It’s Membership Madness at Saddleback

Casts of thousands are joining Saddleback Church, and Rick Warren wants you to be among those signing on for membership. Here are eight reasons he lists that you should join now and not procrastinate. Rick writes:

1. I’m personally teaching Class 101 for the first time in ten years.

2. I’m personally baptizing after Class and you’ll receive a photo & baptism certificate.

3. You’ll get a free one year subscription to Purpose Driven Connection magazine. (Never offered before)

4. You’ll get free copy of The Purpose Driven Church book.

5. Your name will be included in the historical list of Saddleback Pioneer Members who joined in our first 30 years. (This Easter is our 30th Easter and I want you included in this list.)

6. The class is 1 hour shorter than normal. You can watch session 3 here online now.

7. You’ll be a part of making Christian history! The largest membership class ever!

8. We love you & want you in our family. There is no good reason to procrastinate.

I was asked, “Rick, If you could wish for anything to celebrate your 30 years of service at Saddleback, what would you dream of?” I said, “To experience a repeat of Pentecost - and see 3,000 people affirm their faith and join our church family on a single day.” Will you be a part of making this a reality?

Does “Rick” have any idea how arrogant it sounds to tell people to join because HE will be personally teaching the class? Where is Jesus Christ in all this? Where’s the Gospel? “Rick” dreams of seeing a Second Pentecost. But wait! The individuals at Pentescost were being converted to Christ, not joining an institutional church. Pentecost was about the Holy Spirit descending from Heaven with fire, turning hearts to believe the Gospel that was preached with power and authority. It wasn’t about gimmicks, making “Christian history”, getting magazine subscriptions and baptismal photos with big name apostles! Nobody was being bribed with goodies to sign on to somebody’s megachurch. The 3,000 heard the story of Redemption, their hearts were converted by the power of the Holy Ghost, and the world of that day was turned upside down.

Read the rest at Slice of Laodicea.

Yoga Uncoiled

Once viewed by Christians as a pagan import from the East, yoga has now become mainstream in the church through "Christ-centered yoga classes" designed to help improve spirituality and experience "the presence of God". But is yoga's mysticism compatible with historic Christianity?

Video-journalist Caryl Matrisciana, who was born and raised in India, returns to her native land to search for truth among India's leading experts and examines what Christian Yoga practitioners in the West are saying about their Yoga participation.




Watch Part 2 of Yoga Uncoiled here.

Born and raised in India, Caryl saw firsthand the effects that Hinduism had on the people of that nation. After leaving India as a young adult, she became involved in the counter-culture New Age movement, only to find that the elements of Hinduism and the New Age were very much the same. Later as a Christian, Caryl discovered that this same spirituality had entered the Christian church through various avenues. Read her story in her new book, Out of India.

Howard Stern Joins the Campaign for Transcendental Meditation in Schools

Associated Content.com

Howard Stern announced last week that he has accepted an invitation from acclaimed film director David Lynch to appear at the "Change Begins Within" concert to benefit the cause of teaching transcendental meditation to children.

...The sold-out "Change Begins Within" concert will take place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Saturday, April 4th. Other celebrity guests that are scheduled to appear include: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sheryl Crow, Moby and Eddie Veder. Howard Stern is currently slated to make a brief statement about the benefits he's experienced from TM and introduce some of the musical performers.

Editor's note: This concert is sponsored by The David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace.

See over 137 reasons why TM, centering prayer and contemplative spirituality yields physical benefits while it destroys the soul.

See related resources:

Youth Ministry & The Doctrine of Demons , Global Crises Creating Global Unity Toward Human Divinity , Iron Sharpens Iron with Ken Silva on Mysticism , Yoga: Mind Science or Altered States Religion? , The New Age of Purpose Driven , Mysticism & Global Mind Change , Faith Undone , Yoga OK For Christians? , Fight The Flood of Deception , Youth Specialties: Mystical Youth Ministry

US Open To Single Global Currency

Guardian UK: Dollar regains ground after Timothy Geithner qualifies global currency remarks
IMF proposal for global reserve currency makes it on to world agenda

A new global reserve currency run by the International Monetary Fund to replace the dollar has made it on to the world agenda, after the US treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, shocked the markets by saying Washington was open to the idea.

The dollar tumbled last night when Geithner said he was "quite open" to a Chinese suggestion that the world should move towards greater use of an IMF-created global currency basket of dollars, euros, sterling and yen.

China's suggestion came ahead of next week's G20 summit when world leaders gather in London to discuss the global economic crisis.

See more on The Rise of The Fourth Kingdom.

