Check out this article from Not the Bee: https://notthebee.com/takes/the-world-is-ignoring-a-christian-genocide--and-youll-never-guess-who-just-blew-the-whistle
I'll often pop a post over here when I'm out and about and want to be able to find something, or if I only have a few minutes but want to get some thoughts down before I forget...this is one of those reference posts.
It is a sad reality that what some Christians know, others do not. This is a concern when it comes to the news of the day. Christianity Today hasn't been good for a very long time, but folks may not know that. It is called CHRISTIANITY TODAY afterall. But it is just capitalizing on the unknowing believers and leading them astray.
https://notthebee.com/article/bombshell-christianity-todays-magazine-staff-made-significant-campaign-donations-from-2015-to-2022-and-every-dollar-went-to-democrats
https://metrovoicenews.com/christianity-today-editors-donated-to-radical-democrats-report/
https://www.wnd.com/2023/10/christianity-today-staff-gave-lots-campaign-donations-2015-2022-democrats/
This is a summary of the downhill trend of CT:
https://dominickbaruffi.substack.com/p/the-rise-and-fall-of-christianity
As many of you have, I've been asked if I like the show The Chosen for quite a few years. Many people I know like it and have recommended it to me. I've never wanted to because of the Mormon connection with it, but this point regarding someone regularly depicting Jesus Christ really has me thinking along another more serious line. I do think there is a difference in re-enacting a Biblical story and having a series with Him as a character. I hadn't thought of that before but am glad to consider it now.
This article references numerous works I respect (Grudem, Postman etc), so could be worth a read:
We should always be striving to 'put on' Christ and 'put off' the things of this world. There's no shame in changing direction; it is what we're supposed to do the more we learn and the closer to God we get. And we are each accountable to God for our own actions and decisions. We can't follow outward rules that aren't in our hearts and please God.
I think images that end up being worshipped are a sin. All images are not sin. A familiarity with relating so much in my mind about the Bible to a TV show just makes me uncomfortable. I like my own impressions...that's why I won't watch The Hobbit and preferred to not watch LOTR at all. Once we get man's images in our heads, our own flee.
A person could go in an endless number of directions with a title such as this. What do I mean by 'types'? What is meant by 'different'? I'm referring to Christians who are more conservative in how they live versus "Christians" who live how they want. The former may seem restricted in their choices of what consists of entertainment, how they dress, and lifestyle choices. "Christians" on the other hand don't necessarily look that different from the world. They may say things that are different from the world, but they do many of the same things. What is the world? It is those who deny God in theory and practice.
The defining issue of why some Christians live very different from other "Christians" is an issue of biblical authority. That is to say, what is the source of truth? If the Bible is true on all points of life and theology, then it ought to be followed as God's holy word. If the Bible is optional and we are free to pick and choose what to follow, then God isn't God, we are. If we are God, then we are not part of His elect--we are not His children--we will not spend eternity with Him. If the Bible is God's holy word, which God says it is, then "Christians" who ignore what it says aren't really submitting themselves to God.
It has been said that either Jesus is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all. That is the crux of the matter. Saying we believe in Jesus as God's only Son, and that He died and rose again to conquer sin does not put us in God's family. We must believe that Christ died for our sins and turn from them. If we continue in our sin, what is the point? We are not saved from eternal damnation by a whimsical "I believe" which then lets us be our own Gods! That is no where in Scripture.
The one and true God of the Bible is the One with the authority to make the rules. He has clearly laid them out and just as Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and they life." God has said that we are to have no other god before Him...yet we make ourselves gods all the time by doing what we feel is right, what we feel makes sense, what we think is ok--all the while ignoring what He has said is the right way for His followers to act, think and live.
The issue of different types of Christians is this: either the Bible is all true and God-breathed, or it is not. If it is not, and we do life how we want, sprinkling in Bible words to sound like we have morals, then we will face eternity without Him. Being a Christian means turning in a new direction--leaving the path of self and getting on the path of God. It is nothing short of heartbreaking to see how many people are choosing the wide road that leads to destruction. Don't be among them. There are no do-overs.
