The Angel of the Lord in Old Testament

A few weeks ago, I had a long conversation with some Jehovah's Witnesses (JW's) who were canvassing my block.  We had an interesting conversation.  I knew that as a group, they are told not to vote so I asked them if they were happy that BHO was re-elected.  Many of them said "no," but....and then went on to share why they don't vote and why we must honor those who are elected to office.

Honor? I said in disbelief! 

When I asked them if the German people should have "honored" a murdering tyrant like Hitler who killed 6 million Jews, as well as millions more (including Christians); they really didn't have a good answer.  When I pressed them about why their organization forbids them to vote, one young lady answered, "because Jesus wasn't political."

Well...THAT'S because He is the Son of God!  He had to be about the business of His Father in heaven.  Does that mean that as believers and followers of Christ we should not be involved in politics?  Simple answer:  NO!

Prior to that brief discussion about politics, I asked them two pertinent questions that negate their organization's beliefs and might challenge their adherence to their religion.

First, I pointed out that when Jesus taught the disciples to pray and baptize new converts, he told them to:



Mat 28:19   "Go therefore [fn] and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,


Mat 28:20   "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, [even] to the end of the age." Amen. [fn]


I asked them why the term "name" is in the singular?  No one answered so I went on to explain that JW's are in error when they claim that Christians who believe in the Trinity are "worshipping three gods."  I explained that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are "three persons in one God."  The term "trinity" isn't in the Bible, but it is man's way of describing the concept of  "three persons in one God." 

It is important to recognize what Jesus said the Matthew verses.  They were all stated after he was resurrected!

 Note the preceding verses:



Mat 28:16   Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.

Mat 28:17   When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

Mat 28:18   And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.


During his three year ministry on earth, Jesus claimed that he and the Father are one.  This fact answers why "all authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth."  Jesus is God!!  He humbled himself and became man for our sakes - and for our redemption and salvation.

Notice that even though the resurrected Jesus stood before the disciples - some doubted.  This is an indication that even though people actually witnessed Jesus' resurrection from the dead - some still doubted.

Fast forward to today. There are millions of people who refuse to recognize Jesus as Lord - even some who would consider themselves to be in a "Christian" religion. Many are known as being liberal while adhering to the cross less gospel. Others are cults (various forms of heresy) that skew what is written in the Bible for their own purposes. This is why it is IMPERATIVE that you read and study the Bible for yourself - so that you can recognize the errors of cults, heresies, and the cross less gospel liberals who would steer you away from the One True God, His Word - the Bible, and His Living Word - Jesus Christ.

Back to the JW's.

I asked them who they thought was the "Angel of the Lord" in the Old Testament.  I gave an example saying, "who was it that Jacob wrestled with."  One answered, "that's Michael."  So I quizzed them further and shared that whenever the term "angel" was used in the Old Testament, most Bible scholars agree that it was a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. 

Here is  one example:

Gen 48:16 The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

Only God can redeem people from evil!

Two excellent websites that share more information about this:

Lamb and Lion Ministries: The Angel of the Lord His Identity, Manifestations, and Roles

Reformation Online: Christ in the Old Testament

The JW's claimed that it was Michael who appeared as the "angel of the Lord" in the Old Testament. 

I encouraged the JW's who chatted with me outside on my street (I was walking my dogs at the time) to do some research into these differences and not to rely on what any religious leader might say.  We all need to seek the truth from God's Word before accepting what any man might tell us.  In fact, any pastor who is genuine and biblically oriented will tell his congregation to research the Bible for the truth regarding any topic that he preaches on.   Pastors can make mistakes because they are human.  However, when a "mistake" is monumental (like the example below), then it is very important to discover whether or not such a pastor is trustworthy in the future.

I told them the story about a pastor who wrote a hugely popular book a few years back (Rick Warren:  Purpose Driven Life) and how during a Bible study leader meeting, a video was shown where Rick Warren discussed the upcoming "Purpose Driven Life" Bible study series.  At one crucial point in the video, Warren completely left out the need to repent of our sins before accepting Jesus Christ into our hearts as Lord and Savior!  I told them how alarming that was for me and two other women at the leader's Bible study meeting!

I don't know if my concerns about the  JW religion fell upon deaf ears or not, but I hope that they will consider what I said and do some necessary research on sound doctrine to find out the truth.

Hat Tips to all links.
Blue Letter Bible

Westboro Cult is Just Plain WRONG

The weird cult known as The Westboro "Baptist" church has protested in despicable ways for decades. Should anyone be surprised that they would choose to picket at the funeral of a 9-year-old girl who was gunned down my a maniacal assassin's bullets at a political gathering outside a Safeway grocery store in Tucson, Arizona?

We have seen their awful protests before - against our brave military soldiers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for our country. They have picketed at the funerals of homosexuals. They have tried to picket at the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards who recently lost her battle with cancer.

From what I have heard, a group of people are going to be at Christina's funeral service with huge "angel's wings" on their backs to shield the grieving family and friends from the Westboro's WRONG attempts to place undeserved blame on a little girl who lost her life due to a murderous rampage by an evil person who needed to be put away in a mental institution.

Sothenes has drawn my attention to an article that informs us that the Westboro cult is just plain WRONG!

Sothenes wrote:

Westboro Baptist Church and sin

Examiner.com: Westboro Baptist Church and sin


I found a really good article on confronting the imbalance of the Westboro Baptist Church.

Instead of dismissing the article, you can question the Westboro Baptist Church with the simple verse:


Quote:
"Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned” (John 3:17-18a).

If Christians aren't condemned then why are the Westboro Baptist Church condemning? They are condemning because they are wrong.

Romans 8:34 Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
__________________
Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

My response:

Thanks for sharing the link to that good article. This quote speaks volumes:

"Unfortunately, non-believers can have a mistaken view based on those who claim to act in the name of Christ, but do things that have no basis in scripture."

It's as if the Westboro people do not believe in God's mercy and grace through the power of the cross of Jesus Christ!

Mercy is God withholding what you (we, I, everyone) deserves.

Grace is God giving you (me, us, everyone) what you (I, we, everyone) don't deserve.

Come to think of it, I don't think that I have EVER heard anyone from their cult even mention Christ's sacrificial death on the cross for the FORGIVENESS of man's sins! They are guilty as any other cult/false religion/non-believer etc. of heresy and apostasy - because they do not adhere to God's provision for our salvation - namely, Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
__________________
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8

The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong to those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9

*******

I would also add that because the Phelps cult is working to lead people away from the true gospel of Jesus Christ, their fate in eternity will be the very destination that they claim those in whom they protest against will go - HELL!

That is...unless they REPENT!

Hat Tip:

Sothenes via Talk Wisdom forums

******

Related posts:

Frugal Café Blog Zone
Disgusting: Hate-Cultist Westboro Church Will Disrupt Funeral for Girl Killed by Tucson Madman, Emergency AZ Law Approved, “Angel Action” to Counter (video) - I’ve written about the Westboro Baptist Church before, and always feel like I need a hot, soapy shower once I’m done. The hate-filled cultist group from ...

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Update:

While reading Dr. David Jeremiah's (qwho is a GENUINE Baptist pastor/preacher) Turning Points magazine and devotional, I ran across a warning to "Beware of Masquerades" article that I think fits right in with the WRONGNESS of the Phelps cult.

Beware of Masquerades

And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14

Masquerade balls gained prominence in Europe as early as the fourteenth centruy and have been popular ever since, spreading to America and South America via celebrations such as Mardi Gras and Carnivale. But ancient Greek actors also wore masks to create a facial impression consistent with their character.

Masquerades are fine when it comes to fun but can be dangerous in the spiritual world. Paul warned the Corinthian church against Satan masquerading himself as an "angel of light" -- pretending to be one of God's good angels. In the same way, he could empower "false apostles" to transform themselves into "apostles of Christ." Indeed, Paul suggest that hs "thorn in th flesh" was a "messenger of Satan,." "Messenger" in Greek is angelos, or "angel" (2 Corinthians 12:7). Was his thorn a false apostle who was empowered by Satan, acting as an "angel of light"? It takes discernment to see beneath the mask of an imposter.

There are good angels and evil angels in the world. It pays the Christian to be on guard against the evil (1 Peter 5:8) while giving thanks for the ministry of the good (Hebrews 1:14).