OBAMA AND THE NEW AGE

By Dennis L. Cuddy, Ph.D. NewsWithViews.com

As I’ve mentioned numerous times before, the Power Elite (PE) uses crises to move us toward its ultimate goal of a World Socialist Government. The current global economic crisis is devaluing currencies so that the people of the world will be forced to accept regional currencies and then a global currency, which is an important part of the PE’s plan. Relevant to this, Ira Iosebashvili in The Moscow Times (March 17, 2009) wrote “At G20 Kremlin Pitch New Currency,” which begins with “the Kremlin calling for the creation of a supranational reserve currency to be issued by international institutions as part of a reform of the global financial system…. Both President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have repeatedly called for the ruble to be used as a regional reserve currency…. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev proposed a global currency…. He also suggested that the Eurasian Economic Community… adopt a single noncash currency – the yevraz – to insulate itself from the global economic crisis…. Nazarbayev’s proposal did garner support from at least one source – Columbia University’s Prof. Robert Mundell, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1999 for his role in creating the euro.”

Global Interfaith Coalition Formed To Support United Nations Peace Initiative

UN Decade Coalition Established to Advance Multi-Religious Cooperation for Peace

Faith and Values Organizations Form Coalitionto Advance United Nations Decade for Inter-religious Cooperation for Peace

(NEW YORK, 13 March 2009)—Religions for Peace, the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition, was among the 45 religious, interfaith, and value-based organizations from five continents that agreed to form a coalition to advance a “United Nations Decade for Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding, and Cooperation for Peace.” Coalition members expressed the hope that the UN Sixty-Fourth General Assembly, which will begin its deliberations in September 2009, will approve a resolution establishing such a decade from 2011–2020.

Israel Alone

From Steven LeBlanc, wonderfulworldtomorrow.org

Many in Israel, including those in leadership positions, are beginning to experience that “sinking feeling”. It’s the feeling that comes when you look up at the horizon and see dark storm clouds gathering en masse.

The new administration in Washington, and the European Union, are putting pressure on the new Israeli government to agree to a 2-state solution in efforts to solve the never-ending Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The two-state solution envisions two separate sovereign countries within the borders of present day Israel. The state of Israel would continue to be governed by the Jews. The other state – the yet-to-be formed Palestinian state – would be governed by Muslim Arabs.

Many in Israel fear the two-state solution because they believe a totally sovereign, independent Palestinian nation would be manipulated by Iran and used as a proxy by the Iranian government to wage war upon Israel. Also, Israeli Jews believe that the terrorist organization Hamas would impose its will on the new Palestinian nation. Hamas’ goal is to drive all Jews from the land of Israel, killing them if necessary. A new Palestinian state would only embolden Hamas – an Hamas that would continually wage war against Israel.

China and Russia Call for a New One World Currency

By Jimmy DeYoung from Bible Prophecy Today

The Kremlin has published its priorities for an upcoming G20 Summit calling for the creation of a supranational reserve currency to be issued by international institutions as a part of a reform for the global financial system.

At the same time, China's central bank proposed replacing the US dollar as the international reserve currency with a new global system controlled by the International Monetary Fund with a goal to create a reserve currency that is disconnected from individual nations.

Both Beijing and Moscow fear the actions taken to save the domestic US economy would have a negative impact on China and Russia and both countries believe this new global currency could correct the global economic crisis as well.

See more on The Rise of The Fourth Kingdom.

Alaska’s Mount Redoubt Volcano Erupts

Mount Redoubt erupts, spews ash 9 miles high

By MARY PEMBERTONAssociated Press
WILLOW, Alaska — Alaska’s Mount Redoubt volcano erupted five times overnight, sending an ash plume more than nine miles into the air in the volcano’s first emissions in nearly 20 years.
Residents in the state’s largest city missed the falling ash, but fine gray dust fell Monday morning on small communities north of Anchorage.

"It’s coming down," Rita Jackson, 56, said Monday morning at a 24-hour grocery store in Willow, about 50 miles north of Anchorage. She slid her fingers across the hood of her car, through a dusting of ash.

Ash from Alaska’s volcanos is like a rock fragment with jagged edges and has been used as an industrial abrasive. It can injure skin, eyes and breathing passages. The young, the elderly and people with respiratory problems are particularly susceptible to ash-related health problems. Ash can also damage engines in planes, cars and other vehicles.

The Coming Captivity Of America

2 Chronicles 29

6For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They have forsaken him and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD and turned their backs. 7They also shut the doors of the vestibule and put out the lamps and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the Holy Place to the God of Israel. 8Therefore the wrath of the LORD came on Judah and Jerusalem, and he has made them an object of horror, of astonishment, and of hissing, as you see with your own eyes. 9For behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.

