The Culture War on Christianity
STANDING AGAINST EVIL
Daily prayer and devotion should mark the lives of Christians against this troubled and confused world. Here are two resources I love and heartily recommend: Morning and Evening: Daily Readings by Charles H. SPURGEON and The Valley of Vision Edited by, Arthur Bennett Please pray with me for a powerful movement of God in our land. That is our only hope. - Ron Paladini
The preferred term is "wild fires" even as the the "arson fire" investigations are ongoing.
A loving God isn't allowed to get angry.
In 2013 the Presbyterian Church USA published a new hymnal. The committee that adopted the hymnal chose not to include the song "In Christ Alone". They found one line in the song offensive. The line reads, 'Till on that cross Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied." They suggested the line be modified to read, "Till on that cross as Jesus died the love of God was magnified." In another manifestation of flexible truth, the Chinese communist party has rewritten the parts of the Bible they don't like and appointed compliant RC bishops to rubber stamp their lies. In a more subtle repudiation, those who suggest that the California fires might be a manifestation of the wrath of God's judgment on our sinful western culture are met with scorn. "Stuff just happens" or does it?
American evangelist Franklin Graham doesn’t believe the Los Angeles fire disasters are God’s judgement on the material culture of Hollywood... “When storms like this come, it’s not God’s judgement. I don’t believe that for a second." You would be hard pressed to find a preacher willing to call these fires part of the judgement of God on our Sodom and Gomorrah culture. Fearless preaching went out with the horse and buggy. No man can know the mind of God or guess at His ways but the Bible gives us abundant examples of cultures and kingdoms that have reaped the terrible wages of their sins. John MacArthur's sobering sermon When God Abandons a Nation is a true classic in this area. The wise men of America's pop Christianity would rather sell you a discount ticket to heaven than to come out with a strong call for the kind of daily widespread repentance and devotion needed to turn our country around. Historically the revivals that actually made a difference in turning the hearts of the people back to God were widespread and united diverse churches to preach the gospel across denominational lines. Leonard Ravenhill's classic book WHY REVIVAL TARRIES and his timeless sermons offer real insights which are widely ignored today, Ravenhill's lessons are easy to understand but the implementation is hard. Spiritual disciplines always begin with effective prayer and effective prayer always begins with the kind of faith that is in short supply in our short circuited minds. Pray for wisdom and the discipline to find it.
Bill Lami
Please Pray for our Country
Our Father who art in heaven. Our Father who dwells in eternity, we give you praise today. Our Creator who established our hours and days and the millennia of mankind, who set the earth and the stars in place and hears the pleadings of a billions of prayers. We give thee thanks.
Our father whose unfathomable love sent a perfect Savior into time to show us your kindness, and through his example your infinite forbearance, we give thee thanks.
And even when He was rejected of men, scorned and killed, you sent your Spirit to contend with erring men to guide those you love in your ways of peace. Receive our imperfect love today and keep us in your prefect love forever.
Amen
Christianity Under Attack
- Ron Paladini
" Let him who is without sin cast the first stone"
Christians in Syria face an ‘uncertain, perilous future’ under Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, a coalition of northern Syria-based Sunni Islamist insurgent groups that evolved from Jabhat al-Nusrah, or “Nusrah Front,” (al-Qa'ida's former branch in Syria) Uncertain is not the term I would use to describe how Christians in Syria must feel. The new regime’s rapid takeover by these loosely affiliated tribal factions necessarily mean chaotic reactionary treatment for those outside of their clans and especially towards Christians Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the ostensible leader of the rebels, has reportedly adopted the image of a kinder gentler al-Qaida. Remember how that worked out in Afghanistan? Pardon my skepticism but I would call this a fearful future for followers of Christ.
Christians face that uncertain future throughout the middle east. Even in U.S. ally Israel, ultra-Orthodox Jews are reported to have a decades-old practice of cursing and spitting on Christian clergymen in the streets of Jerusalem, in the same places where Jesus walked. An undercurrent of anti Christian rhetoric and occasional incidents are not uncommon there.
Lebanon, once considered a Christian country, has now flipped to a Moslem majority. For now their intolerance for Christians, still 33%. of the population remains unspoken there but it's definitely in flux. Sub-Saharan Africa is perhaps the major hotbed of persecution. Wherever ignorance, poverty and coercive governments are allowed to fester Islam gains a foothold. Wherever the totalitarian regimes of China and Russia find an opportunity to exploit resentment of Western decadence Islamic influence becomes a useful tool.
Some verses of the Quran have been used out of context to justify the slaughter of both Jews and Christians. Surah 9:5 “But once the Sacred Months have passed, kill the polytheists (trinitarian Christians) wherever you find them, capture them, besiege them, and lie in wait for them on every way.”
In 2023 - 295,120 Christians displaced - 14,766 churches and Christian properties attacked - 4,998 Christians murdered Open Doors
Please pray for the true religion of peace. "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". - John the Baptist
God speaks through his Word in the Bible and he also speaks through his creation which includes the increases in knowledge that God foresaw. Daniel 12:4 Is it possible that in these last days increased scientific knowledge could shed new light on these key Christian doctrines?
God, Time & Eternity
What if, you had a comprehensive HD quality video of your life, birth to death, complete with insight into your every thought and motivation? Scary thought? God has the movie in his infinite mind and, incredibly, He still loves you!
End Times Prophecies Are Being Fulfilled | Max Lucado | The Glenn Beck Video Podcast
“How do you find good news in such bad times?” Glenn asks Pastor Max Lucado
Follow Max Lucado as he traces the roots of antisemitism from the birth of Jacob and Esau (1836 BC) through the war that threatens to engulf the world today.
