Good, Bad, and Ugly

The Good:

A good review of Francis Chan’s book, CrazyLove.  A virtually worthless book.

What if you have the wrong Jesus?

Does the O.T. law require a woman to marry her rapist?

Yoga is NOT for the Christian.

What Christians should know about intersectionality.

The apostle Paul was probably a widower.

Ten invalid arguments in defense of false teachers.

The Bad and/or Ugly

The Pope idolizes Mary — for real.  Mike Gendron’s comment: Once again the pope is attributing divine attributes to "another Mary" implying that she is omnipresent in her protection of Catholics from the devil. He robs Christ of His honor and power as the Good Shepherd who promises to protect the sheep that He gave His life to save (John 10:1-30). Tragically, many Catholics listen to the voice of the most influential false prophet in the world, "a hired hand and a thief who comes to steal and kill and destroy" (John 1010:10). Not until they hear and believe the voice of the Good Shepherd will they find eternal life and divine protection.

He idolizers her so much that he has created a new feast day to honor her.

DANGER!!  A new movie-based “Bible Study” is heading for your church.

Another movie—and book—to avoid:  A Wrinkle in Time.

Cindy Jacobs and Chuck Pierce — why does anyone listen to these crackpot heretics?!?!?

How bad does Hillsong have to be before our churches quit using their songs?!?

An example of all that is wrong with Hillsong.

Billy Graham’s funeral was by invitation only, and I think it says a lot about his organization when you learn how many false teachers and heretics were invited.

Among other problems with Billy Graham, I just learned that he was for abortion for rape!  As if the child was responsible for the crime and should be punished!  Go to the 11:35 on the video.

Two heretical, lying peas in a pod: Bill Hamon and Sid Roth.  Roth supports such fakery as a direct revelation to Kevin Zadai which says praying in tongues will enrich you!  This last one Jesus plays a soprano saxophone, and other nonsense—such as Jesus played himself out of hell on the saxophone.

Michael Brown promotes heretic Sid Roth, as well as joining him in his false teachings and Word of Faith heresy as he lies about direct revelation from God.

“Black Hebrew Israelites” —  a very ugly cult.

The humorous 

Middle-Aged Man On Worship Team Clearly Fulfilling Childhood Dream Of Being In Rock Band.  I’m guessing this isn’t far from the truth!

Good, Bad, and Ugly

The Good:

A very good analysis of the Jehovah’s Witness’ erroneous reading of John 17:3. 

Things to know about the formation of our Bible.

Pull the Plug on CCM

How patriarchy saved her from feminism.

The Bad:

This short video is really sort of funny, because it demonstrates the intellectual schizophrenia of the Catholic Church — be sure to read the statement at the end because it really sums up the problem.  This is just more proof that the Pope does NOT represent Christ in any way, shape, or form.

I am one of the “wolf hunters” who alert the sheep to wolves like Michael Brown.

The Seventh-day Adventist book Steps to Christ, by E.G. White, is a false gospel.

Another solid alert about false teacher Lisa Bevere.

And then don’t forget false teacher Shawn Bolz.

A whole caboodle of false prophets will tell you what the Lord has said is in store for 2017.  The sad thing is that too many Christians listen to these lies.

Watch out for the “Orange Strategy” Sunday School curriculum.  Bad news!  This article also has lots of links to Andy Stanley stuff.

The lies told by the likes of Sid Roth and Jeff Jansen.

Yoga and Christianity are NOT compatible.

The Ugly:

Visions Beyond Fatima — evidence that such visions are demonic in nature.

The Word of Faith heresy cult continues to prove just how awful it is.

The Church as AMWAY

More on the horrid teachings of Mike and Debi Pearl.  Marital abuse gets a pass.

Willam Paul Young’s Christless “Shack.”

That’s it for today. I hope to have my last episode on “Bible ‘Contradictions’” posted tomorrow.

Random Aberrations, Apostasies, and Heresies

I wasn’t a bit surprised to learn that Rome was considering “sainthood” for “Mother Teresa,” even thought it is really doubtful she was a true Christian.  Over the years I have read much of the universalism she taught, and wondered why she was never condemned for it by Rome.  Ah, but doncha know her good works saved her?

This review of “War Room” is easier on the movie than others I posted, but he does demonstrate real concern for the spiritual warfare taught.

IHOP had their annual circus this past weekend.  How very sad that these young people think they have to go to IHOP to “encounter” God and get their “spiritual highs” among the “worshiptainment” they will find there.  HT to Erin.