See also Fallen, Fallen Is Babylon , The Humiliation of the Daughter of Babylon , Rise of Persia-Iran is Judgment to Babylon-USA

Mankind At The Turning Point

"The solution of these crises can be developed only in a global context with full and explicit recognition of the emerging world system and on a long term basis. This would necessitate, among other changes, a new world economic order and a global resources allocation system...A "world conciousness" must be developed through which every individual realizes his role as a member of the world community...It must become part of the consciousness of every individual that the basic unit of human cooperation and hence survival is moving from the national to the global level"- Mankind at the Turning Point by Mihajlo D. Mesarovic 1974

During the 1980's, Gary Kah was a globe-trotting Washington insider. In his international dealings, he became aware of concerted efforts to bring about the establishment of a unified global system of government.

His book, En Route To Global Occupation, reveals the secret agenda to unify the world.

From Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries & Understanding The Times Radio:

Gary Kah has been monitoring globalization efforts for over 20 years. He also explains where the presidential candidates stand on the issue of global government, how "regionalization" (North American Union) fits in, and names the organizations that are pushing for all of this. This is outlined in the Bible as the coming one world system.

See more on Gary Kah here.

Listen to Gary Kah and Jan Markell here. Search the radio archives for "Kah" at Understanding the Times for past interviews.

See more on The Rise of The Fourth Kingdom

Coining The New World Order

When conspiracy becomes reality, the time to act becomes history...


"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country; corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption in High Places will follow, and the Money Power of the Country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the People, until the wealth is aggregated in a few hands, and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war" -Abraham Lincoln

Glenn Beck Announces The Rise of The New World Order

See more on The Rise of The Fourth Kingdom

The Corporate Staff-Driven Church

Here's another unfortunate example of church leadership imitating a corporate staff manuever...

Men of Honor has been disowned by Houston Northwest (Baptist) Church as the ministry to men, in favor of a self-branded ministry controlled by staff. No reason given us for this decision, only the excuse that "no harm was meant".

We are welcomed by the church as a "club" of sorts or "small group", to provide manpower to the staff for events and provide service as needed.

Considering our lack of church affiliation, this web site is now my personal effort to witness Truth to the world. Issues related to worldly affairs are covered here.

After years of earnestly contending for biblical leadership and foundational statements for HNW, and getting virtually nowhere, my wife and I have decided to leave HNW for a more biblical church.

See related experiences: Purpose Driven Away From Immanuel Baptist Church, Purpose Driven Dismemberment On Southwest Radio Ministries , Selling Salvation: Flipping Souls Like Hamburgers The Purpose Driven Way , More Purpose Driven Division , Dealing With Purpose Driven Resisters , More Collateral Damage From A Purpose Driven Pastor

Collateral Damage of the Purpose Driven Pastor , Dismembered By A Purpose Driven Pastor , Christian Leader Pays For Speaking Out Against Rick Warren , The Prophets Against Purpose Driven Division, More Collateral Damage From A Purpose Driven Pastor

Rick Warren & Vision Casting , The Vision That Controls and Cuts People, How To Defend Your Personal Church Growth Vision, Blessed believer to blessed subtractionAnother 40 Days of Destruction and Division

Russia to Propose New Global Common Currency

By Joel C. Rosenberg

...And the Kremlin is not alone

Amidst the global economic crisis in which upwards of 45% of the world’s wealth has been lost in the last 18 months, talk of radically restructuring the global economic system is growing. In recent weeks, leaders in Europe, Africa and the Middle East have proposed scrapping the current economic order and going to a single common currency.

A story in this morning’s Moscow Times – and featured prominently on the Drudge Report — is creating quite a stir in particular. At the April 2nd meeting of world leaders in London (the G20), the Kremlin is reportedly set to propose a new global common currency system that will replace the U.S. dollar as the international currency of choice.

Getting The Gospel Right: The Mark of a Biblical Church

Pastor-teacher Jamey Day of Grace Fellowship surveys gospel preaching over the last several hundred years. What is discovered is a significant difference between the self help gospel of today's evangelicalism and the True Gospel that caused many to be martyred over the centuries.

Join Pastor Day and Grace Fellowship in this three part series from Ephesians Chapter 1, Get the Gospel Right.



Pastor Day also shares from Dr. Mark Dever's book, The 9 Marks of a Healthy Church.

Get the Gospel Right (Part 1) , Get the Gospel Right (Part 2) , Get the Gospel Right (Part 3)

See related articles and videos: Clarion Call To Return To Scripture , Loving Questions for Seeker-Sensitive Pastors , 9 Marks of a Heathly Church with Mike Corley , Getting the Gospel Right, The Together For The Gospel Affirmations and Denials Statement

What's Wrong With Seeker Sensitive Preaching? , Christless Christianity , Will The Real Evangelical Please Stand Up! , Examine Yourself, Test Your Church , MAN-CENTERED GOSPEL VS. GOD-CENTERED GOSPEL , Preacher or Orator ?

