Apostasy/Lukewarm

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Another sad day.

It is so sad to watch pastor after pastor, and ministry after ministry acquiesce to or downright endorse Mark Driscoll.

It is with a heavy heart that I bring your attention to yet two more examples–two websites that I have long respected for their work, but now I can no longer endorse on DefCon.

The first one is Monergism. I have greatly enjoyed their Reformed resources but I have discovered that they endorse Mark Driscoll (as evidenced by their 163 links about him found on their website).

The other Driscoll endorsement was brought to my attention by DavidW, a regular reader and commenter on this blog. He pointed out this article from apologetics ministry C.A.R.M. in which the following quote was found:

Would I recommend anybody go to Mark Driscoll’s Mars Hill Church?  Absolutely yes.  Not only will you get good teaching, but you’ll encounter a vibrant community of believers in the midst of a very unchurched society.  Keep up the good work Mark.

It is so discouraging that there seems to be so little discernment within the Church today, even from those who in the past have exhibited great discernment. Times are getting grim.

At this time I have removed both of these ministries from DefCon’s category links and I will be contacting both of them. If my contacts are ignored or I’m told they’re going to continue in their endorsement of Driscoll, then you will see that their sites remain absent from DefCon. However, if they do change their stance on this man I will welcome them back with open arms and even announce DefCon’s endorsement of them in a future post.

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Creepy . . . just creepy.

This video is highly offensive to pirates (and all five of your senses).

Satan is a quadriplegic?

God wants me to be a sunbeam?

Did they kill that baby bird to make their point?

Words escape me.

No trip down “Bad Theology Lane” would be complete without Tillie the Bible Clown and Super Adrian.

Wait, doesn’t this video contradict Tille the Bible Clown’s superhero theology?

And finally, imagine how silly it would be if a worship band performed while dressed as clowns. Imagine no more!


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Vision Forum’s Doug Phillips on Avatar.

I’m sure this will upset the applecart of those who see no problem with having one foot in the church and the other foot in the world (namely its entertainment), but for anyone who plans on seeing the film Avatar, below is some food for thought from Doug Phillips. And for those who have seen it, here’s what you’ve exposed yourself (and possibly your family) to:


Twelve Things I learned From Avatar: A Worldview Review of the Top Film of 2010

There is so much that could be said about James Cameron’s riveting and technologically advanced blockbuster, Avatar, but I thought it would be helpful to very simply distill some of the most important messages I learned from this film which is now the highest grossing film in all of history, and which will likely be the most popular film of 2010. Below are the headlines from a forthcoming review of the film:

  1. We can experience liberty when our spirits possess alien bodies.
  2. Business men are evil because they rape the earth for profit.
  3. It is noble to be a savage.
  4. The earth is our mother.
  5. God is female.
  6. Animals are our brothers.
  7. In noble cultures women are the spiritual leaders.
  8. Nudity is freedom.
  9. Heroes have foul mouths.
  10. Shamanism and demonic possession is a means for healing.
  11. Enlightened cultures are spiritually unified with animals and plants.
  12. Men are born-again as they commune with the earth.

Bonus Lessons From Hollywood:

  1. Pantheism is the religion of the Hollywood elite.
  2. Darwinism, with its emphasis on evolution as the defining process for understanding the universe, is at the heart of Hollywood pantheism.
  3. A primary mission of Hollywood pantheism is to destroy the Dominion Mandate, the doctrine of Creation and the Creator/creature distinctive detailed in the Bible.
  4. Science fiction is the primary genre used as an evangelism tool for Hollywood’s religion of pantheism.
  5. Films are more important than schools, pulpits or politics, for training disciples of this new Hollywood religion.

Bonus Lessons About Christians and Hollywood:

  1. Most professing Christians will check their spiritual discernment at the door of a movie theater for a cheap thrill.
  2. Most professing Christians love fantasy more than reality.
  3. Fantasy books, films and television shows have trained professing Christians to be polytheists—individuals who believe that you can worship many gods at the same time—in this case, the gods of pantheism and the gods of Christianity.
  4. Most professing Christians have greater delight in a pantheistic Hollywood film about non-reality, than in reading the Bible or hearing a sermon about truth.