We all have people we know and respect. Sometimes onlookers would wonder at why a certain person would gain our respect, and perhaps sometimes we wonder why others respect us. Regardless, for better or worse, there are those we esteem above others for their character, accomplishments, conduct, reputation, knowledge or something else. Then there are those who look to us as role models.
What is rather interesting is that while earning respect or choosing to bestow it can take time, removing our respect for someone or losing someone's respect, can happen quickly. There can be an irrational nature to the ending of an esteemed status. This causes me to pause and think hard about the emotional nature of respecting others, or being respected, and why it should not be very important to us one way or the other. It shouldn't puff us up when we've found ourselves respected by others because it is often a fleeting emotional situation. And we should be cautious how much respect we bestow on others because it may not take much for us to feel differently.
In the era of covid-19, we've all seen this shift due to something simple like people's personal choice over getting or not getting a vaccine. The harsh judgment that ensued from one person to another is truly beyond comprehension. This situation was used by the devil to put rifts where none existed, and it has not built up the body of Christ or helped society. The vaccine situation helped confirm what we knew about some people already. It also revealed the heart of others we knew well. I'm sure I'm not alone in stating plainly that the playing field looks different now among our social circles than it did in 2019. Who we count as friends, who we walk circumspectly around, and who we think has left sound reason (probably never to return) may surprise and even sadden us. What has really made this situation what it is, isn't what people individually chose to do for themselves and WHY, but the people who would not leave it at that. The people who felt compelled to push their opinion and agenda on others, whether to vaccinate or not, ruined many relationships. People who overestimated their power of influence or who failed to rightly understand those around them, those who refused to hear why someone was doing what they were doing, showed themselves to be small-minded, immature, and lacking sound judgment. Those issues are the crux of the problem. When focusing on that, who cares what someone did or didn't do regarding the vaccine (which I use that term for simplicity, the covid-19 shot did not vaccinate anyone from contracting the virus).
Thankfully, for Christians, it is the Lord whom we serve. His good opinion is all that matters, and He sees our hearts. He separates the wheat from the chaff, and He gives people positions to serve Him. One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and what we used to medicate ourselves when sick will not be a prerequisite for entry to Heaven.
I can't think of the way the world responded to COVID-19 and not think of Rev 13 when the anti-Christ and false prophet are deceiving the world. My mind immediately goes to Catholics I know well and how utterly panic stricken they were. How they judged those who didn't jump in the Kool-Aid pool, losing the ability to reason and think clearly. It is ironic the people I'm thinking of are Roman Catholic since that false belief system is devastatingly wrought with members who will follow the anti-Christ because they do not know God. Just as people, even Christians, were led down wrong paths of thinking with the coronavirus, the false prophet will lead the native, lost--all who are unsaved... into a world of lies. Those who do not belong to God, through Christ, are slaves to sin, they are the unsaved. They cannot help but walk in the path of destruction. This path is the one everyone walks in if it has not been interrupted by the truth of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
All people are born with a sin nature. Sin is anything we think, say, or do that offends God, who is the creator of the world and all living things. Our sin is a serious problem. It must be remedied if we're to enter Heaven, a holy place, when we die-- whether our death is timely or untimely. Blood sacrifice is the only thing that can make our sin ok. It is the only thing that removes our sin. God set this system of forgiveness up. Jesus was a perfect man who was the payment, once and for all, for the sins of the lost who would be redeemed. Christ's death was not in vain. It accomplishes all God intends for it to accomplish. God calls and draws people to Himself and when a sinner responds in humble repentance, asking for God's forgiveness for their sin, the payment Jesus offered is added to that sinner's account. This is being born again, born spiritually into the family of God. God holds us for all eternity from that point on. God sees those who trust Christ to be their payment, or ransom, very differently from those who have not trusted Jesus. God sees repentant sinners as sons and daughters! No longer a slave or alien, but a member of the family!