Ten Indictments Against the Modern "Church" , Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve. , The Seeker Sensitive Milky Way , Saved Or Self Deceived? , Widening The Door

Fallen, Fallen Is Babylon

Isaiah 21

8Then he who saw cried out: "Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day,and at my post I am stationed whole nights.9And behold, here come riders, horsemen in pairs!"And he answered, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground."

Jeremiah 51:8

8Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken; wail for her! Take balm for her pain; perhaps she may be healed.

Revelation 14:8

8Another angel, a second, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality."

See related video: Season of Signs: Passover Through Pentecost 2008

Catholics Join Emerging Church Conversation

The Christian Post:

A group of Roman Catholics are dipping their feet in the Emerging Church pool, joining a conversation that has long drawn the interest of mainline Protestants and Evangelicals.

While the Emerging Church has been hotly debated among Evangelicals, some of whom are staunch critics, the term “emerging” is far less known within Catholicism. Equally as unknown and confusing even among Evangelicals is the term “emergent,” which some use interchangeably with “emerging” and others have distinguished as a segment of a wider Emerging Church movement.

With that, there is "no natural resistance" to the Emerging Church, according to Fr. Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico province.

"It is just an intriguing concept to many Catholics," he noted.

Today, Rohr is in conversations with Brian McLaren, one of the more well-known speakers of the Emergent Church, and is preparing to host an event next week around issues of the Emerging Church.

It is expected to be the first time Roman Catholics have ever hosted such an event.

The three-day conference, which begins on Mar. 20, is sold out with nearly 1,000 people from a broad spectrum of Christian faiths signed up to attend.

See related articles: First-Ever Catholic-Emergent Conference , Oozing with Mysticism and more articles on the Ecumenical Emerging Church Movement here.

Getting the Gospel Right

Dr. John MacArthur:

I am amazed at some of the things that have been said and written in recent years about the gospel. I fear that in many circles a different message is replacing the good news of salvation. I'm not talking about the attacks on the gospel from liberal religion or the theology of the cults, but a skewed message that has sprouted from right within conservative evangelicalism.

I have a copy of a training film now being used internationally to teach Christians what they should and should not say when leading someone to Christ. A respected, conservative organization produced the film, but frankly, the warped view of the gospel it presents is appalling.

In the entire half-hour film, there is not one mention of the resurrection. It speaks of forgiveness without defining sin, and it talks of trusting Christ without describing faith. Incredibly, the film counsels believers never to speak to a non-Christian about the lordship of Christ, submission to Him, surrender of the will, forsaking one's sin, or obeying God. Those truths, according to the film, have no place in the gospel message but should be saved for later, after someone becomes a Christian.

That sentiment reflects a viewpoint that is rapidly gaining momentum within evangelicalism. A handful of outspoken and increasingly vocal teachers are popularizing it...

...Their approach, however, has been to eliminate from the gospel message anything that sounds like a work of righteousness, and to speak only of believing the objective data. They have erased the biblical words repentance, obedience, and submission from the vocabulary of evangelicalism.

Such teaching has taken a heavy toll. Faith has become merely an intellectual exercise. Instead of calling men and women to surrender to Christ, modern evangelism asks them only to accept some basic facts about Him. A person can believe without obeying. Thus faith is robbed of any moral significance, and righteousness becomes optional.

Even the way we invite people to Christ reveals this shift. "Make a decision for Christ," we say. When was the last time you heard an evangelistic message that challenged sinners to repent and follow Christ? Yet isn't that the language Jesus Himself used (Matthew 4:17; Mark 8:34)?

Those were the questions that prompted me to write The Gospel According to Jesus --I wanted to study the message Jesus preached to unbelievers. How could any issue be more important? The gospel we present has eternal consequences. If it is the true gospel, it can direct men and women into the everlasting kingdom. If it is a corrupted message, it can give unsaved people false hope while consigning them to eternal damnation. This is not a trivial matter for theologians to speculate on. It is an issue every lay person must understand and get right.

Listen to The Mike Corley Show discuss Getting It Right.

The Coming Evangelical Collapse

James White, director of Alpha and Omega Ministries warns of the implosion of Evangelicalism...