Hollywood understands that the demographic of film consumption by non-Christians and Christians is essentially the same—both look to Hollywood for a fatty diet of entertainment to help them escape from reality.   – Doug Phillips on February 15, 2010

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Catholic Agenda Embedded in Manhattan Declaration

 At DefCon we have dealt with The Manhattan Declaration in previous posts (see here, here and here) speaking to its ecumenical postering and Evangelical signatories.  Just recently, Richard Benett from Berean Beacon has published a paper looking into this important matter. Here, Mr. Bennett has highlighted how this declaration is rife with Rome’s agenda.  An agenda that can be summed up wth the following quote where we read,

In order to soften up the Evangelicals in their separation from the Catholics on biblical doctrinal issues, particularly the authority of the Bible alone and the Gospel, the Catholic modus operandi calls for using social issues on which both Evangelicals and Catholics agree as preliminary common ground. 

To read the rest of this very important paper, please go here.

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Here’s a shocker: The false gospel of John Crowder, Benjamin Dunn, and Sloshfest originated from an LSD drug-induced experience.

When you read a quote like this . . .

Heaven is going to be wild. God will show up and be the life of the party. We want to see fun coming back into the Church.

. . . you know the blasphemous duo of Crowder and Dunn isn’t far behind.

The 38-year-old [Sloshfest organizer David Vaughan] from nearby Pontypool is a former drug-user who makes no apologies for painting God as a party animal who wants to win over youngsters with supernatural highs. Bizarrely, David greets me at the door wearing a monk outfit – he is joined by dozens of dancing pirates, an Abraham Lincoln, a unicorn, winged fairy and a court jester draped in Christmas lights.

The Sun recently ran an article on the demonic revelry known as Sloshfest entitled The Ravers Who Get High on God in which the sons of Hell, Crowder and Dunn, were in attendance.

And as with any gathering of these folks, demonic activity (e.g. possession) is present:

A middle-aged woman calling herself Pinky Pirate dashes to the front and grabs a microphone. The crowd screams with delight as she shakes uncontrollably and bellows: “It is such a wild fire. It is a fierce wild fire. It is untamable and undomesticated.” . . . Amid the chaos a woman dressed as a pirate queen crawls past muttering. Strangely, despite no sign of alcohol or drugs being consumed, she and many other worshippers look spaced out, with red, puffy eyes and a vacant stare. Standing up, she shakes my hand and slurs: “I’m Mrs Jesus. I love my husband” (Emphasis mine)

This article also reveals how John Crowder came to be the ravenous wolf he is today:

Before addressing the lively Welsh crowd, the 6ft 5in David Blaine lookalike tells me he became a Christian after a Godly experience on LSD. John, 33, from California, says: “I was a party guy at college and became an alcoholic within the first year, sometimes downing up to 36 beers in a single day. I also did recreational drugs and during an LSD trip in a bar I had a profound encounter with God. I knew that if I went to sleep that night without changing my ways, I would surely die. When I sobered up I stopped doing drugs and became devoted to Jesus.  Now I want people to see that church isn’t dour and dreary. It is an awareness of the mystical, fun and joyful nature of God.”

We used to identify people who had mystical experiences with “god” during a drug induced high (predominant in the 1960s) as burned out hippies. Now they sell books and their followers call them “Christian.”

Finally, the article wraps up with this telling quote:
Outside, a curious passer-by peers through a steamed-up window. Chuckling, he shakes his head and says: “Looks like one hell of a party.”
And so the world passes by shaking their head at yet another false image of Christianity and all they see is a group of unregenerated sinners who’ve created a “party-god” who demands little and expects nothing while winking and nodding  at their partying on the broad road to Hell with “Jesus” on their lips.

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Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. – Ephesians 5:6-10

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The epitome of “oxymoronic” – Christian fight clubs.

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, the pied pipers of the mile-wide, inch-deep church in America drop one rung lower on the ladder as they continue to lead the masses of goats down the broad path of destruction.

