I am going to judge my circumstances by Jesus’ love, not Jesus’ love by my circumstances. —Tim Keller
Nov. 26, 2014
BLOOMBERG
President Obama acknowledged the anger of minority communities over their treatment by police and urged them not to let their frustrations boil over into the kind of violence that erupted in Ferguson, Missouri.
Michele Flournoy has withdrawn herself from consideration as the next Secretary of Defense, a person familiar with her decision confirmed. She had been considered the most likely prospect for a female successor to outgoing Secretary Chuck Hagel, who announced his resignation Monday. There are a number of women in the conversation, a testament to the growing diversity in the armed services community.
Citing the “unrest in our community,” the city of St. Louis has decided to postpone its annual Thanksgiving Day parade.
Consumer spending in the U.S. climbed in October at the same pace as incomes, showing households are staying within their means as the holiday- shopping season begins.
Orders for U.S. business equipment such as machinery and electrical gear unexpectedly declined in October, a sign that recent increases in corporate investment may not persist.
No matter what OPEC countries decide tomorrow about cutting oil output, U.S. producers already know what they’re going to do: drill on.
Treasuries advanced, pushing 10-year yields to a one-month low, after claims for jobless benefits in the U.S. unexpectedly increased by 21,000 to 313,000 in the week ended Nov. 22.
Gold futures were steady as investors assessed equities near record highs against signs that improvement in the U.S. job market has stalled.
AP Top Stories
NATO’s top military commander said during a visit to Kiev on Wednesday that Russian forces were still operating in eastern Ukraine, providing the “backbone” to separatist rebels fighting government forces.
Some half a million cases of cancer a year are due to people being overweight or obese, and the problem is particularly acute in North America, the World Health Organization’s cancer research agency said on Wednesday.
A global glut of oil will rise further next year, Iran’s oil minister said here Wednesday on the eve of OPEC’s meeting to decide on whether to cut its output.
Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced that he is reappointing Republican Trey Gowdy of South Carolina to head the Select Committee on Benghazi next Congress. The problem, however, is that by doing so, Boehner named a chairman to a panel that does not yet exist. Because the Benghazi committee is select and not permanent, the House will have to vote again to re-create it when Congress returns for a new session in January.
A 40-year-old quadruple amputee on Tuesday thanked the Boston surgeons who performed a rare dual arm transplant on him last month and described the experience of getting the new limbs as surreal.
BBC
Almost 100 people are now believed to have died in a series of government air strikes on the Islamic State-held northern city of Raqqa on Tuesday.
Nigeria has devalued the naira, saying a drop in oil prices has been making it hard to defend its currency.
Burial workers in the Sierra Leonean city of Kenema dumped bodies in public in protest at non-payment of allowances for handling Ebola victims.
Four polio vaccination workers were shot dead and three injured in the south-west Pakistani city of Quetta.
China drafted its first national law against domestic violence, long seen as a private matter in the country.
Top German companies were told to ensure that 30% of supervisory board positions are held by women from 2016 under a law agreed late on Tuesday.
Police in Hungary were accused of blaming victims of sexual assault after releasing advice that warns young women of the risks of flirting.
WND
In a shocking revelation, the Treasury Inspector General has identified some 2,500 documents that “potentially” show taxpayer information held by the Internal Revenue Service being shared with President Obama’s White House.
Under the president’s new amnesty, businesses will have a $3,000-per-employee incentive to hire illegal immigrants over native-born workers because of a quirk of Obamacare.
Under President Obama’s new program to protect millions of illegal immigrants from deportation, many of those affected will be eligible to receive Social Security, Medicare and a wide array of other federal benefits, a White House official said Tuesday.
A day after the country learned Wilson won’t face criminal charges for killing unarmed teenager Michael Brown, protests sprouted up in more than 170 U.S. cities.
A massive sunspot capable of knocking out communications and power is once again aligning with Earth. Renamed Active Region 12192, because it is a sunspot that has come around a second time, it is due to come into alignment in a few days.