The reason more and more people are godless and religionless and in love with secular humanism is not merely due to a "failure" of evangelicalism. Let's face it: America follows Europe's lead, and as God has blessed the USA greatly with material blessings, we have become more and more hardenend in our thanklessness. We focus upon ourselves, our needs, and revel in our sins. Yes, of course the church has failed to clearly preach the gospel, clearly call for repentance, choosing a man-friendly version of "preaching" that allows you to avoid the scandal of the gospel. But a healthy, thriving church is a blessing on any nation, and the fact is, a nation in love with itself and at war with God does not deserve the blessing of a sound church. The two are intertwined. I truly believe that what we are seeing today with the perversion of marriage, the exaltation of deviancy, etc., is not what will bring the wrath of God, it is the wrath of God.

What Kind of Evangelicals Belong To The Baptist General Association of Virginia?

This blog has been pointing to the 2009 Shepherd's Conference hosted by Dr. John MacArthur and the ministry team of Grace Community Church. Associate pastor, Phil Johnson gave an alarming but accurate assessment of popular evangelicalism in his presentation, "What is an evangelical?"

"I frankly don't like to identify with the contemporary evangelical movement. I'm strongly tempted simply to stop calling myself an evangelical altogether, just to keep from being associated with every infamous religious scoundrel from Ted Haggard to Joel Osteen. What does it actually mean to say we're evangelical when the menagerie of heretics and charlatans appearing nightly on TBN all insist they are evangelical, too?

Tony Campolo, who has renounced practically everything that's distinctively evangelical, insists on calling himself an evangelical (emphasis mine). Lots of Roman Catholics call themselves evangelical. Lately even Mormons have begun arguing that they have a right to the label as well. None of them would agree on what the term means, of course, but they all want to wear it, because it gives them an artificial connection with the rich heritage of evangelical history."

One has to wonder why the Baptist General Association of Virginia would invite Tony Campolo to address the annual meeting.

One would also wonder why a ministry staff of a local Baptist church refused to respond when asked what their position was concerning Campolo's visit to the BGAV.

One has to wonder why the congregation is mute on the subject as well.

One has to wonder what kind of evangelicals belong to the BGAV.

What's Wrong With Seeker Sensitive Preaching?

This interview with the Rev. Ken Jones on the Issues, Etc. radio program is a must listen. It exposes the errors of Purpose-Driven / Seeker-Sensitive preaching and shows that Christ is to preached from every page of scripture.

HT: Christian Research Network

See related article, Biblical Church Vanishing From America , Christless Christianity

Will The Real Evangelical Please Stand Up!

Pulpit Magazine shares the presentations from the 2009 Shepherd's Conference, hosted by Dr. John MacArthur & the ministry team at Grace Community Church.

Phil Johnson provides helpful analysis of the contemporary evangelical confusion...

"What is an evangelical?... I find that question as confusing as anyone. I've seen all kinds of people trying to explain what an evangelical is—ranging from the political pundits on the cable news networks to clueless spokespeople from the Emerging Church. There are definitions of evangelicalism on the internet reflecting hundreds of different perspectives..."

"Evangelicals have been trying hard to be all things to all men for at least two or three generations, and in this regard they have completely succeeded: The evangelical movement is now so broad and diverse that you can define it practically any way you want. In an article celebrating their 50th anniversary a couple of years ago, Christianity Today said they think diversity ( emphasis mine) is in fact the dominant feature of evangelicalism."

"I think it would be fair to say that it's one of the largest mixed multitudes ever known in the realm of human religion. And that's not a compliment. It's not a good thing. You'll find that expression "mixed multitude" three times in the King James Version of the Bible, and each time it is a disparaging expression used to describe the backslidden, spiritually eclectic, morally compromised majority of Israelites during the times of their worst apostasies."

Read the rest of Phil Johnson's compelling assessment here. See Part II here.

See related video, The Abomination of Evangelicalism .

See related article, What is An Evangelical?

Christless Christianity

Is it possible that we have left Christ out of Christianity? Is the faith and practice of American Christians today more American than Christian? These are the provocative questions Michael Horton addresses in this thoughtful, insightful book. He argues that while we invoke the name of Christ, too often Christ and the Christ-centered gospel are pushed aside. The result is a message and a faith that are, in Horton‘s words, "trivial, sentimental, affirming, and irrelevant." This alternative "gospel" is a message of moralism, personal comfort, self-help, self-improvement, and individualistic religion. It trivializes God, making him a means to our selfish ends. Horton skillfully diagnoses the problem and points to the solution: a return to the unadulterated gospel of salvation.


Rev. Dr. Michael S. Horton is the J. Gresham Machen professor of systematic theology at Westminster Seminary California. He is the main host of theWhite Horse Inn radio broadcast and editor-in-chief of Modern Reformation magazine.

See the many resources at the Christless Christianity website.

Former Rick Warren Apologist Throwing Stones, Again

Jude 1:18-20 (English Standard Version)
18They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." 19It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit

Former Rick Warren apologist Richard Abanes is back throwing cyberstones at discernment ministries such as Slice of Laodicea, Apprising Ministries and Crosstalk America.

