Random Things Needing Discernment

Can you imagine Paul telling Christians to visit pagan temples and hear pagan teachings and worship so as to understand them?!?!?

Doug Evans has a good article about Montanism — which is a heresy revamped by NAR/Word Of Faith adherents.

Jerry Falwell, Jr. is one name I’ve not previously mentioned on this blog so it’s about time I did, considering his latest actions. I guess since heretic Paula White was praying at the Presidential Inaugural, perhaps Falwell wanted on the popularity wagon?  Falwell said this “pastrix” “exemplified what being a Christian woman is about.”  (SHUDDERS!) 

And Falwell considers those who expose heretics such as White to be “Pharisees.”  I guess he doesn’t know what a real Pharisee is.

This has to be true because I saw it on the Internet.

The continuing important saga of Clayton Jennings.

Divinity schools are selling out God to satisfy man’s culture.

Elevation Church, the cult of Steven Furtick gets worse daily.

Beware of a new “Christian” book by Bethel Church “senior associate leader” Kris Vallotton.  Pure heresy.  (That Mark Batterson endorses it says lot about him!)

A reminder about avoiding the cultic “Passion Translation” of the Bible — it’s no better than the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ “New World Translation” because it is a translation made to support false teachings.

Another false prophet I’ve not previously heard of, Lance Wallnau; pay attention to how he comes up with his false prophecies (no, it’s not satire, regardless of how it sounds).

I’ve stated before that Michael Brown is lacking any real discernment when it comes to false teachers — he promotes way too many of them.  Now he’s promoting Word of Faith heretic Joseph Prince.  Brown is not to be trusted for any teachings about theology.

Discernment alert — this looks like a heresy fest!

Assertions and Assumptions are NOT the Foundation of the Church.  Be careful about accepting any of them.

Did They Really Say That?!?

Having entered deeply into history of salvation, Mary, in a way, unites in her person and re-echoes the most important doctrines of the faith: and when she is the subject of preaching and worship she prompts the faithful to come to her Son, to his sacrifice and to the love of the Father.

Vatican Council II, Official Teachings of Roman Catholicism, Vol.1, pg 420-421 [emphasis mine]

The next time a Roman Catholic tells you they don’t worship Mary, read this to them.  I’d like to know where any of this is found in the Bible.

Did They Really Say That?!?

Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifs of eternal salvation…

Catechism of the Catholic Church, para 969.

I wonder where they find this in the Bible? Mary never had any “saving office,” nor gave us the “gift of eternal salvation,” nor can she; only Jesus Christ did/does that.  The Bible never even intimates that Mary was “Taken up to heaven,” rather she, like everyone, eventually died.  There is also nothing in the Bible which says Mary intercedes for anyone.  All this is made up out whole cloth by Romanist popes.

Follow Boldly

The Christian will be sure to make enemies. It will be one of his objects to make none; but if doing what is right and believing what is true should cause him to lose every earthly friend, he will regard it as a small loss, since his great Friend in heaven will be even more friendly and will reveal Himself to him more graciously than ever. You who have taken up His cross, don't you know what your Master said? "I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother . . . And a person's enemies will be those of his own household."

Christ is the great Peacemaker; but before peace, He brings war. Where the light comes, the darkness must vanish. Where truth is, the lie must flee; or if it remains, there must be a stern conflict, for the truth cannot and will not lower its standard, and the lie must be trampled underfoot. If you follow Christ, you will have all the dogs of the world yelping at your heels. If you live in such a manner as to stand the test of the last judgment, you can depend upon it that the world will not speak well of you.

He who has the friendship of the world is an enemy to God; but if you are true and faithful to the Most High, men will resent your uncompromising commitment, since it is a testimony against their iniquities. You must do the right thing and not fear the consequences. You will need the courage of a lion to pursue a course that turns your best friend into your fiercest foe; but for the love of Jesus you must take your stand. To risk reputation and affection for the truth's sake is so demanding that to do it constantly you will need a degree of moral principle that only the Spirit of God can work in you. Do not turn your back like a coward, but play the man. Follow boldly in your Master's steps, for He has made this rough journey before you. Better a brief warfare and eternal rest than false peace and everlasting torment.