An ISIS propaganda video features a pint-sized 9 or 10 years old Muslim preacher exhorting fellow Muslims to hurry and “purchase your place in paradise” by becoming a martyr for Islam.
Asteroid mining is the future and two companies have already signed contracts with Deep Space Industries and Planetary Resources with the intent of pursuing the project.
The History and Legacy of Thanksgiving
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” —Psalm 100:4-5
Thanksgiving, as introduced by European explorers and settlers in the “New World,” was a time set aside specifically for the purpose of giving thanks to our Creator for His manifold blessings.
The earliest record of a thanksgiving in America is 1541 by Spanish explorer Coronado at Palo Duro Canyon in what is now Texas. French Protestant colonists at Charlesfort (now Parris Island, South Carolina) held a thanksgiving service in 1564. In 1607, the Jamestown settlers held thanksgiving at Cape Henry, Virginia, and there are many other records of such hallowed observances.
The first call for an annual Thanksgiving was at Berkeley Plantation, Virginia, in 1619, when Captain John Woodlief and 38 settlers aboard the ship Margaret, proclaimed, “Wee ordaine that the day of our ships arrivall at the place assigned for plantacion in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually keept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God.”
But the contemporary celebration of Thanksgiving across our nation has its roots in the first “harvest feast” celebrated in 1621 by religious refugees, Pilgrims, who established the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, in the year 1620. According to the fact that most history books following the War Between the States were written by Northern historians, it is that iconic event which is most directly associated with the current traditions for our national Day of Thanksgiving.
The Pilgrims
Who were these “freedom men”?
They were Puritan “separatists” — Calvinist Protestants, most under the leadership of pastor John Robinson, church elder William Brewster, and William Bradford. They rejected the institutional Church of England, believing that worshipping God must originate freely in the individual soul, without coercion.
Suffering persecution and imprisonment in England for their beliefs, these separatists fled to Holland in 1608. There, they found the spiritual liberty they sought, but amid a disjointed economy and a dissolute, degraded, corrupt culture that tempted their children to stray from faith. Determined to protect their families from such spiritual and cultural degradation, the Pilgrims returned to Plymouth, England, where they arranged for passage to the New World.
Their long and dangerous voyage was funded by the London Company, the “merchant adventurers” (investors) whose objective was to establish a communal plantation “company” upon which the “planters” would be obligated to work for seven years in order to return the investment with premium. “The adventurers & planters do agree that every person that goeth being aged 16 years & upward … be accounted a single share…. The persons transported & ye adventurers shall continue their joint stock & partnership together, ye space of 7 years … during which time, all profits & benefits that are got by trade, traffic, trucking, working, fishing, or any other means of any person or persons, remain still in ye common stock…. That all such persons as are of this colony, are to have their meat, drink, apparel, and all provision out of ye common stock & goods…. That at ye end of ye 7 years, ye capital & profits, viz. the houses, lands, goods and chattels, be equally divided betwixt ye adventurers, and planters.”
On September 6th, 1620, aboard a 100 foot ship named Mayflower, 102 Pilgrims and 30 crew members departed for America, a place that offered the promise of both civil and religious liberty. Among those in command of the expedition were Christopher Martin, designated by the Merchant Adventurers to act as Governor, and Myles Standish, who would be the colony’s military leader.
After an arduous eight week journey, on November 11 they dropped anchor at Provincetown Harbor off the coast of what is now Massachusetts.
On 11 December 1620, prior to disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they signed the Mayflower Compact, America’s original document of civil government. It was the first to introduce self-government, and the foundation on which the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were built. Plymouth Colony’s Governor, William Bradford, described the Compact as “a combination … that when they came a shore they would use their owne libertie; for none had power to command them.”
The First Harvest Thanksgiving Feast
Upon making landfall, the Pilgrims conducted a prayer service and quickly turned to building shelters. They committed all their belongings to a “comone wealth.” Under harrowing conditions, the colonists persisted through prayer and hard work, but the Winter of 1621 was devastating and only 53 of the original party survived. William Bradford wrote, “of these one hundred persons who came over in this first ship together, the greatest half died in the general mortality, and most of them in two or three months’ time.”
