams. It’s ironic that of all the hundreds of tweets I’ve made about the COVID scams, it’s the one criticizing Trump that I get suspended for. Go figure.Do Right ChristiansTue, 24 Aug 2021 15:06:24 -0500https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2021/08/24/twitter-suspends-me-over-trump-vaccine-tweet/https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2021/01/08/was-trump-controlled-opposition/By James A., PhD What is controlled opposition? Lenin said, “the best way to control the opposition is to lead it”. Controlled opposition is when a third party controls the resistance of people rising against the status quo of the current parties in power. America has been dominated by a two-party system, both of who […]Do Right ChristiansFri, 08 Jan 2021 02:44:50 -0600https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2021/01/08/was-trump-controlled-opposition/https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2020/02/21/what-about-constantine-simonides-exemplars-for-his-forgeries/James A., PhD One of the accusations against Constantine Simonides’ claims to being the actual author of the Codex Sinaiticus is that he was a forger (you would think being a forger, if true, actual FAVORS Simonides, not discredits him!), and thus was a liar. Although, no accusation of forgery against Simonides was ever proven, […]Do Right ChristiansThu, 20 Feb 2020 17:46:20 -0600https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2020/02/21/what-about-constantine-simonides-exemplars-for-his-forgeries/https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2019/06/06/how-precious-is-the-blood/ 1Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: The question is, how precious? Is it only a little bit precious so it can only redeemed few chosen one? 2Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. The precious blood of Chris is so very precious it not only can redeem the elect, but have also bought even those false teachers that deny it. 1 Timothy 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. But, it specially effect only those that believe. Fan of TruthWed, 05 Jun 2019 23:12:47 -0500https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2019/06/06/how-precious-is-the-blood/https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2019/05/11/calvinism-my-way-is-gods-way/Slander! No Calvinist ever said that! Never! Yes, no Calvinist have directly said this exact wording. This is just a summary of Calvinist’s doctrine of predestination. God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass; yet so as thereby neither is God the author of sin; nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established. — The Westminster Confession of Faith (1643) While the word “God the author of sin” is debatable by many within Calvinist themselves, most Calvinist will agree that all and everything is ordained by God’s will. So, whatever i do and did, it’s already ordained by God. So, according to Calvinism, Leon Trotsky, Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot, Mao Zedong, Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Lenin, all their murder on millions of men is God’s ordained. All the mass shooting is God’s ordained. God’s most wise and holy counsel of his own will. All suicide bombers is God’s ordained. God’s way. These are the real slanders against God’s character. God do not sin and will never have anything to do with sin, especially God will never ordained anyone to sin. What the bible tell us? Isaiah 55 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Calvinism vs Bible Bible: God could never ordained something against His sinless most holy nature. God could never ordained something that He hate us to do. Bible tell us that sin is actually against God’s will. God could never ordained something against His own will. God can only ordain, or act, accord to His most holy nature. Calvinism: the house of the proud is already ordained by God. Proverbs 15:25 The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow. Calvinism: the thoughts of the wicked are ordained by God. in fact, every thought is ordained by God. Proverbs 15:26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words. Isaiah 65:2 I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; Calvinism: God ordained all idolatries. Jeremiah 7:31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. 19:5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind Calvinism: God ordained whoso offend those which believe Him Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Calvinism: God ordained all offences Matthew 18:7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Calvinism: God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass Isaiah 30:1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: is.gd/predestination Fan of TruthSat, 11 May 2019 15:42:08 -0500https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2019/05/11/calvinism-my-way-is-gods-way/https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2019/02/13/twitter-permanently-suspends-my-account-for-reporting-to-senators-that-trump-is-being-censored/James A., PhD Twitter has now permanently suspended my account. No reason was given, but the last tweets that I published were screenshots sent to Trump, and several Republican senators with evidence that Trump’s Twitter feed was being censored. On February 13, 2019, Trump had a yuge rally in El Paso Texas. Much of his […]Do Right ChristiansTue, 12 Feb 2019 17:19:24 -0600https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2019/02/13/twitter-permanently-suspends-my-account-for-reporting-to-senators-that-trump-is-being-censored/https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2019/01/24/spurgeon-misunderstood-calvinism/I believe in predestination, yea, even in its very jots and tittles. I believe that the path of a single grain of dust in the March wind is ordained and settled by a decree which cannot be violated; that every word and thought of man, every flittering of a sparrow’s wing, every flight of a fly…that everything, in fact is foreknown and foreordained. But I do equally believe in the free agency of man, that man acts as he wills, especially in moral operations — choosing the evil with a will that is unbiased by anything that comes from God, biased only by his own depravity of heart and the perverseness of his habits; choosing the right too, with perfect freedom, though sacredly guided and led by the Holy Spirit…I believe that man is as accountable as if there were no destiny whatever…Where these two truths meet I do not know, nor do I want to know. They do not puzzle me, since I have given up my mind to believing them both.(Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vol. 15, 458). I think most Calvinist do not (if there’s any that) believe in free agency of man and act of free will. Yet, I think most General Baptist also believe in predestination because it’s plainly written in the scripture. The question is what is the meaning of predestination Calvinism talk about? According to Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 Chapter 23 When he is pleased to save, there is no free-will in man to resist. What Spurgeon really believe on 1 Timothy 2:3-6, What then? Shall we try to put another meaning into the text than that which it fairly bears? I think not. You must, most of you, be acquainted with the general method in which our older Calvinistic friends deal with this text. ‘All men,’ say they that is, ‘some men’: as if the Holy Ghost could not have said ‘some men’ If he had meant some men. ‘All men,’ say they; ‘that is, some of all sorts of men’: as if the Lord could not have said ‘All sorts of men’ if he had meant that. The Holy Ghost by the apostle has written ‘all men,’ and unquestionably he means all men. I was reading just now the exposition of a very able doctor who explains the text so as to explain it away; he applies grammatical gunpowder to it, and explodes it by way of expounding it. … My love of consistency with my own doctrinal views is not great enough to allow me knowingly to alter a single text of Scripture. I have great respect for orthodoxy, but my reverence for inspiration is far greater. I would sooner a hundred times over appear to be inconsistent with myself than be inconsistent with the word of God.(Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, 26: 49-52) Spurgeon managed to understand the Bible, but failed to understand Calvinism. Calvinism believe damnation is God’s will, Spurgeon believe it’s man’s will alone. The Calvinist has said, and said right bravely, that salvation is of grace alone; and the Arminian has said, and said most truthfully, that damnation is of man’s will alone, and as the result of man’s sin, and of that only. Then they have fallen out with one another. The fact is, they had each one laid hold of a truth, and if they could have put their heads together, and accepted both truths, it might have been greatly for the advantage of the Church of Christ. These two doctrines are like tram lines that you can travel on with safety and comfort, these parallel lines—ruin, of man; restoration, of God: sin, of man’s will; salvation, of God’s will: reprobation, of man’s demerit; election, of God’s free and sovereign grace: the sinner lost in hell through himself alone, the saint lifted up to heaven wholly and alone by the power and grace of God. Get those two truths thoroughly engraven upon your heart, and you will then hold comprehensively the great truths of Scripture. You will not need to crowd them into one narrow system of theology, but you will have a sort of duplicate system. (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit,41:500.) Actually, it doesn’t really matter what Spurgeon thought, even if he’s true Calvinism, i still believe the Bible alone. But, it feels so great to know not only he fought well but he also understand the Bible as well. Read more: http://cobblestoneroadministry.org/Calvinism_Spurgeon.html http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Doctrines/Calvinism/spurgeon.htm Fan of TruthThu, 24 Jan 2019 01:03:50 -0600https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2019/01/24/spurgeon-misunderstood-calvinism/https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2019/01/09/russias-connection-to-the-islamic-immigration-crisis/James A., Ph.D In Brannon Howse’s new book, Marxianity, Howse devotes a chapter to the migration crisis that is crippling Europe right now. However, although Howse doesn’t address the so-called “Russian Collusion” accusation by Democrats and RINOs, I think he has inadvertently exposed a fatal flaw in the Russian Collusion canard that proves Russian president […]Do Right ChristiansWed, 09 Jan 2019 15:38:17 -0600https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2019/01/09/russias-connection-to-the-islamic-immigration-crisis/https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2018/12/17/was-jerome-corsi-complicit-in-a-go-fund-me-scam/James A., Ph.D On December 13, 2018, The Daily Caller (“DC”) (founded by Tucker Carlson of FOX News) published an article claiming that Dr. Jerome Corsi helped raise $25,000 for a doctor that didn’t exist. I will direct the reader to the article so as to not take credit for their work and to avoid […]Do Right ChristiansSun, 16 Dec 2018 17:48:13 -0600https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2018/12/17/was-jerome-corsi-complicit-in-a-go-fund-me-scam/https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2018/12/04/apostasy-vs-loss-of-salvation/ When you talked to osas-believers about apostasy, they always give you answer that we can not loss of our salvation. Yes, salvation can not be lost! never! nor an any external force can taken away or steal or rob our salvation! Giving that standard programmed answer “we cannot loss our salvation”, we can tell that they only see one side of the coin. They only talk about external force to take away our salvation, which can not ever possible. It’s like talking to Russelites about Jesus’ Divinity: me: Jesus is The Lord God Almighty! Russelites: here i show you a hundred verses that prove Jesus was human me: yes i know Jesus was human Russelites: ok that settle it, we are correct about it me: the topic is not whether Jesus was human, the topic is whether Jesus is God Almighty! They failed to see the other side of the coin: abide! The topic is NOT whether we can loss our salvation. We can never loss our salvation! That settle it once and for all! The topic is whether we need to abide or can we choose to stop believing in saving-faith and still get saved? We are commanded to abide! 2John 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. Abide is NOT works! Abide is stay in the faith we are saved. Apostate is choose to stop believing in the saving-faith. Like some Galatians persuaded to believe in salvation by works. And Paul rebuke them that if they leave the saved-by-grace faith and believe in saved-by-works faith, they are apostate! And, there are tons and tons of warning if we do not abide and chose to apostate! https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/tag/abide/ https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/tag/apostasy-vs-osas/ Fan of TruthTue, 04 Dec 2018 05:32:34 -0600https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2018/12/04/apostasy-vs-loss-of-salvation/https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2018/11/30/apostasy-fallen-from-grace/ Galatians 1: 1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) 2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: 5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Galatians were truely saved churches of God and justified by faith only. Galatians 3: 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. But, if they do not abide, stand fast in saving faith, then they are fallen from grace. Galatians 5 1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.   Fan of TruthThu, 29 Nov 2018 19:54:16 -0600https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2018/11/30/apostasy-fallen-from-grace/https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2018/11/20/why-michael-avenattis-accusation-that-jacob-wohl-set-him-up-is-absurd/James A., Ph.D “Creepy Porn Lawyer”, Michael Avenatti, was arrested on or about November 14, 2018, for felony domestic battery. Although Avenatti denies being either “charged”, or accused of a felony, the LAPD website states both: that Avenatti was not only “charged”, but charged with a class F Felony. After Avenatti’s release on $50,000 bail, […]Do Right ChristiansMon, 19 Nov 2018 16:03:39 -0600https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2018/11/20/why-michael-avenattis-accusation-that-jacob-wohl-set-him-up-is-absurd/https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2018/11/13/destroying-michael-avenattis-conspiracy-against-tucker-carlson/James A., Ph.D, Tucker Carlson made headlines the week of November 7-8, 2018, as the domestic terrorist groups, Antifa, Smash Fascism, with Think Progress, surrounded his home, tried to break into his house, threatened him with mail bombs, and terrorized his wife. But over the weekend, we learned there was another event that precipitated this, […]Do Right ChristiansMon, 12 Nov 2018 17:13:55 -0600https://dorightchristians.wordpress.com/2018/11/13/destroying-michael-avenattis-conspiracy-against-tucker-carlson/https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2018/11/12/faith-is-not-of-works-and-true-faith-produce-works/Faith is NOT works One of the biggest lies that many Christian believed is that “faith is of works”, or some variant “if anyone need to believe to be saved, then they can boast of themselves”. Second of the biggest lies is that abide in faith is of works. But the Bible clearly teach we do need to believe to be saved! And the faith is not of works! Lest any man should boast!   Ephesians 2: 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Romans 3: 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: 30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. Romans 9: 30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Galatians 2: 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Galatians 3: 1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. 5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. True Faith Produce Works James 2: 14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Fan of TruthMon, 12 Nov 2018 07:33:15 -0600https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2018/11/12/faith-is-not-of-works-and-true-faith-produce-works/https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2018/11/10/apostasy-the-evil-servant/ Luke 12 42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. 