*******

THAT'S IT!!! The Westboro cult is masquerading as apostles of God - all the while being false prophets, which makes them evil messengers of Satan! They are guilty of being spiritual imposters! True Christians have the ability to see beneath their imposter masks!

A "Therapist in the Pulpit" Goes Bankrupt

While reading several different blog posts from my sidebar list today, I found one that shared the story about Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral ministry going bankrupt. Albert Mohler.com: Bankruptcy in the Cathedral.

Schuller's techniques of preaching a "prosperity gospel" rather than the true Gospel of redemption through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary reminds me of Joel Osteen's "ministry." Any time that I have seen Osteen "preach," it has been that familiar prosperity gospel theme devised to make his audience feel better about themselves and "give them a lift." The trouble is, both Schuller and Osteen were not following the mandate of The Great Commission that Jesus Christ gave to his disciples and all who would follow Him. Any church that doesn't make the truth contained in God's Word, the Bible, and the Cross of Christ central to their teaching, should be avoided!!

The following excerpt is very telling about Dr. Schuller's ministry techniques:

“Possibility Thinking” was Schuller’s central message. He told his fellow preachers not to worry about repeating themselves in sermons, insisting that every message (he did not like to call his messages “sermons”) must be about the development of a positive mental outlook.

Though ordained in the Reformed Church in America, Schuller minimized historic Christian orthodoxy and stressed instead the message of positive thinking. In his 1982 book, Self Esteem: The New Reformation, Schuller explicitly replaced the message of salvation from sin with a message of rescue from low self esteem. In his 2001 autobiography, My Journey, Schuller told of the massive influence of Dale Carnegie and Norman Vincent Peale on his thinking and theology. He told of his decision early in his ministry to replace theology with therapy. “I realized that every sermon I preached (whether formally from the pulpit or casually at a coffee shop) should be designed, not to ‘teach’ or ‘convert’ people, but rather to encourage them, to give them a lift. I decided to adopt the spirit, style, strategy, and substance of a ‘therapist’ in the pulpit.”

Dennis Voskuil, a professor of church history at Schuller’s alma mater, Western Theological Seminary, placed Schuller within the context of the New Thought movement. “Robert Schuller is indirectly related to a long line of popular religionists who have proclaimed the gospel of this-worldly well-being through positive thinking,” he wrote. “His lineage includes such disparate figures as Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, Mary Baker Eddy, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, Ralph Waldo Trine, and Norman Vincent Peale. While there are many ideological branches on this family tree, all of its members have stressed a utilitarian message of self-help through some form of mind-conditioning.”

After detailing Schuller’s distinctive pilgrimage, Voskuil concluded: “By several standards, then, Schuller is an unconventional evangelical. But while he may be unusual, he is by no means unique, for he is merely one of the most prominent of a large and growing group of evangelicals who are promulgating the gospel of success.”

Those words were written almost thirty years ago. How does the “gospel of success” deal with bankruptcy? The filing of bankruptcy papers would be humbling enough for any ministry, but how does the very epicenter of “Possibility Thinking” deal with the stark reality of financial calamity?

Many years ago when I would occasionally see a small portion of Schuller's "Hour of Power" T.V. program, it always bothered me. Even though I didn't possess much Bible knowledge yet, each time I saw Schuller "preach" or read an excerpt from his books, I kept getting the distinct feeling that what he was teaching represented a definite skewing away from the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Mohler sums it up well at the end of his post:

In his 1986 book, Your Church Has a Fantastic Future, Schuller provided what he called “A Possibility Thinker’s Guide to a Successful Church.” The book is a manual for a ministry built on pure pragmatism, sensationalistic promotion, a therapeutic message, and a constant and incessant focus on thinking positively.

His message about money was simple: “No church has a money problem; churches only have idea problems,” he asserted.

In an odd and upside-down way, the news of bankruptcy at the Crystal Cathedral makes that point emphatically. The most significant problem at the Crystal Cathedral is not financial, but theological. The issue is not money, but this ministry’s message. The “gospel of success” is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, therapy is no substitute for theology, and “Possibility Thinking” is not the message of the Bible.

It turns out that Robert Schuller offers the best analysis of this crisis with his own words. “No church has a money problem; churches only have idea problems.” The theological crisis in Garden Grove is far more significant than the financial crisis.

Hat Tip:

Albert Mohler.com

Deceived by Collective Salvation?

Although this is my third post on the same topic, I find it a very crucial subject that needs to be thoroughly discussed. Before I begin, I want to thank everyone who has commented on the previous two posts:

1. The Error Of Collective Salvation and Black Liberation Theology.

2. No One Can Duplicate It.

FYI, the "Error Of Collective Salvation and Black Liberation Theology" post is very popular and might end up ranking as one of the most viewed essays in Talk Wisdom's history! Part of the reason for that is that the essay has been listed at this link over the past several days:

XTS - All The News At Your Fingertips: Collective Salvation.

So...a big thank you and hat tip to that website!

Apparently, the tweets on that page are updated frequently. Some of them have had negative comments about Glenn's show, others have been supportive. Here is an example of the tweets today, July 16, 2010 at 10:26 a.m. PT:

Collective Salvation Tweets

elraybaker : collective salvation isn't that what satan offered?
Updated : 16 July 2010, 1:27 am Reply View Tweet

NIdahoElections : COLLECTIVE SALVATION 4 THE MARXIST (ProgreSSive DemocRAT) MAY - MAY INVOLVE THE DEATH OF MAJOR NUMBERS OF PEOPLE FOR THE "COMMON GOOD!"
Updated : 16 July 2010, 1:15 am Reply View Tweet

coolmathteacher : @sunnieM Beck's show on Tuesday was AWESOME!! He layed [sic] out the plan of salvation OVER & OVER then compared it to OB's "collective" salv crap
Updated : 15 July 2010, 10:48 pm Reply View Tweet

Lockandload10 : Glenn Beck says OBama believes in Collective Salvation. Pope says its Demonic http://wp.me/pCanK-1A2 #RELIGION
Updated : 15 July 2010, 8:19 pm Reply View Tweet

patriotinks : RT @Lockandload10: Glenn Beck Says Obama believes in Collective Salvation. Pope says its demonic vid here #Religion #TEAPARTY
Updated : 15 July 2010, 8:17 pm Reply View Tweet

People have a HUGE interest in this debate! I think that it is wonderful that this discussion is out there. Agree or disagree, at least the TRUE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST is being preached - despite the fact that some will reject it.

While listening to Glenn Beck's radio show this morning, he mentioned an article from a website called Faithful America.

On the "About Page," (above link) their beliefs and goals read just like Obama's political agenda! While looking through several pages, I didn't see anything about Jesus Christ being claimed as Lord and Savior. I didn't see anything written about the need to be born again (which Jesus stated we MUST do in John 3:3). I didn't see any Scripture quoted. What I did see, were these two comments about their political intentions and the history behind their existence:

By speaking out, mobilizing and taking action in the public square, we are building a powerful grassroots movement to put justice and the common good back at the center of the American values debate. At this critical juncture, when our actions or inaction will have profound and permanent global consequences, our faiths demand nothing less.

Notice the "our faiths" in that paragraph. Well, that's fine. Many people choose to live in a hodge-podge of spiritual oblivion. Just don't come off making people believe that you are a true, genuine, Biblically-based Christian community. You people are not fooling anyone!

Now, here is why they created their organization:

Faithful America was founded on June 15, 2004, when Americans of faith raised $36,000to place an advertisement on Arabic-language satellite television expressing regret to Muslims for the abuse committed by Americans at Abu Ghraib prison.

Ah! Now we see! It's another one of those blame Bush and hate the American military groups!

Typical liberal-progressive propaganda.

They have a Facebook page too. Here is their invitation to Glenn Beck fans:

Faithful America To all our visiting Glenn Beck fans, welcome! Please share your views and engage in polite debate. Name calling and personal attacks will be deleted, however.

Will disagreement with their politics get comments deleted?

Just glanced at the Facebook page. It states:

Faithful America is an online community of over 100,000 citizens motivated by faith to take action on the pressing moral issues of our time. We come from diverse faith traditions but share a unifying commitment to justice and the common good.

Motivated by faith? In what or whom? Isn't that important to know? That's the question that must be answered. Apparently, the moderators at the site aren't answering it!