If we think we do not sin, we simply do not understand what sin is. It is lying, purposefully misleading, or is stealing, murder, adultery, fornication, abusing substances that harm our bodies, gossip, slander.... our thoughts are sinful and so are our actions. We must be honest with ourselves and look at our lives as compared to the perfect standard God set up. There is one God, the Lord of all Heaven and earth.
Do not be like those in Rev 13 who are so deluded they fail to see the wretched evil we've been warned about for over 2000 years. Be free in Christ---forgiven and free to not sin.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones| Martyn Lloyd-Jones on: |
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Now that the Democrats are feeling the crush of their lunacy regarding covid vaccines and masking (Biden's 38% approval rating.....), we MUST NOT FORGET what is means to stand for truth. We cannot forget how manipulative and wicked the mainstream media like MSNBC and CNN are. Those who voted for baby-killing Biden should repent and be ashamed of how they bought in to the lies of the left. They should look to their misinformed ways and go in a new direction for their news input.
Let us not forget the brave people of Grace Community Church who knew worshiping the Lord was tantamount, and that covid was being used to control and fear monger among the nation and the world.
I'll never forget a family member thinking that gathering was worse than abortion, so he voted to expand abortion rights and transgender wickedness among children. That sort of thinking is terribly warped and demonstrates a complete lack of discernment. If we think we are Christians, we must be able to discern evil and we cannot do that if we are not studying the Word of God ourselves and listening to the teaching and preaching of God's word regularly.
https://pulpitandpen.org/2020/07/30/video-dr-macarthur-admits-his-friends-have-forsaken-him/
Be forsaken by those who refuse to stand boldly for Christ. It is worth it.
I want to have this on my blog so that one day, perhaps after the Rapture, people can happen upon this and see the atrocities in America (and the rest of the world, really) that led up to the judgment of God. His wrath over the abominations we humans concoct will be severe and sure. If you are reading this in Jan 2021, please take time to comment your opposition to these dangerous measures.
How can adults, which are entrusted with the nurture of children, allow such twisting and distortion of reality? The mental gymnastics of people denying their actual gender, and then other people encouraging it rather than truly helping them, is deplorable. It is not the Christian, who understands we are made in the image of God, who is at fault, it is those who want to deny nature, who are at fault. Sin is the root of struggles with sexuality, and sin causes people to explore homosexuality and it is the root gender identity issues. The political 'left' think it is loving to endorse and encourage people in these endeavors, but the discontent, depression and other problems many of those folks deal with, is lifelong. You can eliminate every person who is against it, and these people will still be unhappy and feel something is 'off', because trying to thwart God's design, which is right and good, never leads to peace and wholeness. God can help anyone turn from their wrong thinking and wrong desires, but we first have to humbly come to Him and seek His strength and truth. We must admit we are sinners in need of a Savior, and realize it is only Jesus Christ who can forgive us and set us free from these bodies of sin.
Come, Lord Jesus, Come!
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Pastor Darrin expounds on the important truths from 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8.
These verses can help us evaluate if we are walking in genuine faith or if we have created our own rules for what it means to be a Christian. If we want to experience the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit, we have to be right with God. To be right with God there is a dying to our self and a living for Him. This isn't what saves us from eternal damnation in Hell, but it is the proof that we are actually born-again. We no longer live for ourselves, but for God's glory.
Have you been confused about someone mentioning they are praying for God to protect His remnant, or 'the' remnant?
What is 'the remnant'?
The remnant are the faithful of God who are forgiven of their sins because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We are saved from eternal damnation and are not enslaved to sin, solely because of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. True believers are people whose lives bear the fruit the Scriptures talk about, this fruit is the evidence which shows people who have died to themselves and now live for God. The remnant is not made up of people who give lip service to God but live how they want; people who use God's name, possibly attend church and cry out to Him for help but who live like they want; or people whose religion changes with the times.
Noah's family was THE remnant in his day (their salvation was trusting in God for the promise of the Messiah to come).
