Divine Curses

"All who count on being saved by their own performances, or rely upon their own obedience for acceptance by God, are under the curse of His Law, exposed to His wrath. Justification by Law-keeping is an utter impossibility for any fallen creature. Why so? Because God’s Law requires flawless and perpetual conformity, sinless perfection in thought and word and deed, and because it makes no provision for failure to comply with its holy and righteous terms.

It is not sufficient to hear about or know the requirements of God’s Law—they must be met. Thus it is obvious that a law which already condemns cannot justify, and that any who hope to merit God’s favour, by their fickle and faulty attempts to obey it, are woefully deceived.

"Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Galatians 3:10)." This statement was made by the apostle to show that every man is under divine condemnation until he flees to Christ for refuge."

~Arthur Pink, "Divine Cursings"

Pedophilia and Sexual Molestation Within Christianity: the failure of leadership

**UPDATE**

Futher details of the pedophila actions of Jordan Roots at Matt Chandler's church include the following:

This is an example of the way the leaders of The Village Church have repeatedly minimized Jordan’s issues and the nature of his “confession.” I learned that Jordan was viewing child pornography on December 16 after almost three weeks of digging. It had become increasingly clear to me over the previous several months that something was off, but I had no reason to believe that Jordan was capable of lying about something of this magnitude. On Thanksgiving I caught him in an unrelated lie, and I sensed immediately that there was more he was hiding and lying about. I pressed him, and he eventually began what I am calling his "pseudoconfession". He confessed he had masturbated and had accessed nude pictures (of adults) online a handful of times since we had arrived overseas. I felt strongly that there was more to the story and continued to press, but he assured me that there was nothing else.

This began almost three weeks of "pseudorepentance" during which Jordan gave the same "confession" to SIM leadership and The Village Church leadership. He spoke of how relieved he was that the truth was now out and even reported rededicating his life to Jesus at a retreat that weekend. Everyone involved believed in his honesty and repentance, and I so desperately wanted to myself. But I felt a strong conviction that I should keep asking questions, and I did. I persisted in asking questions almost every day over the course of the next three weeks, and on December 16th Jordan's reaction to a question I asked revealed that there was indeed much more to the story. He tried to avoid talking any further that night, but I pressed until he agreed to "tell me the whole story".

That night he admitted to almost ten years of child pornography use that began while he was in college and continued throughout his seminary studies into our dating and engagement. He said that he preferred prepubescent girls ages four and older but that he had seen child pornography involving infants and teenagers as well. He described images and videos he had used in disturbingly graphic detail. He also admitted he had returned to accessing nude pictures of children during our time overseas. When I asked whether his behavior had extended to children he knew in real life, he admitted to having masturbated to thoughts of children in his care. He also described two occasions on which he had been "tempted to molest" children but claimed to have chosen not to.

~Karen Hinkely's response to TVC's public statements, via Keep Watch

**UPDATE**

TVC elders take back church discipline of Karen Hinkley, wife of pedophile Jordan Roots, stating:

The latest communique to “covenant members” at The Village Church defended the membership policy but said in this case the elders “unfortunately allowed our practice to unnecessarily lead us rather than us leading our practice with patience, gentleness and compassion.”

“In receiving more information and considering the way we’ve ministered to Karen specifically, we believe that we owe her an apology,” the letter said.  The elders will move forward with releasing her from membership and will continue their commitment to support her financially through August, the letter said.

End quote.

Yes they sure do owe her a huge apology and should step down themselves. Clearly they jumped the gun on the wife in hopes to contain her public revelation of her pedophile husband. 

Between the pedophile sodomy that went on at CJ Mahaney's church, the molestation of siblings twelve years ago by Josh Duggar, and the pedophile at Matt Chandler's church (and the church there is disciplining the wife who is a victim of her husband's pedophilia via adultery), the common thread continues to be a failure in leadership. All three churches/ families have been under an overbearing view of unbiblical submission. In all three cases, it seems that the victims were the least of the leaders' concerns. Instead their main focus was a fake unity, a cover up of the heinous crime, and a demand to forgive and move on without serious consequences. In other words, it seems to me that the perpetrators have become the victims instead of the victims being the victims, and anyone who stands up and against such has become the problem. This is calling evil good, and good evil. It is also not true biblical shepherding of the sheep, especially the vulnerable. It is also not taking seriously the heinous nature of the crimes and sins, and the law is not being used to protect the sheep.


Such heinous sin reveals a systemic problem of leadership in many homes and churches, along with the lack of believing and then protecting the victims. Privatizing sin allows it to continue. God gave us the government to protect people from evil, not protect the evil doer!

Like the Roman Catholic Church and it's decades of covering up their pedophilia within leadership, these churches were not willing to report crimes to the authorities.