45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. Matthew 24 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. there are three kinds of people here: wise servant evil servant the hypocrites, unbelievers, drunken the hypocrites / unbelievers are not servants. thus, both wise and evil servants are believers! both are servants! the evil servant is the apostate because he/she choose not to abide.   Fan of TruthSat, 10 Nov 2018 16:22:33 -0600https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2018/11/10/apostasy-the-evil-servant/https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2018/11/10/abide/intransitive verb 1 : to remain stable or fixed in a state a love that abided with him all his days 2 : to continue in a place : sojourn will abide in the house of the Lord https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abide Abide is remain, doing nothing! Abide is sojourn, stay where you are! Abide is not departing! Stay in Him and you’ll be secured and saved till the end! One of the biggest lies that many Christian believed is that “faith is of works”, or some variant “if anyone need to believe to be saved, then they can boast of themselves”. Second of the biggest lies is that abide in faith is of works. Faith is NOT works! Eph 2:8-9; Rom 3:27-28, 9:32; Gal 2:16, 3:6-12 Abide in faith is NOT works! do count how many times this word occur. John 15 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 1John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. Greek:meno https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3306&t=KJV Outline of Biblical Usage to remain, abide in reference to place to sojourn, tarry not to depart to continue to be present to be held, kept, continually in reference to time to continue to be, not to perish, to last, endure of persons, to survive, live in reference to state or condition to remain as one, not to become another or different to wait for, await one Strong’s Definitions μένω ménō, men’-o; a primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy):—abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for), × thine own. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3306: μένω μένω; imperfect ἔμενον; future μένω; 1 aorist ἔμεινα; pluperfect μεμενήκειν without augment (1 John 2:19; cf. ἐκβάλλω (and see Tdf. Proleg., p. 120f)); (from Homer down); the Sept. chiefly for עָמַד and קוּם, also for חִכָּה, יָשַׁב, etc.; to remain, abide; I. intransitively; in reference: 1. to place; a. properly, equivalent to Latin commoror, to sojourn, tarry: ἐν with the dative of place, Luke 8:27; Luke 10:7; John 7:9; John 11:6; Acts 20:15; Acts 27:31; Acts 28:30 (R G L); 2 Timothy 4:20; with adverbs of place: ἐκεῖ, Matthew 10:11; John 2:12; Fan of TruthSat, 10 Nov 2018 05:11:27 -0600https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2018/11/10/abide/https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2018/11/09/apostasy-the-due-debt/ The forgiven debt! Matthew 18 23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 32 … I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: All our sin is debt and Christ has already paid the price and purchase us! (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23) So, all debt is already paid, we only need to desire of God’s abundant mercy and grace to accept the forgiveness by faith only. 1Peter 1 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Apostate The debt is forgiven only as long as we are in true saving faith, abide and never leave. Matthew 18 28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. So, after we are forgiven or our sins, we need to abide in faith. Faith is NOT works! Eph 2:8-9; Rom 3:27-28, 9:32; Gal 2:16, 3:6-12 Abide in faith is NOT works! As long as we continue to abide, we are covered by His blood. When we leave our faith (actively leave, not taken away), the we are not covered and all debt remains our own, to be paid by ourselves. And no one can paid such debt, no price but Jesus’ precious blood can paid it all! Fan of TruthFri, 09 Nov 2018 13:33:27 -0600https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2018/11/09/apostasy-the-due-debt/https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2018/09/03/i-was-a-prisoner-of-japan-by-jacob-deshazer/I was a prisoner of war for 40 long months, 34 of them in solitary confinement. When I flew as a member of a bombing squadron on a raid over enemy territory on April 18, 1942, my heart was filled with bitter hatred for the people of that nation. When our plane ran out of petrol and the members of the crew of my plane had to parachute down into enemy-held territory and were captured by the enemy, the bitterness of my heart against my captors seemed more than I could bear. Taken to prison with the survivors of another of our planes, we were imprisoned and beaten, half-starved, terribly tortured, and denied by solitary confinement even the comfort of association with one another. Three of my buddies were executed by a firing squad about six months after our capture and 14 months later, another one of them died of slow starvation. My hatred for the enemy nearly drove me crazy. It was soon after the latter’s death that I began to ponder the cause of such hatred between members of the human race. I wondered what it was that made one people hate another people and what made me hate them. My thoughts turned toward what I heard about Christianity changing hatred between human beings into real brotherly love and I was gripped with a strange longing to examine the Christian’s Bible to see if I could find the secret. I begged my captors to get a Bible for me. At last, in the month of May, 1944, a guard brought me the book, but told me I could have it only for three weeks. I eagerly began to read its pages. Chapter after chapter gripped my heart. In due time I came to the books of the prophets and found that their every writing seemed focused on a divine Redeemer from sin, One who was to be sent from heaven to be born in the form of a human babe. Their writings so fascinated me that I read them again and again until I had earnestly studied them through six times. Then I went on into the New Testament and there read of the birth of Jesus Christ, the One who actually fulfilled the very prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, and the other Old Testament writers. My heart rejoiced as I found confirmed in Acts 10:43, “To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His Name, whosoever believeth on Him shall receive remission of sins.” After I carefully read this book of the Acts, I continued on into the study of the epistle Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome. On June 8, 1944 the words in Romans 10:9 stood out boldly before my eyes: “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” That very moment, God gave me grace to confess my sins to Him and He forgave me all my sins and saved me for Jesus’ sake. I later found that His Word again promises this so clearly in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” How my heart rejoiced in my newness of spiritual life, even though my body was suffering so terribly from the physical beatings and lack of food! But suddenly I discovered that God had given me new spiritual eyes and that when I looked at the enemy officers and guards who had starved and beaten my companions and me so cruelly, I found my bitter hatred for them changed to loving pity. I realized that these people did not know anything about my Savior and that if Christ is not in a heart, it is natural to be cruel. I read in my Bible that while those who crucified Jesus had beaten Him and spit upon Him before He was nailed to the cross, on the cross He tenderly prayed in His moment of excruciating suffering, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” And now, from the depths of my heart, I too prayed for God to forgive my torturers, and I determined by the aid of Christ to do my best to acquaint these people with the message of salvation that they might become as other believing Christians. With His love controlling my heart, the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians took on a living meaning: “Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in truth; beareth all things, believeth all things. Love never faileth.” A year passed by and during that year the memories of the weeks I had been permitted to spend with my Bible grew sweeter and sweeter day by day. Then, one day as I was sitting in my solitary confinement cell I became very sick. My heart was paining me, even as my fellow prisoner had told me his was paining him just before he died of starvation. I slid down onto my knees and began to pray. The guards rushed in and began to punish me, but I kept right on praying. Finally they let me alone. God, in that hour, revealed unto me how to endure suffering. At last freedom came. On August 20, 1945 parachutists dropped onto the prison grounds and released us from our cells. We were flown back to our own country and placed in hospitals where we slowly regained our physical strength. I have completed my training in a Christian college, God having clearly commanded me: “Go, teach those people who held you prisoner, the way of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ,” and am now back in that land as a missionary, with one single purpose–to make Christ known. I am sending this testimony to people everywhere, with the earnest prayer that a great host of people may confess Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Signed: Jacob DeShazer – 1950 source: http://www.doolittleraider.com/raiders/deshazer.htm Fan of TruthSun, 02 Sep 2018 20:14:42 -0500https://truelyfanatic.wordpress.com/2018/09/03/i-was-a-prisoner-of-japan-by-jacob-deshazer/https://submergingchurch.com/2018/02/06/younger-christians-reading-marcus-borg-what-did-he-believe/From Lighthouse Trails Research By Roger Oakland Marcus Borg (d. 2015) is a former professor in Religion and Culture at Oregon State University and the author of several books, some of which are Jesus and Buddha, The God We Never Knew, and Reading the Bible Again for the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously But not Literally. … [H]is thinking has greatly influenced the emerging church movement and its leaders. Brian McLaren says he has “high regard”1 for Borg; the two of them once participated in a summer seminar series at an interspiritual center in Portland, Oregon.2 Rob Bell references and praises Borg in Bell’s still-popular book Velvet Elvis.3 Walter Brueggemann, professor emeritus at Columbia Theological Seminary and one of the contributors for Richard Foster’s Renovare Spiritual Formation Study Bible, considers Borg an essential part of the emerging spirituality. Brueggemann states: “Marcus Borg is a key force in the emerging “new paradigm” of Christian faith.”4 Marcus Borg and Rejection of Major Biblical Tenets Borg explains in his book The God We Never Knew that his views on God, the Bible, and Christianity were transformed while he was in seminary: “I let go of the notion that the Bible is a divine product. I learned that it is a human cultural product, the product of two ancient communities, biblical Israel and early Christianity. As such, it contained their understandings and affirmations, not statements coming directly or somewhat directly from God. … I realized that whatever “divine revelation” and the “inspiration of the Bible” meant (if they meant anything), they did not mean that the Bible was a divine product with divine authority.”5 This attitude would certainly explain how Borg could say: “Jesus almost certainly was not born of a virgin, did not think of himself as the Son of God, and did not see his purpose as dying for the sins of the world.”6 If what Borg is saying is true, then we would have to throw out John 3:16 which says God so loved the world He gave His only Son, and we would have to dismiss the theme of a blood offering that is prevalent throughout all of Scripture. In the Old Testament, it is clear: For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:11). But Borg rejects this emphasis: “To think that the central meaning of Easter [resurrection] depends upon something spectacular happening to Jesus’ corpse misses the point of the Easter message and risks trivializing the story. To link Easter primarily to our hope for an afterlife, as if our post-death existence depends upon God having transformed the corpse of Jesus, is to reduce the story to a politically-domesticated yearning for our survival beyond death.”7 What is behind this mindset of Borg’s? Listen to one New Ager describe what underlies this line of thought: “Jesus was an historical person, a human becoming Christ, the Christos, is an eternal transpersonal condition of being. Jesus did not say that this higher state of consciousness realized in him was his alone for all time. Nor did he call us to worship him. Rather, he called us to follow him, to follow in his steps, to learn from him, from his example.”8 Marcus Borg and Mystical Prayer Marcus Borg is also someone who resonates with mystical spirituality understands the popularity of mystical prayer. He states: “In some mainline denominations, emerging-paradigm [contemplative] Christians are in the majority. Others are about equally divided between these two ways of being Christian.”9 Borg also speaks of “thin places.” One commentator discusses Borg’s ideas on this: “In The Heart of Christianity, Borg writes of “thin places,” places where, to use Eliade’s terminology, the division between the sacred and the profane becomes thin. Borg writes that he owes this metaphor of “thin places” to Celtic Christianity and the recent recovery of Celtic spirituality … his understanding of “thin places” is deeply connected to his panentheism, his articulation of God as “the More,” and his—like Eliade—division of the world into layers of reality.”10 Borg says these thin places (reached through meditation) are “[d]eeply rooted in the Bible and the Christian tradition,”11 but he, like others, is unable to show biblical evidence that God mandates meditation. Thin places imply that God is in all things, and the gap between God, evil, man, everything thins out and ultimately disappears in meditation: “God is a nonmaterial layer of reality all around us, “right here” as well as “more than right here.” This way of thinking thus affirms that there are minimally two layers or dimensions of reality, the visible world of our ordinary experience and God, the sacred, Spirit.”12 Endnotes: 1. Statement by Brian McLaren on McLaren’s website: (Source), “What about other websites?” 2. The Center for Spiritual Development, 2006 Summer Seminar called “The Church in the 21st Century” where Brian McLaren and Marcus Borg were two of the speakers, (Source) 3. Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), pp. 180, 184. 4. (Source) 5. Marcus Borg, The God We Never Knew (New York, NY: HarperCollins, First HarperCollins Paperback Edition, 1998), p. 25. 6. Ibid. 7. Marcus Borg, “Easter About Life, Not Death” (Washington Post/Newsweek “On Faith” column, April 7, 2004, (Source)). 8. John White, (Science of Mind, September 1981), p. 15. 9. Marcus Borg, The Heart of Christianity (San Francisco, CA: Harper, 2004), p. 7. 10. Chris Baker, “A Positive Articulation of Marcus Borg’s Theology” (Sandlestraps Sanctuary blog, April 5, 2007, (Source) 11. Marcus Borg, The Heart of Christianity (New York, NY: HarperCollins, First HarperCollins Paperback Edition, 2004), p. 155. 