Read the following comments from the bottom up:

Pete Partridge
We are all waiting for an answer to Angela's question.
4 minutes ago · Comment · Like · Flag

Frank Donnino Answer Angela's question?
15 minutes ago · Comment · Like · Flag

Pete Partridge Faithful America- How can we be saved? Please enlighten us.
17 minutes ago · Comment · Like · View Feedback (1)Hide Feedback (1) · Flag

Pete Partridge I'm going to laugh when someone says make a donation to Soros.
16 minutes ago · 1 personLoading...Pete Partridge I don't see anyone trying to debate the truth being presented here by the true followers of God..Funny how that works huh? You cannot debate the TRUTH! Think about that for a second. What is the other side of that debate going to be? Lies? "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."
20 minutes ago · Comment · Like · Flag

Angela Faithful? Faithful America? You can come out now. Most of the Glenn Beck fans are gone. I'm still waiting for an answer to my question...
29 minutes ago · Comment · Like · Flag

Brian Woodbury I love reading from fellow Americans making fun of this group. hmmm who to believe these nuts preaching socialism /marxist ideals funded by soro the criminal or Beck who just points things out for us to research ourselves and Loves America as it was... Ill take Beck every time.
43 minutes ago · Comment · Like · View Feedback (2)Hide Feedback (2) · Flag

K Brad Porzelius likes this.

Brian Woodbury hose who dont know soros and all the communist groups he funds try this http://www.commieblaster.com/george-soros-fund/index.html and he is a convicted felon.Got to love a man that broke the UK pound made billions but says he is for the poor wants to legalize drugs which will mainly hurt inner city and poor.
26 minutes ago

Scott Elwood funny, you google their phone number and the first name that pops up is Faith in Public life, part of a site called Democracy in Action which, lo an behold is a progressive website funded by George Soros
53 minutes ago · Comment · Like · View Feedback (6)Hide Feedback (6) · Flag

Pete Partridge, Geri Jeffers and Joe Barton like this.

Angela Weird o_0
51 minutes ago

Joe Barton Astroturf!
46 minutes ago
Frank Donnino Of course it's Georgies. Like we don't know the truth. The truth...what a concept!
14 minutes ago

Scott Elwood hey Angela, I guess we're still waiting to find out how you get saved according to Faithful America
55 minutes ago · Comment · Like · View Feedback (4)Hide Feedback (4) · FlagJoe Barton likes this.

Angela Yep, but I won't give up the faith. I'll continue to ask until I get an answer ; )
53 minutes ago

Craig Storms I hear it is like a group hug :)
23 minutes ago

Angela lol
17 minutes ago

Scott Elwood I wonder if it's coincidence that Faithful America are based at the same address as other/former liberal/progressive action groups funded by George Soros, SEIU and AFL-CIO
57 minutes ago · Comment · Like · View Feedback (3)Hide Feedback (3) · Flag

Joe Barton and Geri Jeffers like this.

Angela It's a conspiracy! Quick! Get your tin foil hat! hehe
52 minutes ago · 1 personLoading...Nancy J. Coie Anyone well versed in the Bible would know that social justice is not what Jesus intended.
about an hour ago · Comment · Like · View Feedback (1)Hide Feedback (1) · Flag

Angela Thank you!
57 minutes ago

Scott Elwood nope, we're still here, we're waiting for the to respond, give us answers to our questions.................IF THEY CAN
about an hour ago · Comment · Like · View Feedback (1)Hide Feedback (1) · Flag
Joe Barton likes this.

Angela I still would like to know how to be saved. Faithful America, how does one get saved?

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Good question, Angela!!

I also want to share two excellent comments that were posted just this morning on my previous post "No One Can Duplicate It."

Christocentric said...
Christine, that was something else watching this Mormon, Glenn Beck, break down Black Liberation Theology! What an intriguing show! But what he did so importantly, is tie that heretical philosophy to the frame of mind of our current president, who sat under these teachings for 20 years under Rev. Wright!

But yes, isn't Christ wonderful? To avoid complete despair all we must do is remember that God is still in complete control of this mess and that this present earth is our temporary home. Thanks for sharing the scriptures of how much Christ loves us and what's He's done for us! Amen Amen!

Well, you know I haven't blogged much this year and I thought I stop by and respond to the Black Liberation show. Sadly, many black people I feel have such an inferiority complex that they must seek other false gods to make them feel better. Black Liberation falls under that - a very dangerous false teaching.

I promised you I'd share a link about this topic written by biblical scholar Ron Rhodes: "Black Theology, Black Power, and the Black Experience"

His article touches on many of the points shared by Glenn Beck on the show and he breaks down the teachings of James Cones, known as the father of Black Liberation Theology. The crux of his teaching is the "victimization" of Jesus Christ which many of us believe provides the belief system of Obama and his many victimization policies.

Enough on Obama...didn't really want to go there, but Glenn Beck took me to that place! Lol!

Take care Christine!

July 16, 2010 12:08:00 AM PDT

I met Carlotta via her Christocentric blog when she had a huge amount of information about Black Liberation Theology and the heretical kind of teaching that it is. Thanks for you input about this Carlotta! I really appreciate it!

stevex09 said...
As always I love your posts here. Always uplifting. Thank you!

Excellent point! No, Jesus was not a victim. Isa. 53:10-11:

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied ...

Jesus was satisfied with the results of his 'travail' of which he willingly accepted.

July 16, 2010 9:36:00 AM PDT

EXCELLENT Stevex09! It is my prayer that what you shared here will get through to those who are trapped in the heresy of "collective salvation" and Black Liberation Theology!

After reading Stevex09's comment, I grabbed a book on my shelf called "The Great Compromise" by Greg Laurie. It opened automatically to page 172 and I read the highlighted paragraph there (included below). Then, I turned back a few pages and read the following paragraphs that I thought were perfect to share for such a time as this:

Yes, we all have our areas of vulnerability. We all have weights, or things that slow us down. We are confronted daily by a wide array of compromises that potentially could shut us down completely. How do we deal with that? We lay aside those weights.

Paul said, "Lay aside the weight and sin that so easily besets you." Lay it aside! You don't have to continue doing that thing that is hanging up your Christian walk. You don't have to continually expose yourself to temptation. You don't have to keep on compromising. It's not as if there is some set-in-stone pattern that is impossible for you to break out of. The Bible is filled with promises for just such occasions. Take, for example, this insightful word from Scripture: "Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth" (Ps. 124:7-8). Can you see it? God provides a way of escape in every situation -- even yours.

When I read that, I thought of all those people who have been terribly deceived by the social justice/collective salvation/Black (or any) Liberation Theology heresies. It is my prayer that they will realize their errors and just look to Jesus, "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb. 12:2 KJV).

For evangelicals, this isn't a game of "gotcha." No!! It is our duty to carry out The Great Commission - which was the last command that Jesus gave to his disciples before ascending into Heaven.

The fact that the aforementioned heresies claim that Jesus died as a victim is terribly distorted theology! Greg Laurie corrects them:

When Jesus carried that weighty, cumbersome cross through the winding streets of Jerusalem and to Golgotha, where He was nailed to it and left to die a horrible, painful death, it was a shameful thing. People laughed at Him. They mocked Him. They cursed Him. They wanted nothing to do with Him as He hung there, dying. Most of His disciples had forsaken Him. All but John were nowhere to be found that day. What kept Him going? What made Him bear up under all that horrible abuse? The Bible says it was "the joy that was set before Him." What joy? The joy of knowing that His death would set men free of Satan's clutches, traps, and snares.

Remember - there is joy in heaven each time a sinner comes to Christ (see Luke 15:7). So why did Jesus press through to the finish line that day at Calvary?

For you.

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Hat Tips to all commentators and links!

The Error of Collective Salvation and Black Liberation Theology (Update #3)

Did any readers see today's broadcast of The Glenn Beck Program on the Fox News Channel? It was a great expos'e of the errors of Black Liberation Theology (BLT) and liberation philosophy (lp). Glenn demonstrated how these two have hooked up with Marxism to create the skewed, unbiblical view of the definition of "social justice" that is being touted by the likes of liberal, progressive pastors such as Jeremiah Wright and Jim Wallis.

I want to encourage readers to DVR The Glenn Beck Program re-broadcast on the Fox News Channel tonight! In the past I have seen it shown at 11:00 p.m. (PT) and/or 2:00 a.m. (PT) - so check the listings.

The YouTube version of the show usually comes out several hours after the first broadcast, so I will be looking for it to include here in this post. Then readers can view it online.