Rom 13:3  For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,
Rom 13:4  for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

*" After Serving in Mission severed ties with Root, Dallas' The Village Church wrote an email to all covenant members saying that they had notified police and were placing restrictions on Root, including keeping him away from any children's facilities in the church."- Dallas Observer

Feminists Upset That Males Are Taking The Role of "Mother"

So the irony comes down to this: the feminists wanted to redefine femininity and motherhood, which meant that motherhood was no longer defined by the mother staying home and raising her own children, but now the next step has taken hold, as it always does, from feminism to sodomy. Now motherhood and wifery is redefined to be a male role. You know. The very thing the feminists were fighting against last century? Fight against the man. They can do it without the help of a man. Well, what's a good liberal going to do now? The door is open for men to be both mother and father (well, in claim but not in reality--there is a huge difference).In both cases, the role of motherhood--womanhood, really--is destroyed and perverted. No wonder families are falling apart and people are so confused and relationships are in such disarray.

Let's not forget what happened here.  We all lived through it, late sixties, early seventies was born the modern era of feminism, and it was rooted in deconstructing and ripping apart what they thought was a patriarchal society. 

A patriarchal society meant that men dominated everything.  They dominated the workplace, they dominated the home, they dominated the bedroom, they dominated the children, they dominated the money, they dominated the family car, they dominated the country club membership, everything.  And the feminazis were ticked.  They wanted to tear down this patriarchal society.  They said that motherhood was the primary culprit in keeping them chained to the home, so the modern era of feminism, feminazis began to attack conventional marriage and conventional relationships and motherhood by pointing out that this is how society kept women shackled into these old-fashioned subservient and subordinate roles, and they urged women to abandon all this. 

So at 42, some of them a little old, started adopting.  Single parent mothers adopting, staying on the job, maybe quitting, going home, not getting married, raising the child, maybe adopting another one.  This leads to gay marriage.  All kinds of things, all because of militant feminism deciding to upset millennia of tradition and institution. 

So now comes Germaine Greer upset at Elton John and David Furnish because David Furnish lists himself as the mother on the kid's birth certificate.  Well, who's responsible for this?  Who started this whole idea that motherhood really doesn't matter?  Who started this attitude that motherhood is a prison?  Who gave us the notion that motherhood shackles women and denies them?  Motherhood, child rearing -- do not doubt me if you weren't alive in the day -- all of that was attacked.  It wasn't just criticized, folks.  Mothers, women who chose to stay home, conventional nuclear family, Christian women were tarred and feathered and ridiculed and laughed at and made fun of, all because they wanted to be mothers. 

~Rush Limbaugh

The Wrath of God Is Real

photo source

Men try to forget that there is such a thing as Divine wrath. The realization of it makes them uneasy, so they endeavor to banish all thought of it. At times they are terrified at the bare mention of God's wrath, hence their anxiety to dismiss the subject from their minds. Others try to believe there is no such thing. They argue that God is loving and merciful, and therefore God's Anger is merely a bogey with which to frighten naughty children. But how do we know that God is Loving and Merciful? The heathen do not believe that He is. Nor does Nature clearly and uniformly reveal the fact. The answer is, we know God to be such, because His Word so affirms. Yes, and the same Bible which tells of God's Mercy speaks of His Wrath, and as a matter of fact, refers more frequently (much more so) to His anger than it does to His love.

The fact of God's Wrath is clearly revealed in the Scriptures. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36). "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men" (Romans 1:18). "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience" (Ephesians. 5:6). In these, and in other passages too numerous to mention, the fact of the Divine wrath is affirmed.

~ A. W. Pink

Is The Lord Your Portion?

photo source

God is all sufficient as is His living, faithful, and precious Word. Is God and His Word sufficient for you or do you run to the world and its philosophies and scholars for truth?

Eph 4:17  Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 
Eph 4:18  They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 
Eph 4:19  They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 
Eph 4:20  But that is not the way you learned Christ!—
Eph 4:21  assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,
Eph 4:22  to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
Eph 4:23  and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 
Eph 4:24  and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Eph 4:25  Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

It Is Better

photo source: Girded With Truth

Gallup Poll Reveals Actual Percentage of LBGT Is Less Than 4%

I knew this but I believe the percentage is far lower than 4%. Still, it goes to show that bullying, guilt, and licentiousness works. We have changed our laws to accommodate a significantly minuscule part of the population, not to mention a twisted and perverted population.

"In fact, they think that 23 percent of Americans, or almost one in four, are are gays or lesbians, a Gallup survey released Thursday revealed. That's way off: The polling organization most recently found that less than 4 percent self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender."

~Bloomberg 

Alistair Begg Has False Teacher Tim Keller Teach At Pastor's Conference

So the band of brothers, which is a small but powerful network of Refomers, seems to yet again have more loyalty than to King Jesus.

Alistair Begg brought in false teacher Tim Keller to teach at his "Basics" pastors conference. One of the topics Keller taught was called "Satanic Exposition". How fitting considering Keller:

Rejects the biblical Creation account.