12. Ibid. (The above are combined extracts from Roger Oakland’s book, Faith Undone.)The post Younger Christians Reading Marcus Borg – What Did He Believe? first appeared on The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent Church.The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent ChurchTue, 06 Feb 2018 12:05:53 -0600https://submergingchurch.com/2018/02/06/younger-christians-reading-marcus-borg-what-did-he-believe/https://submergingchurch.com/2017/10/09/a-shack-of-lies/Wm. Paul Young’s book The Shack has sold over 20 million copies, and millions more have seen the movie. Many Christians have been captivated by the handling of one of life’s most commonly asked questions: “Where is God in the midst of brokenness?” But is Young’s story based on biblically sound Christian doctrine? Or is it subtly teaching another gospel by using a compelling work of emotionally charged Christian fiction? In A Shack of Lies, Pastor Joe Schimmel examines the god portrayed in The Shack. How does Paul Young’s god deal with justice, punishment, and wrath in contrast to the biblical God revealed throughout the pages of scripture? Does everyone eventually enter heaven, regardless of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ before our death? Is living a holy life dedicated to our Lord and putting Him first in our lives important to God? Many Christians do not believe the concerns raised about The Shack are important because some argue that the story is “only fiction.” However, further examination of Wm. Paul Young’s latest book, Lies We Believe About God, will shed light on this untenable argument. You will gain further insight into his purpose for writing The Shack and hear what the author himself says about what he admits is actually his “theology.” Journey with us as we unpack Paul Young’s long list of lies. OFFICIAL TRAILER COMPANION AUDIO CD! THE SHACK AND THE SEDUCTION OF THE CHURCH A great companion Audio Message CD to A Shack of Lies! Click Here to get your copy today!The post A Shack of Lies first appeared on The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent Church.The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent ChurchMon, 09 Oct 2017 15:08:33 -0500https://submergingchurch.com/2017/10/09/a-shack-of-lies/https://submergingchurch.com/2017/03/20/heres-how-the-new-christian-left-is-twisting-the-gospel/By Chelsen Vicari Peek behind the curtain of some “progressive” or “hip” evangelical churches, past the savvy technology and secular music, and you will find more than just a contemporary worship service. You’ll find faith leaders encouraging young evangelicals to trade in their Christian convictions for a gospel filled with compromise. They’re slowly attempting to give evangelicalism an “update”—and the change is not for the good. It’s painful for me to admit, but we can no longer rest carefree in our evangelical identity—because it is changing. No doubt you have seen the headlines declaring that evangelicalism is doomed because evangelical kids are leaving the faith. It is no secret that there is an expanding gulf between traditional Christian teachings and contemporary moral values. But the sad truth is that the ideological gulf between America’s evangelical grown-ups and their kids, aka the millennials, seems to be widening too. Somehow the blame for this chasm is being heaped on traditional churches. They are accused of having too many rules as well as being homophobic and bigoted. Yes, we’ve heard those false claims from popular culture in its desperate attempt to keep Christianity imprisoned within the sanctuary walls. But now popular culture is being aided by Christ-professing bedfellows whose message to “coexist,” “tolerate” and “keep out of it” is more marketable to the rising generation of evangelicals. The seasoned Christian soldiers are noticing these distortions of the gospel. But for young evangelicals, the spiritual haze is harder to wade through. Desperate for acceptance in a fallen world, many young evangelicals (and some older ones) choose not to take Christ out of the chapel, and so they are unwittingly killing the church’s public witness. In this uphill cultural battle, mired by scare tactics and fear, three types of evangelical Christians are emerging: Couch-potato Christians: These Christians adapt to the culture by staying silent on the tough culture-and-faith discussions. Typically, this group will downplay God’s absolute truths by promoting the illusion that neutrality was Jesus’ preferred method of evangelism. Cafeteria-style Christians: This group picks and chooses which Scripture passages to live by, opting for the ones that best seem to jive with culture. Typically, they focus solely on the “nice” parts of the gospel while simultaneously and intentionally minimizing sin, hell, repentance and transformation. Convictional Christians: In the face of the culture’s harsh admonitions, these evangelicals refuse to be silent. Mimicking Jesus, they compassionately talk about love and grace while also sharing with their neighbors the need to recognize and turn from sin. I know about these three types of Christians because at one time or another, I have fallen into each of these three categories. My parents will tell you that even though I was raised in church, I morphed into a full-fledged feminist, told my parents they were ignorant for not endorsing homosexuality and bought into the distorted social justice rhetoric that confuses caring for the poor with advancing socialist or big government systems and demonizing the United States for its free-market system. I’m not ashamed to share my story because my experiences and those of my fellow bold evangelicals are a testimony of God’s awesome, transforming power. Being countercultural for Christ isn’t easy. What does the Great Commission say? Jesus commanded us to go, “teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20a). Where Did We Go Wrong? I see so many parents scratching their heads trying to figure out where they went wrong with young evangelicals. Following the instructions of Proverbs 22:6—”Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it”—many evangelical parents took their children to church and prayed with them every night before bed. Yet the values those children now hold dear do not reflect the traditional teachings of Jesus. To be perfectly clear, I want to let you know up front that this isn’t a parenting how-to guide that, if followed, will lead your loved ones to salvation. Instead, what I can offer you is a glimpse into the world of a 20-something who sees thousands of young evangelicals being spiritually and emotionally targeted on Christian university campuses, in college ministries and at churches nationwide by a growing liberal movement cloaked in Christianity. Research tells us evangelicals are drifting further away from the orthodox truths their parents and grandparents held dear. Our churches have rarely—if ever—faced the exodus we are seeing today. This will have a direct effect on the spiritual and moral values that will shape the nation in the coming years. That is why it is urgent that concerned Christians start acting now before the situation gets worse. The Collision of Faith and Culture Faith and culture will continue to collide in America. The culture wars, the growth of family, the success of missions, the prosperity of our great nation—the future rests on millennial evangelicals’ worldview. And that is cause for concern, because something has gone wrong with young evangelicals’ theology. The millennial generation’s susceptibility to “feel-good” doctrine is playing a big part in America’s moral decline. Millennials’ religious practices depend largely on how the actions make us and others feel, whether the activities are biblical or not. For example, we only attend churches that leave us feeling good about our lifestyle choices, even if those choices conflict with God’s clear commandments. We dismiss old hymns that focus on God’s transforming salvation, love and mercy and opt for “Jesus is your boyfriend” songs. Or we contribute to nonprofits that exploit and misuse terms such as justice, oppressed and inequality because tweaking the language makes us feel more neutral, less confrontational. Popular liberal evangelical writers and preachers tell young evangelicals that if they accept abortion and same-sex marriage, then the media, academia and Hollywood will finally accept Christians. Out of fear of being falsely dubbed “intolerant” or “uncompassionate,” many young Christians are buying into theological falsehoods. Instead of standing up as a voice for the innocent unborn or marriage as God intended, millennials are forgoing the authority of Scripture and embracing a couch potato, cafeteria-style Christianity, all in the name of tolerance. This contemporary mindset is what Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian whose Christian convictions put him at odds with the Nazis and cost him his life, called “cheap grace.” In his book The Cost of Discipleship Bonhoeffer wrote: “Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” Right now, cheap grace theology is proliferating around evangelical Bible colleges, seminaries and Christian ministries. Christian Doctrine Hijacked It is not that millennial evangelicals were not taken to church by their parents. It is that their training has been hijacked by ineffective and sometimes intentionally distorted doctrine. As constant and pervasive as the attacks on Christianity are at public universities, it is important to remember that millennials’ worldviews do not start taking shape after they move out of their parents’ houses. Their understanding of Jesus’ teachings and cultural convictions begins to form while they are still at home and under the influence of their local church. What I hope and pray evangelical parents and leaders come to realize is that the church has been too trusting. In our jam-packed lifestyles, parents have treated Sunday school as they do softball or ballet class—drop off the kids for an hour, then pick them up and hope they learned something. Early on in my Sunday school teaching days, my co-teacher and I followed the curriculum pretty narrowly, the exception being that my co-teacher had an outstanding knowledge of biblical history that he imparted to the kids. We taught all about Jesus’ birth, resurrection and saving grace. Thinking the fluffy kids ministry curriculum covered all of the necessary bases, I felt confident these kids had a firm grasp on their Christian worldview. Boy, was I wrong! One day my co-teacher and I decided to play “True or False.” We casually went down a list of worldview questions with our class, sure that our little evangelicals would nail every question correctly. No. 1: Jesus is God. “True.” Great job. No. 2: Jesus sinned. “False.” Bingo! No. 3: Jesus is one of many ways to heaven. “True.” What?! Shocked is the only way to describe how I felt. Hadn’t they been listening to us? When I asked who taught them that, one girl said, “Coexist.” Yes, these young evangelicals had been listening to their Sunday school teachers and their parents, but they had also been listening to their public school teachers, TV celebrities and rock stars. Youth ministers, volunteer leaders and pastors also have to start preparing these kids to deal with the very real hostility that faces young evangelicals. If we never talk about abortion in church, how can we expect the rising evangelical girl to calmly explain the option of adoption to her frightened best friend who just admitted she is pregnant? What will surprise you is how much young evangelicals actually crave honest discussions about abortion, sexuality, sexual exploitation, feminism and radical Islam. My friend and Evangelical Action adviser Richmond Trotter has two non-negotiable topics when addressing youth: creation and life. Having volunteered in church youth ministry since 1996, Richmond is not afraid to have serious discussions about what Scripture says about abortion, evolution and homosexuality. Make no mistake: The trend away from biblical truth is not concentrated in the hipster city limits. It is unfolding in the crevices of America’s plains, hills, mountains and swamplands. All across this nation, “old-fashioned” conservative evangelicalism is being traded in for a bright and shiny, mediocre Christianity. If America’s evangelicals disengage from the public square and fail to engage the rising generation of Christian leaders, then we risk losing our public voice, then our religious liberty, then liberty altogether. What Happened to the Religious Right? The last several decades witnessed tremendous evangelical influence in the United States. Leaders such as Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Tim and Beverly LaHaye, Paige and Dorothy Patterson, James Dobson and James and Betty Robison made a bold impact on America’s families, churches and government. Now that those few leaders are aging or retiring, or have died, there are very few traditional evangelical leaders left holding the torch, and even fewer candidates to whom they can pass it. But religious convictions in America are not on the verge of disappearance just yet. There is still hope. In the book God Is Alive and Well: The Future of Religion in America, Gallup Inc. Editor-in-Chief Frank Newport opines: “Christianity will prevail in the U.S. America will remain very much a Christian nation in the decades ahead, albeit less so than in the past because of an increase in Americans who don’t have a religious identity.” Heed the Warning Signs Evangelicals and culture warriors in the U.S. do not have to look far to discover what happens when Christian denominations give up on their traditional convictions and teachings. All we have to do is look at the dwindling memberships of mainline Protestant denominations. In order to safeguard the trajectory of young evangelicals, we must uphold the authoritative Word of God. It is imperative that those in a position to influence millennials have transparent and honest discussions about the culture wars in which evangelical youth are already engaging. Otherwise they will be silent and accepting in the face of persecution and false doctrine. The importance of arming the next generation of evangelicals cannot be overstated. If we continue to follow the example of mainline Protestants, evangelicalism will have a gloomy future. We must offer sorely needed leadership, but before we can do that, we need to know exactly whom and what we are up against. *** Chelsen Vicari serves as the Institute on Religion and Democracy’s evangelical program director. Prior to joining the IRD, she worked for Concerned Women for America. She holds a bachelor of science in political science and history and a master’s degree in international politics. Her articles on evangelicalism and public policy have appeared in TheBlaze, The Christian Post and RealClearReligion. She recently wrote her first book, Distortion, from which this article is excerpted. Reprinted with permission from Charisma. Copyright © 2017 by Charisma Media, USA. All rights reserved. www.charismamag.comThe post Here’s How the New Christian Left Is Twisting the Gospel first appeared on The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent Church.The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent ChurchMon, 20 Mar 2017 18:03:14 -0500https://submergingchurch.com/2017/03/20/heres-how-the-new-christian-left-is-twisting-the-gospel/https://submergingchurch.com/2016/07/04/bono-and-eugene-peterson-partner-on-new-film/On April 21, 2016, RelevantMagazine.com, in a post titled, “Bono and Eugene Peterson Are Making a Film About the Psalms”, reported that Bono, the frontman of U2, and Eugene Peterson, author of The Message “bible,” are partnering together to make a film about the Psalms. On April 26, 2016, the 21:00 minute film “Bono & Eugene Peterson | THE PSALMS” was released by Fuller Studio on YouTube. As many of you know, Bono is considered to be a leading spokesperson for the Emergent Church Movement. Many people, young and old, are being influenced by his unbiblical approach to Christianity which is often times outside of the scope of biblical Christian living. Our video, “The Emerging Church and the Bono-Screwtape Connection,” exposes the many concerns we have with the U2 frontman. Of course, Eugene Peterson is best known for his paraphrase version of the bible, The Message. This appears to be an “emergent match made in heaven”. Below is an article written by our friend Elliott Nesch about some of the issues concerning their short film. ***** BONO & EUGENE PETERSON TWISTING THE PSALMS By Elliott Nesch Holy Bible Prophecy Studying the Emerging Church, I was amazed at how often the leaders of the movement exalted Bono as its role model. Bono, the Irish singer for the band U2, is arguably the most famous rockstar in the world. He is certainly one the most, if not the most, politically influential celebrities of our time. In addition, he has been labeled by some to be the icon of the Emerging Church. Thus, in my book, Hath God Said? Emergent Church Theology, I devote an entire section to how Bono is the Emerging Church icon. In the Emergent book called Get Up Off Your Knees, several contributing authors including Eugene Peterson, author of The Message, praise Bono and U2 as a prophetic voice. Thus it is no surprise that Fuller Seminary sponsored a recent video conversation with Bono and Eugene Peterson, author of the postmodern paraphrase of the Bible, The Message. Fuller Theological Seminary has launched Fuller Studio, an online source of “podcasts, long-form reads, contemplative films, and other resources for a deeply formed spiritual life.” Two months ago, Fuller Studio released Bono & Eugene Peterson | THE PSALMS, a short film which documents the friendship between U2 frontman Bono and Eugene Peterson, author The Message. The 21-minute video revolves around their common interest in the Psalms. The film “highlights in particular a conversation on the Psalms that took place between Bono, Peterson, and [David] Taylor at Peterson’s Montana home. The video opens with a 2002 video message from Bono to Eugene Peterson: Mr. Peterson, Eugene, my name is Bono. I’m the singer with the group U2 and wanted to video message you my thanks and our thanks from the band for this remarkable work you’ve done. There’s been some great translations, very literary translations, but no translation that I’ve read that speaks to me in my own language, so I want to thank you for that. Take a rest now, won’t you? Bye. Obviously Bono considers The Message not only as one Bible translation among many, but also a “remarkable work” that “speaks to him in his own language.” But The Message Bible is not a word for word translation of the Bible like the KJV or other modern translations. The Message is actually a paraphrase which converts the original languages into the tone and rhythms of modern-day American speech. Notice the differences between the two versions for Psalm 23 in The Message and the KJV: 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. (Psalm 23, KJV) 1-3 God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. 