Last year, Abanes bullied the Internet Service Provider for Apprising Ministries to shut down AM's website...

CrossTalk America had it's own experience with Abanes, when he had the video below yanked off Youtube, twice. He objected to the display of his portrait by CrossTalk. Abanes claimed copyright infringment of his image. Was he concerned that Crosstalk America might profit from his visage? Apparently, Mr. Abanes is not familiar with the concept of "Fair Use".

See the explanation that CrossTalk has on this Youtube video regarding the issue:

See related articles:

RICHARD ABANES: ALL, OR, MOST ONLINE DISCERNMENT MINISTRIES IN SERIOUS SINFUL MINDSET

The Internet Front of the Truth War is an Ugly Place

What is the Synagogue of Satan?

Ad Hominem (Personal Attack) Over Biblical Defense

Contending or Troublemaking?

See more of Richard Abanes' cyberstone-throwing here.

The Networking of The Coming Global System

Does the Economic Stimulus bill mandate electronic health records for every citizen?

Is there a U.S. economic pact with the European Union to integrate economies & citizens' health records electronically?

What is the Transatlantic Economic Council? Has the United States agreed to work with the TEC to integrate healthcare and economic systems with RFID technology that can later be merged into one massive network?

Read It's All Coming Together by Heidi Swander, of Olive Tree Ministries...

"It's all coming together! So watch (Mark 13:37). Don't be afraid (II Tim. 1:7). And look up (Luke 21:28)! Today you're one day closer to Eternity!"

See more on The Rise of The Fourth Kingdom.

The Abomination of Evangelicalism

Phil Johnson, Executive Director of John MacArthur's Grace To You, addresses the question, "What is an evangelical?" at the 2009 Shepherd's Conference.

See related article: What is An Evangelical?

See more on:

Tony Campolo

Emergent church

Seeker sensitive & Purpose Driven

Baptist General Association of Virginia's pursuit of diversity

What is An Evangelical?

Pastor and author Kevin DeYoung shares the highlights of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) three addresses in Mittersill, Austria on the theme “What is an Evangelical?” Excerpts & links from each post by Pastor DeYoung...

Part I: We must be sure and certain we know exactly what we mean by “evangelical”... Evangelical is chiefly a doctrinal term that should be defined and defended to our very “latest breath."

Part II: We are concerned about the souls of men and women. We are here to spread the good news of salvation. This is the reason we must be careful about our definitions and careful about the truth...Secondly, with reference to method, I am again concerned to emphasize that, at the same time, we must be historical in our approach....The evangelical “always give primacy to preaching...the evangelical is a man who is always concerned about evangelism."

Part III Lloyd Jones begins the third lecture by distinguishing between essential and secondary truths. “We must be as inclusive as we can and yet draw certain lines which we regard as being essential”. The concern is that once “you divide yourself off from people who are heterodox or who have virtually no belief at all...you are confronted by a further problem ...

Part IV Pastor DeYoung list several positives and a few negatives in Lloyd-Jones’ answer to the question “What is an Evangelical?”

Will The Purpose Driven / Best Life Now Religion Pass This Test?

HT: Christian Research Network

Biblical Church Vanishing From America

Jim Jones at The Star-Telegram

The Rev. Bob Pearle says a different kind of church has risen in America. In vast auditoriums and smaller places people listen to preachers who roam the stage and tickle the ears with feel-good messages.

Many of those churches follow "Wal-Mart" strategies of pleasing customers but often soft-soap hard biblical truths like hell, sin and salvation, Pearle declares in his recent book, The Vanishing Church: Searching for Significance in the 21st Century. (Hannibal Books, $14.95.)

Pearle is pastor of Fort Worth’s Birchman Baptist Church and president of the Grapevine-based Southern Baptists of Texas, a conservative state convention. He doesn’t hold that churches are literally "vanishing," since there are all kinds of churches, often filled to overflowing, in our neck of the woods.

"What I’m saying is that the biblical New Testament church is vanishing from society today," he said. "Anything and everything is acceptable as long as it builds a crowd. Jesus wasn’t as interested in building a crowd as he was in telling the truth."

Seeker-sensitive churches take surveys to find out what the unchurched want, then build their product to meet consumer demand, he said. "It’s a bankrupt philosophy. Our responsibility as pastors and leaders is not to give people what they want necessarily but what they need."

Read the rest here and ask yourself if your church has taken the "build it and they will come" bait of the consumer-driven church profiteers & marketeers.

Listen to this Crosstalk America interview with Bob Pearle here.