I think that Beck did a great job describing both BLT and lp and explaining why it is in error of the true Gospel of Christ. He also included the Marxist elements (such as the ideas of "collective salvation" and "social justice") which Obama and his cohorts often refer to in lectures and speeches. We get a good idea as to why Obama's kind of beliefs mirror his maniac former pastor, Jeremiah Wright's Black Liberation Theology beliefs.

Beck had the author of Liberating Black Theology, Anthony B. Bradley as a spokesperson on his show to back up what Beck was sharing with the audience.

Even though Beck is a Mormon (he even acknowledged this during the broadcast) - which is viewed by most born again Christians as a religious offshoot in error of genuine Biblical Christianity - the fact that he DOES have a T.V. show and is able to use it to refute the "social justice" and "collective salvation" perversions of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a HUGE advantage in and of itself. Fortunately, he resisted going into his particular religion's traditions and beliefs in the book of Mormon. Today he did a great service to viewers by showing the perversion of Black Liberation Theology and black liberation philosophy.

This blog post will be added to over the next several hours, so please check back as more information will be forthcoming.

Update #1 @ 4:23 p.m. PT -

Although Glenn didn't have a lot of time to go into detail about the connections between the Black Panther Party rants (and the subsequent dismissing of the charges of voter intimidation done by members in the 2008 election by the Obama administration DOJ Attorney General - Eric Holder) he did show video evidence of it on his show the previous day. Today's show dealt less with the horrid rants of members and leaders (former and current) of the Black Panther Party, and more with how it relates to the spiritual confusion being touted by Black Liberation Theology, liberation philosophy, the error of collective salvation, and the skewing of the biblical meaning of social justice. You can see how these elements of error are being used by certain organizations (like the NAACP) to cause politically-driven hatred, racial tensions and division by the perpetrators of such beliefs via these posts:

Daily Thought Pad
NAACP Readies Racism Resolution Against Tea Parties As Michelle Obama Tells NAACP: America Still Unequal

Gateway Pundit
Republican Tim Scott Releases Statement – Condemns NAACP Resolution Against Tea Party - Republican Tim Scott from South Carolina spoke out against the NAACP’s racist attack on tea party patriots today Tim released this statement this afternoon...


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Patriots and Liberty
The Evils of Collective Salvation - Faultline USA Update 5:20 PM: Be sure to watch Glenn Beck tomorrow, July 13th. The entire program will be devoted to the issue of Collective Salvation. Chr...

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All of the ills and divisions occurring in the hearts, minds, souls and spirits of mankind boils down these facts:

1. We are all sinners in need of the Savior - Jesus Christ.
2. We must be born again. (Jesus words in John 3:3)
3. Without Jesus Christ indwelling our hearts and minds in the form of the Holy Spirit, the minds of men are wrought in, and/or vulnerable to spiritual deception.
4. The rejection of God's Written Word, the Bible, and the ignorance and/or rejection of God's Living Word - Jesus Christ leads unrepentant minds into error, heresy and apostasy.

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Update #2 @ 6:15 p.m. PT -

Also see Glenn Beck's Page: Liberation Theology and Social Justice

Excerpt:

Jesus never said, "Take from the rich and let the government redistribute it." Take the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan chose to take it upon himself to help; he took on the bills himself. The government never told him to do it. Anything else is a perversion of Christianity and the perversion of the principles of God.

You don't need to be a Christian to believe this. You need to understand this because a perversion of God is extraordinarily dangerous.

Tonight, I have to take it a step further.

We are living in dangerous times and unless you understand what people are saying and why they are saying it and how they arrived there, then too many Americans are going to be fooled.

We start with James Cone. He's one of the founding fathers of liberation theology. Liberation theology is a brand of Christianity based on the liberation of the oppressed from unjust economic, political or social conditions. It centers around the idea that people are in one of two categories: the oppressor and the oppressed. Poverty, according to this theology, is caused because the poor are "victims of others."

James Cone is credited with starting the same liberation theology behind Rev. Wright's church:

Continue reading HERE.

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Update # 3 @ 8:46 p.m. PT -

Link to The Daily Beck broadcast of The Glenn Beck Program for 7/13/10:

Watch Glenn Beck.com: July 13, 2010 Show - Collective Salvation

Also - Talk Wisdom made the list of "collective salvation" hot news!

Looking For Christian Reviews On This Essay!

When I read the title of the latest post over at Herescope: Restoring the Gospel of Salvation, I was excited to read it. The title of the article, however, was a bit different from the title of the post, which asks, "Does not the salvation of sinners trump national restoration?"



Without revealing my reaction after reading the editorial, I present it here - in its entirety - so that readers can write their own thoughts, comments, positive and/or critical reviews about what was written in the essay. I am especially interested in what other Christians think about the article, though all are invited to share their opinions as well. I plan to reveal my thoughts, comments and reactions to the post sometime over the next two days.

Happy reading! I encourage each Christian reading here to put on your apologetics hat and take some time to comment about what you have read!

In Christ,

Christine

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Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Restoring the Gospel of Salvation

Does not the salvation of sinners trump national restoration?




An Editorial by Rev. Dr. Orrel Steinkamp



There is a new virus going around. Its called Christian political war gaming. Once the virus strikes it becomes a near obsession. I know a number of people who don’t get enough sleep because they are at their computers doing political war games. Once they lived healthy Christian lives. Their passion was the Gospel of saving individual sinners. Now they rarely have the time or energy for their former passion. Their affections have been alienated. They need a Gospel intervention.

Former websites that defended the Gospel of salvation now are mostly devoted to restoring an illusive American past and proving our present president is a stealth Muslim attempting to make America a Muslim caliphate. Joseph Farah, World Net Daily Christian conspiracy expert, is sure Obama has specific plans for Christian concentration camps.

Even if all this is true, why should this divert us from our mandate of preaching the Gospel to every creature? Why should we be attempting to infiltrate and dominate every political entity before the time of God's vengeance?

Paul wasn't worried about imperial palace intrigue in Rome. Obama is just being a politician from the Left. Like all politicians before him he has an agenda. We do not have to accept these principles and we can vote our conscience and financially support the campaigns of our choice. In the current political stalemate this could qualify me as a liberal. Well! I didn’t vote for Obama and I didn’t vote for McCain. I was comfortable with making a write-in choice, one I know my every reader would support. I don't like Obama's stance on many things personally, and I deeply resent his reference to two fathers on fathers day. But neither did I appreciate "born-again" President Bush's statement to Muslim leaders that we both pray to the same God.

Nevertheless, Romans 13 states with clarity that God puts up rulers of His choice for His purposes. I may not agree with God's choice and can't always see His purpose, but I am commanded to pray for the rulers our Sovereign God raises up.

Is it for Christian evangelists to suffer near frenetic emotional exhaustion in the political war games arcade? Is the eternal purpose of God hanging on such a thin thread? Is the biblical Jehovah really such a wimp deity, and a weak onlooker to the affairs of men, hoping Christians will overcome politically and take back dominion our God supposedly lost in the Garden of Eden and a establish the kingdom of God in the earth?

America survived Clinton, Hoover, and a corrupt Ulysses Grant, and it will continue to survive if it is God’s will. My God is a sovereign who could overcome Egyptian Pharaohs (after Israel was in bondage for 300 years) and could even raise up Cyrus, a pagan ruler, to accommodate Israel’s return to Jerusalem. Paul never ever looked to Rome except to use his Roman citizenship for the furtherance of the Gospel.

How must we look to the persecuted church? Are we by example suggesting they become political terrorists for the Kingdom of God and unnecessary martyrs? Janet Porter, in her June 8, 2010 WorldNetDaily column, suggested that some of us were like the pious Germans who held high their hymnbooks so they wouldn’t see the cattle cars on their way to exterminate Jews. (A classic false dichotomy.) What could they have done? Lay themselves on the tracks? The German Christians were culpable, not because of their hymn singing but because they made common cause with the goals and destiny of the Third Reich, as did the Vatican in Rome.

Jesus, whom we say is our example, shunned (not a strong enough word) political pursuits in the name of the Kingdom of God. Recall the story of when Jesus was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane. Peter rushed to action and struck off the soldiers ear. Jesus was so perturbed that He instantly restored it and said to Peter "put your sward [sic] in its sheath" (John 18:11).