4 Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure. 5 You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. 6 Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life. (Psalm 23, The Message) Do you see the major differences? Speaking of Psalm 23, Bono’s version is most blasphemous. In the U2 song “Love Rescues Me” Bono twisted the 23rd Psalm. Bono sings: “Yea, though I walk In the valley of shadow Yea, I will fear no evil I have cursed thy rod and staff They no longer comfort me Love rescue me” Bono has cursed God’s rod and staff saying they no longer comfort him, whereas King David wrote, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). However, Bono says that love rescues him, as if love is at odds with God’s rod and staff. Though Peterson consulted the original languages, The Message itself is not a word for word translation. In his own words, why he wrote The Message: I began to realize that the adults in my class weren’t feeling the vitality and directness that I sensed as I read and studied the New Testament in its original Greek. Writing straight from the original text, I began to attempt to bring into English the rhythms and idioms of the original language. I knew that the early readers of the New Testament were captured and engaged by these writings and I wanted my congregation to be impacted in the same way. I hoped to bring the New Testament to life for two different types of people: those who hadn’t read the Bible because it seemed too distant and irrelevant and those who had read the Bible so much that it had become ‘old hat.’ (Source) His primary goal was to “capture the tone of the text and the original conversational feel of the Greek, in contemporary English.” If one further compares The Message to the KJV, they will discover some very serious theological errors. For example, in Psalm 32:1 The Message says, “Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be.” The KJV says, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1). This blessing has nothing to do with luck. Let’s consider Psalm 25. In the KJV, Psalm 25:10 says: “All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.” But Peterson translates, “From now on every road you travel will take you to God.” Every road will take you to God? Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6) and “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14). According to The Message, all roads lead to God. This expresses the postmodern maxim, “Truth is subjective and therefore relative.” When the KJV says in Romans 8:35, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” The Message says, “Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture.” But sin is absent from the list Paul gives of that which can separate us from God. Paul says that nothing external can separate us from the love of God. But sin will sparate you from God. Eugene Peterson says that not even the worst sins listed in Scripture can separate us from God, while the prophet Isaiah says, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). Consider also the New Testament passages about homosexuality. Eugene Peterson did a horrible job capturing the tone of the text and the original conversational feel of the Greek in those cases. He deleted the politically incorrect words like “effeminate” and “homosexual.” The Message states in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don’t qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I’m talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you’ve been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit. (The Message) What kind of message is this? Obviously to a Christian, those who “use and abuse sex” would include homosexuals, but to an unbeliever this vague phrase could mean something completely different. To unbelievers, this justifies fornication and even homosexuality in their minds as long as it is accompanied with commitment. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, The Message deletes the phrase “Flee fornication” (KJV) and says instead, “There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin,” and “we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy.” Again, to an unbeliever, this “kind of sex” could refer to sex outside of marriage and even homosexuality, as long as there is intimacy and commitment. This is an abomination! And this is why Bono can celebrate The Message and also celebrates the homosexual marriage vote. Bono has often called The Message his favorite Bible “translation.” This is the “Bible” the singer read to his dying father and quoted before “Where the Streets Have No Name” during U2’s 2001 Elevation tour. Bono said, “The poetic heart of The Message is that there is no dogma apart from the flesh becoming word [sic].” In other words, The Message has no authoritative set of principles which are incontrovertibly true, according to Bono. Thus The Message has been a favorite “Bible” of those who desire to live a worldly life. Notice Bono said, “the flesh becoming word.” I found this quotation in numerous sources, but couldn’t find the original. Nonetheless, the statement accurately describes The Message. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh,” i.e., the Incarnation, but Bono says the dogma of The Message is the opposite: “flesh becoming word,” i.e., the works of the flesh becoming the word. The “flesh” often denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God. Perhaps Bono meant to cite John 1:14 and got it backwards, but the “flesh becoming word” nonetheless accurately describes the message behind The Message. Bono said, Psalm 40 is interesting in that it suggests a time in which grace will replace karma, and love will replace the very strict laws of Moses (in other words, fulfill them). I love that thought. David, who committed some of the most selfish as well as selfless acts, was depending on it. That the scriptures are brim full of hustlers, murderers, cowards, adulterers and mercenaries used to shock me. Now it is a source of great comfort. (Source) In another interview, Bono describes his belief about grace: It’s a remarkable thing, the idea that there’s some sort of hierarchy to sin . . . It’s something I can never figure out, the idea that sexual immorality is somehow much worse than, say, institutional greed. Somewhere in the back of the religious mind is this idea that we reap what we sow is missing the entire New Testament and the concept of grace completely. (Source) However, this idea that we reap what we sow is specifically taught in the New Testament. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:7-9). In the Fuller video, the two men meet together as friends. Bono says that Eugene Peterson’s writing has “kept him sane.” Peterson calls Bono a “companion in the faith.” They also have a conversation about the Psalms. Peterson speaks highly of U2’s song “40” which is Bono’s rendition of Psalm 40, and Bono also reads from Eugene Peterson’s Psalm 40 in The Message. Others have also been alarmed at this short video. Pastor Jim Jenkins completed his doctorate at Fuller Seminary at the height of the Church Growth movement. He recently wrote an article called He Still Hasn’t Found What He’s Looking For in which he shared his thoughts about the recent Bono and Eugene Peterson video. In relation to the progressive “Christianity” of Bono and Peterson, Jenkins said: He [Eugene Peterson] illustrated his motivation for writing it [The Message] by telling that he had a relative in mind and wanted a particular Psalm to resonate better with her so she would understand it better. He prefaced this remark with a telling testimony… “I grew up believing that every word in the Bible was true…you don’t mess with it. But when I thought about it I read that God kept tears in a bottle… God is a Rock? Come on!” At that point, He and Bono shared a good laugh. He then waxed eloquent about what a metaphor is. He went on to tell how he approached one of his relatives. “I picked a Psalm and translated it in a way that I thought would fit them.” That’s when it hit me. Many Emergent Church writers have taken a similar tack. Brian McLaren, Tony Compolo, Jonathan Merritt, Donald Miller… all, in one form or another, communicate that the Scriptures ‘as is’ are somehow offensive or inadequate to reach this special generation. Bono talks about the Bible in very postmodern terms. This is why the Emerging Church likes his hip and worldly “Christianity” so much. Bono shared his irrational view of the Bible by suggesting that it changes depending on the moment you’re in. He says: I don’t read it as a historical book. I don’t read it as, “Well, that’s good advice.” I let it speak to me in other ways. They call it the rhema. It’s a hard word to translate from Greek, but it sort of means it changes in the moment you’re in. It seems to do that for me. (Source) According to Vine’s, ῥῆμα: denotes: “that which is spoken, what is uttered in speech or writing;” in the singular, “a word,” e.g., Mat 12:36; 27:14;2Cr 12:4; 13:1; Hbr 12:19; in the plural, speech, discourse, e.g., Jhn 3:34; 8:20; Act 2:14; 6:11, 13; 11:14; 13:42; 26:25;Rom 10:18; 2Pe 3:2; Jud 1:17; it is used of the Gospel in Rom 10:8 (twice), Rom 10:17, RV, “the word of Christ” (i.e., the “word” which preaches Christ); Rom 10:18; 1Pe 1:25 (twice); of a statement, command, instruction, e.g., Mat 26:75; Luk 1:37, RV, “(no) word (from God shall be void of power);” Luk 1:38; Act 11:16;Hbr 11:3. The significance of rhema (as distinct from logos) is exemplified in the injunction to take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” Eph 6:17; here the reference is not to the whole Bible as such, but to the individual scripture which the Spirit brings to our remembrance for use in time of need, a prerequisite being the regular storing of the mind with Scripture. But Bono says the meaning of the Bible changes in the moment you’re in. This sounds like lawlessness and anarchy to me. In fact, there is a very strange connection in regard to Bono’s idea of the Holy Spirit and Eugene Peterson’s The Message. Bono says: The Spirit is described in the Holy Scriptures as much more anarchic than any established religion credits. (Christian Scharen. One Step Closer: Why U2 Matters to Those Seeking God. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press. p.53) What “spirit” is Bono talking about? Anarchy describes disorder and nonrecognition of authority. It is in Bono’s favorite Bible “translation” The Message that the Antichrist is described as the “anarchic” one, not the Holy Spirit. Eugene Peterson calls the Antichrist the Anarchist in his version of 2 Thessalonians 2:6-12: You’ll also remember that I told you the Anarchist is being held back until just the right time. That doesn’t mean that the spirit of anarchy is not now at work. It is, secretly and underground. But the time will come when the Anarchist will no longer be held back, but will be let loose. But don’t worry. The Master Jesus will be right on his heels and blow him away. The Master appears and—puff!—the Anarchist is out of there. The Anarchist’s coming is all Satan’s work. All his power and signs and miracles are fake, evil sleight of hand that plays to the gallery of those who hate the truth that could save them. And since they’re so obsessed with evil, God rubs their noses in it—gives them what they want. Since they refuse to trust truth, they’re banished to their chosen world of lies and illusions. I believe the ultimate reason Bono prefers The Message is because it tends to allow the Bible to say whatever a postmodern generation wants it to say. It does not convey the transcendent authoritative message which is applicable to all generations. Rather than celebrating the Psalms, Bono and Peterson have been twisting the Psalms. This is why they are so popular among progressive “Christians.”The post Bono And Eugene Peterson Partner On New Film first appeared on The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent Church.The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent ChurchMon, 04 Jul 2016 15:49:13 -0500https://submergingchurch.com/2016/07/04/bono-and-eugene-peterson-partner-on-new-film/https://submergingchurch.com/2016/06/06/can-you-be-a-gay-christian-rock-star/By Dr. Michael Brown My heart really goes out to Trey Pearson, described as “a Christian rock star” who, in a “moving letter,” has come out as gay to his fans. Although his band was not particularly well known, his story is getting lots of online attention, as he has opened up his heart with painful honesty. He explains that, growing up in a “very conservative Christian home,” he “never wanted to be gay.” He writes, “I was scared of what God would think and what all of these people I loved would think about me; so it never was an option for me. I have been suppressing these attractions and feelings since adolescence. I’ve tried my whole life to be straight. I married a girl, and I even have two beautiful little kids. My daughter, Liv, is six and my son, Beckham, is two.” On the one hand, he states that, “I have intensely mixed feelings about the changes that have resulted in my life,” regretting the pain he has caused his wife. On the other hand, he states that having come out openly, he is experiencing “the peace that passes all understanding.” He believes that, “I am never going to be able to change how I am,” and so, “no matter how healthy our relationship becomes, it’s never going to change what I know deep down: that I am gay.” He and his wife Lauren, whom he describes as his best friend, are trying to figure out how to co-parent their children, something that will no doubt become more challenging if he begins a relationship with a man. He believes that this is “who I was made by God to be” and that, “In sharing this publicly I’m taking another step into health and wholeness by accepting myself, and every part of me. It’s not only an idea for me that I’m gay; It’s my life. This is me being authentic and real with myself and other people. This is a part of who I am.” The reality is that Trey has made a tragic, destructive choice. He has found his identity in his romantic attractions and sexual desires rather than in his relationship with God, and he has decided that personal fulfillment is more important than obedience to the Savior. I don’t know if he received serious ministry or counseling to help him get to the root of his same-sex attractions – many have found great help and even transformation in doing do – but either way, I do not want to trivialize his struggles for a moment. And I don’t know what his wife’s desires are in the matter. Would she rather that they stay married and work on his struggles together? What I do know is that Jesus said, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt. 16:24, NET) – and this often means denying the deepest, most fundamental desires in our lives, saying no to the things that are most important to us, crucifying everything that raises its head in disobedience to God. As expressed by Sam Allberry, a British pastor who is still same-sex attracted but is living a celibate, holy life, “I am to deny myself, take up my cross and follow him. Every Christian is called to costly sacrifice. Denying yourself does not mean tweaking your behaviour here and there. It is saying ‘No’ to your deepest sense of who you are, for the sake of Christ. To take up a cross is to declare your life (as you have known it) forfeit. It is laying down your life for the very reason that your life, it turns out, is not yours at all. It belongs to Jesus. He made it. And through his death he has bought it.” Remember who is writing these words: An unmarried pastor who is same-sex attracted, a believer who identifies as a son of God rather than as a gay man. Pastor Allberry also says this, “Ever since I have been open about my own experiences of homosexuality, a number of Christians have said something