C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, revised and updated by Alistair Begg

Be Careful How You Live

I will govern my life and my thoughts as if the whole world were to see the one, and to read the other.  For what does it signify to make anything a secret to our neighbor, when to God, who is the searcher of hearts, all our privacies are open?

Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BC - 65 AD)

Talk Back to the Media

If you just let the modern media soak into your mind without exercising biblical discernment, your mind will be turned to mush (morally as well as intellectually).  So when you watch, read, or listen to anything, Christian or non-Christian, your brain should be in gear, not in neutral.  You need to be interacting with the material in that art form in a manner that is illustrated by the phrase “talking back to your TV.”  Talk back to your music, talk back to your books, talk back to the movie screen—not out loud (though sometimes that might be appropriate!), but in your heart and mind.  And when you see or hear something good, make a note of the truth that is communicated or illustrated.  When you see or hear something bad, make a note of how and why it displeases God, and think about why you should not believe or practice it.  This way you will be “taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5), rather than allowing your mind to be captured by the deceptive and destructive ideas of the enemy.

Dave Swavely, Who Are You To Judge?, pg.140-141

Random Things Needing Discernment

An examination of the cult of Freemasonry. Yes, it is an un-Christian/anti-Christian cult.

Here is a good discernment lesson about how to look at a contemporary “Christian” song.

The apostate Fuller Seminary is NOT “evangelical.”  Christ would have nothing to do with so-called Christians who want unity with Muslims — a PAGAN religion.  What did Paul say about such in 2 Cor. 6:14? (H/T to Doug Evans.)

“King” Eddie Long, a Word of Faith heretic, now knows the truth.

Things like this are why I have to ask if there are any real Christians in the Episcopal Church, and if so, why are you still there?

Jennifer LeClaire is a dangerous teacher! Of course, 99% of what Charisma magazine publishes is either aberrant or heretical, so what can we expect?

For those who really have no idea about what the New Apostolic Reformation is about, this article is a good introduction to them.  Horribly dangerous ideology, with lots of aberrant and heretical theological backing.  That one is followed by another testimony.

What you need to know about the charismatic movement (a root of the NAR) and why you need extreme discernment to avoid the false teachings from these people.

Stop telling me to fall in love with Jesus.  This is a terribly unbiblical idea. (I don’t recommend Patheos to immature and/or non-discerning Christians because they often have liberal teachings. And sometimes poor hermeneutics, such as in this article where they say the Song of Solomon is about Christ and the Church — a lie that was started by early church “fathers” who didn’t like the sexuality in it, which of course makes it even more bizarre by having an erotic relationship between Jesus and the Church!)

Remember Heidi Baker who is often with Bethel Redding?  Well her husband, Rolland, is as heretical and demonic as is she!

All you need to know about false prophet Mike Bickle and his IHOP cult all in one place.

Updated information about “The Shack.”  Needed information to counter praises for the movie version.

The Resurrection of Gavin Stone.  Don’t waste your time with this “Christian” movie, and warn your friends against it.

Legalism — A Heart Issue

Legalism is a way of covering hypocrisy, because it creates external rules that can be kept regardless of the state of the heart—at least in the eyes of others.  It allows people to look good outwardly even when their hearts are rotten.  But legalism also causes hypocrisy, because people learn to keep the external rules without being changed internally.  And they also learn to live a life of deceit, in which the way they look to others is more important than how they look to God.

Dave Swavely, Who Are You To Judge?, pg.96-97

Insipid Songs

What is it with church music leaders that they have to dig up every insipid song that makes people feel good?  Ah, but they give a lot of action for the band!

Look at this one I heard for the first time yesterday:

It's All About Jesus

by Henry Seeley

It's all about Jesus

It's all about the way he changed our lives

It's all about Jesus

The power of his blood can't be denied

It's all about Jesus

It's all about the covenant he made

It's all about Jesus

Victorious he rose up from the grave

We lift our hearts to him

He is the reason that we sing

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah,

We praise your name

It's all about Jesus

It's all about the way he set us free

It's all about Jesus

Bearing all our sins at Calvary

It's all about Jesus

It's all about the gift of love he gave

It's all about Jesus

The precious lamb of God was slain

We lift our hearts to him

He is the reason that we sing

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

We praise your name

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

We praise your name

We lift our hearts to him

He is the reason that we sing

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

We praise your name

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

We praise your name

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

We praise your name

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

We praise your name

The lyrics were okay, but a bit trite.  The problem was the ad nauseum repetition.