- Lami .
A Nation of Malingerers
How the destroyer uses medicine to discredit spiritual wellness.
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14
The term “malingering” belongs to another age. A term most often used to criticize or condemn those who pretend to be ill or afflicted in order to gain an advantage or avoid service. In earlier times malingering to avoid military service was often a capitol crime punishable by death. Times have changed. In our western civilization malingering often becomes a life style. For many it has become an excusable psychological crutch and for big pharma, feigned or imagined illnesses are major profit generators.
Recently, John MacArthur, one of Americas most respected Christian preachers, has come under withering fire for denying the validity of many of our most popular illnesses including depression, PTSD, ADHD and more. Some have suggested that MacArthur, who is 84, might have had a senior moment when he made these comments. MacArthur is not alone in discounting the reality of some forms of popular mental illness. Several evangelical preachers have voiced similar thoughts. Basically, salvation, Christian conversion and Spirit filled daily living are touted as the remedy for many of these ailments. If you're reading this, you have most likely taken a side on this question. It’s endlessly interesting how the destroyer takes the issues of our complex human existence and uses them to divide and confuse. Illness and health and their relationship to our spiritual practice, according to the mal-literate media, come down to our respected government approved physicians (science) versus spiritual witch doctors: The reality of greedy snake oil purveyors of big pharma and complicit psycho babblers versus spiritual well being doesn't make good headlines. Discernment, that elusive commodity lacking in distracted western thought, has no place in the discussion, simply lost to the tower of babel. I pray you find the narrow way. - Lami
You will never understand the important Christian doctrines of Election and Predestination without at least a glimpse of the infinite mind of our triune God. His economy is not a democracy of volunteers and neither is it a slave state. Popular Christian teaching tends to side step these doctrines which are an offence to our fragile egos. Trinitarian thinking is the key to opening our minds to the grandeur of God and embracing his infinite love.
How To Better Understand
The Holy Trinity -Excellent panel discussion
Predestination Is Biblical, Beautiful, and Practical- Article- JEFF ROBINSON
Predestination and Election
Pastor Gary Hamrick presents the post reformation middle path on election and predestination popular today. Without reference to the providential oversight of God the Father who lovingly sent his own son to die for our sins. Part of our worship may be missing. We believe the Holy Trinity is the antidote for much of the error that has crept into the church today.
- Lami
Letter to the American Church with Eric Metaxas & Gary Hamrick
The case for the American church to stand against evil.
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil.” Eric Metaxas
Careful Listening
The Bible tells us that God’s word is able to transform someone’s life, so how is it possible for some people to remain unchanged for years or even decades of consistent church attendance? Alistair Begg looks at the answer to that question on Truth for Life.
Directions, News & Clarity
Maintaining a simple faith in this time of skepticism takes courage determination, prayer and discipline. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart"
-Ron
What is "He Gets Us"
"He Gets Us" seeks to "reintroduce people to the Jesus of the Bible". Widely criticized as Christianity light, the program has been a useful conversation starter especially for young people
CS Lewis On
Effective Prayer
Accident, coincidence, luck or the power of prayer. Wisdom from this gifted Christian author on how to receive and practice one of God's most precious gifts.
Recommended
Reading
It's Not Like Being Black: How Sexual Activists Hijacked the Civil Rights Movement
Voddie T. Baucham Jr.
Seven Lessons for Unshakable Resilience
C.S. Lewis can pierce our skepticism and despair and pride and sinfulness and confusion and doubt to shine a light of hope
Harrison Butker’sspeech shakes up the woke ho's
Katy Perry Edits Harrison Butker’s Controversial Speech To Include ‘Happy (sodomy) Pride Month’
California Christian teacher fired for trans talk refusal
Takes courageous stand, delivers message to woke school district perversion promoters.
The Truth Behind the Lies – Dr. David Reagan
Every Christian should strive to understand the movement of God with regard to Israel as it is given in the Bible.
For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known, 1 Cor 13:12
For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known, 1 Cor 13:12
Living in the age of obfuscation there seems little hope for either political or even Christian clarity.
(Above) Caravaggio - Salome receives the head of John the Baptist
From the dawn of Christianity there was never a time when the truth of God's word and the faith of our fathers was easy to follow. Our faith has always been a hard sell except to the childlike simple. All others must squint through an increasingly dirty window.
"Go and Sin No More" -Jesus
Around 29 BC the ancient Roman poet Virgil wrote: Facilis descensus Averno, The decent to Hell is easy.
Living as a Christian in a world dominated by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life takes courage and discipline. No one escapes the tension between our fleshly existence and the striving after righteousness that our Christian faith asks of us. When did any worthwhile endeavor in this life not demand effort, discipline and sacrifice? The appeal of cheap grace, easy believism or feelings of spiritual euphoria cannot exempt us from this struggle. The great American pop religion found in almost every popular Church, on almost every street corner and broadcast on nearly every mass media device tells us that the disciplines of discipleship are burdensome and unnecessary. We should put this counsel in the same basket with free money, free love and fat free ice cream.
This is not the faith of our fathers nor is it the faith described by Christ. The temptation to embrace forgiveness without repentance has plagued the church from it's very earliest establishment. The apostle Paul asked, "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?" The rhetoric of American pop religion tends to paint the ministry of Jesus love as separate from the judgement of God. Reject that and live.
I appeal to you to embrace the full counsel of God given to mankind in his word and the plain understanding of your Spirit guided common sense.
"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." Phil 2:12
The ancient Roman poet Virgil was no Christian but he was all too familiar with the tendency of human nature to follow the slippery path of least resistance. The decent to Hell is easy.
-Bill Lami
Fantasy, Coincidence
Love or Judgement?