Rejects Scripture's declaration that sodomy earns  Hell.

Embraces demonic evolution.

Embraces demonic eastern mysticism.

Embraces demonic Roman Catholicism.

Embraces false teachers himself like Roman Catholic Anglican C.S. Lewis.

Embraces and promotes neo-Marxism.

Promotes a false gospel.

Is the Calvinist version of Rick Warren.

For where Keller does all of this here are some links:

http://mywordlikefire.com/2015/04/13/tim-keller-contemplation-and-teresa-of-avila/

http://www.takeheed.info/pdf/2015/March/Tim-Keller-fleshing-out-concerns.pdf

http://www.bibleleaguetrust.org/keller-and-his-critics/

http://surphside.blogspot.com/2009/10/tim-keller-and-rick-warren-reflections.html


In the description of Keller's topic "Satanic Exposition":

In Psalm 91, God promises that we can trust him in times of danger, but there can be great difficulty in understanding and teaching this promise. Pastors must proceed carefully as they expound God’s Word because Satan is strategic in attacking the faith of God’s people. Tim Keller encourages pastors to interpret Scripture with Scripture so that they may understand and communicate God’s Word with faithfulness and accuracy.

End quote.

Psalm 91 begins:

Psa 91:1  He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psa 91:2  I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
Psa 91:3  For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

How is such a powerful and true passage difficulty in understanding this passage and trusting it?

2 Peter 3:16 b  There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.

It's only difficult for those who are wolves, false shepherds, and false sheep. Keller also had difficulty in dealing with sodomites. The bottom line is that Keller doesn't KNOW how to rightly handle the Word of Truth because he is not in Christ. Instead, he attacks it, causes doubt toward it. No true pastor would deal so horrifically with Ps. 91 as to start with an attack of difficulty to teach and believe! Those are thoughts and words straight from the Ancient Serpent himself.

Shame on Begg for being more loyal to wicked men than to Christ. It is through such men like himself that wolves sneak waltz in among us and attack the faith and seek to devour believers.

Jud 1:4  For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Rom 16:17  I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 

Rom 16:18  For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 

2Jn 1:9  Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 
2Jn 1:10  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 
2Jn 1:11  for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. 

The doctrines of Christ include Him as Creator and the truth of His creating by the power of His Word. Heb. 1,11, Gen.1-2, 2Peter 2, Col. 1, and Ps. 33 all teach this truth. Other passages clearly state that sodomites will go to Hell unless they are regenerated and repent.

Interestingly in Peter's warning to the sheep, he appeals to Christ as the FAITHFUL shepher:

1Pe 4:19  Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. 

***Update***

Begg is a TGC Council member.

Begg played a cussing drunkard in the "Bobby Jones" movie.

Encouragement For The Believer

"He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will carry thelambs in His arms, holding them close to His heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young." Isaiah 40:11 

Our Lord has . . .
  many weak children in His family,
  many dull pupils in His school,
  many fearful soldiers in His army,
  many lame sheep in His flock.
Yet He bears with them all, and casts none away.

By Christ's gracious aid, the believer is preserved from being totally submerged by his doubts and fears.

By His renewing operations, the spark of faith is maintained, despite all the fierce winds of Satan which assail.

By His mighty enabling, the sorely harassed and groaning Christian is kept from sinking in abject despair.

By His quickening power, hope is still kept alive, and the voice of prayer is still faintly heard.

There is no danger of the individual saint being overlooked amidst the multitude of supplicants who daily and hourly present their various petitions--for an infinite Mind is as capable of paying the same attention to millions, as if only one individual were seeking its attention!

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are . . . Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:15-16

~AW Pink

Francis and Obama: together on Palestine, Liberation Theology, and Marxism

So within the same week we have both the pope and Obama supporting Palestine, Liberation theology, and Marxism. A coincidence that he's coming to the US in September? Nope.

The Roman Catholic Church is going socialist by supporting Palestine and liberation theology.

Francis had a one-hour meeting with Raul Castro on May 10. The day before, Castro had greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Francis will visit Cuba in September prior to his tour of the United States.

The evidence is getting too big for the major media to ignore: the pope has made common cause with the forces of international Marxism, which are associated with atheism, the suppression of traditional Christianity, and the persecution and murder of Christians...

Benedict had also been a strong opponent of Liberation Theology.

As Herreid put it in his Blaze column, “In a matter of months, Pope Francis has announced a desire to ‘quickly’ beatify a deceased liberation theologist bishop, reconciled with a Sandinista activist priest who once called Ronald Reagan a ‘butcher’ and an ‘international outlaw,’ and even invited the founder of the liberation theology movement, Rev. Gustavo Gutiérrez, to speak on the need for a ‘poor Church for the Poor’ at an official Vatican event this week.”