However, with the help of the indigenous “Indians” in the region, the summer of 1621 was productive as recorded by Bradford in his diary: “They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. For as some were thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercised in fishing, about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good store, of which every family had their portion. All the summer there was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees). And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides, they had about a peck a meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to the proportion.”
In addition to their regular expressions of reverence and thanksgiving to God, by the Autumn of 1621 the surviving 53 Pilgrims had enough produce to hold a three day “harvest feast.” That feast was described in the journal of Edward Winslow: “Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruits of our labor. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which we brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.”
The Pilgrims endured another harsh winter, but had put up enough stores to survive.
The Collectivist Plantation Plan
Endeavoring to improve the production at Plymouth Plantation for its second growing season in 1622, Governor Bradford implemented a collectivist policy, and noted that to increase production, he allotted each family a plot of land, and mandated that “all profits & benefits that are got by trade, working, fishing, or any other means” must be forfeited to a common storehouse in order that “all such persons as are of this colony, are to have their meat, drink, apparel, and all provisions out of the common stock.”
In theory, their Governor thought the colony would thrive because each family would receive equal share of produce without regard to their contribution. Unfortunately, then as always, collectivism only works in theory, and the new policy almost destroyed the Plymouth settlement. Indeed, collectivism is antithetical to human nature, and destined to fail, as Plato’s student Aristotle observed in 350 BC: “That which is common to the greatest number has the least care bestowed upon it.” But to this day, many still fail to grasp the “tragedy of the commons.”
After abysmal results in 1622, Bradford realized that his collectivist plan had undermined the incentive to produce. He wrote, “The failure of that experiment of communal service … the taking away of private property, and the possession of it in community, by a commonwealth … was found to breed much confusion and discontent; and retard much employment which would have been to the general benefit…. For the young men who were most able and fit for service objected to being forced to spend their time and strength in working for other men’s wives and children, without any recompense…. The strong man or the resourceful man had no more share of food, clothes, etc., than the weak man who was not able to do a quarter the other could. This was thought injustice. The aged and graver men, who were ranked and equalized in labor, food, clothes, etc., with the humbler and younger ones, thought it some indignity and disrespect to them.”
The women “who were obliged to do service for other men, such as cooking, washing their clothes, etc., they considered it a kind of slavery, and many husbands would not brook it….”
“If all were to share alike, and all were to do alike,” wrote Bradford, “then all were on an equality throughout, and one was as good as another; and so, if it did not actually abolish those very relations which God himself has set among men, it did at least greatly diminish the mutual respect that is so important should be preserved amongst them. Let none argue that this is due to human failing, rather than to this communistic plan of life in itself….”
The Free Enterprise Plan
Responding to the failed economic plantation plan, the Colony leaders “began to think how they might raise as much corn as they could, and obtain a better crop than they had done, that they might not still thus languish in misery,” Bradford recorded in his journal. “At length after much debate of things, (I) (with the advice of the chiefest among them) gave way that they should set corn every man for his own particular, and in that regard trust to themselves. And so assigned to every family a parcel of land.”
They decided to trade their collectivist plan for a free market approach, and in 1623, Bradford wrote, “This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any other means the Governor or any other could use. … Women went willingly into the field, and took their little ones with them to set corn. Instead of famine now God gave them plenty and the face of things was changed, to the rejoicing of the hearts of many. … Any general want or famine hath not been amongst them since to this day.”
Property ownership and families freely laboring on their own behalf replaced the “common store,” but only after their ill-advised experiment with communism nearly wiped out the entire settlement.
The Colony celebrated a much greater Harvest and Thanksgiving Day in 1623 as called for by Bradford’s proclamation:
“Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as he has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience. Now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November 29th, of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.”
After the Pilgrims were given liberty and incentive to be industrious, the Colony thrived, and by 1624, production was so abundant that the Colony exported corn back to England. For generations since, to the extent men have been set at perfect liberty to establish free enterprise, to produce goods and services without having profits seized for redistribution, our nation has thrived.