"Our God Reigns" is not only a popular Christian hymn but, like it or not, describes the truth of our existence. The world system may ridicule our faith but, reality has a way of intruding on the lies we're tempted to believe. Beginning with the biblical account of the rebellion of Korah, here are three times when the Almighty intervened in the affairs of men to demonstrate his omnipotent judgement. Open our eyes, Lord!
1. "The story of the rebellion of Korah is recorded in Numbers 16. The rebellion of Korah demonstrates the grim consequences of usurping the authority of God and of those whom He has chosen to be leaders of His people." In the biblical account of the Jews wandering in the wilderness after their exit from Egypt, Korah and his confederates led a rebelion against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. "Moses proposed a test to prove the source of his authority. Korah and his followers did not pass the test and God opened up the earth and swallowed the rebels, their families, and all their possessions."
READ MORE IN -Got Questions
2. John MacArthur recalls the St Bartholomew's day massacres. Video
"In 1662 two thousand faithful English Puritan pastors were permanently ejected from their churches. It was called the Act of Uniformity, the Great Ejection. It was perhaps the greatest spiritual disaster in English history. It is such a disaster that it is the dividing point in the history of England spiritually. As proofs of God's displeasure, a long unbroken course of disasters began...It was a plague that killed 100,000 people, a fourth of London's population. Within a year it was followed by the 1666 London fire that consumed the homes of 70,000 to 80,000 people and burned to the ground 90 churches."
3. A member of the Turkish parliament gets up to give a speech. The speech condemns Israel. At the end of the speech he calls down a curse upon Israel from heaven. The man was struck down dead. He called down a curse on Israel and he was struck dead !
The Sign of The Statue
Johnathan Cahn
"I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse." You're about to see the Abrahamic covenant activate in real time.
(Below) In a dramatic demonstration of God's real time activity in His world today, Johnathan Cahn illustrates before and after images of what can only be described as the wrath of the God against the papal decree enabling the Roman Catholic church to bless homosexual couples.
" There is a statue of Peter, the office of which pope Francis claims. It stands in South America, the land from which Francis comes. Further, the statue of Peter stands in Argentina. Argentina is the homeland of the pope. Further, the statue is located in the province of Buenos Aires...where the pope comes from. So what happened.... "
Joni's Corner: Finding Peace in Pain
This past weekend I had a particularly challenging
bout with hip pain and I almost felt as though emotionally I was going to
deflate , I was just going to collapse in discouragement but just then God gave me
the words to a beautiful hymn that helped center my thinking and help focus me
back on the source of grace, the Lord Jesus who was always my ever-present help in trouble. -VIDEO HERE
Human value and the image of God
Billions of people around the world take for granted that humans possess inherent value and intrinsic rights. Yet only biblical theism provides the resources for explaining how this can be the case.
Evidence that Demands a Verdict
The Book of Psalms was written by more than 7 authors all before 500 BC. These prophesies found in the PSALMS surrounding the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ were fulfilled more than five hundred years later. Here is the Evidence That Demands YOUR Verdict.
The Real Presence Of God
For Those Having Eyes To See
Ron Paladini
No imaginary friends, no cheap grace fire insurance or pie in the sky, no second class obstructed view: it is the privilege of every Christian believer to walk humbly with God and to experience not only His gift of salvation but also his friendship. The Bible tells us that, Abraham was called a friend of God and that friendship is also open to you.
There can be no greater adventure under the sun than to experience daily fellowship with the Creator of the universe. In comparison, every other life orientation must take on the pale gray shades of the mundane. From the bed ridden invalid to the superstar athlete the daily presence of God in our life can be the true center of a joyful and fulfilled life.
Walking with Jesus puts away all petty negativity in dealing with others. It provides the real perspective on the trials of our daily grind and bypasses the limitations of our social and physical short comings. It opens amazing glimpses of the spiritual and eternal.
Connecting with God through the Spirit also puts away the craven fear of psycho/social rejection and opens us to the higher calling of community and relationship based on an overarching understanding of our true place in creation. If we know that God has told us who we are then we have little need for the approbation of men.
Entry into fellowship with God is independent of religious chatter, institutional orthodoxy or clerical gatekeepers. The words of the Bible are sufficient guidance for entry, just waiting for a willing heart.
Does the Master of the universe selfishly guard the entrance to abundant life and spiritual connection for himself? Are the Bible’s many statements concerning the love of Jesus reserved for the privileged few? I think not. The terms of His invitation are simple. He waits for the invited to open the door. “Behold I stand at the door and knock” He waits for the seeker to look up from his sleep and simply ask for His friendship. “You will seek me and find me when you look for me with all your heart.” Will you seek Him today?
Reclaiming the Imago Dei – the key to identity and purpose
Knowing who you are as a child of God created in his image is the antidote for gender confusion, self destructive behavior, and forms the basis for equality and true community.
Where did my faith go?
Researchers call them "Dones" as in, done with religion. Here are two studies asking why people walk away. We believe disintegrating religious faith is a prime cause of a disintegrating America. Can anything stem the tide?
Why People Lose Their Religion (and How Churches Can Support Those Struggling with Faith)
AND
Losing my religion: Who walks away from their faith and why?
THIS Will Cause the COLLAPSE of America in the Year ____?
According to a J.D. Unwin, we can predict when the collapse of the United States will occur based on when it started embracing sexual freedom. In this video, Todd Friel reviews these observations and predictions, and gives his BIBLICAL perspective on the matter.
John MacArthur warns church leaders against compromising with ‘the devil’s work’
“If you think there is a way to accomplish redemption without suffering and death, you’re offering what the devil offered,” “If you can make an alliance with the devil, you can skip all the suffering.”