InterVarsity has decided to join the LEFTISTS with supporting the racist, socialist “gospel” of the Black Lives Matter.  God sees all lives mattering, but not BLM — they denounce you for saying “all lives matter.”  The racists have been demonstrated to be on the side of the blacks overall, much more so than with those with lighter skins; BLM is NOT the route to “racial reconciliation.”

The slippery slope of liberal Christianity.

Six reasons not to follow Christine Caine.  You only need one— she’s a heretic.

Tell the person next to you, “F-You!”?!?!  I have to agree with the Museum of Idolatry’s commentary.

No matter what they say, there is no such thing as “Holy Yoga.”  Yoga is a Hindu religious practice, totally incompatible with Christianity. 

Lots of false prophets with lots of false prophecies for 2016.

Mary Dalke has an outstanding, well researched post about the descent of Moody Radio into all things New Age.  Sad to hear this, since for the 17 years we lived in the Chicago area we found Moody Radio to be a great source of good teaching.

Final Chapter about Bill Gothard’s ATI.

What’s wrong with The Passion Translation?  LOTS!!!

Larycia Hawkins can’t understand why Wheaton college would fire her just for saying Muslims and Christians worship the same God?!?   She said “Wheaton College cannot scare me into walking away from the truth (that) all humans — Muslims, the vulnerable, the oppressed of any ilk ­– are all my sisters and brothers, and I am called by Jesus to walk with them.”  Um, NO!  They are not all brothers and sisters if they are unbelievers (John 8:41-47).  Hawkins teaches that the unholy god of Islam is the same as the Holy God of Christianity — this cannot be allowed to take place in a Christian college.

“Several religious leaders, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Ahmed Rehab of CAIR Chicago, the local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, expressed their support for Hawkins.”  Religious leaders they may be, but neither one is a Christian, so their opposition to Wheaton’s actions has no value.

Finally, it’s really saddening when you can’t trust Ravi Zacharias to be discerning. If he isn’t able to personally discern where he is erring in supporting false teaching, how can we trust him in general?

Random Aberrations, Apostasies, and Heresies

Another abused passage examined:  Matthew 25:34-46

One of my readers brought to my attention this excellent article about problems with “contemporary worship” music.

“Scottgate” — a deplorable happening in the Church of Scotland.

Heretic Jim Bakker should be sent back to jail for fraud.  This guy always has another gimmick to rake in the dough.  But the delusion of those who defend him is even more bizarre!

YOGA:  Exercise or Religion?

The Church Does Not Need Christian Radio

These UMC and Episcopal clergy are not representatives of Christ or God, rather they represent the devil and his evil.

The Tolerance Jesus Will Not Tolerate

Did the Early Church Believe in Transubstantiation?  Excellent article proving that they didn’t!

NAR “apostles” and “social justice.”  These people are getting nuttier and nuttier.  What is scary is that they promote so much false teaching and yet Russell Moore of the SBC is promoting these people!!!

Wow!  Focus on the Family seems to be more focused on destroying the family!

O FOOLISH CHRISTIAN, WHO HATH BEWITCHED YOU?  Excellent discussion of real spiritual warfare vs the fraudulent version.

Why are Christians, especially Al Mohler, apologizing to homosexuals activists?!?!

How about some humor to end with?

"Christian Yoga"?!?

Too many Christians are getting involved with “Christian Yoga” without understanding that Yoga is Hinduism, which, of course, is incompatible with Christianity.  

The July-August 2004 edition of the Areopagus Journal (published by the Apologetics Resource Center) was about yoga, with four articles explaining what yoga is and why Christians should not be participating in it.  Below are citations from that Journal issue, which should give you pause for thought if you are thinking about practicing this form of Hinduism.

(For those unfamiliar with my normal practice with citations, the original citations are in blue, while citations within a citation are magenta.)

“[From Integral Yoga Magazine interview with Shri Yogi Hari]: ‘It is the teacher’s responsibility to make the students understand that yoga is a highly spiritual practice.  The reason it is spiritual is because you are a spirit.... the soul, the Atman functioning through these bodies.  We are teaching yoga so that you will experience your Higher Self.  If you want to have good health, if you want to experience happiness, you can only experience that whey you can touch who you are, the Self. . .then they can see that  Yoga is not just a physical thing.’

“As one yoga leader said, ‘Yoga without a spiritual component is just gymnastics.’”