The Pilgrims’ Legacy of Civil Liberty
The Puritans seeded democratic self government and free enterprise in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, but demonstrated much of the same religious intolerance they had fled in England. Having broken ground for religious Liberty, at least for themselves, in the 20 years following the establishment of Plymouth Plantation, more than 25,000 men, women and children followed them to the New World, seeking first and foremost, religious Liberty. The second great immigration of Puritans came after Charles II was restored to the Crown in 1660, and Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan reformists fled for their lives. They brought with them a much more legalistic religious intolerance, and displayed bigotry for those who did not practice there particular Christian traditions and practices.
However, the promise of civil and religious Liberty drew hundreds of thousands of other seekers to east coast settlements, and they formed the bedrock of our nation. The crossroads of civil and religious Liberty was outlined in the central tenant of our Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
That eternal truth is the basis for the enumerated restrictions against government outlined in the First Amendment of our Constitution’s Bill of Rights: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The prohibition against any “establishment of religion” appears first in order of importance, because our nation was largely founded by those seeking Liberty from oppression of the wedded church and state of England.
Though we are not a “Christian nation” as some would suggest, clearly most of our Founders understood that American Liberty has its roots in the Liberty of the Christian Gospel. The Father of our Country, George Washington, wrote, “To the distinguished Character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to add the more distinguished Character of Christian. The signal Instances of providential Goodness which we have experienced and which have now almost crowned our labours with complete Success, demand from us in a peculiar manner the warmest returns of Gratitude and Piety to the Supreme Author of all Good.”
Historic American Thanksgiving Proclamations
During the American Revolutionary War the Continental Congress designated days of thanksgiving each year. The First National Proclamation of Thanksgiving was made in 1777:
“FOR AS MUCH as it is the indispensable Duty of all Men to adore the superintending Providence of Almighty God; to acknowledge with Gratitude their Obligation to him for Benefits received, and to implore such farther Blessings as they stand in Need of: And it having pleased him in his abundant Mercy, not only to continue to us the innumerable Bounties of his common Providence; but also to smile upon us in the Prosecution of a just and necessary War, for the Defense and Establishment of our unalienable Rights and Liberties; particularly in that he hath been pleased, in so great a Measure, to prosper the Means used for the Support of our Troops, and to crown our Arms with most signal success: It is therefore recommended to the legislative or executive Powers of these UNITED STATES to set apart THURSDAY, the eighteenth Day of December next, for SOLEMN THANKSGIVING and PRAISE: That at one Time and with one Voice, the good People may express the grateful Feelings of their Hearts, and consecrate themselves to the Service of their Divine Benefactor; and that, together with their sincere Acknowledgments and Offerings, they may join the penitent Confession of their manifold Sins, whereby they had forfeited every Favor; and their humble and earnest Supplication that it may please GOD through the Merits of JESUS CHRIST, mercifully to forgive and blot them out of Remembrance; That it may please him graciously to afford his Blessing on the Governments of these States respectively, and prosper the public Council of the whole: To inspire our Commanders, both by Land and Sea, and all under them, with that Wisdom and Fortitude which may render them fit Instruments, under the Providence of Almighty GOD, to secure for these United States, the greatest of all human Blessings, INDEPENDENCE and PEACE: That it may please him, to prosper the Trade and Manufactures of the People, and the Labor of the Husbandman, that our Land may yield its Increase: To take Schools and Seminaries of Education, so necessary for cultivating the Principles of true Liberty, Virtue and Piety, under his nurturing Hand; and to prosper the Means of Religion, for the promotion and enlargement of that Kingdom, which consisteth in Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost.”
Of that proclamation, Samuel Adams wrote to another Declaration signer, Richard Henry Lee, noting the specificity of the language that, “the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts and join … their supplication that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ.”
Liberty’s BountyIn 1789, after adopting the Bill of Rights to our Constitution, among the first official acts of Congress was approving a motion for proclamation of a national day of thanksgiving, recommending that citizens gather together and give thanks to God for their new nation’s blessings.