The Truth Behind MLK's Social Gospel -Virgil Walker
The prevailing revisionist historical narrative surrounding Martin Luther King Jr. is so extensive that few are aware of his rejection of basic orthodox Christian beliefs. While King skillfully used Christian rhetoric to champion civil rights, he also wholeheartedly embraced the contrasting heterodox ideas of the social gospel..
Christians Shouldn’t Be Rattled by the Latest Wild Claims
... a Bible researcher and an author claim that a Greek word found in 1 Corinthians 6:9 should not have been translated “homosexuality.”
Done with Church -
Reason #4: The Church Hates Gay People
Listen carefully to this poor man's condemnation of the church. (VIDEO). His defensive posture toward LGBT affiliation and group identity is revealing and a world apart from the church embracing one repentant sinner. As is typical in our permissive culture, the church he describes substitutes diversity and acceptance in place of the rejection of sin and the joy of a new life. Count the number of times that nasty 3 letter word, sin is mentioned. We know the deck is stacked against the conversion of the lost when the entire social structure supports sinful lifestyles, but Jesus never said the path was wide open, easy.
The church's response to rising social acceptance of homosexuality ranges from open accommodation to almost paranoid condemnation and has divided Methodists and other denominations asunder. Few denominations are willing to redefine homosexuality as anything but sin, however as the idea of sin itself has lost its meaning, the church's role in discipline and accountability has also faded. In a show of misguided compassion, God's justice is lost as people ask, "How can we say no to love and joy?"
Does this church's compassion extend to the heart broken parents whose children have been lured, groomed or enticed into perverse lifestyles through the culture's redefinition of normal to include sodomy, transgender surgeries and even pedophilia? Does it extend to the multitude of souls lost to horrible deaths from AIDS. (worldwide estimates range to 50 million. WHO).
Funny how when the numbers and the budget dwindle the message gets muted. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the ones who do the will of my Father who is in heaven. Find additional sermon material from this church HERE
The hope and promise of the church of Christ has always been a new life. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” My best advice to this church is to celebrate our new lives together, look upward and follow the admonition of Jesus Christ to let the dead bury their own dead.
This article was compiled by a young man who was the victim of a homosexual assault. He wishes to remain:
- Anonymous.
"This is a perfect example of the Joseph Gobbles school of journalism." Hitlers minister of propaganda would have been proud.
SPECIAL: Rolling Stone Attacks – Jonathan Cahn Answers
Why Now?
The Hamas Attack on Israel
The politicians continue to analyze the temporal constituents of the war; the alliances, the territorial claims, the failing diplomacy and the broken promises. Little attention is directed to the spiritual dimensions of the conflict to trying to understand the movement of God in the history of this region. I don't pretend to comprehend the mind of God in this, but manifest spiritual warfare is active and underlies the fire and blood and hate. Here are a couple of articles which may provide some clues.
- Ron
A Fruitful and Multiplying: 9 Visions for Evangelical Ministry in the Middle East
AND
Saudi Arabia and Israel quietly prepare ‘deal of the century’
The God Connection
The 25 Most Religious Athletes
Looking beyond themselves to find the inspiration to excel
A Superstar Black Athlete
The meteoric rise and fall of Ja Morant and the hopes and prayers of a great Christian coach. Redemption against the thug culture.
'Then the alligators got him': Inside Ja Morant's 18-month downfall - ESPN
YOUTUBE VIDEO: Ja Morant on Deion Sanders' inspirational tweet: 'Right on time prime' UNDISPUTED
The Wolfman, the Door Secret, & How Not to Fall
"So in your life and so in your walk the enemy is going to be looking for weakness." He'll look for them in any part he can find ... he knows it already, you be wise and cover it. Take precaution, take preemptive action...
Sexual addiction a threat to the church, therapist asserts - Baptist Standard
Failure to address the problem
Ministers who dare to talk about compulsive sexual behavior as an addiction from which people can recover with the proper therapy—not just a bad habit they can overcome with will power—risk being perceived as “soft on sin” by some church members, Myers said.
What’s behind America’s ‘great dechurching’?
Evangelicals, as a share of the population, have sunk to pre-1980s levels while the religiously unaffiliated have swelled to nearly a third of the population.
By John Stonestreet, G. Shane Morris
"Suffering is the textbook that shows you who you really are." - Joni Eareckson Tada
I use this devotional app everyday. Those who have endured long suffering have a unique relationship to our suffering Savior that simply cannot be acquired through books and sermons. Come here to truly understand what it means to walk daily with Jesus and find the infinite depth of His unfailing love.. - Ron
*Joni's Corner: Finding Peace in Pain
Where Have All the Babies Gone?
Today, the U.S. birth rate stands at 1.6, while China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, and most of Western Europe and the United Kingdom slot even lower. Without an immediate, dramatic, and sustained uptick in native births, much of the developed world is nearing a demographic “death spiral,”
Understanding Suffering
R.C. Sproul
God never promised that we wouldn’t go into the valley of the shadow of death. What He did promise was that He would go with us.
We may have civilized bodies and yet barbarous souls. We are blind to the real sights of this world; deaf to its voice; and dead to its death. And not till we know, that one grief outweighs ten thousand joys will we become what Christianity is striving to make us. Herman Melville
The Most Distorted Verse in the Bible: Ultimately with R.C. Sproul
John 3:16 is one of the most famous verses in the Bible. It’s also one of the most distorted passages in Scripture. Today, R.C. Sproul explains what this verse actually teaches about the depths of God’s love in salvation.