The Jerusalem that Jesus entered was a political hotbed. The people were involved in every possible action to drive out the pagan Romans from the holy city. When Jesus entered on Palm Sunday He purposefully fulfilled an Old Testament prophesy of the coming messiah by riding into the city on a young donkey. "Hosanna in the Highest" the crowd cried. Hosanna means “save us now." They treated Him as political messiah who would use his supernatural powers to drive out the Romans and RESTORE JERUSALEM. Did they look for a suffering savior who would bear the sins of the people? Hardly! By the time Jesus went to the cross they were all long gone.

Even the Romans saw Jesus as political threat. The quisling Jewish leaders, in collaboration with the Romans, were afraid of a political uprising. But the Messiah came for the redemption of sinners, not a political restoration of the Jewish State. It is safe to say the reason Jesus died nearly alone is because it was not "His Hour" to Judge the nations. It was only "His hour" to go to the cross. Why did He die nearly alone?

The Jews, and even His disciples, expected Jesus "to save now, hosanna." The Dominionists today are crying "hosanna now." They claim we can restore what Jesus failed to do in His first advent. But the resurrected Jesus had to tell His disciples that it was not for them to know the times and the season that the Father has fixed, by His own authority," to restore the Kingdom to Israel.

On the cross Jesus could have called 10,000 angels for His rescue. But this would have totally contravened the plan of redemption from sin decreed by God (not "decreed" by a fake apostle!) from the foundation of the world. Redemption from sin remains to this day the focus of the kingdom of God. Jerusalem was filled with zealots (we would call them undercover militia). They were called the sicarii (Latin for dagger), for they hid daggers in their robes to assassinate Romans and collaborators. Even the Essene community at the Dead Sea was calling for a final battle between the Sons of God (Israel) and the Sons of Darkness.

Into this political milieu Jesus never uttered a solitary political word. He made it plain that “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). He, however, looked forward to when the Son of Man would RETURN and when He then would judge the nations. But until that great and awesome Day of the Lord, when the Savior would return on the clouds of glory, He was not striving for an earthly kingdom. He was content with establishing a church, His body upon the earth. Many in His day were offended by Him because He apparently had not political ambitions. Judas is speculated to be among them. Jesus asserted with force that His day to rule the nations awaited His second return, when He would judge the nations like a shepherd divides His sheep from the goats.

G. Peter Wagner, chief apostle of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), made a tactical decision to see Dominionism as temporarily consistent with democracy. I have not been able to locate when and where Wagner made such an "apostolic decree." But, indeed, the Kingdom of God cannot ultimately be a democracy. For Wagner and any other Dominionist, the democratic process can only be a way station on the road to their "kingdom of God on the earth," which is prior to the real Parousia.

Wagner's tactical decision (as opposed to strategic decision) was a major change. It opened the way for the false apostles and prophets to enter the political arena. So now "apostle" Lou Engle is free to lay apostolic hands of blessing on 3-time divorcee Newt Gingrich. Now the NAR apostles and prophets, thanks to Janet Porter and WorldNetDaily, can take their equal places in politics. Now they have the blessing of James Dobson, who endorsed Janet Porter’s May Day event at the Lincoln Memorial. Now Cindy Jacobs, prophetess extraordinaire, who had a visit of the Seraphim in her room that caught it on fire, can share the stage with Newt Gingrich. Now Rick Joyner, who has his own political action organization which he calls the Oak Initiative -- and who reportedly made a trip to heaven and heard Martin Luther repent of the Reformation -- can rub shoulders with James Dobson.

So now these self-anointed, self-appointed apostles of the NAR, laden down with false signs and wonders, false apostolic decrees, and false prophets -- who compete with each other in imaginary "can you top this" fraudulent oracles supposed to be from God -- have been given the kiss of acceptance by Christian Right politicians, including James Dobson. The apostles and prophets see this as a match made in heaven, a giant step toward appointing apostles as governors of every state and province in the world, complete with in-house prophetic seers to make supernatural decisions.

But I for one see it as blip in church history (like the Montanists of the 1st century), a match made in the pit of political desire for power before our King returns in His glory.

Exposing Michael Moore's Skewed Theology

My blog friend Neil over at Eternity Matters has an excellent post up that rebuts the skewed theology that Michael Moore tried to pass off as "Christian" on Sean Hannity's show last night.

Eternity Matters: Fallacies ‘R Us — Michael Moore preaches about Jesus and economics

Excerpt:

Michael Moore’s new movie is Capitalism: A Love Story and he wrote For Those of You on Your Way to Church This Morning …a note from Michael Moore on his blog. He makes the same mistakes that many Christians and non-Christians do, namely taking verses out of context to match his view of the word and his version of God. He also makes major errors in analyzing capitalism.

My comments there:


Christinewjc, on October 7th, 2009 at 10:45 pm Said:
I saw Moore’s interview with Sean Hannity last night. Sean tried to put up some good arguments and rebuttals to Michael’s skewed theology. Sean succeeded at times. But you, Neil, have done an excellent job of exposing Moore’s hypocrisy and his deliberate heresy and misrepresentation of Scripture. You should send a copy of this blogpost to Hannity! Maybe he will share it on his radio and/or T.V. show!


Christinewjc, on October 7th, 2009 at 10:48 pm Said:
Forgot to mention that the only reason why I think Moore appeared on Hannity’s show was because he thought he could appeal to Christians to go and see his stupid movie! Apparently, the ticket sales have been abysmal – just like Moore’s attempt at Christian theology!

Hat tip:


Eternity Matters

Another Deception Towards Hell

I love it when Christian bloggers comment at my blog. It helps remind me to see what they are writing about at their own blogs. I especially enjoy visiting new Christian blogs and adding them to my blog roll.

Recently, Ken of The Bumbling Genius blogspot wrote a comment here at Talk Wisdom. I went over to that blog and found his latest post entitled, Hell, The Ultimate Offense.

Excerpt:

(1) There is only one way by which we may receive the eternal mercy of God, the first step being that we realize our dire need of it. By down playing that need we do save from offense, but we do so at the expense of a far greater one; for nothing can be more offensive than an eternity in Hell.

(1)While we do not have the choice of pointing out that all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God, it is not my intention to suggest that Christians behave in a manner consistent with the caricature of Christians that exists today. This image was perfected in the pit of Hell, and there will never be anything that the church will be able to do, barring abandoning the cross and sin altogether- as many churches have done-to win the approval of a ardently anti-Christian culture.

My comment there:


Great post! And SO TRUE! The current "I don't want to offend anyone by talking about sin" modus operandi is (unfortunately) on it's way to becoming the express train of modern Christian thought. People may think that such a worldview is an "enlightened " way to "do church." But the reality is that it is just another one of Satan's ploys to keep people out of Christ's Kingdom.

The truth is, such a mentality is just another deception and ticket to hell.

That quote at the end of your post says it all!!

Years ago, I ran across commentary that stated, "beware the crossless gospel." Such a terrible error (and heresy) is becoming more and more prevalent in many churches today.

The Bible tells us the truth about each and every matter. God's Word tells us that the cross is offensive to those who are perishing.

2Cr 2:14 (NLT) But thanks be to God, who made us his captives and leads us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume.


2Cr 2:15 Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those being saved and by those perishing.


2Cr 2:16 To those who are perishing we are a fearful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?


Hat Tip:

The Bumbling Genius blogspot

What is the "Coexist" Message Really About? [Add-on]

Have you seen the new "Coexist" bumper stickers? Over the past few months I have seen several. I wondered where they came from and what type of message that it's really all about. Of course, I instinctively knew that it was just another covert attempt to downplay the fact that Jesus Christ is the truth. Jesus told us, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me."

A "Coexist" message made up with differing religious symbols that attempts to combine religious beliefs (which, in some cases are polar opposites of each other) cannot portray an honest type of message.

A Little Leaven has a brief explanation of where this new phenomenon was started. Figures. I should have known that George Barna would some day go over the deep end in heretical thinking.

Lots of really good comments at the "Leaven" site.

The Christian Post title: "Researcher: America's Faith Tribes Can Restore Nation" is a perfect example of how the writers at that publication have abandoned the true, genuine Christian gospel and have elected to run in the direction of the murky Gospel-light, Jesus-plus-something-else mentality that creates a counterfeit type of Christianity. Scripture repeatedly warns us against getting fooled by such heresies.