From Craig Branch’s article “Veritas: Stretching the Truth?”

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“Thus, yoga is historically a religious philosophy and spiritual practice.  Accordingly, Robert E. Van Voorst defines yoga as ‘a physical discipline to promote knowledge that the individual soul and the world are one.’”

“It is difficult to separate any yoga practice from its HIndu roots.  It can be said that there is no Hinduism without yoga and no yoga without Hinduism. ... Christian Indian citizen and philosopher Vishal Mangalwadi, however, explains that ‘Yoga was never meant to be a fitness regime.  In Indian philosophy yoga is a means to salvation or liberation (moksha).  The original philosophy behind yoga defined liberation as the soul’s isolation from the body.  Obtaining ‘out-of-body’ experiences is still the goal of some popular forms of yoga.’”

From Clete Hux’s article, “What Is Yoga?”

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“[Citing Yoga-Yajnavadka] ‘Yoga is the union of the individual psyche with the transcendental Self.’ ...

“[T]he basic assumptions Yoga makes about the nature of God are completely foreign and incompatible with the Christian belief system.  The god of Yoga is spoken of as the Absolute, Higher Self, Ultimate, Divine Consciousness and a host of other titles that speak of an impersonal, pantheistic deity that is in all things, though transcendent beyond them....

“In Yoga, as in Hinduism, the great need of man is to rid himself from karma, the cumulative effect of the good and bad things done in a person’s life that are taken with him to the next life when the soul transmigrates into another body.” ...

Pranayamas are the breathing techniques employed in Yoga.  Prana is believed to be the spiritual energy that encompasses all things.  Pranayama is a means of controlling this vital energy through breathing.  The combination of pranayama and asana is intended to induce the practitioner into an occultic and altered state of consciousness.  The practice of breathing techniques is an integral part of all Eastern meditative systems.”

From Keith Gibson’s article, “It Isn’t Just Exercise: The Religious Nature of Yoga.”

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For additional information, I recommend Dave Hunt’s small book, “Yoga and the Body of Christ.”

Random Apostasies and Heresies

Well, here goes another episode of reporting on various things happening among the Christian Church, which brings disgrace to the name of Christ.

Let’s start with the Billy Graham association and it’s overseer, Franklin  Graham.  I previously reported that his association removed Mormons from their list of cults, but now it gets even worse.  Franklin said he was shocked to learn Mormons were on such a list.  Graham states the LDS will not be put on such a list, and that it is nothing more than name-calling.  Well, he is wrong; contrary to calling names, labeling such groups as the LDS and JWs, e.g., as cults only protects the true Christian faith by letting people know that these groups are false belief systems.  It’s called exposing the wolves!  This issue really brings to light that Billy Graham and his association have long compromised the Christian faith by sanctioning false teachings and false teachers.

Too many assemblies are bringing in the teachings and practice of Yoga, in the belief that is just a harmless exercise program.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  Yoga is part of the Hindu belief system and should never be a part of the Christian’s life.  Chris Lawson has an excellent video explaining the problems with Yoga, as warning about “Calvary Chapel and Purpose-Driven Pastors Doing Yoga.”

I have never really known much about Kay Arthur’s “Precept Ministries.”  From the publications I have seen, as well as some radio programs I have heard, I thought she seemed to be pretty solid.  Well her ministry has come under scrutiny this past week due to an apparent recommendation of Steven Furtick.  While this seems to have been cleared up, there are apparently other problems with Kay Arthur’s ministry which were discussed in light of this problem.  First, she recommends Neil Anderson as a teacher!  Neil Anderson is about as aberrant as a person can get with his teachings on “deliverance ministries” and spiritual warfare, and yet Arthur has endorsed his books!!!  However, the problem with Kay Arthur goes beyond this, because she has often shared the stage with women teachers who are known to have bad or false teachings.  Now that I have this information, I just can’t in good conscience recommend her.

Wayne Grudem is well-known for his volume on systematic theology, but I’ve never read any of his stuff, nor have I really learned anything about him.  Now, though, I know I won’t ever bother with anything he writes, because he has a new book promoting the charismatic teaching of the gift of prophecy.  While reading this review, it became clear to me that Grudem is like most in the charismatic movement , in that they abuse Scripture to support their view.  Learning that he is a member of a Vineyard assembly says a lot (they are all about “signs and wonders”).