Fear Not, Stand Still and See the Salvation of the Lord
Although Millions Have Feelings Of Impending Doom And Dread, We Need Not Fear When We Praise God With Reverence & Awe While Understanding The Urgency And Lateness Of The Hour
News and Views
The war on God and the Bible rages on.
Exploring the Issue of women leaders in the church
Rick Warren says Saddleback Church disagrees with 'only 1 word' in SBC doctrine: men
Warren’s tweet came just before he is scheduled to appear before thousands of Southern Baptists at their Annual Meeting held in New Orleans, Louisiana, this week and appeal the SBC’s decision to cut ties with Saddleback Church due to “the church continuing to have a female teaching pastor functioning in the office of a pastor.”
*Voices: Women pastors: The title should match the call - Baptist Standard
I don't agree with the premise of this article. Tony Evans has it right (See Below). In regards to "Women Pastors". "It's a matter of Ordination v Confirmation". Evans believes that women play an important role in the church when it addresses to what extent does the church allow women to preach. - Ron
* SBC messengers approve proposed amendment banning women pastors in denomination
*Commentary: Women in ministry need more than neutrality
* Southern Baptist Convention votes to uphold removal of Saddleback Church over women pastors after appeal by Rick Warren
*The Importance of Women’s Gifts in Ministry | Tony Evans VIDEO
*SBC action could disproportionately impact Black churches
A move to exclude churches with women pastors on staff from the Southern Baptist Convention could disenfranchise Black Southern Baptist churches, the president of the National African American Fellowship stated.
*
Archbishop of York Rev Stephen Cottrell says that starting the Lord's Prayer with 'Our Father' is problematic
The Archbishop of York (pictured) has said some people struggle with the traditional Biblical phrase 'our Father'
Riley Gaines says spiritual awakening is helping her in fight to ban men in women sports
It's plaguing this country. And I think we can all agree this is a spiritual battle. It's no longer right versus wrong, good versus bad. This is moral versus evil."
Stop Trying to Be What You Want Others to See and Ask Jesus to Make You Like Himself "Shadowed by an illusory person"
The problem with pretending to be what we are not is not just that our fiction is inevitably known by others. It is that our fictional self is not known to God.
Why Christian Colleges Are Closing, and What We Can Do
Over the last few months, several long-established Christian schools announced cutbacks, budget crises, and major restructuring.
Breakpoint - John Stonestreet
& Timothy D Padgett
Recommended Reading
Live Not By Lies - Rod Dreher
"These people completely changed my understanding of freedom...The secular liberal ideal of freedom so popular in the West, and among many in his post communist generation, is a lie. That is, the concept that real freedom is found by liberating the self from all binding commitments to (God, to marriage, to family,) and by increasing worldly comforts- that is a road that leads to hell." pp.210-211
Opening the Door to Dialogue with Gen Z
Consider these elegantly simple suggestions from Schaupp and his team at InterVarsity. In a new guide, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a national campus ministry found on over 700 campuses, provides insight into today’s college students and offers four tips for fostering spiritual conversations with this next generation.
Päivi Räsänen Faces Second Trial over Her Biblical Views on Marriage
Finnish Parliament member Päivi Räsänen is facing a second trial over her Christian beliefs on marriage and sexuality...Räsänen, the former leader of Finland's Christian Democratic Party, faced further criminal charges for a 2019 tweet criticizing Finnish Lutheran Church leaders for supporting LGBT pride month,
Franklin Graham Warns ‘Every Demon in Hell Has Been Turned Loose’
Franklin Graham warns of data, bank cancellations of Christian ministries. “I believe there’s a coming storm that we’re all going to [have to] be ready for," But large corporations such as Amazon “own the cloud” and can cancel service abruptly, “We cannot be deceived and we can’t be fooled,” the 70-year-old evangelist said. We need to get ready and be prepared.”
A Biblical Response to the ‘Transing’ of America
Gary Hamrick
Cornerstone Chapel Leesburg, VA
"I was gender confused as a young girl and teen and also took part in homosexuality. I don’t share that testimony often. If I hadn’t submitted myself to the Lord I wouldn’t have my wonderful husband and 6 children I have now. Look what the enemy tried to steel from me! Thank you Jesus for my true identity in Christ!"
Interpreting the Bible
Alistair Begg — (1 Samuel 21) How did David, the faith-filled hero who defeated Goliath, become a fearful fugitive relying on lies and deception? Before we approach difficult passages like 1 Samuel 21, we need to understand how to faithfully study God’s Word. Walking us through a list of proper Bible study habits, Alistair Begg reminds us to focus on the Bible’s main purpose and to allow Scripture to frame our interpretation. Only then can we make sense of David’s behavior while he was on the run.
The Problem of Suffering.
In a world come of age, does the
Church have a coherent answer?
I don't believe anyone loves Jesus more than my friend Stan and yet the ravages of colon cancer have this strong man crying out in horrible pain nearly every day. Bobby and his enthusiastic little band played for a dynamic itinerant preacher doing the the work of an evangelist night after night until his wife and two young daughters were killed by a drunk driver on a lonely east Texas country road.
A recent Breakpoint article quotes Barna research listing the top reasons people question Christianity. "Among those who claim to be Christian, practicing or otherwise, the problem of human suffering (23%) topped the list..."
The simplified answer to the cause of suffering and one often taken by the church is to just blame suffering on the Fall. The disobedience of Adam and Eve are supposedly responsible for the transition of humanity from innocence to guilt, from God's happy children to craven sinners: a simplistic perception, reality tells us, is no longer acceptable to many questioning Christians and their progeny.
The church must interpret the mythos of the fall and the reality of the human condition without losing the essence of the message of sin and redemption. Perhaps the Christian message was easier to communicate in the past when men were closer to the cycles of life, struggle and death than in our sanitized age of screens and fantasy and altered reality. Empty churches result when the message of God becomes divorced from our day to day concerns.