I thought the pragmatism of Laodicean evangelism techniques couldn’t shock me anymore but this article from the New York Times has left me speechless. Here are a few quotes form the article:

Recruitment efforts at the churches, which are predominantly white, involve fight night television viewing parties and lecture series that use ultimate fighting to explain how Christ fought for what he believed in. Other ministers go further, hosting or participating in live events. The goal, these pastors say, is to inject some machismo into their ministries — and into the image of Jesus — in the hope of making Christianity more appealing. “Compassion and love — we agree with all that stuff, too,” said Brandon Beals, 37, the lead pastor at Canyon Creek Church outside of Seattle. “But what led me to find Christ was that Jesus was a fighter.”

The sport is seen as a legitimate outreach tool by the youth ministry affiliate of the National Association of Evangelicals, which represents more than 45,000 churches.

Nondenominational evangelical churches have a long history of using popular culture — rock music, skateboarding and even yoga — to reach new followers. Yet even among more experimental sects, mixed martial arts has critics.

I can’t even begin to imagine what will come next in the name of “evangelism.”

For more, checkout this post too.

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Those who preach in glass houses…

crystal-babel

UPDATED from February 1, 2009: How ironic!! Exactly one year ago to the date, comes this update on the Crystal Tower of Babel. Apparently, the downturn in the economy may not be such a bad thing. I posted a while back that Rod Parsley is hemorrhaging cash. Just goes to show, when you base your “ministry” on how many unsuspecting people you can fleece out of their hard-earned money, it’s a pyramid scheme that’s bound to come crashing down. Well, now, it looks like the ungodly empire built by Mr. Self-Esteem himself is about to circle the drain:

The Crystal Cathedral, the Garden Grove megachurch, is laying off 50 workers, selling surplus property and may pull its “Hour of Power” television show in up to eight markets because of a precipitous drop in contributions.

The 7,000-member church also has canceled its “Glory of Easter” pageant, a popular reenactment of the life and death of Jesus Christ, which sold tens of thousands of tickets each year. “This cuts to the heart of our ministry,” said spokesman John Charles. “It is sad news.”

Charles said the church’s revenue sank 27% from roughly $30 million in 2008 to $22 million in 2009. Anticipating a drop in 2010 revenue, he added, “If it maintains, that would be fine, but we don’t have a crystal ball, so we are cutting.”

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The original February 1, 2009 post:

Apparently, the Robert Schuller empire, symbolized by the Crystal Tower of Babel Cathedral and built by the ultimate ultra-feel good pastor, the one who built a monument to man, whose shimmering building commemorates the gospel of Satan, is about to come crumbling down. (NOTE–link no longer works. sorry). One word describes this news:

Good.

It is a good thing that this man-made facade of a church should dissolve into dust. It is a good thing that this empire, built on the lie of universal salvation, should return to the dung heap from which it came. Just like the Tower of Babel, which was built for men to worship the “God” of their own making, so was this abomination of man’s making built to worship a fuzzy-wuzzy “God” who is not holy, is not righteous, and is not even real.

tower_of_babel_painting_close1

Once one of the nation’s most popular televangelists, the Rev. Robert H. Schuller is watching his life’s work crumble.

His son and recent successor, the Rev. Robert A. Schuller, has abruptly resigned as senior pastor of the Crystal Cathedral. The shimmering, glass-walled megachurch is home to the “Hour of Power” broadcast, an evangelism staple that’s been on the air for more than three decades.

The church is in financial turmoil: It plans to sell more than $65 million worth of its Orange County property to pay off debt. Revenue dropped by nearly $5 million last year, according to a recent letter from the elder Schuller to elite donors. In the letter, Schuller Sr. implored the Eagle’s Club members — who supply 30 percent of the church’s revenue — for donations and hinted that the show might go off the air without their support.

If Robert Schuller continues to preach a God who will save everybody, and that we are not sinners, and that we will all go to heaven–in other words, if he continues preaching a different gospel–then when he dies, he will suffer a much greater fate than watching his private Tower of Babel fall to the ground.