EVANGELICALISM HIGHJACKED BY CLOSET THEOLOGICAL LIBERALS

DOWN WITH SOLA SCRIPTURA


From Apprising Ministries:

Dr. Peter Jones begins this dead on target assessment of apostatizing evangelicalism:

"My colleague, Mike Horton, has just published a book, Christless Christianity. I write, so to speak, from the belly of this beast, attending the National Pastors’ Conference, sponsored by Zondervan and Intervarsity Press, which is taking place in San Diego, February 9-14, 2009. It is amazing to see how these once faithful publishers of evangelical orthodoxy are now consistently and deliberately launching a massive but subtle attack against the “Fundamentals” for which Evangelicalism stood courageously against liberalism in the past… (Online source)

The reason “once faithful publishers of evangelical orthodoxy” at this recently concluded event are launching this attack Jones speaks of is because they have long ago rejected Sola Scriptura in practice; and for years now, they have instead been content to follow various “traditions of men.” I discuss this further in the Apprising Ministries piece The Coming Division Within The Idol Of Evangelicalism so here I’ll just point out that this Emergence rebellion against the final authority of God’s Word is right now massing for an all-out offensive against the Bible.

So, it’s not really so much that these are closet liberals, but rather, we are seeing a growing cult of postliberalism, which has had a good 10+ years now in order to inflitrate the leadership structures of your mainstream evangelical community and plant its Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism. What was known as an Emerging Church had this spurious Spiritual Formation espoused by Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster, along with his spiritual twin Dallas Willard, as a core doctrine right from its inception in Hell.

Regardless of what one think of some of her stances Ingrid Schlueter speaks according to the Spirit when she talks about this postliberalism, which is “Jesus and Gospel-free.” At Slice of Laodicea she explains:

This is the supposed gospel of men like Rick Warren who are really just 2009 versions of the old social gospel heretics of a century ago. Rick’s P.E.A.C.E. plan is a prime example of what Dr. Jones talks about in this article. The truth is, evangelicals are mostly historically and theologically ignorant.

If you asked the average Rick Warren fan who Harry Emerson Fosdick was they wouldn’t have a clue. Why are we not aware of the heresies and false teachings of even just a century ago? How do we expect to keep from making the same mistakes of the past if we don’t even know what those sinful mistakes were?

It was long ago time for those who truly love the Lord to run from these false churches like Saddleback. They do not represent the Gospel, but another msesage altogether. These are counterfeit churches that lead millions astray. (Online source)

Read the rest of this sobering assessment at Apprising Ministries. Please know that Apprising Ministries is a non-denominational work which depends entirely upon the generosity of God’s people. Undoubtedly the most important thing you can do for us is to commit to holding AM up in prayer. While every ministry ultimately depends on the Lord to provide for it, the primary way that He does so is through His people. In this way they also get to share in its mission, and its blessings. Click here to support this outreach.

The Seven Shepherds of Israel

Micah Chapter 5:5

When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces,then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men;6they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances;and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads within our border.

The prophet Micah recorded an incredible prophecy about seven shepherds in the last days. In Chapter 5 he begins by predicting the Messiah will be rejected by the Jewish people and handed over to the Romans...

The Seven Shepherds – 1948, 1967, 1973, 1982
One of the main keys to understanding end time prophecy is understanding the Seven Shepherds Prophecy in Micah 5:5-8.

The time period from the rebirth of Israel in 1948 to the Second Coming of the Messiah will be the time of the Seven Shepherds. Micah describes the Messiah as the one born in Bethlehem, and the one who will be “our peace” when He destroys the final “Assyrian” and sets up a kingdom that will extend “to the ends of the earth.”

Micah’s prophecy refers to the Prince of Peace destroying the Antichrist at the Second Coming. According to the prophet Micah, between 1948 and the Second Coming there will be eight leaders and seven shepherds over Israel...

Read the rest here

Obama Echoes Brown's Call for New World Order

Gordon Brown brings his call for the New World Order to the shores of America...and President Obama responds:

"...So the opportunities are there. I've said to the president that almost every leader I meet wants the best possible relationship and the most highest degree of cooperation for the future. And so the challenges are momentous and global. The response of leaders around the world is to want to work together.

And I believe that we can make a contribution not just to each of our own economies, but make a contribution to the world economy, helping each economy, if we can actually work together. And that's why our talk about the G-20 is very important. We hope to make progress on April the 2nd.

And as far as regulation, I -- I want the regulatory system to be reformed to meet the needs of our times. When we made changes in 1997, we made changes for the times of 1997. The financial markets have moved global since then, and we need a global means of bringing people together so there's proper supervision of the system..."

Editor's note: The British prime minister will bring his call for the Global New Deal to Congress later today.

"I am going to say to Congress, 'Seize the moment'. This is a moment when the whole of the world wants to work with America.