I heartily recommend American pastor Timothy J. Keller's book "Walking with God through Pain and Suffering" (reviewed here). It goes a long way in exploring what is at once a most basic fact of our human experience and a profound mystery of our Christian journey. Two aspects of this difficult Christian concept Keller explores include; suffering as a gift of God and the idea of suffering joy. Both of which, like it or not, are central, not only to our Christian faith but to our human journey.
Dear Abby: My boyfriend is addicted to porn
**HELP! My Boyfriend Is Always Watching Porn. What Can I Do?
**Wickr, Amazon’s encrypted chat app, has a child sex abuse problem — and little is being done to stop it
Court records show that Wickr Me has become part of a toolkit used by people who exploit children.
Are the End Times Finally Here?
Dr. James Emery White - Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
I think that checks off all eight. (signs) If I were to posit a ninth sign, it would be a cultural/technological climate that would allow for the rise of the antichrist and his deception to take hold of the world.
ESPN's Sage Steele Speaks Out against Biological Males in Female Sports, Urges Peers to Join Her
" I hope that ALL women--including my peers in the media--come together & support ALL female athletes..before it's too late. Riley Gaines shouldn't be standing alone!!"
Steele did not mention her employer or the controversial segment celebrating Women's History Month by spotlighting transgender swimmer Lia Thomas but made clear she stands with Gaines and her position.
63 churches attacked in the first 3 months of 2023: report
The number of attacks against churches during the first three months of 2023 represents a marked increase in the number of incidents that occurred in the first three months of the previous five years
For Gen Z, Revival Is Not a Bandwagon
Christian students aren’t afraid to ask questions and continue to seek the “still, small voice” of the Spirit.
.Today’s college students know their generation can be skeptical—cynical, even—when it comes to big Christian movements.
New Biblical Drama by Angel Studios Has Crowdfunding Success
Angel Studies, the streaming platform behind the hit Christian series The Chosen, is gearing up to release a film surrounding the story of Abraham, including the moment when God asked him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. The movie, titled His Only Son, has become the first-ever film to crowdfund for a theatrical release across the nation.
Generations bridge gap through interviews at church
“People were kind of apprehensive at first—the teenagers more than the senior adults,” Schmidt said. “One of the things we were real intentional about was explaining why we were doing this. We both kind of started out our presentations the same way. Unless we do something tonight, the vast majority of these teens may never come back after graduating high school.”
'A Sweet Move of God': Filmmaker Alex Kendrick Details First-Hand Experience at Lee University Revival
"I see people coming clean before the Lord," he said. "When I see conviction and people's desire go up to be right with the Lord, the Spirit is at work, and so that's what we have to pray for."
Church of England to consider use of gender-neutral terms for God - Guardian
Use of ‘he’ when referring to God to be examined by new commission in spring
I've been doing the work of evangelism for 20 years and I've never seen this kind of response to a faith message
I've been to the Asbury Revival It's real and spreading. This is what I saw
Related:
ASBURY UNIVERSITY REVIVAL
Cedarville University experiencing ‘outpouring of the Lord’
University of the Cumberlands seeing ‘evidence of the Lord’s work’ at student-led worship gatherings
A Song of Hope:
FOR KING & COUNTRY-
For God Is With Us
Lady A's Hillary Scott was feeling "grateful" as she walked the Grammys red carpet. Scott was nominated for a Grammy alongside Christian pop duo For King & Country for their collaboration on "For God is With Us," and she told Fox News Digital that she’s "grateful" to be part of such a hopeful song.
The Incomparable Prophet - Alistair Begg
Christians are increasingly fearful of speaking truth into a world that is filled with error. Our confidence in sharing the good news of the incomparable Jesus can be renewed or strengthened by understanding who He is and depending on our unity with Him. Alistair Begg unpacks Christ’s role as Prophet and its significance for us in terms of faith, preaching, and everyday evangelism.
Revelation 6: The rider on a black horse brings hunger
During the great famine in Russia from 1932-1933, a peasant described the famine in this way: “We’ve eaten everything we could get our hands on — cats, dogs, field mice, birds. You will see the trees stripped of their bark when it’s light tomorrow. And the horse manure has been eaten. Sometimes there are whole grains in it.”
...famine has never been abolished, and Revelation Chapter 6 predicts a period of unprecedented worldwide famine.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God - 2Cor 10:4
Even In The Womb, Christ Was Both God And Man - Samuel Green
As you help people see Jesus’s heart of love for children in the womb, you can remind those you share with of the Lord’s great love for them.
Gen Z Evangelicals Vote More than Millennials or Gen X Did
A bit of hope from the 18-25 gen Z's
The 50 Countries Where It’s Most Dangerous to Follow Jesus
3 in 4 martyrs are in Nigeria, ranked among 10 worst persecutors for first time.
Singapore repeals gay sex ban but limits prospect of legalising same-sex marriage
Activists cheered the repeal, but said the amendment to the constitution is disappointing because it means citizens will not be able to mount legal challenges to issues like the definition of marriage, family, and related policies since these will only be decided by the executive and legislature.
"Can Politics Be Saved?" with Justin Giboney
Do you ever feel pressure to stay silent to fit into your political party’s talking points? Justin Giboney, attorney, ordained minister and co-founder of the AND Campaign, joins VOICES’ Where Ya From? podcast to explore how bringing our full witness to our political decisions and conversations can be a way of loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Inside the 'Dark History': The Disturbing, Diabolical Roots of the Trans Movement
What are the roots of the transgender craze? How did we end up in this chaotic and dangerous place?