like this: ‘the gospel must be harder for you than it is for me’, as though I have more to give up than they do. But [the] fact is that the gospel demands everything of all of us. If someone thinks the gospel has somehow slotted into their life quite easily, without causing any major adjustments to their lifestyle or aspirations, it is likely that they have not really started following Jesus at all.” And, he adds, “just as the cost is the same for all of us, so too are the blessings.” (From his book Is God Anti-Gay?) What incredible words! Trey is hopeful that he’ll be able to continue his career unaffected, but that will only happen to the extent that his audience is not made of committed Christians. Otherwise, his group’s popularity will quickly wane, just as has happened to other Christian artists who have come out as gay. Devoted disciples of Jesus know that the Lord will not bless those who choose homosexual relationships over His Word, and so the songs will now leave a bad taste in their mouths. Listeners will not be able to separate the man from his music and message, and this rightly so. But this is just the beginning of his wrong life choices, and given enough time, his views on other scriptural matters will most likely change, as doctrinal compromise will lead to more doctrinal compromise, not to mention the downward slide of moral compromise. It is virtually inevitable once these wrong steps have been taken. A few years ago, a reader of one of my articles shared his own moving story. I pray that Trey will read these words, reconsider his ways, and find grace to deny himself, take up his cross, and experience the glorious fullness that Jesus brings. This reader, named Michael, wrote: “I have had same sex attractions since I was a young boy. I started to go to church as a teenager and became a Christian. For years, I have prayed for (and been prayed for) these tendencies to go away, but they have not. “In spite of that, I got married many years ago and have children and grandchildren. My wife knows of my struggles, although because I knew it was sin, I have never acted on my feelings. Is it easy all the time? No, although with time it has gotten easier. But I have made a choice that I will be faithful to God and to my family. “Was I born this way? I don’t know, but that does not matter. I would never choose to dishonor God by living out my desires. I love my wife very much although she understands that I am conflicted inside, but not to the point where I could ever be untrue to her. THAT would be ‘living a lie.’ “Am I to be admired? No. Many Christians deal with tendencies which are contrary to God’s Word, but I hope to be an encouragement to someone out there that thinks they cannot ‘stay the course.’ By God’s grace, you can and should.” Yes, Trey, by God’s grace, you can and should “stay the course,” and we are earnestly praying that you would.The post Can You Be a Gay Christian Rock Star? first appeared on The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent Church.The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent ChurchMon, 06 Jun 2016 14:02:46 -0500https://submergingchurch.com/2016/06/06/can-you-be-a-gay-christian-rock-star/https://submergingchurch.com/2016/04/19/evangelical-white-magic/By Brannon Howse (An excerpt from his new book What Every Christian Should Know: Understanding and Defending Biblical Truths) For most of the past century, Walt Disney productions have entertained millions of people with animated tales of magic. Since Mickey Mouse first starred in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, we’ve seen the supposed wonders of the supernatural at work. It’s all meant for fun, of course, and the good guys always win. But are there really any good guys? When it comes to real magic, the answer is “no.” Although you may have heard a distinction between black magic—special powers used for evil—and white magic—powers used for good—both are from the demonic realm. White magic is meant to look good, but it’s not. By God’s standard, it is evil, too. Seduced by Magic White magic may well be more dangerous than its dark alternative because it is actually black magic camouflaged as something good. People have always been fascinated by the idea of magic. As A. W. Tozer notes, “So strong is the bent of the human heart toward magic that there has hardly been a time when the faith of Christ has not been plagued with it.” Strange as it may seem, many people who claim to be Christians these days are fooling around with various forms of magic, Gnosticism, and mysticism, all of which derive from the occult. Many have wrapped occult practices, techniques, and messages in a veneer of Christianity by using Christian titles, terminology, and slogans. Many within the New Age movement talk about Jesus, God, salvation, or atonement, but they’re playing with words. The New Age is nothing more than the old lie of Satan which he first tried with great success on Eve in Genesis 3:4: “You will be like God.” To people today, that means we each get to decide what is right and wrong. We can discover hidden knowledge. We decide our own truths. Some churches now even offer “Christian yoga,” yet there’s nothing Christian about it. Yoga means yoke or union with a Hindu god. Yoga’s cousin, transcendental meditation (TM) is likewise popular, originally brought to America by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the mid-twentieth century. Despite the popularity of drug use in the 1960s, many Americans did not want to take drugs to discover their “inner Christhood” or deity through an altered state of consciousness. As a result, the Maharishi took advantage of the opportunity to bring Hinduism to the United States. He gave yoga the more marketable name, transcendental meditation, and brought it to the West. So, yoga is an integral part of Hinduism, a thoroughly occult-based religion, and we’re supposed to believe it can be Christianized? I don’t think so. Christians have also gotten involved in other practices unbecoming to Christ followers. Take automatic writing, for instance. It’s the idea that you can read a verse and then sit in silence, waiting for the Lord to tell you—either audibly or “in your spirit”—a message to write down. The practice is supposed to reveal what a particular verse means. New Age author Helen Schucman actually claims to have written a whole book through automatic writing. A Course in Miracles is acclaimed by devotees to be the ‘Bible of the New Age.’ And who is the entity that supposedly helped Schucman write her bible? She claimed it was Jesus, but no doubt any help she received was from a demon with the boldness to call himself Jesus. So now automatic writing shows up in Christianity—even among evangelicals. Jesus Calling, one of the best-selling Christian books in the past decade, is written by Sarah Young. Although she doesn’t claim automatic writing as the source for her work, she does acknowledge the influence of God Calling, a devotional book by A. J. Russell in the 1930s. Russell, a New Age mystic, created the book by editing the journals of two unnamed women—the “two listeners”—who credited automatic writing as their source. Although I don’t agree with everything Merrill Unger writes, he offers an insightful overview of what magic like this is all about: Magic may be defined as the art of bringing about results beyond man’s power through the enlistment of supernatural agencies. White magic is black magic in pious masquerade. It uses, in a magic way, the name of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, along with Bible phrases and terminology, but is demonic—demonic in character. . . . It is carried on in many so-called Christian circles. It is called white because it parades under the banner of light in contrast to black magic that openly enlists the aid of the powers of darkness.38 Despite this, many Christians involve themselves in occult practices such as Kundalini yoga. This particular “brand,” popular with some evangelical circles, manifests involuntary bodily movements supposedly induced by a connection with the Holy Spirit. In Hinduism, these are called kriyas and are actually a sign of contact with demons. I detail this in Religious Trojan Horse and show its popularity within the Word of Faith and New Apostolic Reformation movements, in particular. Similar manifestations embraced by many so-called Christians include holy laughter, barking like dogs, crawling around on all fours, and experiencing uncontrollable shaking of the head, the body, or extremities. Those who demonstrate these unbiblical manifestations believe them to be a sign that the Holy Spirit has come upon them. Unger, obviously, has warned that such a claim is not to be trusted. Even if these people attribute the manifestations to the Holy Spirit, they are actually the work of Satan, the very sort of activity we see in Hinduism and the New Age. In my Worldview Weekend mega-resource, worldviewpedia.com, I archive video clips of false teachers like Kenneth Copeland and the late Kenneth Hagin involved in holy laughter, rolling on the floor, and being drunk in the spirit. In one, Hagin announces, “Drunk again, drunk again” as people in the audience stumble around, laughing and acting drunk, supposedly overcome by the Holy Spirit. In truth, it is a form of white magic in its typically pious masquerade. We often see evidence of black magic around us as well. At the mall, you’ll see people in Goth outfits—black trench coats, black shirts, black makeup, and the like—and wearing occult jewelry. That’s the basis of the Gothic look. So, the influence of black magic is fairly easy to spot. Many of them are into the Wicca religion, occultism, or black magic. White magic, on the other hand, is more difficult to address because its many forms of camouflage include hints of the truth. One of Satan’s most effective strategies is to insinuate just enough truth to attract an audience that would not be attracted to darker things. People then mistake the partial truth for the whole truth, and Satan succeeds in undermining the Gospel. It’s the sort of false teaching we see from sources like Trinity Broadcasting Network and Daystar. These are outlets for selective truth. At times, I’ve turned on their television programs just to see what they’re teaching, and I’ve noted, “Well, that’s true. This guy is reading from the Bible and is actually teaching it accurately. He described that verse in context.” They offer just enough truth to build credibility with listeners. People in the audience are wooed into thinking the teachers are reliable and therefore don’t recognize when they shift into Scripture-twisting mode. Suddenly, an unwitting audience is believing things like “you need to send in your faith seed,” “apply the power of positive thinking,” “name it and claim it,” or “your words have power to create your future.” Joel Osteen is an especially toxic example of this approach. He promotes what he calls the power of “I am.” “Look in the mirror,” he says, “and say, ‘I am.’ Tell yourself that you’re healthy, strong, and successful.” He also warns against saying bad things of yourself because if you do, those bad things will come looking for you. Yet, this is the occultism known as positive confession or shamanism. To dress it up as Christianity, Osteen uses scripture out of context (of course) and twists it to his own ends. Christians should not be duped by such things. Scripture warns us against white magic. In 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, Paul says: Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. White magic is Satan transforming himself into an angel of light, and the consequences can be extremely serious. For instance, I suspect that Moroni, the angel who allegedly appeared to Joseph Smith and gave him the tablets which Smith “translated” into the Book of Mormon, was a Satanic angel of light. It started one of the largest modern-day cults, the Church of the Latter Day Saints. I believe the same is true of many cult leaders today. They think they’ve encountered an angel when, in fact, they are involved with a demon. Unfortunately, this is not just a television phenomenon. Chances are there are one or more “churches” in your community that are packed on Sunday morning. One might even be the biggest church in town. The pastor, though, is not really a minister of God. He’s preaching a false Gospel, and the implications for the church leader and his congregation are bleak. Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me” (Matthew 12:30). People are either believers and in the camp of God, or they are in the camp of Satan. So, many “pastors” are not true pastors; they’re hirelings (John 10:12). And as 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 says, their “end will be according to their works.” Those who masquerade as ministers of righteousness really work for Satan. Scripture records a revealing story of white magic at work. Look at Acts 16:16-18: Now it happened, as we went to pray, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. Divination is another word for magic and is also an occult practice. Any time you see the word divination, you’re talking about something that deals with the occult. The slave girl in this story apparently is able to reveal information, like a fortune teller, that supposedly comes from the spirit world. Her owners sold her divination services and made a lot of money. They certainly didn’t care about her soul. They were interested only in the money. The demon speaking through her did as so many false teachers do today. It laced its comments with just enough truth to be convincing. “These men are the servants of the Most High,” it announced, “who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” That is, after all, exactly what Paul and his companions were doing. Yet the demon had a seriously ulterior motive. It was using the girl to infiltrate the group of believers. And isn’t that what goes on today? Demonically inspired false teachers infiltrate the Church, speaking just enough truth to build credibility and attract an audience. To read this full chapter and the other chapters in this book click here to order now: https://www.worldviewweekend.com/products/books/what-every-christian-should-know-understanding-defending-essential-biblical-truthsThe post Evangelical White Magic first appeared on The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent Church.The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent ChurchTue, 19 Apr 2016 14:38:01 -0500https://submergingchurch.com/2016/04/19/evangelical-white-magic/https://submergingchurch.com/2016/02/22/azusa-redux-lou-engle-greg-laurie-uniting-denominations/via PirateChristian.com “Can you believe with us that denominations will unite, that the races could come together, that God could make us one, as the antidote to the terrific division in our day? Could you believe with us for stadium Christianity where signs and wonders are breaking out and mass evangelism explodes across our country- the Third Great Awakening?” –Lou Engle Jesus never promised a giant outpouring of revival, but rather a giant falling away from the true faith. The Bible does, however, talk about a false revival. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 tells us of a coming counterfeit revival before the return of the Lord that will be both of such magnitude as to deceive the whole world and of such persuasion as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. False teacher Lou Engle, founder of the “Azusa Now: The Call” set for April 9, 2016 at the LA Coliseum states, “We are believing for an outbreak of God’s glory that will touch the Lord on this day! If we move together, we can see a shift in the body of Christ, unto a day of greater healings and a great awakening for America!” Who is Lou Engle? Engle emerged from the Kansas City Prophets and Latter Rain movement, and was a senior leader of IHOP (International House of Prayer). So why is Greg Laurie supporting Engle and this event? Click Here to read the whole story.The post Azusa Redux: Lou Engle, Greg Laurie uniting denominations? first appeared on The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent Church.The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent ChurchMon, 22 Feb 2016 20:46:15 -0600https://submergingchurch.com/2016/02/22/azusa-redux-lou-engle-greg-laurie-uniting-denominations/https://submergingchurch.com/2015/06/10/tony-campolo-comes-out-of-closet-in-support-of-full-acceptance-of-homosexuality-in-church/Christian News Network PHILADELPHIA — False teacher Tony Campolo announced on Monday that he has decided to endorse and speak out for the inclusion of open homosexuals in the Body of Christ. “It has taken countless hours of prayer, study, conversation and emotional turmoil to bring me to the place where I am finally ready to call for the full acceptance of Christian gay couples into the Church,” he wrote in a statement posted to his website. As previously reported, Campolo serves as one of the leaders at Mount Carmel Baptist Church in West Philadelphia, which is part of the National Baptist Convention USA and American Baptist Churches USA. In the 1990’s, he served as a spiritual adviser to then-President Bill Clinton, including during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Campolo’s wife, Peggy, is a homosexual activist and believes that the Church should be accepting of same-sex “marriage.” He explained on Monday that his wife is one of the reasons why he has decided to endorse acceptance of homosexuals in Christianity. Read the rest of the story here >>The post Tony Campolo Comes Out of Closet in Support of ‘Full Acceptance’ of Homosexuality in Church first appeared on The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent Church.The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent ChurchWed, 10 Jun 2015 15:44:43 -0500https://submergingchurch.com/2015/06/10/tony-campolo-comes-out-of-closet-in-support-of-full-acceptance-of-homosexuality-in-church/https://submergingchurch.com/2015/04/21/emergent-leader-tony-campolo-endorses-hillary-for-president/By Chad Davidson While it should come as no surprise to many, emergent leader Tony Campolo is throwing his hand in the air and saying “Here I am send me” for a cause no committed Christian would want to take. The cause he is screaming for is that of the candidacy of Hillary Rodham Clinton for President of the United States. In a recent article Campolo wrote for Religion News Service, he goes through a myriad of reasons as to why all Christians should vote for Hillary. These very reasons range from the fact that he considers her a personal friend, to the fact that she, as a pro-choice liberal, will actually help reduce abortions! Yes, by Tony Campolo’s standards, it is a woman who tows the democratic party line by saying that the murdering of a baby should be “safe, legal, and rare.” It should also come as no surprise that just as Campolo has been seen as somewhat of a champion for gay marriage, so will his choice for the candidate of presidency. In a video made announcing Hillary’s candidacy, two men are seen holding hands while discussing the plans for their upcoming wedding. The idea was that the next season of their lives would be them taking each others hand in marriage, while Hillary would be hoping to move into the White House. Campolo went on to say that he would do more than simply ask you to vote, but even be involved in the campaign if asked: “I am more than willing to do all I can to help Hillary Clinton get elected. Should she ask me to organize an Evangelicals for Hillary committee, I would be more than willing to do so. I believe in her. And you should too.” If only Mr. Campolo would actually believe in the God he claims to serve. If only Campolo would trust God’s word and not lean on his own understanding and his subjective view of morality. If only Campolo would consider what God’s Word has said on the subject of abortion as well as gay marriage. Pray that this false teacher would repent and come to know the true God of the bible. For God is patient, even with those leading others astray. “But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.” –Revelation 2:20-21The post Emergent Leader Tony Campolo Endorses Hillary for President first appeared on The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent Church.The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent ChurchTue, 21 Apr 2015 12:19:42 -0500https://submergingchurch.com/2015/04/21/emergent-leader-tony-campolo-endorses-hillary-for-president/https://submergingchurch.com/2014/12/16/mclaren-updates-the-emergent-church-movement/By Chad Davidson Emergent leader Brian McLaren recently wrote a blog updating everyone with what is happening inside the emergent church movement. In the article titled, “More on the emergent conversation,” McLaren states: “The conversation continues to grow, not by creating a new slice of the pie, but by seasoning nearly all sectors of the pie. Even where the word ’emergent’ is not used, ideas from emergence leaders are being considered and adopted, leading to new experimentation and openness.” (Source) He goes on to talk about how many Catholics are coming into the fray when it comes to emergent leanings stating: “Influence in the Roman Catholic world is still relatively small, but growing numbers of Catholic scholars and leaders are listening, reading, and engaging, from lay people to (yes) the Vatican.” (Ibid) We have actually been able to see this as of late as “America’s Pastor,” Rick Warren, accepted an invitation to speak at the Vatican this past week. But he doesn’t stop there! Don’t forget that many of the major protestant churches are going the way of the emergent church. (Should we look any further than the United Presbyterian Church?) We also must reluctantly agree with the statements made by Mr. McLaren later in the article when speaking about this. “A few years down the road, I think Mainline engagement will become even more overt and significant, but already most Mainline Protestant denominations are experimenting with creative new approaches to church planting and worship/liturgy renewal” (Ibid) While McLaren claims that the emergent church is “not […] creating a new slice of the pie”, the truth is that the “seasoning” he says that he has placed on the pie is one of adding and taking away from the scriptures, as God’s word warns about: Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar. –Proverbs 30:5-6 This is the same man that, in an interview with Leif Hansen, made the following statement: “The cross isn’t the center then. The cross is almost a distraction and false advertising for God.” (Source) As the statement above makes clear, this is not a special “seasoning” that the emergent church is attempting to add to the gospel, they are completely throwing it out and making up their own. They have decided that the doctrine of hell just doesn’t fit the god that they have created in their own minds. A much more palpable god that can taste good for anyone. But that god doesn’t exist, except in their own minds. The very cross is a distraction for McLaren because he doesn’t understand its message, or hates the message that Christ truly brought. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” –1 Corinthians 1:18 Of course, it is going to get in the way of McLaren’s theology; it does not lineup with a universalistic god that the emergent church has established. The sneaky infiltration that has begun in the church did not start with the likes of McLaren, Pagitt or Rob Bell, it started way earlier than that, and is warned about repeatedly: “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” –Jude 1:4 And by Peter as well: “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” –2 Peter 2:1-3 The church should be keeping their eyes peered for these wolves! They will not spare the flock, and as you can see from his article, he is more than happy to watch the emergent church slither it’s way in through liberal theology and mystical contemplative prayer. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” –1 Peter 5:8The post McLaren Updates The Emergent Church Movement first appeared on The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent Church.The Submerging Church | Discernment About the Emergent ChurchTue, 16 Dec 2014 20:10:57 -0600https://submergingchurch.com/2014/12/16/mclaren-updates-the-emergent-church-movement/https://essaysoncalvinism.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/index-of-essays-on-calvinism/This is a work in progress. This blog is indexing over 1000 articles on Calvinism from Paul’s Passing Thoughts .com This is in preparation for several upcoming writing projects for TANC Publishing. Essays on CalvinismThu, 03 Oct 2013 10:13:39 -0500https://essaysoncalvinism.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/index-of-essays-on-calvinism/http://www.evidenceministries.org/2013/05/researching-the-term-name-in-the-book-of-acts-a-study-for-jehovahs-witnesses/The following is a list I (Keith) put together in preparation for a study I had with a Jehovah’s Witness elder. We were studying through the Watchtower publication, “WHAT DOES THE BIBLE Really TEACH?” One of the points that this book makes early in chapter one is the idea that God has a personal name and that if we don’t use that name, then we cannot really know him. I put this list together to help my friend look at things from a different perspective. If you would like to read a report of our conversation, you can read our 5/30/13 blog post. The word “name” appears in the book of Acts 39 times in the New World Translation, three times in reference to Jehovah, 32 times to Jesus and four times to other people. The references in red font refer to Jehovah, blue to Jesus and green to other people. Some of the more interesting occurrences of the word “name” are when the name of Jesus is said to be the only name by which people can be saved (4:12), when Jesus tells Ananias in vision that Paul will make the name of Jesus known throughout the world (9:15), and that all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who puts faith in Jesus is forgiven through His name (10:43). Acts 2:21– And everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.”’ Acts 2:38– Peter [said] to them: “Repent, and let each one of YOU be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of YOUR sins, and YOU will receive the free gift of the holy spirit. Acts 3:6– However, Peter said: “Silver and gold I do not possess, but what I do have is what I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene′, walk!” Acts  3:16–  Consequently his name, by [our] faith in his name, has made this man strong whom YOU behold and know, and the faith that is through him has given the man this complete soundness in the sight of all of YOU. Acts  4:7– “By what power or in whose name did YOU do this?” Acts  4:10– let it be known to all of YOU and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene′, whom YOU impaled but whom God raised up from the dead, by this one does this man stand here sound in front of YOU. Acts  4:12– Furthermore, there is no salvation in anyone else, for there is not another name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved.” Acts  4:17– Nevertheless, in order that it may not be spread abroad further among the people, let us tell them with threats not to speak anymore upon the basis of this name to any man at all.” Acts  4:18– With that they called them and charged them, nowhere to make any utterance or to teach upon the basis of the name of Jesus. Acts  4:30– while you stretch out your hand for healing and while signs and portents occur through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” Acts  5:1– However, a certain man, Ananias by name, together with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession Acts  5:28– and said: “We positively ordered YOU not to keep teaching upon the basis of this name, and yet, look! YOU have filled Jerusalem with YOUR teaching, and YOU are determined to bring the blood of this man upon us.” Acts  5:40– At this they gave heed to him, and they summoned the apostles, flogged them, and ordered them to stop speaking upon the basis of Jesus name, and let them go. Acts  5:41-These, therefore, went their way from before the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy to be dishonored in behalf of his name. Acts  8:12– But when they believed Philip, who was declaring the good news of the kingdom of God and of the name of Jesus Christ, they proceeded to be baptized, both men and women Acts  8:16– For it had not yet fallen upon any one of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Acts  9:14–  And here he has authority from the chief priests to put in bonds all those calling upon your name.” Acts  9:15– But the Lord said to him: “Be on your way, because this man is a chosen vessel to me to bear my name to the nations as well as to kings and the sons of Israel. Acts  9:16– For I shall show him plainly how many things he must suffer for my name.” Acts  9:21– But all those hearing him gave way to astonishment and would say: “Is this not the man that ravaged those in Jerusalem who call upon this name, and that had come here for this very purpose, that he might lead them bound to the chief priests? Acts  9:27– So Barnabas came to his aid and led him to the apostles, and he told them in detail how on the road he had seen the Lord and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus. Acts  9:28– And he continued with them, walking in and out at Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord; Acts  10:43– To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone putting faith in him gets forgiveness of sins through his name.” Acts  10:48– With that he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they requested him to remain for some days. Acts  13:6– When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met up with a certain man, a sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, Acts  13:8– But El′ymas the sorcerer (that, in fact, is the way his name is translated) began opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Acts 15:14– Symeon has related thoroughly how God for the first time turned his attention to the nations to take out of them a people for his name Acts 15:17– in order that those who remain of the men may earnestly seek Jehovah, together with people of all the nations, people who are called by my name, says Jehovah, who is doing these things, Acts 15:26– men that have delivered up their souls for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 16:1– So he arrived at Derbe and also at Lystra. And, look! a certain disciple was there by the name of Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman but of a Greek father Acts  16:18– his she kept doing for many days. Finally Paul got tired of it and turned and said to the spirit: “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour Acts  19:5– On hearing this, they got baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts  19:13– But certain ones of the roving Jews who practiced the casting out of demons also undertook to name the name of the Lord Jesus+ over those having the wicked spirits, saying: “I solemnly charge YOU by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Acts  19:17– This became known to all, both the Jews and the Greeks that dwelt in Ephesus; and a fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus went on being magnified. Acts  21:13– Then Paul answered: “What are YOU doing by weeping and making me weak at heart? Rest assured, I am ready not only to be bound but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Acts  22:16– And now why are you delaying? Rise, get baptized and wash your sins away by your calling upon his name. Acts  26:9– I, for one, really thought within myself I ought to commit many acts of opposition against the name of Jesus the Nazarene. If using God’s name is of utmost importance like our study book states on page 195, then why in the book of Acts did the first century disciples use and make known the name of Jesus almost 11 times more than the name of Jehovah? What is the name above all other names? (Phil 2:10) Whose Witnesses are we to be? (Acts 1:8) In whose name is salvation found? (Acts 4:12) Whose name was Paul to bear to the nations? Who told him to do this? (Acts 9:15) What is God’s name? (Exodus 34:14) Is God more concerned about His reputation or a specific pronunciation? (Isaiah 63:11-14) (Jeremiah 32:20) Evidence MinistriesThu, 30 May 2013 01:04:20 -0500http://www.evidenceministries.org/2013/05/researching-the-term-name-in-the-book-of-acts-a-study-for-jehovahs-witnesses/http://www.evidenceministries.org/2012/08/no-jehovahs-witnesses-and-mormons/From time to time, we are asked if it is permissible to allow Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons into Christian homes in light of 2nd John 9-11.  This passage reads, “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.” Out of all of the people we have ever talked to who use these verses as a reason for not speaking with Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons at their door, NONE of them have been completely consistent with this passage.  Not only does the passage say that we are not to let false teachers into our homes, but the end of verse 10 through verse 11 also states that we are not to greet them.  If you greet them, you are participating in their evil deeds.  Does this now mean that we are to close the door in the faces of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons once we realize who they are?  