It was followed by this one:

Nobody Fills My Heart Like Jesus

by Dennis Jernigan

I'd like to say, Lord, from the start

Thank You for breaking through my heart

Thank You for tearing ev'ry chain apart

When I was lost You made a way

You turned the darkest night into day

You are my joy and Lord I'd like to say that

Nobody fills my heart like Jesus

Nobody thrills me like You do

O, nobody fills my heart like Jesus

Nobody, Lord, but You

Nobody but You

When I am weak, my Lord, You're strong

Loving me even when I'm wrong

Lord, You are my salvation and my song

Everyday I'll make the choice

Just listening, following Your voice

Being with You I can't help but rejoice

Nobody fills my heart like Jesus

Nobody thrills me like You do

O, nobody fills my heart like Jesus

Nobody, Lord, but You

Nobody but You

Now, the way we sung it was to sing the first verse, then bring the tempo up with lots of band (especially drum) and start over again.  Then we had to repeat the chorus twice at the end.

This song is something one would expect to find in a VBS or Sunday School class rather than for a worship service.  I find it to be very juvenile, apparently designed to just manufacture emotions and give something for the band to show off with.

Fortunately the other song we used, although modern, was quite good:

When Trials Come

by Keith & Kristyn Getty

“When trials come no longer fear

For in the pain our God draws near

To fire a faith worth more than gold

And there His faithfulness is told 

And there His faithfulness is told

Within the night I know Your peace 

The breath of God brings strength to me 

And new each morning mercy flows

As treasures of the darkness grow 

As treasures of the darkness grow

I turn to Wisdom not my own

For every battle You have known

My confidence will rest in You

Your love endures Your ways are good

Your love endures Your ways are good

When I am weary with the cost

I see the triumph of the cross

So in its shadow I shall run

Till He completes the work begun

Till He completes the work begun

One day all things will be made new

I’ll see the hope You called me to

And in your kingdom paved with gold

I’ll praise your faithfulness of old

I’ll praise your faithfulness of old”

We really need to remember that songs we sing in church are teaching us.  How great it would be if song leaders would always use meat instead of pap.

Contemplative Prayer is NOT for the Christian

Too many describe the Christian life as tepid, while mustering up nothing more that a lukewarm enthusiasm for Christ.  Many feel God hasn’t come through for them and won’t until they do something.  Again we try to control God by making something happen and by earning points with Him.  We desire an experience, and since God isn’t doing anything, we initiate it ourselves.  Rather than giving up control and letting God do the work in our lives, we come up with man-centered, man-prompted ideas and methods.  Brennan Manning calls it “grabbing a holt of God.”

Are we unwilling to completely let go and let God?  Then we will never find that true, lasting satisfaction in our Christian lives.  All the meditations, all the self-help Christian books, all the lighting of candles are not going to make any lasting difference.

Contemplative spirituality is nothing more than an attempt to fill that void with a man-made solution.  In essence, they are attempting to build a spiritual tower of Babel.  And as with all things man-made, it pales in comparison to what God can do.

If contemplative prayer or other Eastern practices were sanctioned or blessed by the God of the Bible, why are there no stories of any Hindus or Buddhists coming to Christ by these methods?  Instead, we hear of Christians receiving revelations during contemplative prayer that all paths lead to God and that God is in all.  If those revelations were true, this would make the Cross unnecessary and, in effect, null and void.