Before I Got Saved, I Got Shipped Off and Strung Out - First came Vietnam, then drug addiction. Somehow, God helped me survive.
So began many beatings throughout my adolescence. My older brothers bullied me too. I realized my survival depended on my ability to fight. Oddly, through it all, I loved my mom and knew she loved me. She was a hard-working woman who tried mightily to care for us. I never found out why she carried such anger
BREAK POINT - Colson Center
Chloe Cole, Detransitioning After a Double Mastectomy at 15
“No one explored why I did not want to be a girl,” she remembered. And today, she continued, “[M]ore and more kids are falling for the false promise of happiness if they transition.”
Ron DeSantis: Nationwide Test Scores Show Florida Was Right to Reopen Schools
“But the nation’s Catholic schools either held the line on their previous N.A.E.P. scores or lost substantially less ground than both public and charter schools. On eighth-grade reading scores, Catholic schools even managed to score a one-point improvement while charter and public schools each lost three points.” Breakpoint- The National Report Card Illuminates Terrible Drop in Academic Achievement
'Witchcraft Killed My Dad': Ex-Witch's Horrific Journey Out of Terror to Christ
Julie Lopez says she was walking in "darkness" until her father's horrific suicide sent her and her family on a path that snapped them out of generations of witchcraft...
The Deep State's crumbling fantasies
The reason the Deep State's fantasies of world domination are crumbling is they forgot God controls time. They have tried to accelerate the timetable for the Great Tribulation, but God is very fond of the timetables he has already established.
Jesus Coming in the Clouds?
Better test the spirits!
"Stackable “Holobricks” Can Make Giant, Highly Realistic 3D Holographic Images
THE CULTURE WAR ON CHRISTIANITY
A front row seat on the journey to perdition
-Ronda Boroughs
The Culture War continues with the war on Christianity and family values: virtual church, virtual spirituality, and now even virtual children.
Has your daily life become so meaningless that you must spend it on screens? Will you spend it in Zuckerberg's Metaverse fantasy land as a superstar avatar? The Metaverse is even launching a digital clothing store for users to purchase designer outfits for their avatars.
Perversion and deviancy used to be taboo; no longer politically correct. Now the Biden administration cynically promotes homosexuality, transgenderism and all manner of deviancy in order to buy the votes of this increasingly wacked out segment of Americans.
Here is a historical review of the literature from the government's own NIH on the homosexual lifestyle. Note that most of these studies go back a few years when partisan pandering was mostly covert and the government actually cared about social order.
You who still remember God, Please Pray for America
Canada Euthanized 10,000 People in 2021. Has Death Lost Its Sting?
"Watching her rest and converse with family made it hard to believe she was the same person who only hours earlier had cried out to have her life ended."
Christian Aid Agencies Have a New Approach to Famine
Relief has changed in time for Africa’s worst food shortage in 80 years.
Silence' of American churches echoes 1930s Nazi Germany
'We are going down precisely the same path'
Is the Church in America dying?
“So the real story is,” notes Stanton, “this is a sheep and goats being divided thing. A clarifying of faith, rather than shrinking of faith.”
Crazy Christians Suffering Anxiety Disorder According to CNN
CNN warns of 'rapture anxiety,' claims ex-Christians struggle with 'trauma' over End Times teaching.
James Cameron’s Avatar Is back in theaters. Avatar stands as one of the clearest examples of how worldviews can be embedded in stories, and of New Age ideas embedded in a film.
"But Avatar is part of another, more important, competition—one between competing accounts of where salvation is to be found". Chuck Colson
Parents Need to Know What’s Happening at School
When students are compelled (under threat of punishment) to affirm statements like “America is fundamentally racist” or to confess “white privilege” or “implicit bias,” this compulsion violates their freedom of speech.
"Many Americans think about God as if He had only revealed Himself in a vague, nondescript way. They seem to fill in the gaps with whatever they want to believe."
Most Evangelicals say worshiping alone is a 'valid replacement' for church
Hope Always for Those With Suicidal Thoughts
it increased by 33% from 1999-2017, and that was before COVID.
Christian parents denied custody of 12-year-old daughter kidnapped in Pakistan
LAHORE, Pakistan — Refusing to review evidence from a Christian couple trying to recover their 12-year-old daughter after she was allegedly kidnapped and forced to convert and marry, a judge in Pakistan last week denied them custody, sources said.
Listening to People Who Detransition
In our cultural moment, the victims are not supposed to exist. But they do, and if we can share their burden or prevent the pain of even one other, we must.
Christian University Has Professors State Their Pronouns, Calls Transgenderism 'Fundamental' to Its Mission
Villanova made it possible for all faculty, staff, and students to enter chosen first name and personal pronouns into [the administrative system
The Big Lie - How to Enslave the World
The most difficult part is trying to show our beloved ones, our circle of friends the lies and they just ignore us, thinking we're the insane ones, it's just hard.
Planned Parenthood’s New Revenue Stream Is Not a New Direction
America’s largest provider and promoter of abortion has added another revenue stream. This one also promises to destroy lives, albeit in a new and subtler way.
Over a third of senior pastors believe 'good people' can earn their way to Heaven: survey
At least a third of those surveyed also said they believe “socialism is preferable to capitalism and that allowing property ownership facilitates economic injustice,” which researchers say could point to the “increase of cultural and political influence into the church.”
New York Times admits that hundreds of ‘top surgeries’ are being performed on children
Just a month ago, when the Twitter account “LibsofTikTok” revealed videos and audio from Boston Children’s Hospital talking about various transgender surgeries (such as hysterectomies) and “treatments,” legacy media pumped out a wave of “fact checks” insisting that this was all conspiracy theory.