Speaking of “charismaniacs” and all the nonsense they can come up with, the International House of Prayer is known for a whole trainload of aberrational teachings.  This past week I learned about a teaching there, which I hadn’t previously known: Mike Bickle’s teaching about the Song of Solomon using a “Bridegroom Jesus” paradigm.  Bizarre - simply bizarre.  IHOP is so bizarre that even the secular reporters look askance at them!

IHOP is part of the larger New Apostolic Reformation, which is nothing but updated dominion theology.  The NAR has a thing for date-setting in regards to superstitious ideas of the date numbers.  Take a look at the report at Herescope exposing this nonsense

Some people will do anything to promote an agenda, as we all should know quite well!  There are liberal “Christians” now abusing the Bible - taking passages out of their context - so as to promote abortion!  In their view, the pre-born baby is not living, supposedly because it doesn’t have a “breath of life” - i.e., it isn’t breathing yet!  My response has to be, then why does the Bible call the pre-born baby a “child” - or is a child not a living thing?

Random Apostasies and Heresies

First, an update on Andy Stanley’s apparent approval of homosexuality.  I’d say with the language he uses against Christians - i.e., calling us “judgmental, homophobic, moralists” - demonstrates his sympathies.  It really looks like Stanley is joining the Emergent wolves.

Roman Catholics really need to clean up their house.  Here’s another example of Romanists supporting all that is unholy: Catholics in Media, a group which purports to recognize movies and television shows that “[make] clearer the Word of God” and “help us better understand what it is to be part of the human family,” has given an award to “Modern Family,” a sitcom with a homosexual couple.  The show is anything BUT a proper “human family,” and surely denigrates the Word of God.  Why has the Pope not condemned this group?

The Episcopal Church continues its blatant support of same-sex fake marriage.  Four of their so-called bishops came out in complete opposition to the North Carolina constitutional amendment  [link gone by 12/16/16] which was to prevent re-defining marriage to include same-sex unions.    And yet the Episcopal Church does not excommunicate these “bishops.”

Of course their “mother church,” the Church of England, has the same problem with advocacy of same-sex fake marriage.  A lay minister has been temporarily banned from preaching because he had the audacity to speak up for real marriage.

As I have stated before, Mark Driscoll is not qualified to be a pastor.  This article examines his attitude towards those taking a doctrinal stance on teaching.  Yeah, Driscoll’s cool - a cool wolf.

Rick Warren’s Saddleback church keeps proving how far they keep going from orthodoxy.  Believe it or not, their men’s group studied heretic Joyce Meyer’s horrid teaching in her book, “Battlefield of the Mind.”  This book is rife with false teaching!  What is any Christian group, let a lone a men’s group, doing studying this false teacher’s material?!?

More on T.D. Jakes, and whether or not he is truly a false teaching heretic.  I’d say anyone who praises Paul Crouch for anything has absolutely NO discernment.  Jakes is solidly in the Word of Faith crowd.

The book, “Pagan Christianity,” by Gene Edwards and Frank Viola, has certainly caused a lot of division in the church.  A friend of mine swears by that book, and is part of a home church built on ideas from it.  I had never read the book until this friend kept telling me how great some of the teachings were - which I told him were wrong - so I finally went out and bought the book and read it last year.  I came across a site this week which really dissects this book, demonstrating all the errors and historical revisionism.  I highly recommend visiting “Pagan Christianity?” and perusing the articles.  Aside from addressing that book, it also has a good review on the heretical book, “The Shack,” as well as an article on Viola in general.

More information about “The Voice” translation of the Bible.  I guess I’m a bit behind on this version, although I mentioned some reviews in a previous “Random” post in April.  This week I came across this article by Lighthouse Trails Research demonstrating the “translation” is indeed no more than a prop for the Emergent church.  Don’t waste your money on it.

Erin has more about heretic Shane Hipps at Willow Creek.  The fact that Willow Creek would even invite him to speak demonstrates the lack of discernment in the leadership.  Reading what Erin has to say about Hipps explains why it was unconscionable for Willow Creek leadership to have him speak there.

I came across this interesting article about why gender really matters in Christian counseling.  This is certainly something which should be considered by all Christians.

Finally, I was really amused by this article about Hindus wanting to take yoga back. [link gone by 12/16/16] There are way too many “Christian Yoga” classes going on.  Ladies and gentlemen, yoga is a blatant Hindu practice and cannot in any way, shape or form be “Christianized.”  If you have been practicing this, leave it immediately.