Brian Flynn, Running Against the Wind, pg. 176-177

It is Becoming More Difficult to Find a Good Church

When the majority of church-going Christians are not taught biblical truth month after month and year after year, they become prey to false teachings.  It is only by feeding on God’s Word on a continual basis that we are protected from deception.  Interestingly, most of the mail I receive comes from the laity.  Much of the time, it is not pastors who are concerned and looking for answers—it is church members.  Disturbed by the direction of their churches, these concerned members are challenging leadership, though they are often discouraged by their pastors from saying anything.  The are told that they are overreacting.  If they persist they are made to feel like agitators or troublemakers, made to feel unwelcome and eventually asked to leave.  Many of those people write me, asking the same question: “Where do I go now?  Where is there a church that will teach the Word of God every week?”  With tens of thousands of churches adopting the new church mentality, that is becoming a hard question to answer.

Brian Flynn, Running Against the Wind, pg.211

Random Things Needing Discernment

Women teachers to avoid, and why.

This is an example of the corrupting influence false teachers have on our young people.  Another report explains how this is polluting the Church at large.

Are we heading for a one-world religion of Roman Catholicism—Islam? 

The Southern Baptist Convention is more and more proving to be a liberal agenda movement, a group in apostasy.

Beware of the Word of Faith heresy.

Good reference source — The Word of Faith Cornucopia of False Doctrine

Watch out for the “desert fathers” and the modern mystics — their teaching is not biblical.

The World Race and Adventures in Missions is a cultic, false-teaching organization which I’ve never seen reported on by any site, ministry, etc, except for this one.  Because of that, I will periodically continue to highlight some of their articles so that there is at least one more site raising the red flags!

John Crowder is someone I’ve not reported on much, but he really, really needs to be avoided.  This guy is definitely off the wall.

Be careful and discerning when hearing tales about missionaries’ stories of people raising from the dead, etc.  I’ve never seen any evidence support such tales.

Beware of contending for miracles — it is nothing more than hopelessness.

The Episcopal Church/Anglican Church community gets more apostate daily.

They call themselves a Christian assembly and yet have a lesbian couple as co-pastors leading them.  Solid blasphemy against the name of Christ.

A good article about discernment with the false teaching about “Spiritual Formation.”

A great cartoon about Joel Osteen!

Roman Catholicism: Idolatry and Bondage

Indulgences, those things made up by the Roman Catholic Church to fill their coffers and/or for continuing to scare their followers with the invented place called “Purgatory,” are being offered by the Pope to those who celebrate the anniversary of the demonic apparition pretending to be Mary at Fatima, Portugal.

Here are the three ways you can get rewarded by the Pope:

You an make a pilgrimage to the shrine at Fatima and participate in the occultic celebration and rituals.

You can pray before any statue of “Our Lady of Fatima” — bow before and pray to an idol, as well as doing the same rituals.

If you are elderly and infirm, you can pray in front of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima and must spiritually unite themselves to the jubilee celebrations on the days of the apparitions, the 13th of each month, between May and October 2017.  They also must “offer to merciful God with confidence, through Mary, their prayers and sufferings or the sacrifices they make in their own lives.  In other words, practice idolatry.

It is really sad how Roman Catholics are in bondage to such a made up religion which requires works for salvation, including the practice of idolatry paying homage to statues.

Suppose you want to leave Romanism: Mike Gendron received a letter from a woman who asked to be dropped from RCC membership.  Here is the response from her bishop (as posted on Proclaiming the Gospel email on 1 January 2017):

"In truth and charity, my response is to advise you against breaking full communion with the Catholic Church which was founded byJesus Christ the Son of God. If a person, with full knowledge and deliberate consent, breaks full communion with the Church that Jesus Christ established as His one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church, that act would be a mortal sin which cuts him or her off from the life of grace, thus endangering the person's immortal soul. The Catholic Church also teaches that baptism cannot be reversed or 'undone,' thus once a person is baptized he or she remains a Christian for eternity. It is my duty to inform you that you will always have the opportunity of reconciliation through repentance and absolution in the Sacrament of Penance, even until your last breath on earth. This is the charity that the ministers of the Catholic Church will always extend to you. There is no longer any "formal defection from the Catholic Church" according to its law, therefore, the Church's law does not afford me or any other bishop the option of granting your request. Sacramental registers are records of actual events that have occurred. They are the property of the parish church. No information contained in them can be removed, erased, or willingly destroyed, because they are records of ministerial actions that have occurred. " 

Sincerely yours in Christ our Lord, 

Most Reverend John O. Barres, Bishop of Allentown, PA

Do you see the unbiblical threats of loss of salvation?!?!  What a horrible organization!!!