Read the rest at The Washington Post.

The Fourth Kingdom is rising... ARE YOU READY?

Eighty Eight Days Until the Rapture?

Read this compelling work by Steve Coerper, The Final Fulfillment of Pentecost, at Daniel's Glasses. Regardless of the estimate of 88 days or 88 seconds, ARE YOU READY?

What I Believe the next five months will look like.

1. The incoming U.S. administration will distance itself from Israel, while our foreign policy will continue to aggravate virtually every country in the middle east. Any protection the U.S. enjoyed from Genesis 12:3 will be lost and the culture in America will accelerate its slide into the abyss of immorality.

2. Global tensions will continue to increase as economies crumble, trust evaporates, and food and water shortages become a daily reality for many.

3. The Gog alliance will move into Israel from the north.

4. The U.S. will be unwilling or unable to prevent this aggression.

5. This invading army will move through the land, virtually destroying everything and everybody in its path. Two-thirds of all the Jews will die.

6. In true repentance borne of desperation, the remaining Jews will cry out to the Lord Jesus Christ.

7. On or before Sunday, May 31st, the Lord will remove the Church and Daniel's 70th week will begin. The Lord will crush the Russian alliance, while also raining severe destruction on many other countries. The U.S. will be virtually destroyed.

8. As the world recovers from these catastrophic judgments, a false messiah will arise. He will, among other things, sign an agreement with Israel.

At (or shortly after) the time of the rapture, the Lord will judge America -- the "coastlands" -- leaving a testimony of "blood, fire, and vapor of smoke." I expect severe devastation in North America, not only from enemy weapons, but also from "natural" (i.e. divinely-inflicted) disasters. As the Word says (Isaiah 59:18), we will be fully repaid according to our deeds. America has been over-ripe for judgment. Billy Graham, Chuck Missler, Andrew Strom, and many others have pointed out that the U.S. is now the chief exporter of everything that God abhors.

What To Do - How To Prepare
First, this is NOT a time to panic. We have known for 2000 years that Jesus was going to return, set up His kingdom, and judge the earth.

Get your spiritual house in order. REPENT. This means align your life with the law of God. Where you have sinned, you must acknowledge your sin, confess it to God, and make restitution where-ever possible and AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

OBEY - Every person who was saved in the Church Age repented, confessed, was baptized, and submitted to the Lordship of Christ in ALL of life. If you are not living in newness of life, it's because you are not reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Do yourself (and your loved ones!) a favor: turn off the TV, take out the trash (foul books, music, videos, etc.) and get your heart right before God. DO NOT PUT THIS OFF. Don't trifle with God, His law, or His offer of salvation. He WILL preserve you if your belief is evidenced by obedience, hatred of sin, holy living, and love of the brethren.

Don't be deceived. Study your Bible. The time is getting really short.

Pray for those you know who are still lost. No one can come to faith in Christ unless the Father draws him (John 6:44). IF you are saved, you have a privilege and an advantage that most people don't share: access to God's Throne of Grace. Use it!

If June 1st arrives and none of these things have happened, it is because I made unwarranted assumptions or otherwise erred in my study. The Bible is still true. You will never be any worse off for preparing for your inevitable meeting with God. And you could still be hit by a truck on June 2nd.

See related videos: Season of Signs: Passover Through Pentecost 2008, Ecliptic Signs of the End of Days Part I , Ecliptic Signs of the End of Days Part II , Blood moon eclipses: 2nd Coming in 2015?

Clinton reiterates need for two-state solution

YNET Roni Sofer Published: 03.03.09, 10:49 / Israel News

In meeting with President Peres Tuesday, US secretary of state says US will work with government that represents the democratic will of the people of Israel. Peres assures Clinton Israel will remain committed to peace process

The United States respects the democratic process in Israel and will stand by any government that is established in the country, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told President Shimon Peres Tuesday.

The two met at the president's official residence in Jerusalem. The 45-minute meeting was also attended by President Barack Obama's special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell.

Israel has already forfeited Jerusalem

Jews barred as U.S. helps Arabs fortify their presence in holy city By Aaron Klein WorldNetDaily
JERUSALEM – Sections of Jerusalem have essentially been forfeited on the ground to the Palestinian Authority, while Jews, including local landowners, are barred from entering parts of Israel's capital, a WND investigation has found.

The probe further determined the U.S. has been aiding the Palestinians in developing infrastructure in Jerusalem.

Also, it has emerged, the Israeli government has failed to stop Arabs from illegally building thousands of housing projects on Jerusalem land purchased and owned by a U.S. Jewish group for the express purpose of Jewish settlement, culminating in an Arab majority in the neighborhoods.