In fact, this is the latest example of Francis welcoming advocates of Liberation Theology—a doctrine manufactured by the old KGB to dupe Christians into supporting Marxism—directly into the Vatican.

End quote.

As The Blaze reported:

Even the pope’s arrival in Bethlehem — by helicopter straight from Jordan — carried important symbolic significance. Past papal visits to the West Bank previously have come through Israel, which captured the territory in the 1967 Mideast war.

“Coming to Bethlehem and flying to Bethlehem from Jordan shows solidarity with the Palestinian people, which is wonderful. We need that,” said Samar Sakkakin, a 52-year-old Palestinian American from Canton, Michigan.

“I am with you,” he told a group of Palestinian children at a stop in Bethlehem’s Deheishe refugee camp. He also held a private lunch with five Palestinian families who say they have been harmed by Israeli policies.

End quote.

Breitbart  reports on Obama's Georgetown University remarks:

He argued that churches should spend more time pursuing “powerful” ideas such as helping those in poverty in order to attract more followers.

“Nobody has shown that better than Pope Francis, who I think has been transformative just through the sincerity and insistence that this is vital to who we are, this is vital to following what Jesus Christ our Savior talked about.”

Obama added that he hoped that the American people received that message when Pope Francis visits the United States in September.

“I can’t wait to host him because I think it will help to spark an even broader conversation of the sort we are having today,” Obama concluded.

End quote.

Is it any wonder that Rick Warren embraces both of these men? They all have the same ideology and at the heart of it they are all anti-Christ, pushing socialism as the new religion.

Is Obama Giving An Opinion Or Hinting At State-Approved Churches?

Breitbart reported on Obama's recent speech at Georgetown University:

He argued that churches should spend more time pursuing “powerful” ideas such as helping those in poverty in order to attract more followers.

So is Obama's declaration of how churches CAN grow and what they SHOULD and SHOULD NOT focus on something more sinister than mere opinion? Is he setting up his agenda for state approved churches and if they do not line up with his Marxist agenda, they will be silenced or their tax exemption revoked? This is not a coincidence. His executive orders have made him a dictator along with the impotent and willing Congress and media to go along with this bully of a leader.

Obama Tells Churches To Stop Focusing On Abortion and Sodomy And Instead Focus On Poverty

A child of the devil telling churches what they should be focused on shows us that coming against sodomy IS SPIRITUAL in nature, as Scripture shows. Sodomy is a SPIRITUAL sin.  (So is abortion.)This is why the LGBT agenda is so out of proportion with its hostility against dissenters.

As Breitbart reported:

President Obama suggested that people of faith should focus more on helping the poor, instead of focusing on divisive issues such as gay marriage and abortion.

During a panel discussion on poverty at Georgetown University, Obama specifically referred to his own Christian faith, pointing out that he recognized the importance speaking out about the issue as president.

“I think it would be powerful for our faith-based organizations to speak out on this in a more forceful fashion,” he said, admitting that his wish might sound “self-interested” because he had disagreements with Christian and Catholic organizations about gay marriage and abortion.

~End quote.

I guess Black lives don't matter to him either. Black Genocide has incredible statistics on the rate of abortions in the Black Community. 

We will always have the poor with us, Jesus said. Poverty won't go away. But cultures have not always been infiltrated and destroyed because of rampant sodomy and abortion. There are countries like Sodom and Gomorrah, and even the Roman Empire, that finally were destroyed or faded out into little more than barely existing because of the rampant wickedness of sodomy.

The other dayObama also has set out the notion of changing the way the media reports on issues:

"Speaking of Fox News, the poor, and the way GOP leaders think, Obama said, [W]e’re going to have to change how our body politic thinks, which means we’re going to have to change how the media reports on these issues.”" ~ Breitbart

Political Correctness and Agenda, Not Science, Drives The American College of Physcians

“ACP doesn’t actually represent anybody except its own staff and hierarchy. Members have no meaningful input. Some keep sending in their $450 a year to keep from losing their ‘Fellow of the American College of Physicians’ award,” she states.

“As to health, does ACP really think that the risk of AIDS, hepatitis, syphilis, etc. is much higher in ‘MSMs’ (men having sex with men) because of ‘healthcare disparities,’ or do behavior and biology have anything to do with it?” she asks.

Regarding the organization’s agenda, Orient concludes, “ACP has supported every advance of cultural Marxism since the mid-1970s at least.”

Similarly, Michelle Cretella, M.D., president of the American College of Pediatricians, tells Breitbart News, “It is shameful that the ACP, like the majority of other professional medical organizations, has chosen ideology over science.”

Cretella continued:

The science is clear: no one is born gay or transgender. The psychodynamic and psychosocial theories of sexual desire and gender identity have never been disproven. No one has a civil right to a developmental disorder. It is well documented by those on both ends of the political spectrum that the normalization of homosexuality by the American Psychiatric and Psychological Associations was a result of a political and ideological coup, not of science.