Galatians 1:8-9–But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

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The Reformation View of Roman Catholicism

From the works of Martin Luther (1483-1546)

What is the whole papacy but a beautiful false front and a deceptively glittering holiness under which the wretched devil lies in hiding? The devil always desires to imitate God in this way. He cannot bear to observe God speaking. If he cannot prevent it or hinder God’s Word by force, he opposes it with a semblance of piety, takes the very words God had spoken and so twist them as to peddle his lies and poison under their name. (What Luther Says, II: 10007)

Since the papal church not only neglects the command of Christ but even compels the people to ignore it and to act against it, it is certain that it is not Christ’s church but the synagogue of Satan which prescribes sin and prohibits righteousness. It clearly and indisputably follows that it must be the abomination of Antichrist and the furious harlot of the devil. (What Luther Says, II: 1019)

The negotiation about doctrinal agreement displeases me altogether, for this is utterly impossible unless the pope has his papacy abolished. Therefore avoid and flee those who seek the middle of the road. Think of me after I am dead and such middle-of-the-road men arise, for nothing good will come of it. There can be no compromise. (What Luther Says, II: 1019)

Read the rest of the article here.

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Scott Hodge and his hodge-podge of Roman Catholic meditative monastic heresy.

Chris Rosebrough is tackling an unbelievable issue that has crept into the church: The continued march backward into Romanism by supposed Evangelicals (some of which are the golden calves of Americanized Christianity) through the use of monastic meditation practices. He addresses this in his post Purpose-Driven Roman Catholic Monastic Mysticism (which is where I obtained the quotes below).

Roman Catholic Monastic Mysticism is becoming all the rage among innovative post-modern purpose-driven pastors. Practices developed by Roman Catholic Monks such as the Lectio Divina, The Practice of the Presence of God and the Prayer Examen which was created by on [sic] of the arch enemies of the Protestant Reformation, Ignatius Loyola are openly being promoted by an alarming number of seeker-driven / Purpose-Driven pastors. These so-called ’spiritual disciplines’ are being featured at Willow Creek, Saddleback, and Mars Hill to name just a few.

Rosebrough examines an absolutely astonishing sermon from seeker-sensitive pastor Scott Hodge who teaches his whole congregation that practicing the mystical Lecito Divina (like eating at a five-star restaurant) is somehow better than reading the Scriptures for yourself without the magical formula (like eating McDonalds). This is unbelievable when you consider Hodge is considered an evangelical protestant. What in the world did Luther break from Romanism for if this guy is directing his people to place the yoke back upon their necks and return to the bondage of Rome’s dead religion?

Let me be clear here, Pastor Scot Hodge is not promoting meditative practices similar to Lecito Divina, he’s promoting Lecito Divina itself. He spends the overwhelming majority of his sermon singing its praises and he even walks his whole congregation through a Lecito Divina session that will make your hair stand on end (for those familiar with Eastern mysticism and New Age practices).

To hear this unbelievable “sermon” and Rosebrough’s commentary with it, you can download it by right clicking here. It starts at 1:08:08 into the podcast.

While listening to this sermon, keep in mind that this Roman Catholic mystical practice was developed by men who did not believe in salvation by grace alone through faith alone by Christ’s work alone. These monks were trying to earn their salvation through their monkery. These practices are not taught in the scriptures. Neither Jesus, his disciples, the prophets nor the patriarchs practiced Lectio Divina. This Roman Catholic practice is pure monastic mythology and spiritual fantasy and rather than helping you experience God, it is more likely that you will experience self deception or demonic spirits.

For those unfamiliar with Scott Hodge, DefCon dealt with him back in 2007 when his video mocking the sacred ordinance of baptism was making its rounds on the internet. You can check out our previous post on Scott Hodge in the post Narcissism Gone Wild.

The fact that seeker-driven and Purpose-Driven pastors are adopting Roman Catholic Monastic practices in droves proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that chasing after relevance has caused them to abandon Biblical truth and they are now being blown about by every wind of false doctrine. (Eph. 4:7-19) Sadly, this is what happens when you try to marry the church to the ’spirit of the age’.

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Haiti – A Nation in Darkness Needing Light

As we all know Haiti has suffered a catastrophic earthquake that has killed hundreds of thousands of people, where countless additional lives hang in the balance due to lack of water, food and medical care.  What many may not know though is that Haiti is a nation in darkness, spiritual darkness as it is largely given over to Voodoo and has been for years. 