At the Christian Post article site, a commentator named "Prophet" reveals the truth:

Prophet » Tue Apr 28, 2009 2:17 pm

What kind of new age garbage is this guy peddling?

That's exactly what it is. New Age garbage.

Commentator "Paul" over at the "Leaven" site explains:

If you add up the percentages of all those groups mentioned it totals 99.5%. These groups aren't going to save the culture--these groups ARE the culture!

Barna's analysis is what happens when Christians think their job is to save the culture, rather than proclaim God's truth.

Poor Paul the Apostle. He preached "Jesus Christ and him crucified" instead of trying to find common ground with pagans to save the culture of the Roman Empire.

Posted by: Paul L. April 28, 2009 at 12:55 PM

Eric adds:

I see bumper stickers on people's cars at my university all the time. I go to a public college and stuff like this is taught in almost every class I'm in. It is just a ply for tolerance. But I'm afraid it appears they're tolerant of every religion except true Christianity

Posted by: Eric April 28, 2009 at 07:19 PM

Yep....

Update:

Sothenes has just posted the following over at my Talk Wisdom message board:

Pray for Bono


Relevant Magazine

About five songs into their set, Bono stopped the show and strapped on a headband with writing on it. I stared up at the JumboTron to see that the handwritten lettering said: COEXIST.

Coexisting sounds like a great idea. I fully support the peaceful philanthropy that Bono has encouraged, and this seemed like another way that he was trying to spread the message.

Except, it started to feel like more than a political message. The “C” in “coexist” was the Islamic crescent moon, the “X” was the Star of David, and the “T” was the cross of Christ. Bono pointed at the symbols on his headband—first to the cross, then to the star, then to the crescent moon—and he began to repeat:

“Jesus, Jew, Mohammed—all true. Jesus, Jew, Mohammed—all true.”

He repeated the words like a mantra, and some people even began to repeat it with him. I suddenly wanted to crawl out of my skin. Was Bono, my supposed brother in Christ, preaching some kind of universalism? In just a few seconds, I went from agreeing with him about Christ-like “coexistence” to being creeped out by the ungodly, untrue thing he was saying. What’s going on here? What if he believes that all ways are the same, and he just thinks of Christianity as his particular way? Aren’t universalism and true Christianity mutually exclusive?

Hat tip:

A Little Leaven

Christian Post

Sothenes' post at Talk Wisdom message board

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Another great read related to this subject:

Albert Mohler: Two Rival Religions?

Excerpts:

"The chief modern rival of Christianity is 'liberalism,'" Machen asserted. "Modern liberalism, then, has lost sight of the two great presuppositions of the Christian message--the living God and the fact of sin," he argued. "The liberal doctrine of God and the liberal doctrine of man are both diametrically opposite to the Christian view. But the divergence concerns not only the presuppositions of the message, but also the message itself."

Kainz offers a crucial insight here, suggesting that one of the most important factors in the nation's cultural divide is that persons on both sides are deeply committed to their own creeds and worldviews--even if on one side those creeds are secular.

"This explains why talking about abortion or same-sex 'marriage,' for example, with certain liberals is usually futile. It is like trying to persuade a committed Muslim to accept Christ. Because his religion forbids it, he can only do so by converting from Islam to Christianity; he cannot accept Christ as long as he remains firmly committed to Islam. So it is with firmly committed liberals: Their 'religion' forbids any concessions to the 'conservative' agenda, and as long as they remain committed to their secular ideology, it is futile to hope for such concessions from them."

No wonder liberals hate true Christian believers so much! It competes with their secular IDOLATRY; and as Mohler states, "it is futile to hope for such concessions from them." Kind of destroys the idea of that "Coexist" propaganda...doesn't it?

The next segment explains the ObamaFRAUD mess and why he and his cohorts push their radical ideology upon an unwilling populace:

Looking back over the last century, Kainz argues that Marxism and ideological Liberalism have functioned as religious systems for millions of individuals. Looking specifically at Marxism, Kainz argues that the Marxist religion had dogmas, canonical scriptures, priests, theologians, ritualistic observances, parochial congregations, heresies, hagiography, and even an eschatology. Marxism's dogmas were its core teachings, including economic determinism and the "dictatorship of the proletariat." Its canonical scriptures included the writings of Marx, Lenin, and Mao Tse Tung. Its priests were those guardians of Marxist purity who functioned as the ideological theorists of the movement. Its ritualistic observances included actions ranging from workers' strikes to mass rallies. The eschatology of Marxism was to be realized in the appearance of "Communist man" and the new age of Marxist utopia.

Similarly, Kainz argues that modern secular liberalism includes its own dogmas. Among these are the beliefs "that mankind must overcome religious superstition by means of Reason; that empirical science can and will eventually answer all the questions about the world and human values that were formerly referred to traditional religion or theology; and that the human race, by constantly invalidating and disregarding hampering traditions, can and will achieve perfectibility."

Sorry ObamaFRAUD and cohorts - what you clueless people up there in Washington D.C. are doing is RUINING OUR CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC!!

God help us to get a judge to hear the Kerchner et al vs. Obama et al lawsuit case!!! It will only take ONE HEARING to get the evidence out there. Then the usurper can be removed.

To Lead Together - For Good or Bad?

Can humor be used inappropriately while discussing serious Christian issues? Probably. In fact, the following two thoughts that came to my mind just after I read only the provocative title of Mike Ratliff's new post, What is the Synagogue of Satan? might be deemed by some as inappropriate.

So be it.

I am being truthful when I say that the following thoughts, rightly or wrongly, came to my mind:

In answer to just the title of the post, my first thought was - The NObama Administration?

My second thought was - Nancy Pelosi's district which includes those "sisters (homosexual men dressed as clown-like-looking nuns) of perpetual indulgence?" Recall their stampedes into the Catholic church in San Fransicko - denigrating parishioners and throwing stuff in the air. If I recall correctly, they even grabbed a goblet of the Eucharist, and threw and trampled on them with their feet.

But neither of these would be considered as actual "synagogues of Satan"...would they? Even though Mr. Ratliff's essays tells us:

It (synagogue of Satan) literally means, “to lead together.” This word is used to describe the assembling of people into a gathering or congregation. It is not used to imply the natural unity of the people, but a community established in a special way and for a special object.

In light of this explanation, perhaps labeling such "gatherings" as the tax-evading, pro-death-to-babies in the womb, pro-radical homosexual agenda, pro-Islamic terrorist releasing, corruption filled NObama administration; and the San Fransicko nun mockers as being involved with "the spirit of Antichrist" is more in line with Scripture. Would that be a more accurate thing to claim? What do you think?

Back to Pelosi.

Last night on The O'Reilly factor, one of the show's producers confronted Nancy Pelosi and asked questions about her meeting with the Pope. He asked, "you discussed abortion with the Pontiff, right?" For the first time in my adult life, I heard the words "pro-life" uttered from the mouth of Pelosi! I was shocked. Of course, she was pointing out the Pope's position on the issue...not her own. Then she quickly changed the subject and said that they "talked about a lot of other topics; including poverty, health care, her family"...blah blah blah.

I guess when it comes to discussing the Pope's position on abortion, she wouldn't DARE personally call him "anti-abortion."

Yet, she, and the Media of Mass Deception almost relentlessly labels pro-life people as "anti-abortion."

The Lamestream media just cannot possibly stoop so low as to make a positive statement about THOSE PRO-LIFE PEOPLE...right? /sarcasm off

My blogging friend Tamela has written quite the thought-provoking post over at her Tamela's Place blog. She asks the question:

Who Will Proclaim God's Righteousness?

Please take the time to read the entire post. Great comments, too. For now, I'd like to point out just part of what was written on the subject of abortion:

Excerpt:

Larry and I have had some recent dialogue about the efforts of President Obama rescinding the right of Doctors and Nurses to refuse to perform abortions because of their personal and religious beliefs and it's being disguised as Stimulus by the Obama crew in DC. This is an abomination or should I say an obamanation!

Tamela goes on and writes:

Those who are reading this that claim to be a Christian and stand for the righteousness of God I submit to you another question: "Did you vote for Obama"? If so, I ask you WHY? after all did you not know that he was Pro- abortion, Pro-homosexual and Anti God's Word? Why did you throw aside God's Word and vote for this man? Was it because you wanted to be a part of the generation who placed the very first man of color in the White House? Yes, you heard right! I did indeed say a man of color, I did not say black because he is both white and black so that makes him a man of color. Be honest was this what motivated you? If yes, then I ask you, why did you place a man's color before the righteousness of God?