Do we refuse to speak with them at all?  If one is to be consistent with this interpretation of the passage, not only should Christians prohibit Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons from entering into their homes, we must also refrain from speaking to them at all. It is also interesting to note that this interpretation is somehow only applied to modern day cultists.  Why is the Jewish plumber allowed to come into the home?  He certainly would not abide in the teaching of Christ.  Should we let the “garden variety pagan” into our house simply because he isn’t a Jehovah’s Witness or Mormon?  Do we now prevent our unsaved family and friends from coming into our homes simply because they are not Christians?  If so, how is that consistent with the command to preach the gospel to everyone (Mark 16:15)?  Obviously, this cannot be the proper interpretation because consistency would lead to unreasonable and even unbiblical applications.  Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons should not be exempt from hearing the gospel simply because they are on our doorstep. Before we can interpret the passage correctly, we need to look at the culture of first century Christians.  Itinerant preachers and prophets would rely upon local Christians to provide their food and shelter when traveling.  They would travel from town to town teaching and preaching and would then stay in the private home of a local Christian.  While staying in this home, they would receive support (lodging and traveling expenses) from the householder and from the church in general.  However, Christians needed to be careful with whom they supported.  Not only did Christian preachers teach from place to place, but false teachers and prophets were in the habit of circuit traveling and would also expect provision from those who supported their message.  If a Christian allowed a false teacher into his home and provided for him, he would be participating in spreading the false message. There is another thing to consider.  First century churches did not meet in their own corporately owned buildings.  They met in private homes large enough to house a sizeable number of people.  To allow a false teacher or prophet to teach in the setting of a church is to give them a platform in which to spread their heresy.  Doing that is participating in evil deeds.  My personal belief is that this passage is speaking about not allowing false teachers to stay in our homes (supporting their mission) or to teach in our churches.  It in no way is to be applied to the unsaved at the door of our individual private homes.  Church elders have the responsibility to protect the flock and allowing Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses to speak in our churches is inviting the wolf into the flock for dinner. Undoubtedly, there are some who will disagree with our interpretation of this passage.  Disagreement, however, still does not release one from the responsibility of witnessing to Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons.  If a Christian still does not want to let them in, there are a number of other options.  The first and easiest is to stay on the doorstep and talk with the cultist there.  Many Christians, who do not think that the above passage applies to Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons, still do not feel comfortable allowing them into their home.  This is understandable and easily remedied by staying outside and talking with the JW or Mormon there. Another option is to actually go to the home of the cultist or meet them on neutral ground.  It is easy to explain to them that you would feel more comfortable meeting them elsewhere.  Most Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons are likely to honor this suggestion and would be glad to meet at a restaurant or another public place.  Regardless of which option is chosen, a Christian can be faithful in responding to the witnessing opportunity which God has brought to their door.  This previous statement may be a surprising thought to some, but when taken into consideration with the following, it is evident that a Jehovah’s Witness or Mormon at your door is a God initiated opportunity. Jehovah’s Witnesses are not allowed to befriend people who are not interested in becoming a Jehovah’s Witness. Nor can they watch or listen to religious television or radio, or read religious literature other than their own.  Mormon missionaries are likewise sheltered from differing religious points of view and are not allowed to question their beliefs.  For most Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormon missionaries, the only real opportunity they will have to hear the gospel is if a faithful Christian preaches it while they are at our doors.  In Matthew 9: 37-38 Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” For the most part, Christians have ignored that commandment.  Now, God is sending the field to our doorsteps and some Christians misuse Scripture as grounds for closing the door in the face of the harvest.  This ought not be so.  We invite those who have used this passage as a reason for not talking with Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons to reconsider their interpretation in light of our position. Evidence MinistriesTue, 28 Aug 2012 15:51:50 -0500http://www.evidenceministries.org/2012/08/no-jehovahs-witnesses-and-mormons/http://www.evidenceministries.org/2012/03/mormonism%e2%80%99s-hypocritical-attack/Let me get this straight. You say that… –My religion was hatched in hell.[1] –My Christianity is perverted and apostate.[2] –My Church is the Church of the Devil.[3] –My Church is wrong.[4] –My Church is the anti-Christ.[5] –My Church is evil and is the Whore of Babylon.[6] –My Church is leading me to hell.[7] –My Church will be hewn down and cast into the fire of no return.[8] –My Heavenly Father is imaginary[9] and invented.[10] –My Jesus is mythical.[11] –My Trinity is a monster.[12] –My creeds are an abomination.[13] –My justification is pernicious.[14] –My grace is a fallacious doctrine originated by Satan.[15] –My pastor is corrupt.[16] –My pastor is presumptuous and blasphemous for performing marriages and offering communion.[17] –My Bible is untrustworthy.[18] –I am a fool for believing in the Bible alone.[19] –I am a child of the devil.[20] –My baptism is invalid.[21] –I am unforgiven.[22] –I am damned.[23] –I know nothing of God.[24] –My hope of salvation is influenced by the devil.[25] –I have no right to preach the gospel.[26] –I am not a true Christian.[27] Then, when I attempt to offer any sort of disagreement or rebuttal, you accuse me of hatred, bigotry and unChristlike behavior. If that isn’t enough, to add insult to injury, you want to steal my name and have me accept you as a Christian Church too? That’s not happening. What do you call something that insults you, never apologizes and in an attempt to convince you that it is just like you, cozies up to you because you have something it wants? My friends, that is called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [1]“ Brother Taylor has just said that the religions of the day were hatched in hell. The eggs were laid in hell, hatched on its borders, and then kicked on to the earth. They may be called cockatrices, for they sting wherever they go. Go to their meetings in the Christian world, and you will hear them remark, “Our ministers dictate our souls’ salvation;” and they are perfectly composed and resigned to trust their whole future destiny to their priests, though they durst not trust them with one single dollar beyond their salaries and a few presents,” (Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 6:176). [2] “A perverted Christianity holds sway among the so-called Christians of apostate Christendom,” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1979, p.132). [3]  “And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth,” (1 Nephi 14:10).  [4]  My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join… I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof” (Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith History 1:18-19).  [5] “This great antichrist which is to stand as the antagonist of Christ in the last days, and which is to be overthrown when He comes to cleanse the earth and usher in millennial righteousness, is the church of the devil” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1979, p. 40).  [6] Under the heading, CHURCH OF THE DEVIL, “He saw this evil church as a whore… having the name, ‘MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH,’” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.138).  [7] Just as there is a kingdom of God both on earth and in heaven, so there is a kingdom of the devil both on earth and in hell. Just as the kingdom of God on earth is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ‘the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth’ (D. & C. 1:30), so the kingdom of the devil is the church of the devil, the great and abominable church, the combination of powers and forces which lead men away from heaven and toward hell. And just as the kingdom of God in heaven is the celestial world, where saved persons go, so the kingdom of the devil in the spirit realms is that eternal hell whose inhabitants suffer the torments of the damned.” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 419. Italics in original).  [8] “It (the true Church) would not be hewn down and cast into the fire as must surely come to pass with the great and abominable church,” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1979,  p.139).  [9] “Therefore, that something, or that nothing, that imaginary being, that idol that is recognised in the creeds of Christendom in general as a god without body, parts, or passions, has nothing to do whatever with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,”(Apostle Parley P. Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, p.39).  [10] “Men with keen intelligence got together… and created a God. They did not pray for wisdom or revelation. They claimed no revelation from the Lord. They made it just about like a political party would do, and out of their own mortal minds created a God which is still worshiped by the great majority of Christians,” (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 426).  [11]“And virtually all the millions of apostate Christendom have abased themselves before the mythical throne of a mythical Christ whom they vainly suppose to be a spirit essence who is incorporeal uncreated, immaterial and three-in-one with the Father and Holy Spirit,” (Mormon Doctrine, 1979, 269).  [12] Many men say there is one God; the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are only one God. I say that is a strange God anyhow—three in one, and one in three! It is a curious organization. … It would make the biggest God in all the world. He would be a wonderfully big God—he would be a giant or a monster.” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 372)  [13] My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join… I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof” (Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith History 1:18-19).  [14] One of the most pernicious doctrines ever advocated by man, is the doctrine of ‘justification by faith alone,‘”(Joseph Fielding Smith, The Restoration of All Things, p.192).  [15] “One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation,” (Spencer W. Kimball, Miracle of Forgiveness, p.206).  [16] My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join… I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof” (Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith History 1:18-19).  [17] “Presumptuous and blasphemous are they who purport to baptize, bless, marry, or perform other sacraments in the name of the Lord while in fact lacking the specific authorization” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, pg.55).  [18] “Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God,” (Book of Mormon, ,First Nephi 13:28).  [19] “Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?” (Book of Mormon, Second Nephi 29:6).  [20] “We find Alma inviting the wicked to repent and join the true Church of Christ and become the sheep of the Good shepherd. “And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto you, that the devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil. (Alma 5:39),” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1979, p.138).  [21] “Many objections are urged against the Latter-day Saints for not admitting the validity of sectarian baptism, and for withholding fellowship from sectarian churches,” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.192)  [22] “All this is symbolized in the holy ordinance of ‘baptism by immersion for the remission of sins,’ and this is valid only when performed by one who has been duly commissioned by Jesus Christ the Lord. After this it is ratified by ‘the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost’ by one having authority,” (Rulon S. Wells, Conference report, April 1936, p. 42).  [23] “Just as some shall gain eternal life by worshipping the true and living God, so shall others inherit eternal damnation by worshipping false gods. The greatest truths known to man are that God is a personal being in whose image we are made, that he is our Father, and that we have power to become as he is.  The greatest heresy found in Christendom is that God is a spirit, an essence that fills immensity, an uncreated force or power having neither body, parts, nor passions,”( Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah, p.77).  [24]“ What does the Christian world know about God? Nothing; yet these very men assume the right and power to tell others what they shall and what they shall not believe in. Why, so far as the things of God are concerned, they are the veriest fools; they know neither God nor the things of God,” (John Taylor, May 6, 1870, Journal of Discourses 13:225)  [25] “What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally with a hope of salvation It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the devil, by which he deceives the whole world” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.270)  [26] “This (LDS) Church is ‘the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth’(Doc. & Cov. 1:30), the only organization authorized by the Almighty to preach his gospel and administer the ordinances of salvation, the only church which has power to save and exalt men in the hereafter” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1979, p.136).  [27] “Christianity is the religion of the Christians. Hence, true and acceptable Christianity is found among the saints who have the fullness of the gospel, and a perverted Christianity holds sway among the so-called Christians of apostate Christendom,” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1979, p.132).   Thanks to Bill McKeever of Mormonism Research Ministry for this original idea. He posted a list similar to this. I expanded it, added references and put my own personal flavor to it. Evidence MinistriesFri, 23 Mar 2012 09:11:55 -0500http://www.evidenceministries.org/2012/03/mormonism%e2%80%99s-hypocritical-attack/http://www.evidenceministries.org/2012/02/should-mormons-vote-for-mitt-romney/If voting against Mitt Romney because he is a Mormon is bigotry, then isn’t it also bigotry to vote for him because he is a Mormon? This article explores what faithful Mormons should take into consideration before they cast their vote for Romney. There has never been a time in the 17 years of our ministry where Mormonism has received as much attention in the media. There have been many articles addressing everything from asking if America is ready for a Mormon President to whether or not Christians can vote for a Mormon. One thing I have yet to see addressed to my satisfaction is this. Just how loyal is Mitt Romney to Mormonism? I think it is safe to say that Mormon voters would rather vote for a faithful Mormon than one who does not take his faith seriously. The Mormon Church provides 14 fundamentals in following the current prophet, which every Latter-day Saint is expected to obey. Ten of these fundamentals have direct bearing on answering the question if Mormons should vote for Romney. (If you are interested in reading the other fundamentals, go to www.LDS.org and search for, “14 Fundamentals in Following the Prophet.”) If I was a faithful Mormon, I would want to know how loyal Mitt Romney is to the prophet and the 14 fundamentals in following him. It does not make sense to claim to believe that the President and Prophet of the LDS Church hears and speaks with God, and then disregard that prophetic voice, especially in these hard economic times. The first fundamental in following the prophet is, “The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything” (President Ezra Taft Benson, “Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet,” hereafter notated as 14 F’s). Doctrine and Covenants 21:5 states, “For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.” Mormons are taught that when the prophet speaks in the semiannual General Conference, it is as if the Lord God Himself is speaking. Would Mitt Romney seek council from “God’s spokesman” in running the most powerful country on earth? Before I could vote for Romney, I would have to know. The fourth fundamental is, “The prophet will never lead the Church astray” (14 F’s). Marion G. Romney, once an Apostle in the Mormon Church and first cousin to Mitt Romney’s father, spoke of a conversation he once had with Heber J. Grant, the last Mormon prophet to practice polygamy. In a 1960 General Conference Marion Romney stated, “You always keep your eye on the President of the Church and if he ever tells you to do anything, and it is wrong, and you do it, the Lord will bless you for it.’ Then with a twinkle in his eye, he said, ‘But you don’t need to worry. The Lord will never let his mouthpiece lead the people astray’”(14 F’s). Mormons take comfort in this promise to not be led astray. Wouldn’t it be nice to know that the advice you receive will not lead you astray? Does Mitt Romney believe in this principle? If I was a Mormon, I would have to know before I could vote for him. The fifth fundamental is, “The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or diplomas to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time” (14 F’s). Would Mitt Romney be willing to listen to the council of the LDS prophet on any matter at any time? Who would not want to hear what God has to say about any subject at any time? If God cares for America, and Mormons believe He does, then shouldn’t Romney want to know what God thinks is best for our country and be open to listening to the man who can tell him? Faithful Mormons believe this. Does Mitt Romney? The sixth fundamental is, “The prophet does not have to say ‘Thus saith the Lord’ to give us scripture. Sometimes there are those who argue about words. They might say the prophet gave us counsel but that we are not obliged to follow it unless he says it is a commandment. But the Lord says of the Prophet, “Thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you” (D&C 21:4.) (14 F’s). In the online version of this conference talk, there is emphasis to make a distinction between “words” and “commandments” as if to say “opinions and commandments.” Will Mitt Romney obey the Prophet’s opinions? Before I could vote for him, I would have to know. The seventh fundamental is, “The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.” (14 F’s)    Many Americans want a clear distinction between Church and State. If I was a Mormon and believed my Prophets, I would have to disagree with that notion. Former Mormon Prophet Harold B. Lee stated, “You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may conflict with your political views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life … Your safety and ours depends upon whether or not we follow … Let’s keep our eye on the President of the Church” (14 F’s). Is Mitt Romney willing to submit himself to this dictate? Is he willing to set aside his political and social views? If a Mormon’s safety depends upon following their prophet, and the prophet has a view concerning the direction of our country, then doesn’t it follow that the safety of our country depends upon how closely it follows the Mormon prophet? Before American’s should vote for Romney, they had better know his view on this fundamental. The eighth fundamental is, “The Prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning… Said the Prophet Joseph Smith, ‘Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof until long after the events transpire.’ (Scrapbook of Mormon Literature, vol. 2, p. 173)” (14 F’s). Keep in mind that Mormons believe that the prophet is the only person on earth who has the right to tell us what God requires. Is Mitt Romney willing to abide by this principle and obey his prophet even if what the prophet says doesn’t make sense to him? At this point, you may be thinking to yourself that the Mormon Prophet would never interfere in politics so we need not worry about any of the above scenarios. The ninth and tenth fundamentals address this issue and since they are so closely related, we will look at them together. The ninth fundamental is, “The prophet can receive revelation on any matter—temporal or spiritual” (14F’s). The tenth is, “The prophet may well advise on civic matters” (14F’s). By “temporal” and “civic” matters, certainly political affairs are not off limits. Brigham Young once spoke concerning Mormons who were upset with Joseph Smith for, “meddling with temporal affairs, they did not believe that he was capable, of dictating to the people upon temporal matters, thinking that his duty embraced spiritual things alone, and that the people should be felt to attend to their temporal affairs, without any interference whatever from Prophets or Apostles”(Journal of Discourses,10: 363). In response to them Young said, “I defy any man on earth to point out the path a Prophet of God should walk in, or point out his duty, and just how far he must go, in dictating temporal or spiritual things. Temporal and spiritual things are inseparably connected, and ever will be. (Journal of Discourses, 10:363–64.)” (14 F’s).  In the 14 Fundamentals discourse, Mormons are reminded that the Book of Mormon character, “Alma was the head of the Church and of the government in the Book of Mormon; Joseph Smith was mayor of Nauvoo and Brigham Young was governor of Utah. Isaiah was deeply involved in giving counsel on political matters” (14 F’s). The examples of the aforementioned characters are obviously meant to convince Mormons that the man they consider their prophet has a place in politics. Is Mitt Romney willing to accept Brigham Young’s advice concerning the current LDS Prophet and allow him to “meddle in temporal affairs” or should the people be able to attend to their own affairs without interference from Mormon Prophets? Before I could vote for Mitt Romney, I’d have to know just how loyal Romney is to his Prophet. The twelfth fundamental is, “The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly. As a prophet reveals the truth it divides the people. The honest in heart heed his words but the unrighteous either ignore the prophet or fight him” (14 F’s). It doesn’t look like Mitt Romney has a choice. He is either honest in heart and will heed the words of his prophet or Romney proves to be unrighteous by ignoring or fighting against his prophet. Which path will he choose? Before you vote… The last of the 14 fundamentals is downright frightening, unless you are a faithful Mormon. “The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the First Presidency—follow them and be blessed—reject them and suffer” (14 F’s). What does it mean to reject the prophet? Referring to following the 14 fundamentals, Mormons are told, “Our salvation depends on them” (14 F’s).  For Mormons the very measuring stick on how acceptable they are to the Lord is based upon how closely they follow their prophet. “If we want to know how well we stand with the Lord then let us ask ourselves how well we stand with His mortal captain—how close do our lives harmonize with the Lord’s anointed—the living Prophet—President of the Church, and with the Quorum of the First Presidency” (14 F’s). That leads right back to the original question. Should a Mormon vote for Mitt Romney? Should any American? Should I? If I was a Mormon, I would do so only if Mitt Romney is faithful to these 14 fundamentals in following the Prophet. I would view it as God placing a fellow Mormon into a position to save our Country. I, as a Mormon, would not want to place another Mormon in office unless he is willing to subject himself to God’s direction, which comes from the Prophet. Anything less than that could put our Country in worse shape than it is already. On a personal note, I do not envy Mitt Romney. If he is elected to the most powerful position on earth, he will still find himself in the position where he will have to subject himself to his prophet. When you take into consideration that Romney’s salvation is dependent upon how closely he follows his prophet, my concern is not so much about the possible future President in the Whitehouse, but with his President in Salt Lake City. Evidence MinistriesWed, 08 Feb 2012 19:08:52 -0600http://www.evidenceministries.org/2012/02/should-mormons-vote-for-mitt-romney/http://www.evidenceministries.org/2012/01/christian-apologist-responds-to-joel-osteen-on-mitt-romney-being-a-believer-in-christ-like-me/ Evidence MinistriesMon, 16 Jan 2012 01:01:38 -0600http://www.evidenceministries.org/2012/01/christian-apologist-responds-to-joel-osteen-on-mitt-romney-being-a-believer-in-christ-like-me/http://www.evidenceministries.org/2011/12/41-merry-christmas-to-jehovahs-witnesses-quick-questions-for-jehovahs-witnesses-2/ Evidence MinistriesSun, 25 Dec 2011 11:02:03 -0600http://www.evidenceministries.org/2011/12/41-merry-christmas-to-jehovahs-witnesses-quick-questions-for-jehovahs-witnesses-2/http://www.evidenceministries.org/2011/11/41-mormonism-has-no-proof-quick-questions-for-mormons/ Evidence MinistriesWed, 16 Nov 2011 11:05:43 -0600http://www.evidenceministries.org/2011/11/41-mormonism-has-no-proof-quick-questions-for-mormons/http://www.evidenceministries.org/2011/10/40-fractions-dont-add-up-quick-questions-for-jehovahs-witnesses/ Evidence MinistriesMon, 31 Oct 2011 00:58:32 -0500http://www.evidenceministries.org/2011/10/40-fractions-dont-add-up-quick-questions-for-jehovahs-witnesses/http://www.evidenceministries.org/2011/10/witnessing-tips-student-role-teaching/Preaching the gospel to Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons presents problems to the Christian that are often times more difficult than normal witnessing situations.  Mormon missionaries and Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught not to listen to Christians who are obviously trying to teach them.  Since these cultists believe they already have the truth, they think that there is nothing to gain by listening to Christians.  There is a way to reach out to Jehovah’s Witness and Mormons, but it is in a way opposite to conventional wisdom. As Christians, we are familiar with the style of leadership that Jesus made famous.  Many popular Bible teachers have coined this style “Servant/Leadership.”  Jesus, the greatest leader ever, taught us that if we really want to be great in the Kingdom of God, we must first learn how to serve.  Matthew 23:11 states, “But the greatest among you shall be your servant.”  This leadership style may seem contradictory to those devoid of the Holy Spirit, and yet still difficult to practice by those who understand its principles.  In the same way, teaching, while remaining in the student role, is equally complex and appears paradoxical. We have received a number of e-mail requests for help in witnessing to Jehovah’s Witness.  One key word of advice is that Christians need to learn how to remain in the student role while witnessing to Jehovah’s Witness and Mormons.  This method is similar to how the renowned philosopher Socrates taught his students.  He was one of the first to teach his students by asking a series of questions.  A good explanation of the Socratic method is found on the GoodCharacter.com web site.  The Socratic method derives from the Socratic Dialogues of Plato, in which Socrates made people jump through intellectual hoops trying to defend a “truth.” He would ask a progression of seemingly innocent questions that ultimately led the respondent to a logical conclusion that was incompatible with that person’s originally stated belief. (Emphasis in the original) It is very important that the person to whom we are witnessing comes to their own conclusions.  If we give them an answer to the questions we are asking, then they can easily discount it because it is our answer and not theirs.  If they never take ownership of the conclusion, they will never be troubled enough to seriously question what they believe. After receiving our advice, F.E. in Canada wrote, “The biggest problem I have with letting them be in the teacher role is how to respond to their points without seeming argumentative or conceding.” Our response to F.E was as follows.  “That is a tough one.  I’ve actually had people tell me they were offended when they realized that the Jehovah’s Witness truly thought they could convince them of becoming a Jehovah’s Witness.  Hey, let them think what they want.  If the Jehovah’s Witness thinks that you are on the verge of becoming a Jehovah’s Witness, then they surely don’t think you are an opposer. (The term “opposer” is used by Jehovah’s Witness to describe people who are in disagreement with and oppose the teachings of the Watchtower) If they don’t view you as a threat, then you can get them to think even more.  It always pricks at our pride to think that a Jehovah’s Witness could actually be right on any given argument.  Conceding points isn’t easy, but it must be done.  You’ve got to pick your battles. If you must win every point, then you have already become argumentative and are in danger of losing them.  Being right is important, but not at the expense of being viewed as unreasonable.  We must strive to be right and reasonable at the same time.” F.E. wrote again. “Hi again: Thanks for your insights. Would you be able to give me an example of how your wife’s book study (or are they doing an actual Bible study?) goes? We are probably going to start going through the ‘What Does the Bible Really Teach’ book with the Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Our response; “When a Jehovah’s Witness says they are doing a Bible study, they are really studying one of the publications of the Watchtower.  Becky and her Jehovah’s Witnesses started on the ‘Knowledge that Leads to Everlasting Life’ book and have shifted to the ‘What Does the Bible Really Teach’ book.  I would suggest that you do what Becky did.  She read the whole publication cover to cover by herself.  She did this for a number of reasons:  1) It shows that she is really interested in studying with them.  2) The Jehovah’s Witness can’t tell her that the next chapter will answer her questions since she has already read it. 3) Since she has already read the whole book, she knows what the book covers and what it does not. She is able direct her questions to its weak areas. 4) Becky and the Jehovah’s Witness spend MUCH less time reading the remedial material from the Watchtower and more time talking about it. 5) It places more of a burden on the Jehovah’s Witness to find answers to Becky’s questions rather than just relying on the information from their book. 6) Since she has already read the book, they are able to spend more time in the Bible and less time in the Watchtower publications. 7) If the Jehovah’s Witness can’t find an answer to her questions from the publications, they will understand her refusal to buy into what they are teaching. In this way she does not come across as being argumentative or unreasonable.”  The above seven reasons are just some of the benefits that can be gained from reading the entire Watchtower publication shortly after it is given to you.  Although the above was written specifically for Christians witnessing to Jehovah’s Witnesses, this information can be applied to Mormons as well.  It is important to get the Jehovah’s Witness or Mormon to a place where they are questioning their belief system without viewing you as an enemy to their faith.  Questioning their dearly held beliefs is not encouraged by their leaders and is certainly not comfortable for the individual person to whom you are witnessing.  This fact alone is enough to confirm to Christians that we need to be careful in our witness.  We are already at a disadvantage with Jehovah’s Witness and Mormons in the sense that they believe that they are the true Christians and that we are either apostates or of the devil.  We must take great care in dealing with these people and use sound tactics that will not unnecessarily close their minds to a potentially fruitful conversation before it even begins. Evidence MinistriesFri, 28 Oct 2011 16:02:08 -0500http://www.evidenceministries.org/2011/10/witnessing-tips-student-role-teaching/http://www.evidenceministries.org/2011/10/39-instant-christian-quick-questions-for-jehovahs-witnesses/ Evidence MinistriesWed, 19 Oct 2011 00:13:22 -0500http://www.evidenceministries.org/2011/10/39-instant-christian-quick-questions-for-jehovahs-witnesses/