Before continuing, what exactly is Voodoo?  According to Dictionary.com, it is said to be:

A religion practiced chiefly in Caribbean countries, especially Haiti, syncretized from Roman Catholic ritual elements and the animism and magic of slaves from West Africa, in which a supreme God rules a large pantheon of local and tutelary deities, deified ancestors, and saints, who communicate with believers in dreams, trances, and ritual possessions. Also called vodoun.1

From the same source, animism is said to be:

1. The belief in the existence of individual spirits that inhabit natural objects and phenomena.  2. The belief in the existence of spiritual beings that are separable or separate from bodies.2

So we can see that “Voodoo grew out of the animist religions [which were] brought to the country by [African] slaves.” This religion “…was then overlaid by the Catholicism of the plantation owners … [which] led in many places to syncretism, or fusing, of the two belief systems.” 3  A fusing that has given Haiti its dominant syncretistic  religion that mixes Catholicism and Voodoo; a religion it has practiced  for hundreds of years. 

But Voodoo was never a recognized religion in Haiti even though most practiced it in one form or another.  All of this changed in 2003 when Voodoo was “…recognised as a religion on a par with others worshipped in the country.” 4 This formal recognition was done by Haiti’s President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

A godly nation would have wept at such a decision, but not so in Haiti since it is said that “…over 90% of Haitians are voodooisant.”5  Voodoo being a religion that is practiced in the open and in the home “…where each family has their own collection of household gods, many of them Catholic saints. In many households, it sits comfortably alongside a family’s Catholic observance.”6  Catholic observance that is not merely winked at but supported as the “…Catholic church officially backs the right of families to practise voodoo.”7  How accommodating of the Vatican!

Yet there is hope for the people of Haiti even in the midst of such unimaginable suffering.  Hope that will not be found in Voodoo any more than it will be in Catholicism.  Rather, the hope is in Jesus Christ, the light of the world that came to destroy the works of the devil and darkness; the very works that Voodoo glorifies and embodies.  Jesus can set the people of Haiti free but it must be the Jesus as revealed in the Scriptures and not the idols of Catholicism or the “Eucharist Jesus” which lead not to freedom but more bondage. 

Thankfully, the gospel message is being preached in Haiti as there are believers and missionaries there.  Individuals who obviously need our prayers and support not only due to their physical sufferings, but also the spiritual darkness that covers their land.  We can only hope that the earthquake will engender godly fear in the people whereby they repent lest a worse thing happen unto them.

Below I have included a few videos for the readers of DefCon to get better educated on Haiti so you can properly pray for the people of this land.  Note that the first two videos show demonic posession.  If you only watch one video, please make sure it is the last one.

Footnotes
1 – “voodoo.” Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 29 Jan. 2010. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/voodoo>.
2 – “animism.” Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 29 Jan. 2010. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/animism>.
3 – Gledhill, Ruth. “Voodoo faith ‘could hinder Haiti’s recovery from quake’.” TIMESONLINE January 15, 2010. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6990002.ece
4 – BBC News.  “Haiti makes voodoo official.” BBC News April 30, 2003.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2985627.stm
5 – Ibid.
6 – Gledhill, Ruth.  “Voodoo faith ‘could hinder Haiti’s recovery from quake’.”
7 – Ibid.

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Jay Bakker and the art of manipulation.

So what do you do when you’re preaching to a church full of people and you want to persuade them to believe that a sin (that’s clearly defined in Scripture) isn’t really a sin?

Well, if you’re Jay Bakker, you first go for the shock of it all then follow it up with making the congregation feel stupid. If that doesn’t work, make them feel guilty. And if that still doesn’t work turn on the tears to manipulate their emotions.

And what do you do if none of this works? If you’re the Sundance Channel you make a short video of the incident, insert some sentimental music at just right spot, and make it available to upload to YouTube.

HT: The Museum of Idolatry

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“Let us flee, for the enemy of the truth is inside!!”