Jordan Peterson Is Right About The Church
Painfully, Dr. Peterson's message to the church mostly spot on.
There are multiple websites that teach youth pastors how to play gross out games like bobbing for Tootsie Rolls in a toilet or ....
Dreams & Prophesy
Real Poetic Dreams. Note the dates & pray for discernment. Not a short read but a reference of real thoughts, feelings & dreams from people around the world, happening right here right now!
’In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.. Acts 2:17
Who is Satan?
Pastor John MacArthur
Timeless teachings serve to preserve the invaluable teachings of Pastor John and pass them down from one generation to next generation
Your Work Matters: A Message From Chuck Colson
Americans are rethinking work, at least in the sense of employment. While there are many factors behind what has been called “The Great Resignation,” “The Great Quit,” and “The Great Reshuffle,” we shouldn’t underestimate the connection between how people see work and our culture-wide crisis of meaninglessness.
One of the best ever sermons on the American cultural divide.- Spot On- RB
"What does it look like to live in a Christian country that doesn't like what Christians believe.
In a world where 2+2=7 WRETCHED Video
"Two plus two can be seven if you want it to be"
The Elephant in the Courtroom
An organization called the Nonhuman Rights Project had sued the Bronx Zoo for “imprisoning” Happy, arguing it should be set free since it showed signs of “self-awareness.”
None dare call it insanity - R. Boroughs
The Point Podcast
The Point - 60-second updates hosts written posts and helpful links on both current events and issues relevant to culture, family, the church, and the things that define our lives.
Why Life is Worth Protecting
Article by Neal Hardin and accompanying video
Life is worth it because all life has immeasurable worth and value, and the value of any human life is not contingent upon the amount of hardship, pain, or heartache one may go through. In fact, some of the most inspiring stories of human life come from those who have persevered through great trials.
Diamonds in the Dust with Joni Eareckson Tada
When it comes to working out his plan for your life, God does not always follow a straight path. He loves designing twists and turns! So don't lose heart in him. God will come through with an ending, even if it's not the one you expected!
The Disparity Antiracists Don’t Talk About
In all the talk about racial injustices, the racial disparities for abortion are ignored. And that’s because we would need to talk about marriage. I’m John Stonestreet, and this is Breakpoint.
'Shocking' survey finds only half of Evangelical pastors hold biblical worldview
In what researchers described as a “shocking” find, a new report from the Cultural Research Center (CRC) at Arizona Christian University indicated just over half of all U.S. pastors of Evangelical churches (51%) have a biblical worldview.
Why the Lack of Religion Breeds Mental Illness -Insightful Video from the Academy of Ideas
.Faith asserts that Christ is God. Christian apologetics reminds us that life apart from God is meaningless. Great video, and excellent presentation about how reflecting on the mythos in the narrative of our lives helps to make sense of it all.
John MacArthur: Meet A Modern Day Nicodemus
Wretched TV and Radio are hosted by Todd Friel. On the show, you will see and hear live witnessing encounters, discussions of tough theological issues, and christian commentary on current events.
Exploring the Collapse of American Christianity #Spiritual Warfare
1. Christian parents' 'scrambled philosophy of life' turns children away from Christianity
2. Most adult US Christians don't believe the Holy Spirit is real: study
3. Only 6% of Americans have a ‘biblical worldview,’ research from George Barna finds
4. 70 Georgia churches leave United Methodist Church over homosexuality debate
5. Are Virtual Reality Churches the Wave of the Future?
6. Why ministering in the metaverse is the ‘Netflix of evangelism’
7. Will the metaverse end the megachurch? Video
Emotions in the Face of Suffering
If you live long enough, you come to realize that the nature of the Christian life is "suffering joy". There is no more compelling testimony to this truth than the life and example of Joni Eareckson-Tada. Video
Be inspired to endure and excel.
Practical Advice for Faithful Leadership
.Trusting your life to the Providential Leadership of God in a "name it and claim it world". Sage advice from a brilliant pastor
#Spiritual Warfare
The Spiritual Void in the West | The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
No old time religion here, just a bright man seeking to know God and the world he created.
40 Years Later: Remembering the Victory of the Cross over Communism
It was the second Sunday of December 1981. A few people heard the shot, and one even spotted the shooter. Other individuals saw a bleeding, dark-haired child silently fall on the pavement
‘I learned to trust in Jesus’: Magic Johnson shares reflections on living with HIV for 30 years
Today marks 30 years living with HIV so the message resonated with me in such a tremendous way. I thank the Lord for keeping me, giving me strength, and guiding me for 62 years but especially the last 30.”
God judges Israel and America
“Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever.” Thomas Jefferson
The short, somewhat obscure Old Testament book of Habakkuk written around 600 BC tells the story of a man questioning God. Like the many expressions of disgust and anger we often hear about America, Habakkuk observes the gross corruption of Israel and asks God, why he does not act.
The UMC North Georgia Conference announced last Thursday that 70 congregations representing 9% of its churches and 3% of its members have chosen disaffiliation.
An IRS official denied tax-exempt status to a Texas group that encourages church members to pray for state and national leaders, regardless of their party affiliation, because it benefits “the private interests of the [Republican] Party.”
Barna Research Group
Key Summary: Legal precedents in freedom of speech and expression in public schools.
... when you come to a place in your life where you have to make a choice … as the choices that lay themselves out now in front of you are weighty, you aim up or down, and there's always an agent of temptation at every choice point enticing you to aim down,"
Ten Quotes From Billy Graham on Patriotism
“The Bible says: Honor the nation. As a Christian, or as a Jew, or as an atheist, we have a responsibility to an America that has always stood for liberty, protection and opportunity.”