Ouch...Christian supporters of Obama!

However, she is absolutely right! Those who would call themselves by the name of Jesus Christ HAD to have ignored (or not known about...but research on the Internet would have been easy enough) all of what Tamela pointed out in that paragraph and therefore, ended up placing "other things" in life BEFORE the righteousness of God.

The subject of abortion was front and center in many of the comments at Tamela's Place. Here's a copy of mine:

March 4, 2009 11:15 AM
Rate This: 3.2

Christinewjc said...
Well said Tamela! VERY well said! As I stated in a comment to you at my blog, people are finally waking up to the mistake they made voting for Obama.

About the abortion issue. David Kupelian has an excellent article in the Whistleblower magazine. In one part, he mentions that "while abortion remains as legal as ever, fewer and fewer doctors and clinics are willing to perform abortions today."

Note these comments from the article:

"Unless drastic changes are made, American women will lose the right to abortion and the U.S. Supreme Ct. won't be the cause of it...the reason will be that physicians either can't or won't perform this essential service." - Barbara Radford, former director, National Abortion Federation.

"...the availability of abortions is diminishing because fewer doctors are willing to perform the procedure." - The Washington Post.

There are six more comments like these.

Science is on the side of the fact that life begins in the womb. The window into the womb is more clearer than ever - with the new "4D" ultrasound machines. Sidewalk counselors are trained to lead women away from the abortion clinic and to a crisis pregnancy center where they see their baby growing. Nine out of ten decide NOT to abort! This is having a huge impact on both potential abortion clients, as well as physicians who morally don't want to kill babies in the womb.

Isn't it sad to know that the women who do have abortions, are most often quoted as saying, "I killed my baby." The next thing they say is, "get me out of here." However, many often live with the shame, guilt and awful remorse that abortion clinics don't warn them will happen to them for the rest of their lives! This is where Christian counseling can help - tremendously.

Now get this.

Citizenlink had this in one of their latest emails:

Pro-life pastor to be re-sentenced in Oakland case

Walter Hoye awaits a new sentence for sidewalk counseling outside an Oakland abortion clinic. Though the California Superior Court ordered him to stay away from that clinic during his three year probation, he refused to accept those terms, calling it a violation of his constitutional rights.

"Rev. Hoye has a legal right to refuse onerous conditions of probation. Rev. Hoye will not and should not agree to give up his free speech rights," said Allison Aranda, Staff Counsel for the Life Legal Defense Foundation representing Hoye, in a statement after the sentencing.

Attorneys on both sides of the case told Judge Stuart Hing that statutory law prevents him from forcing Hoye to accept the stay away order. Last Thursday, he
had sentenced Hoye to 30 days imprisonment or community service, a $1,130 fine, and a stay away order. Because Hoye rejected this last order, however, he will
receive a new sentence on March 20.

In an email after the sentencing, Hoye quoted from Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from a Birmingham Jail. "One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to
disobey unjust laws," King wrote.

While King's cause was segregation, Hoye's concern is also for African Americans. "Today, a black baby has less than a 50 percent chance of being born alive," Hoye said last week.

"It is absolutely incredible that in America an individual can be sentenced to jail for engaging in peaceful free speech activity on a public sidewalk," Aranda said.

The Obamination admin. knows that they have to prevent sidewalk counseling, and force doctors and nurses to perform abortions. Otherwise, the money making machine of abortion will dry up. Therefore, they are bringing about laws (and lawsuits) to force these issues against the will of We The People.

Awful...isn't it?

Who will sound the alarm bells and wake up other Christians who may not realize what is going on?

Queen Esther in the Old Testament Bible was a brave woman who approached her husband, the king to save the Jewish people in her day. Why can't Christians do the same against Obama?

I'm proud of you, Tamela! Keep up the good fight! And keep those encouraging posts coming...too!

In Christ,
Christine

*******

Back to the "Synagogue of Satan" post.

Mr. Ratliff writes:

What about this “synagogue of Satan?” Who is this?

If you read this post then you know it was non-Christian, religious Jews. They were religious, but they had only man-made faith, not the faith given by God to all who are saved by grace through faith. The Greek word translated as “synagogue” is συναγωγή or sunagōgē. It literally means, “to lead together.” This word is used to describe the assembling of people into a gathering or congregation. It is not used to imply the natural unity of the people, but a community established in a special way and for a special object. When our Lord used the term “Synagogue of Satan” in Revelation 2:9 and Revelation 3:9, he was referring to unbelieving Jews who had not the gift of faith. Only those who have this faith from God are children of Abraham. Those Jews who clung to their works righteousness while rejecting Christ as Lord and Saviour proved they were not of the synagogue of believers, but of Satan because they were in unbelief and hated the truth.

Those in the “synagogue of Satan” were attempting to keep people from entering by the narrow gate. They refused to believe that those who were the true children of Abraham because they had saving faith were justified by that faith alone. We teach that genuine Christians are saved by grace through faith and it is all a gift from God. Our Lord made i[t] clear in John 6 that no one comes to Him unless the Father draws them and the only ones He draws are those chosen by Him (Ephesians 1). The issues for these in the “synagogue of Satan” are that they have rejected grace while insisting on salvation by works of the Law. However, the Law saves no one. The Law is designed only to reveal the lost condition and utter sinfulness of Man. That is all it can do. It can deliver no one. The Law did not justify Abraham. He lived hundreds of years before the Law. He was justified by faith just as we are.

Therefore, when we point out to the emergents and those in the New Evangelism, those in the Church Growth movement, et cetera that all they are doing is filling their local churches with tares because they are neglecting the Word of God and the whole Gospel, we are not saying these things to be mean or disagreeable. No, we point these things out to them because we are told to do this in God’s Word (Jude 1:1-25). We must confront those who preach a false gospel and lead people astray. This is not legalism. This is not an attempt to put others down. This is simply obedience on our part in order that “some” may repent as God opens their eyes to the truth. Unless He does this then no one believes or repents.

Beware the new types of the "synagogue of Satan." It is where rejection of the true Gospel - because of complacency, error, heresy, and apostasy - abound today.


Hat Tips:

Mike Ratliff: What is the Synagogue of Satan?

Tamela's Place

Compromise + Enabling = Heresy

There have been so many great posts at many blogs on my Christian Blog List that have touched on the subjects of compromise, enabling and heresy. I think that this is a subject that is one of the most important issues that Christianity faces today.

Does compromise plus enabling equal heresy?

I truly believe that all three are actively at work in today's postmodern Christian church culture. In years past, those churches that obviously compromised the truth of the Bible and true Gospel (regarding sin, pride of self, ignoring and/or allowing unrepentant rebellion against God and His Word, and the re-making of Jesus Christ in their own image) were typically labeled as the "liberal" wing of Christianity.

However, compromise, enabling and heresy (CEH, for short) is creeping into Evangelical church circles at an increasingly alarming rate. Those of us (called the elect in God's Word) who see this are attempting to sound the alarm bells to warn those who may be caught up in such movements to return back to the Bible and what Jesus said was needed to inherit the kingdom of God - namely - our need to repent of sin, follow the Law (Jesus said, "if you love me, keep my commandments) and the Prophets, and the true gospel which points us towards righteousness and holiness.

Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Mar 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if [it were] possible, even the elect.

The "elect" are the truly saved in Jesus Christ. Notice that Jesus himself acknowledges that the "false Christs and false prophets" [s]hall deceive the very elect. But notice what Jesus said just before those words - "if [it were] possible!! This means that it isn't going to happen! There will always be a remnant of the faithful who will not be deceived by powerful "signs and wonders" that will deceive those not genuinely born again in Christ.

Human nature (especially the nature of the unsaved) is likely to deem such terminology as elitist, bragging, or much worse. What they are missing is the fact that it is the humbling of the heart, confession of sin, repentance of all our sin, asking for mercy and grace at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ that enables us to be His (Jesus Christ's). There is no pride allowed in such an act. We know from whence we came (sinners, desperately in need of the Savior) and that if it weren't for Christ's sacrificial, substitutionary death on the cross, WE WOULD ALSO BE LOST FOR ALL ETERNITY. We can't boast in anything - but the cross of Christ.

Gal 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Look at Paul's instruction for the elect:

Col 3:12 ¶ Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;


Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye.