In the First Century AD, Cerinthus was a well-known heretic, being one of the early leaders of the Gnostic movement. John opposed him as fiercely as a man possible could (thus giving us a better example of how to deal with heretics than the many modern-day milquetoast “pastors” who think we need to buddy-up with heretics and call them “brothers in Christ”). In fact, the story goes that when John and some of his disciples (possibly Polycarp) were about to enter a bathhouse, and John heard that Cerinthus was inside, John fled the building with his disciples, shouting

“Let us flee, lest the building fall down; for Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is inside!”

If only that which calls itself “the church” in America today would follow John’s example, we might not need a site like this. If the quote-unquote “church” would rise up and flee, flee, flee! Flee swiftly from those institutions that teach things that are contrary to the Word of God!!

  • “Let us flee, lest the building fall down; for Roman Catholic idolatry, the enemy of the truth, is inside!”
  • “Let us flee, lest the building fall down; for Emergent “Christianity”, the enemy of the truth, is inside!”
  • “Let us flee, lest the building fall down; for Purpose-Driven™/Seeker-Driven™ egocentrism, the enemy of the truth, is inside!”
  • “Let us flee, lest the building fall down; for Prosperity heretics, those enemies of the truth, are inside!”
  • “Let us flee, lest the building fall down; for Robert Schuller, the enemy of the truth, is inside!”
  • “Let us flee, lest the building fall down; for self-esteem, the enemy of the truth, is inside!”
  • “Let us flee, lest the building fall down; for Compromise of all sorts, the enemy of the truth, is inside!”

That which calls itself “church”–if only they would adopt the attitude of John the Apostle, and “Let us flee, lest the building fall down; for [fill in the blank], the enemy of the truth, is inside!” Remember these words which our Lord Jesus spoke to this one who fled from Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth. Listen to what He said to these gatherings that claimed to be of Christ–but which allowed Satan to enter through the front door, all the while claiming they did it “for Christ”:

Revelation 2:12-16—“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write…I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.”

Revelation 2:18-23—“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write…I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts.”

These were churches that were “doing good things.” They went around preaching “Love!! Love!! Love!!” They had all kinds of faith. But what did they do? They brought the enemy inside. They brought in Balaam, and they brought in Jezebel–and by doing so, they brought in all of their destructive heresies.

  • Did Jesus say, “Oh, I’m so proud of you!! You’re using Satan’s methods to bring people in the doors! How wonderful!!”
  • Did Jesus say, “It just thrills my heart to see you joining the worship of the true God with those who teach false Christs and bow down to worship statues!!”
  • Did Jesus say, “I love how you guys are engaging the culture around you!!”
  • Did Jesus say, “That’s the way to do church!! After all, who wants to sit there for a half an hour and just hear about…Me? Bring in more games!!”

NO!!!!!

Look at the warnings Jesus gives the church at Pergamos, and the church at Thyatira. Notice how they compromised with the world, and notice the rebuke from Christ. Then ask yourself: Would your church receive a “Well Done.” Or would He rebuke you for flinging wide the front door and inviting Balaam and Jezebel inside?

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Roman Catholic Mysticism and the Emerging Church Reexamined

A very important presentation by Richard Bennett from Bearean Beacon given to an audience in London about Roman Catholic mysticism and its promotion by the Emerging/Emergent Church.  From the YouTube posting we read:

Mysticism attempts to gain ultimate knowledge of God by a direct experience that bypasses the mind. Catholic mysticism, now officially married to the Emerging Church, needs to be reexamined. Old-time mystics such as Loyola, Teresa of Avila, and John of the Cross need to be examined again along with modern so-called evangelical mystics such as Richard Foster. All of this, and more, is accomplished in this professional presentation along with graphic inserts of persons and events. An analysis is also made of Phyllis Tickle who has surfaced as a formidable leader of this toxic movement. The fall from power of Tony Jones, a former leading light of the movement, is also documented.

Please watch to get educated on this critically important subject and share with others.

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As if we needed more proof that Joel Osteen is one of those false teachers the Bible warns us about.

Recently Joel Osteen “blessed” Annise Parker, the new mayor of Houston, Texas who is openly homosexual. (See articles here, here, and here.)