The first Thanksgiving Day designated by the United States of America was proclaimed by George Washington on October 3, 1789:
“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
“Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
“And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
“Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.”
Then-governor Thomas Jefferson followed with this 1789 proclamation in Virginia: “[I] appoint … a day of public Thanksgiving to Almighty God … to [ask] Him that He would … pour out His Holy Spirit on all ministers of the Gospel; that He would … spread the light of Christian knowledge through the remotest corners of the earth; and that He would establish these United States upon the basis of religion and virtue.”
Governor John Hancock proclaimed, “[I] appoint … a day of public thanksgiving and praise … to render to God the tribute of praise for His unmerited goodness towards us … [by giving to] us … the Holy Scriptures which are able to enlighten and make us wise to eternal salvation. And [to] present our supplications … that He would forgive our manifold sins and cause the benign religion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to be known, understood, and practiced among all the inhabitants of the earth.”
Thanksgiving celebrations were irregularly proclaimed in the years that followed until the War Between the States. After 1863, presidents issued annual proclamations of Thanksgiving.
Norman Rockwell, 1943In 1941, with World War II on the horizon, the Senate and House approved the fourth Thursday of November as a National Day of Thanksgiving, perpetuating the observance annually.
Thanksgiving and our Legacy of Liberty
Appropriately crediting the Pilgrims for chartering the path of American Liberty through self government, President Ronald Reagan made frequent reference to John Winthrop’s “shining city upon a hill.”
As Reagan explained, “The phrase comes from John Winthrop, who wrote it to describe the America he imagined. What he imagined was important because he was an early Pilgrim, an early freedom man. He journeyed here on what today we’d call a little wooden boat; and like the other Pilgrims, he was looking for a home that would be free.”
Closing his farewell address in 1989, President Reagan asked, “And how stands the city on this winter night?”
Contemplating our Legacy of Liberty this Thanksgiving, more than two decades after President Reagan left office, how stands the city on our watch?
My fellow Patriots, never in the history of our country has there been such an acute, coordinated and vicious assault upon Liberty and the Rule of Law enshrined in our Constitution. From individuals, to state governments, to federal institutions initiated at the dawn of our Constitution, nothing, absolutely nothing, is sacred to the current statist hegemony seeking to dispense with our Constitution.
But take heart, for as George Washington wrote in the darkest days of our American Revolution, “We should never despair, our Situation before has been unpromising and has changed for the better, so I trust, it will again. If new difficulties arise, we must only put forth new Exertions and proportion our Efforts to the exigency of the times.”
Of such exertions, Washington wrote, “It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favors.”
Of the incredible obstacles overcome in the American Revolution to establish Liberty, Washington declared, “The hand of providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations.”
So it is that on Thanksgiving Day, we are called to pause and take respite in order to acknowledge the gift of Liberty as “endowed by our Creator,” and the Divine intervention throughout the history of this great nation; in order to recommit ourselves to obeisance of His will; in order to express our gratitude and give Him all thanks and praise for the bounty which He has bestowed the United States of America — land of the free, home of the brave, that shining city on the hill; and in order to all the more humbly implore that He protect us and grant us much favor in our coming struggle to re-establish Rule of Law over rule of men.
In his first Thanksgiving proclamation, President Reagan wrote: “America has much for which to be thankful. The unequaled freedom enjoyed by our citizens has provided a harvest of plenty to this Nation throughout its history. In keeping with America’s heritage, one day each year is set aside for giving thanks to God for all of His blessings. … As we celebrate Thanksgiving … We should reflect on the full meaning of this day as we enjoy the fellowship that is so much a part of the holiday festivities. Searching our hearts, we should ask what we can do as individuals to demonstrate our gratitude to God for all He has done. Such reflection can only add to the significance of this precious day of remembrance. Let us recommit ourselves to that devotion to God and family that has played such an important role in making this a great Nation, and which will be needed as a source of strength if we are to remain a great people.
This is the genuine spirit of Thanksgiving.