Col 3:14 And above all these things [put on] charity, which is the bond of perfectness.


Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.


Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.


Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Also, look at Jude's admonition to seek out the lost and if necessary, pull them out of the fire:

Jud 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling [them] out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

How are we to balance all of this?

Some choose to use compromise so as not to offend anyone.

Others, choose to utilize a certain level of enabling - so as to appear loving, kind, tolerant, and non-judgmental.

Still others, go all the way towards heresy - willingly or unwittingly - and may THINK they are saved but because of following false doctrine, are not.

Here are some links that discuss various forms of CEH:

Culture Watch: The Bitter Fruit of Apostasy

GCMWatch: Never Congratulate Rebellion and Sin

SAFE - Students Against False Equality: Equality Riders Respond With Arrogance at School's Hospitality

There are MANY more that I need to locate and post. Also, if you have links you would like to include (there are several on abortion I need to locate) please post them in the comment section.

Ultimately, the primary reason that the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Word, the Bible is rejected by those who are CINOS (Christian in name only) is discussed in this post:

Immorality - One of the Main Reasons People Reject God

After reading that post, go over and read Carlotta's blogpost entitled What Exactly is Gay Bashing? Read the comments, too. Quite eye-opening.

Carlotta points out the fact that hyper-tolerance towards homosexual activism has created an intolerant vacuum - designed to silence Bible believing Christians. She also demonstrates that there is much more at stake in the same-sex marriage issue due to such a fact:

Gay bashing is a very important term, because if gay marriages are approved permanently, then it may come to the courts to decide that “gay bashing” is illegal and therefore punishable. If it’s okay for gays to be married, then it certainly has to be okay period! Which is why it’s so important for many of us to take the stand for marriage between men and women. It seems to be coming to that point with people being fired from jobs, suspended from schools, and etc for people merely expressing disagreement with the gay sexual orientation.

This agrees with what I had read in the book "The Homosexual Agenda - Exposing the Principal Threat to Religious Freedom Today."

It's not only about "gay marriage," people. If these activists get their way - your Christian religious rights WILL BE TAKEN AWAY. Once legitimization of sodomites happens through the acceptance of such unions as "marriage," then the persecution of those who adhere to God's Word on the subject will reach an all time high. Mark my words!

There are Christians who (unfortunately) don't understand the dire consequences of this issue. Proposition 8 MUST PASS IN CALIFORNIA! VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION 8!!!

Excerpt from "The Homosexual Agenda":

The Price for Taking a Stand

The reality is that radical homosexual activists and their allies are looking for any opportunity to attack and silence any church that takes a biblical stand with regard to homosexual behavior, regardless of denomination.

[T]he heat is only going to get higher and and temptation to compromise the gospel in face of persecution is going to become more attractive. However, if the church fails to stand strong in the face of attack, then its very reason to exist (evangelization to spread the gospel) is compromised.

This book was published in 2003. We can already see how prophetic those paragraphs are because we are seeing such things happening right before our very eyes!

In the comment section at Carlotta's blog, here is a portion of one of her responses to a homosexual man named "Ted":

But fortunately I don’t have to depend upon my own thinking to decide whether or not homosexuality is wrong - a sin. You are relying upon YOUR own thinking to come to your conclusions. The only way your conclusions can make sense is if the bible is completely rejected, because otherwise, we have a very powerful, reliable source as a guidebook for the human being. The Lord knows we wouldn’t have thought of this ourselves!

As far as our civil rights are concerned, the bible talks about the moral code being written upon our hearts, given to us by God. That’s how we have the laws on murder, stealing, etc, and etc. God gave those to us! There are things that fit and things that don’t and it doesn’t take a genious to figure out that homosexuality is NOT natural! Every human being on earth has one mother and one father. That’s natural!

So you can cry the blues about us taking away your civil rights but it’s actually America leaning away from the moral code written and given to us by God Himself. We are heading for certain societal destruction if we ignore this code.

That I assure you!

Hebrews 10:16-18
“This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds. “Then he adds:
“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

Carlotta shared a verse from Hebrews that shows THE ONLY WAY OUT from our sins and lawless acts; be they homosexual, heterosexual, or the breaking of any of the other laws God has given man in the Bible. God's laws are HIS LAWS! No man's opinion trumps the truth of this!!

Now, the title of this post includes the word "enabling." I want to share a story about this from chapter ten of "The Homosexual Agenda" book:

A new missionary was walking the streets of Colombia one day, a nation ravaged by organized crime and rampant drug use, accompanied by a Christian native of the country. As he walked the streets of the country, child after child would come up to the missionary and beg him for money. Even though he had limited funds, it was his inclination to give whatever he could to these poor and destitute children. However, his Christian companion quickly admonished him that giving into the demands of the children would cause the children more harm than good.

"You see," his companion said, "these children are trapped by the mafia at an early age to go begging in the streets. The crime syndicate breaks their fingers and other horrible things are done to them. But if you give in and just hand them the money, they will just take the money to the mafia and all it will do is perpetuate the problem. You may have thought that you helped the child, but all you did was treat a symptom, the cause of the problem will go on and on, and future generations of children will fall into the same trap."

*This story was told to Craig Osten by an employee of Food for the Hungry, and internationsl relief ministry.

This story also serves as an analogy when it comes to our response to those trapped in homosexual behavior.

Many Christian ministries that are devoted to helping men and women out of sinful sexual activity attempt to "speak the truth in love." This does not mean that they should be telling those who are actively violating God's standards for marriage and sexual activity that what they are doing is "OK" in God's eyes. Yet, this is what some Christians are doing when they compromise and enable fellow Christians who desire to continue with sinful behavior.

Book excerpt:

It is vital for members of the Body of Christ to understand the homosexual agenda and how it threatens many personal and religious freedoms. If we sit back and surrender, giving those involved in homosexual behavior everything they think they want, we are just like the missionary in Colombia who thought he was solving a problem but instead making it worse.

Jesus told us, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his own soul?"

What is that worth??

These dear people lost and trapped in sinful behavior and relationships will never be able to hear and respond to Christ's redemptive love for them!!

What's more, our ability to raise our own children and grandchildren to know and live the uncensored Christian life and faith is at risk as well. Parental rights are also an essential part of religious freedom: the ability to raise and guide one's own children and grandchildren according to one's God-given, Bible following, Christian beliefs.

Excerpt:

We cannot allow [a false understanding] of love to trump truth." In our hope of being accepted, we have often backed away from the spiritual battle for the hearts and souls of men. Rather than confront the culture, we have often chosen to conform to it. Instead of promoting self-fulfillment in our churches, we must get back to modeling self-sacrifice. Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for us, and like him, we must be humble servants and not haughty judges. We need to point the individual traped in homosexual behavior to the true cross, not a revised, meaningless gospel that requires no sacrifice, no repentance, and provides no real lasting deliverance from sin and its pain and sorrow.

We must be willing to be salt and light in our culture, no matter what the price.

This is what is known as the agape love of Christ.

I realize that the homosexual men and women who come to this blog and post comments don't understand that true Christian love expressed for them is a love where we want to see them redeemed from a lifestyle of certain, ultimate despair.

There are SO MANY who have been released from the bondage of homosexual behavior and identity and redeemed through faith in Jesus Christ! Several of these dear people have posted comments here and have shared their testimonies!

Deliverance is real - when one is repentant and redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed on that cross at Calvary over 2,000 years ago!

My prayer is that those involved in compromising churches (on this issue as well as many other non-biblical movements); enabling churches that refuse to call sin what it is - rebellion and separation from Holy God; and heretical churches that ultimately lead to apostasy and rejection of Christ, will be spiritually awakened by the Truth.

Each of us will spend eternity in one of two places. Choose God's Kingdom!

Mat 7:13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

Mat 7:14 "Because[fn1] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Mat 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Mat 7:16 "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

Mat 7:17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

Mat 7:18 "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

Mat 7:19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Mat 7:20 "Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Mat 7:22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'

Mat 7:23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Mat 7:24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

Mat 7:25 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

Mat 7:26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

Mat 7:27 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

Mat 7:28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,

Mat 7:29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.


Reference source: The Homosexual Agenda by Alan Sears and Craig Osten

HT's: Christocentric, GCMWatch, Culture Watch, SAFE, Coral Ridge.org


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Update: There is an absolutely excellent and thorough post over at Neil's Eternity Matters blog called, Endless Errors From Soulforce