Cretella recommends the book Destructive Trends in Mental Health: The Well-Intentioned Path to Harm by Dr. Nicholas A. Cummings, past-president of the American Psychological Association (APA), who was responsible for normalizing homosexuality in the APA in 1974.

End quote.

Jane Orient, M.D., is the executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS)

~Breitbart excerpts

Christians Have A New Identity: they do not regard themselves after the flesh

No identity as a sodomite, no longing after such  unnatural passions which are contrary to nature as Romans 1 calls it. Nor do they identify themselves after other sin like being a worrier or other psychiatric labels. Rather:

2Co 5:16  From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 
2Co 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 

Col 2:2  that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 

Col 2:3  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

Col 2:4  I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 

Col 2:5  For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. 

2Co 6:14  Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 

2Co 6:15  What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 

2Co 6:16  What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

2Co 6:17  Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 

1Co 6:9  Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 

1Co 6:10  nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 

1Co 6:11  Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. 

1Co 6:12  All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.

Another Clinical Trials Scientist Declares The Ineffectiveness of Psychotropic Drugs and Their Connection To 500,000 Deaths Annually

Col 2:2  that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ,
Col 2:3  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Col 2:4  I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

RT news reports of yet another study of the harmful affects of psychotropic drugs and their largely ineffectiveness to help the consumers:

Psychiatric drugs lead to the deaths of over 500,000 people aged 65 and over annually in the West, a Danish scientist says. He warns the benefits of these drugs are “minimal,” and have been vastly overstated.

Research director at Denmark’s Nordic Cochrane Centre, Professor Peter Gøtzsche, says the use of most antidepressants and dementia drugs could be halted without inflicting harm on patients. The Danish scientist’s views were published in the British Medical Journal on Tuesday.

His scathing analysis will likely prove controversial among traditional medics. However, concern is mounting among doctors and scientists worldwide that psychiatric medication is doing more harm than good. In particular, they say antipsychotic drugs have been overprescribed to many dementia patients in a bid to calm agitated behavior....

“Their benefits would need to be colossal to justify this, but they are minimal,” he writes.

“Given their lack of benefit, I estimate we could stop almost all psychotropic drugs without causing harm.”

Gøtzsche, who is also a clinical trials expert, says drug trials funded by big pharmaceutical companies tend to produce biased results because many patients took other medication prior to the tests.

End quote.

Read more here.

The Absolute Sovereignty and Dominion of God

It is just because people today are so ignorant of the divine character and so lacking in godly fear, that they are quite in the dark as to the nature and glory of divine justice, presuming to arraign it.

This is an age of blatant irreverence, wherein lumps of animate clay dare to prescribe what the Almighty ought and ought not to do.....Unless the supposed "rights" of the creature are "respected," then they have no respect for the Creator, and if His high sovereignty and absolute dominion over all be insisted upon, they hesitate not to vomit forth their condemnation of Him....God’s own people are in danger of being infected by the poisonous gas which now fills the air of the religious world.

~ A. W. Pink

2Pe 1:3  His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 

2Pe 1:4  by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 

2Pe 1:5  For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 

2Pe 1:6  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 

2Pe 1:7  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 

2Pe 1:8  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

2Pe 1:9  For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 

2Pe 1:10  Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 

Lydia, the First European Convert

.... "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul."—Acts 16:14.

We may laudably exercise curiosity with regard to the first proclamation of the gospel in our own quarter of the globe. We are happy that history so accurately tells us, by the pen of Luke, when first the gospel was preached in Europe, and by whom, and who was the first convert brought by that preaching to the Savior's feet. I half envy Lydia that she should be the leader of the European band; yet I feel right glad that a woman led the van, and that her household followed so closely in the rear.

God has made great use of women, and greatly honored them in the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Holy women ministered to our Lord when he was upon the earth, and since that time much sacred work has been done by their patient hands. Man and woman fell together; together they must rise. After the resurrection, it was a woman who was first commissioned to carry the glad tidings of the risen Christ; and in Europe, where woman was in future days to be set free from many of the trammels of the East, it seems fitting that a woman should be the first believer.

~ Charles H. Spurgeon

It was also to a woman that Christ Jesus first proclaimed Himself to be the Messiah--the woman at the well. It was also to the women that Jesus was proclaimed to be risen from the dead. We can't imagine how huge this is---in those days particularly, women were very devalued and treated with contempt or disregard, even though created in the image of the Creator.  It was the Creator Himself, Jesus Christ the Lord, who corrected such heinous treatment of women, the work of HIS hands; who restored women to their rightful place as such. While submission is necessary, the value is equal. 

Joh 4:24  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."25  The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things." 26  Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he."27  Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you seek?" or, "Why are you talking with her?" 

Luk 23:55  The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 

Luk 23:56  Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. 