“… We ask that everything we do would bring honor to you … and we just lift up especially Mayor Annise Parker. … Lord, we thank you just for raising her up and just for your goodness, your mercy in her life, and just for supernatural wisdom, Father. We honor her today and our other officials, and Lord, we count it a joy and honor to be here in your presence with all of our friends and we just thank you for this day. In Jesus name, amen.”

This is as mind boggling as the wolf who “blessed” an abortion mill, calling it “sacred ground.”

Ingrid Schlueter hits the nail on the head regarding Joel Osteen with this excerpt from her commentary:

We bring honor to God by asking Him to bless a woman who is living in conduct that He calls an “abomination”? Does Joel Osteen even possess a Bible?



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Playing the Pharisee Card

It happens. It always happens. Someone styles themselves a prophet, or a teacher. They teach some aberrant doctrine that flat-out contradicts the Bible. Or they bring in AC/DC Satan to minister to the people. They use all kinds of newfangled methods to make people feel comfortable in their sins while not teaching them the necessity to repentance. They gain a large following, people begin to be attracted to their methods and teachings.

We (and others, such as Ken Silva or Ingrid Schlueter) warn others to avoid these people, since their doctrines are capable of leading people away from Christ, and into destruction. We obey the command given to us by the apostle Paul in Romans 16:17-18—“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.” And guess what happens? Those folks with the itchy ears get all upset because we are exposing the wolves who are preaching “peace and safety! Peace! Peace!” When there is no peace. And, like the Israelites–to whom God sent prophet after prophet, finally sending His own Son whom they killed–they buck back against the warnings, they continue to follow the wolves who are spoiling the flock, they let their itchy ears guide their thoughts. And then they whip out… Continue reading →

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Welcome to the gospel in America in the 21st century.

The problem is not that television presents us with entertaining subject matter but that all subject matter is presented as entertaining.  – Neil Postman

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Mike Bickle and IHOP.

As a follow-up to Unworthy 1’s post on the International House of Prayer (found here) I’ve decided to post the following eye-opening video I just discovered. The video is a news piece from CBN and is done in a favorable light (imagine that coming from false prophet Pat Robertson’s broadcasting network).

Not only does IHOP’s Mike Binkle have ties to Bob Jones, but in the beginning of the video the commentator claims that Binkle says that Christ’s return is dependent upon man.

If I had a nickle for every time one of these Charismatic Charlatans claimed that God was powerless or helpless to do what He wants, and He must rely on us for His will to be accomplished, I’d be a rich man.

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The Biblical Qualifications for Teaching Offices in the Church

From Extreme Theology comes a post that ought to be read by every Perry Noble wannabe out there, who doesn’t want to actually teach the Bible, but rather uses it as a coaster for his beer as he watches the latest U2 video and calls it “Bible study.” The article is short, but the guys get right to the point–that being a pastor isn’t about stroking people’s delicate egos; it’s not to make people feel comfortable about their sins; and it sure ain’t about telling people that salvation is “so easy a caveman can do it!” Because if that’s all it means to be a pastor, then–well, a caveman could do it.

The reason they wrote this post is to show the deficiencies that are inherent in the touchy-feely, ooey-gooey, watered-down, candy-coated methods of the typical Seeker-Driven™, Purpose-Driven™, No-Talking-About-The-Cross-Allowed™ megachurches that are more interested in numbers than they are in teaching truth. So, how do the people learn at these places? Well, the “elders” (who are not often worthy of such a title) leave that up to the “small-group, in-home” Bible study groups. And the problem with that is…

This leads to a very important question, “who then is responsible for doing the hard and necessary work of “deep” Bible teaching in a seeker-driven mega church”? Answer: Home Study Group Leaders

This leads to an even more important question, “What training and qualification are these Home Group Leaders getting? The reason I ask this question is because public teachers in the church are subject to the qualifications laid down in the scriptures.

Let’s look at some of the qualification thresholds the Holy Spirit put in place for the teaching office in the church.

1Tim. 3:1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

Titus 1:5 appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer,as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

Titus 1:10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.

Have you noticed the problem yet?