If I were to hazard a guess as to the most unhappy, stressed, and unfulfilled women in America, it is those women who have thwarted God's design for them. Mind you, some of these characterizations happen among women I wouldn't classify as 'liberal' overall, but they are in segments, which still leads to negative consequences.
Why do I write this? It isn't to be mean-spirited, it is with the hope someone will see themselves herein and realize there is another path to take. A road less traveled but which affords greater peace and contentment than the worldly one. At the bottom I've included links that support my view that women are less happy today than they have been prior to all of these liberal advances. My reasons for why this is the case are below. The articles give their reasons.
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Jn 16:33
With that, I give you my thoughts on liberated women.
The Situation
Liberal women:
They are independent in spirit, often not giving credence to modesty in dress or demeanor. They do what they want, when they want. The latter is the main point which transcends the age of the liberal woman.
These women put career above family duties. The best of their time and energy is focused outside of the home.
Often, childbearing is not their number one desire, it is work and making as much money as possible. They have kids to check a box, but their heart is not nearly as close to home as it could be. This is not referring to if they work, but their priorities and ideological views.
Liberal women commit sexual sin before marriage, so what would normally compel a man to marry has been taken off the table. He gets what is natural for him to want without any commitment. These women wrongly equate sex drives of men and women, denying God's design for men. They think it preposterous to recognize that it is natural and right for the sexual desire to be a part of why people should marry. These women think that marriage can, and often should, be delayed. (Evidence of this, particularly during this global pandemic, is that they say it is acceptable to put off marriage until times and restrictions are better...The Bible warns about committing fornication, which is very likely to happen if marriage is delayed. Sexual sin is a BIG deal to God. It is deplorable how many so-called believers act like it would be better to just have sex and wait until a big wedding can be had)...God does not think that way at all.
God's ways bring blessings.
It is easier for men not to lead and not take on the responsibility of a family if a woman is letting them get the milk for free, without buying the cow. Leading a family takes hard work and grit, and we've successfully hampered this drive in men as women have sent the message that they don't need or want that protection. The very women who really want to get married and have kids have helped usher in this cultural shift. God has put the responsibility to lead on a man's shoulders, and a woman cuts his legs out from under him if she enables him to shirk this duty. She must be willing to follow to encourage him.
We know, however, that liberal women reject God's order of a man leading his family while she willingly follows his lead. Women who are sickened at the thought of their husband having the role of making final decisions, and bearing the responsibility for those decisions, are liberal women.
Often these women lie to create a caricature of what they want their life to be, and it is easy to catch them in these if they've failed to give their husband the script on a particular issue. God holds husbands/fathers responsible for how their family is managed, irrespective of people's opinion on it.
The Bible says that women want to rule over our husbands, and if we don't respect them, which financial disparities can cause, we will shift the safe dynamic God has outlined. It is much easier to maintain the dynamic God has given for the family if the wife is a keeper at home and if her husband provides. It is the world's wisdom which says the roles of men and women are interchangeable. This denies Creation and God's word, and we see it in the stressed, anxious lives of women who are trying to be the man of their house. Again, dual income families can function as God says, but it is more challenging and puts more stress on the wife, and thus, the family. Her important work requires her full time effort and time, so something must fall off the table if she is also trying to be the provider. (I do know women who prefer to not work but their husbands do not recognize the value they would be able to bring as full time homemakers unfortunately, and of course this is not referring to men who want to work and cannot. Hopefully people reading this realize this is directed to people choosing lifestyles that lock them in to a way of life that rejects God's word.)
Sadly, and with a warning I say this-- many of these women who hate the things of God will use His name to sound like they love Him. But the Bible is clear that if you love God, you will do what He commands. We are without excuse if we do not know what He commands. Everyone has a Bible or has access to one in America.
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 1 Jn 5:3
For the record, supporting the killing of an unborn baby is not loving God, obeying God, or representative of God. Don't use His name like you belong to Him if you support abortion, which if you vote Democrat in America, you do. That is what politicization of issues does--one camp is against killing the unborn and one camp strives to expand abortion rights--every term. To pretend otherwise is just a deceiving of oneself. Christians need to stand for what God stands for, all the time.