Luk 24:1  But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 

Luk 24:2  And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 

Luk 24:3  but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 

Luk 24:4  While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 

Luk 24:5  And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? 

Luk 24:6  He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 

Luk 24:7  that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." 

Luk 24:8  And they remembered his words, 

Luk 24:9  and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 

Luk 24:10  Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 

Luk 24:11  but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 

Luk 24:12  But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. 

True Humility

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"What is man that You are mindful of him?" Psalm 8:4

What is man that God should even look in his direction? Who am I that the infinite, glorious, triune God should glance my way--much less be mindful of me?

Beloved in Christ, understand that your God is without a doubt ever-mindful of you. He has . . .
  numbered every hair on your precious head,
  appointed the bounds of your habitation, and
  determined the very second of your death. 

He . . .
  bottles your every tear,
  knows your every sorrow, 
  records your every work, and 
  remembers every cup of cold water given in His name. He is deeply concerned for your immortal soul, has purposed to do you good, and has staked His glory on your everlasting salvation. Your God is more mindful of you, your soul, your life, and your welfare than you will ever understand in this life. 

In the light of such staggering knowledge--who God is, and what you are--do you not ask yourself in utter astonishment, "Who am I that God should be so mindful of me?" 

As mere creatures such a thought is beyond profound--but as guilty sinners the thought surpasses the unthinkable! 

"Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated!" Romans 9:13 

God loved Jacob, and hated Esau. Who am I that I should be identified with the former, and not the latter? Christ died for His elect and put away their sins forever by the sacrifice of Himself--and the rest of humanity He leaves to themselves. 

Who am I that my name should be written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the world? The Sovereign dispenser of all grace and all blessedness--has mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardens. Who am I that I should be a vessel of honorprepared for glory--and not a vessel of wrath fitted for destruction? 

Who are we, brothers and sisters, that we should . . .
  partake of the boundless provision of grace in Christ,
  be redeemed, justified, and forgiven,
  should live forever with Him in glory? 

Who are we that the incomprehensibly glorious God would be so mindful of us, that He not only took on our nature, but . . .
 lived a perfect life for us, that we could never live, 
 died a sin-atoning death for us, that we could never die, and 
 satisfied a Law for us, that we could never satisfy? 

"By the grace of God I am what I am!" 1 Corinthians15:10 

The only difference between a saved sinner and a lostsinner--is the difference that God makes by His distinguishing grace! It is not our decisions, lives, prayers, or works that make the difference, but God and God alone.

Though all who read these lines deserve to be in Hell for their sin--God has been pleased to save some freely by His grace. Though all are equally sinful, equally guilty, and equally deserving of everlasting torment--God has been pleased to save some for no other reason than His own glory.

(Frank Hall)

Avoid Ravi Zacharias

Avoid "apologist" Ravi Zacharias.

He endorsed Roman Catholic mystic and universalist Henri Nouwen (who apparently alluded to having sodomite desires in one of his last books). 

Believes in the validity of women pastors.

Endorses heretical Word of Faith teacher and Alpha Course author Nickey Gumble.

Endorses heretical Joyce Meyer.

Thinks a Christian can be a celibate sodomite.

He was a signer of the inter-faith Manhattan Declaration.

2Jn 1:9  Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting,
2Jn 1:11  for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

Rom 16:17  I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 

Rom 16:18  For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 

Sharia Law Has Arrived

Don't say "sharia will never come to America" while condemning free speech over a cartoon. That simply proves it has arrived.

~Dana Loesh

Did you know that Bosch Fawstin, the artist of the winning cartoon, is a former Muslim? He also had his facebook  account removed.

The Gateway Pundit reports:

You knew it was only a matter of time. On Wednesday far left leader Josh Marshall wrote that the Texas terrorists and Pamela Geller were the mirror image of each other.

More here.

Geller takes on Imam who says she deserves the death penalty and tells Shaun Hannity that one day he WILL be living under Sharia law:

Fox News' Marth MacCallum blames Geller too when she says in part:

"...They’re saying if you want to make a difference, you do it in a Christian way, you don’t do it in a crass crude way by insulting someone’s religion.”

Geller did not concede the point  and said, “I will not abridge my freedom so as not to offend savages. We weren’t denigrating the religion. Political cartoons is political opinion. When you seek to impose the Sharia restrictions of Islam on free speech, that’s a political movement.”

~Breitbart (video included)

http://launch.newsinc.com/share.html?trackingGroup=91074&siteSection=breitbartprivate&videoId=29020078

The reality is, though, that it's the liberals who align with the Muslims. They refuse free speech for those they detest, like conservatives and Christians. This week the liberal "journalists" were blaming Pam Geller for the attack in Texas at the "Draw Muhammad" contest. Let's consider this: the Muslims blame their women (all women but so far they can't control all of them) for causing men to lust, which is why they have commanded all Muslim women to cover themselves from head to toe. It's the woman's fault too, if she gets raped. It's like blaming the Jews for the Holocaust. In fact Islam will slaughter Jews just because they are Jews, they hate their existence that much. And before you think I'm making rash judgments about liberals and their fascism, consider this: if you reject evolution, psychology, abortion, and sodomy, you will lose your job, your house, be investigated, or persecuted, ridiculed, etc. Freedom of speech? Nope. The recent issue with shutting down Christian bakers who refused to make a cake for a sodomite ceremony is just one of the more recent examples.