The RCC is NOT the Church Christ founded, rather it is an apostate and heretical organization founded by men so as to keep people under their control by using fear and threats.  If you are a Roman Catholic, you need to leave the RCC.

Lies of Pornography

Several years back I was counseling a young Christian man who was struggling with a habit of viewing pornography on-line.  During this time, on a Christian site which exposes the horrors of pornography, I saw a short article about a video titled “Somebody’s Daughter.”  It seemed like a good resource to discuss with the young man so I ordered it.

The video is essentially testimonies by those who had been trapped in the habit of viewing porn (I will not call it an “addiction” — that is a lie from the pit of hell; it is really just a lack of self-control).  I offered it to the young man for viewing but he wasn’t interested, and so it has sat on my counseling shelf since that time.

I’ve been cleaning out unused material and passing it on so as to clear my shelves, and my wife and I sat down to watch “Somebody’s Daughter” to see if it was necessary to keep on the shelf.  I’ve decided to not keep it (I gave it to our pastor for his personal counseling library), but there is something from the booklet enclosed with the DVD that I decided to copy out for reference — as well as for sharing with those who follow this blog.  It is a list titled, “25 Lies of Pornography.”  The list has a link showing the origination, but that link is now dead.  However, the organization it came from does still have a list of 10 lies, with explanations.  While I think this list is good, I disagree with the psychobabble the site promotes, including the idea of sexual “addiction.”

So what has this to do with Christian apologetics? Well, it has been shown through research that Christians are almost as involved with viewing porn as are non-believers, and some even teach that it is okay!!!!  Heretic Word of Faith “pastrix” Paula White and her husband have advocated that married couples should use porn!

Over two years ago Tim Challies wrote an article demonstrating the problems with porn and why Christians need to stop looking at it.  Another article worth reading demonstrates how “Churchgoing Christians who support same-sex marriage are more likely to think pornography, cohabitation, hook-ups, adultery, polyamory, and abortion are acceptable. And it’s reasonable to expect continued change in more permissive directions.”

So, again, what has this to do with apologetics?  Everything.  The Bible in no uncertain terms declares sexual immorality to be a serious sin.  Jesus said that even looking at a woman lustfully was committing adultery in one’s heart.  Yet we have Christians indulging in than which which leads to sexual lust as it depicts people in every form of sexual immorality.  As noted, there are even Christians who deny that it is wrong!  So I want to share with you the 25 Lies of Pornography as printed the booklet accompanying “Somebody’s Daughter.”  (If you need explanations as to why these are lies, feel free to ask — but I think my readers can figure it out.)

1.  Pornography is just another form of entertainment.

2.  Pornography is normal.

3.  Pornography won’t hurt me.

4.  Pornography won’t affect my behavior.

5.  Pornography won’t hurt my family.

6.  Pornography will satisfy.

7.  Pornography won’t lead to more dangerous activities.

8.  A little pornography is alright.

9.  I can stop whenever I want to (Or — I can’t stop.)

10.  I can keep this a secret and no one will know.

11.  My small purchase is not supporting the problem.

12.  All guys do a little pornography.

13.  Women are less than human.

14.  Women are a sport (magazine swim suit issues).

15.  Women are property.

16.  A woman’s value depends on the attractiveness of her body.

17.  Women enjoy being physically overpowered and being treated violently during sex (rape).

18.  Women should be degraded.

19.  Young children enjoy having sex.

20.  Illegal sex is fun.

21.  Prostitution is glamorous.

22.  Sex has no consequences (pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases.)

23.  I could never tell anyone about my struggle with pornography.

24.  Pornography is an unpardonable sin.

25.  God hates those who struggle with pornography.

If you know anyone struggling with the habit of viewing pornography, let them know there is hope in Christ, and that the Holy Spirit can lead them away from it.  Do not accept lies from those who say God is okay with pornography in any form!