This weekend was a refreshment to my soul, as I'm sure it was for other true followers of Jesus Christ. That isn't a statement of bragging, but of the blessed reality for those who worship and follow God according to His Word, the Bible.
Too often, we as believers get side-tracked worrying endlessly about the state of the world and our unsaved loved ones, but if we have done all we can to be a clear witness for Jesus Christ and His truth, we need to just give our concerns to God. Everyone has access to the Bible, Bible teaching, and online church services if they do not want to attend church in person, or cannot. We believers simply cannot control what other people do, and we SHOULD NOT LET THE BAD CHOICES OF OTHERS STEAL OUR JOY.
Those who are in false religions, or atheists, do not enjoy the peace and joy that true followers of Christ enjoy. We all make our choices. Likewise, when life gets hard, it is only genuine followers of God who have that 'peace that passes all understanding'. The promises of God are not true for those who have deceived themselves in to thinking they are reconciled to God.
Believers--we must stand alongside each other in faith and truth, knowing that God is on OUR side. This world and evil world forces are passing away, but take heart, God has overcome the world!!
Dear Fellow Christian,
This morning I implore you to beware of mainstream media. It is often a tool of Satan meant to lead people away from the One True God. Satan has blinded the minds of many in America, and the media outlets are one of his strong arms of influence. If a person is watching CNN, MSNBC etc. they are at risk of becoming sheep to the wrong shepherd. When one drum is beat, day after day, with a message of fear, blame and anger, the mind no longer thinks critically or logically, it merely becomes a parrot of what it is being fed continually. When the Bible is not read day after day, and a believer has isolated themselves from regular discourse with other believers, the influence of God fades and the 'wisdom' of the world takes over.
As Christians, we are here to represent God. We are to think, respond, love, defend, and act like God as much as we are able. This is a challenge, so God tells us to guard our minds if we are to succeed. The Holy Spirit is within us to help us, but we must not stifle hearing from Him.
The wisdom of this world is proclaimed day and night on mainstream media channels like ABC, CBS, CNN....coupled with other internet sites that distract us, if we are not careful, we can be steadily digesting messages that are not in line with God, His values, or His will for us. God tells us that friendship with the world is enmity with God. (James 4:4) Is this true during a global pandemic? Was it true during Hitler's reign? You better believe it.
What the Bible calls the world are the world forces, the worldview, the thoughts and actions of the world we live in, which are OPPOSED to God. If we have not read the Bible or been in a Bible preaching church consistently, we may not be aware of this reality, but Scripture is clear that there are opposing forces among us. There is not a middle ground for those who don't wish to be involved. God tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together because we need each other to continue to stay on the right path. (Heb 10:25)
During this global pandemic, far too many have shut themselves away from other believers, and this lack of fellowship, coupled with continual watching of TV has led former believers who walked with God down the wrong path, away from Him. Those who may have thought they were believers, who had deceived themselves, look just like the unsaved after months of digesting mainstream media. I wish this was a speculative commentary being made, but it is not.
Please read on to see what God says about this world, the ruler of this world, and how those who belong to Him can thrive in today's culture.
I've always loved the bumper sticker that rightly says You Can't Be Catholic and Pro-Choice. Historic Catholicism valued life in the womb and recognized that life as a child, as it should.
Today's Catholics are often liberal, unfortunately, and since they do not rely on the Bible for truth, they have been moved away from conservative values because the church has moved. You can't vote Democrat and be pro-life. Democrats are the party of death to the unborn. To vote with them is to stand with them as they push certain agendas.
God sees and knows mankind's wicked ways.
It is wicked to support abortion.
God hates hands that shed innocent blood.
From Proverbs 6:
16 There are six things which the LORD hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
17Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
18A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil
Look this passage up in your Bible to know the 7 things which are an abomination to the God of the universe.