Perry Noble Doesn't Like To Draw Theological Lines

Erin Benzinger reported about Perry Noble's latest attack on truth when he shared his unhappiness at the SBC uninviting Ben Carson to speak. He said in part:

"While I believe correct theology is essential to the core of Christianity itself, I do not think it should lead to division and condemnation of those who do not believe exactly as we believe. "

So if it's essential then why is it treated as an opinion? An essential by nature divides. If a doctrine is biblical then any other view or teaching contrary to it is a lie and is not of the truth. God is black and white. He is dogmatic. We should be too.

"No one on the planet had better theology than Jesus, and yet we do not see Him drawing theological lines in the sand and excluding people who do not believe just like Him—in fact, we find Him often sitting with people who were nothing like Him at all—has the Pastor’s conference moved beyond the model Jesus demonstrated? "

Astonishing. He's lying about the absolute dogmatic truth Jesus taught, because Jesus always corrected and drew a line with the Pharisees and Saduccees, including Herod ("beware of the leaven of Herod).  Jesus Himself said that He would bring  a sword not peace to households (John 10). Truth divides, but MORE, false brothers/apostates/false teachers themselves divide AWAY from the truth---they are the ones that often cause division.

Jud 1:18  They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions."
Jud 1:19  It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.

Rom 16:17  I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.
Rom 16:18  For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

Nobel yet again attacks the Bible and choruses with Satan in saying together with him, "Hath God said?"

Consider those who embrace Noble as a brother: Matt Chandler, Francis Chan, and Mark Driscoll.

2Jn 1:9  Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting,
2Jn 1:11  for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

Oh yes, God is thoroughly dogmatic on all HE teaches in Scripture.

Liberalism and Compassion

Liberalism has no compassion. Obama's policy with Americans: you are on your own (and probably deserve being attacked at Benghazi, Fort Hood, etc). With the sisterhood of feminists: you are on your own if you are a conservative or Christian even if you are attacked by a gun and not only that, we'll blame you for being a victim. With academia, if you are a Creationist: you are on your own and will be silenced one way or another, and good luck trying to get a job ever again. In Hollywood: you will be silenced or not work ever again (or find it VERY hard to do so) if you are a conservative.

It's no wonder Liberals echo Islam, right? They come from the same demonic father of lies.

No Support From The Sisterhood

It's a weird world when the liberals won't even support a woman up and against Islam's jihadist attempt to murder an outspoken woman against free speech. Not even the sisterhood will cross that line. Not even for free speech. Liberals are not for free speech, but only for selective speech.

In fact these rabid feminists are now blaming the victim of the attempted murder.

Would they blame her if it was an attempt of rape by a Muslim? Yes they would (murder is worse than rape). No support from the sisterhood here.

It's not enough that the Muslims slice and dice people around the world for saying something negative against Islam or just simply refusing to accept it and it's book and founder. No, for the liberal, that's always acceptable, because it silences the pesky conservatives and Christians, which is why they are absolutely silent when women are castrated or slaughtered in the name of Islam. Burkas are even touted as sexist. For their field, you'd think the rabid feminists would be up in arms over the demand of women having to cover their entire bodies with black, thick sacks. No,  feminism doesn't trump anything. Not even attempted murder. What does is the shutting down of freedom of speech and religion (remember, Islam is a political machine, not merely a religion). What causes a rabid feminist to slam a sister? Her worldview. Just wait until Islam starts to dictate to these woman on what they can say or not say, how they should or should not dress, eat, behave, and believe. The sudden outrage will be too little, too late.

Will liberals blame Christians for being raped, murdered, lose their homes, etc? With liberals like these, who needs Muslims?

If anything, the Texas jihad has demonstrated this: liberals are as horrific as Muslims when it comes to free speech and the liberals have NO compassion when it comes to victims of jihad. 

This is a spiritual battle, one of doctrines, one of beliefs, one of the heart. One to silence what is true.

Encouragement For Christians: Glorify God in the fire!

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"Every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit!" John 15:2

"I have refined you in the furnace of suffering!" Isaiah 48:10

Fire not only burns and purges, but it separates one thing from another.

God Almighty knows that we are often purged more in one hour by a good sound trial — than by a thousand manifestations of His love. It is a fine thing to come purified, to come pardoned out of the furnace of affliction. The furnace is intended to purge us to separate the precious from the vile, the chaff from the wheat. And God, in order to do this, is pleased to put us into one fire after another.

There are some roads which are finely paved and smooth — but the King's road to Heaven is strewed with crosses and afflictions!

My brethren, we need to be purged! How apt are we to want to go to Heaven upon a featherbed. But many go lying upon beds of pain and languishing, which is the King's highway there.

God will not put us into the fire — if there was not something to be purged away. The grand thing, is to learn to glorify God in the fire.
We glorify God in the fire, when we quietly endure it as a chastisement, and when we bear it patiently. It is a dreadful thing when we are saying with Cain, "My punishment is greater than I can bear!" But the language of a soul that glorifies God in the fire is this, "Shall I, Lord, shall I a sinful man, complain for the punishment of my sins?"

We glorify God in the fire, when, though we feel pain and anguish, we at the same time say, "Lord, we deserve this and ten thousands times more!" 

We glorify God in the fire also, when we are really and fully persuaded that God will put us in the furnace only for our good, and His own glory.

We glorify God in the fire when we say, "Lord don't let the fire go out until it has purged away all my dross!" 

We glorify God in the fire when the soul can say, "Here I am, my God, do with me as seems good in Your sight! I know that I shall not have one unnecessary stroke!"

We glorify God in the fire when we are not grumbling, but humbly submitting to His will. When that awful message was brought to Eli, what does he say? "It is the LORD; let Him do what seems good to Him." Let my children be killed, whatever is done, it is the Lord's doing!

We glorify God in the fire when we rejoice in Him — when we can thank God for striking us — when we can thank Him for whipping us!

Happy are you who have got into Christ's fire!

(George Whitefield, "Glorify God in the Fire!")

More here.

The Return of Mark Driscoll

Last October (2014) I predicted Mark Driscoll would make a come back after his firing from Mars Hill and self-implosion.

It has happened.

Thrive Conference 2015 was the venue.

Thrive? No, unholy, deadly treason, poisonous, uselessness is really what that conference was about. Men circling the wagon. The Good Ole Boy's Club, where impurity, twisting of Scripture, lies, plagiarism, bullying of dissenting elders, vicious slandering of Christ Jesus is not to keep one from taking to the stage again much less lead!

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

1Pe 5:2  shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;

1Pe 5:3  not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

Remember the serious problems here that his own old church charged against him. Yet even they refused Scripture's demand of being above reproach and not domineering. That's not taking into account his lack of repentance, his lying about his book and it's "NYT top seller" status, his plagiarism, and his sex obssession.

Because this man is a false teacher, embodying Jude's very description of such shepherds, I believe we'll see more impurity, more unholiness, and more disgrace. Without the Holy Spirit working in a regenerated heart, a form of godliness is just that--a form, an appearance--without power to restrain heart, mind, and behavior. Stand by.

Have You Encountered God Truly?

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Joh 14:15  "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 

Mat 7:16  "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor

figs from thistles, are they?

Luke 6:46  "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?

Thus an essential element or ingredient in saving faith is a yielding to the authority of God, a submitting of myself to His rule. It is very much more than my understanding assenting and my will consenting to the fact that Christ is a Saviour for sinners, and that He stands ready to receive all who trust Him. To be received by Christ I must not only come to Him renouncing all my own righteousness (Romans 10:3), as an empty-handed beggar (Matt. 19:21), but I must also forsake my self-will and rebellion against Him (Ps. 12:11, 12; Prov. 28:13).

~AW Pink

Again, many are willing for Christ to officiate as their Priest, but not for Him to legislate as their King. Ask them, in a general way, if they are ready to do whatsoever Christ requires of them, and they will answer in the affirmative, emphatically and with confidence. But come to particulars: apply to each one of them those specific commandments and precepts of the Lord which they are ignoring, and they will at once cry out "Legalism"! or "We cannot be perfect in everything." Name nine duties and perhaps they are performing them, but mention a tenth and it at once makes them angry, for you have come too close home to their case. After much persuasion, Naaman was induced to bathe in the Jordan, but he was unwilling to abandon the house of Rimmon (2 Kings 5:18). Herod heard John gladly and did "many things" (Mark 6:20), but when John referred to Herodias it touched him to the quick. Many are willing to give up their theatre-going, and card-parties, who refuse to go forth unto Christ outside the camp. Others are willing to go outside the camp, yet refuse to deny their fleshly and worldly lusts. Reader, if there is a reserve in your obedience, you are on the way to hell.

Again, there are multitudes who are quite ready for Christ to justify them, but not to sanctify. Some kind, some degree, of sanctification they will tolerate, but to be sanctified wholly, their "whole spirit and soul and body" (1 Thess. 5:23), they have no relish for. For their hearts to be sanctified, for pride and covetousness to be subdued, would be too much like the plucking out of a right eye. For the constant mortification of all their members they have no taste. 

~AW Pink