I humbly thank you for the honor and privilege of serving you as editor and publisher of The Patriot Post. On behalf of your Patriot team and our National Advisory Committee, I wish you a peaceful Thanksgiving, and God’s blessings to you and your family.
Pro Deo et Constitutione — Libertas aut Mors
Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis
Mark Alexander
Publisher, The Patriot Post
Take the Thanksgiving Quiz
For inspiration, read the text of Charlie Daniel’s My Beautiful America or listen to the song.
For perspective, view “We still hold these truths.”
(Note: The original version of this Thanksgiving account was published by Mark Alexander in November 2000. Please forward a link to this page to your family, friends and colleagues.)
Source: http://patriotpost.us/pages/284
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Albert Mohler Blog: “The Ferguson Moment—A Moral Test for the Nation”
In his recent Blog Essay, “The Ferguson Moment—A Moral Test for the Nation,” Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. comments on the recent decision made by the grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri in the case of Daren Wilson. Mohler writes,
“From time to time, every nation, every people, and every community faces a series of tests—moral tests, economic tests, political and social tests. These events represent a huge moral test for America. Ground Zero of that test is the community of St. Louis, Missouri—especially the neighborhood of Ferguson. But intelligent Christians operating out of a biblical worldview know that this is not just a problem for Ferguson. It is the problem of the human heart. As Christians, we understand that the Bible and the Bible alone gives us an adequate understanding of where these problems reside, where they come from, and how they can only be solved. These tests can bring out the best or the worst in a people, a community, or nation. As we look at the situation in America, let us fervently pray that this test will bring out the best and not the worst of all the American people.”
Click here to read more
Spiritual Research Network New Podcast: Spiritual Maturity and Biblical Discernment
Hello!
Happy Thanksgiving! We do have so much to be thankful for, all of us – especially Christians who have yielded their lives to Jesus, the Greatest Gift of all. I am deeply grateful and thankful for all that the Lord has done for me, for us as a family, for each of you who are able to be a part of supporting our ministry, and for all whom our ministry reaches. Praise the Lord for His Goodness and Faithfulness!!!
Following is a newly posted audio message from a few years ago. We continue to digitize audio messages from cassettes to MP3’s in hopes that these can be of help to others. Thousands of people have been listening to these, and I do hope they can be of help to more of you. The message is about 60 minutes long. God bless!
PODCAST DESCRIPTION:
“Christian discernment begins first with salvation in Christ (Hebrews 5:13-15), and then maturing as a believer through the teaching of God’s Word (1 Timothy 4:1-8). As the believer grows one ought to be able to discern between both good and evil, and to separate from spiritual error and false teachings.
Subjects covered in this message include ‘contending for the faith’, patience and kindness, the dangers of redefining biblical terminology, Christian bookstore and book endorsement issues, the danger of pastoral vagueness in not naming the names of false teachers, and confusion in the body of Christ as a result of sharing speaking platforms with known false teachers. Various illustrations include the dangers of redefinition of terms in pseudo-Christian Cults and in the Church, the dangers of yoga, Harry Potter witchcraft, vampirism, bloodlust, Oprah Winfrey and friends (Eckhart Tolle, Marianne Williamson, Eric Butterworth, A Course in Miracles,), astrology and the occult, Worldview confusion, false christ’s, false anointed ones, and more.”
PODCAST LINKS:
Podcast: What is a Discerning Christian?.mp3
Direct Download: What is a Discerning Christian?.mp3
10 Signs That Russia Is Preparing To Fight (And Win) A Nuclear War With The United States
If the United States and Russia fought a nuclear war, who would win? You might be surprised by the answer. Under the Obama administration, the rapidly aging U.S. strategic nuclear arsenal has been shrinking. Meanwhile, the Russians have been developing an entirely new generation of bombers, submarines and missiles that have the capability of delivering an absolutely crippling first strike. At this point, most Americans consider a full-scale nuclear war to be inconceivable. But in Russia attitudes are completely different. To the Russians, the United States is enemy number one these days and the Russians are feverishly preparing for a potential military showdown. Of course the Russians don’t actually want to have to resort to nuclear war. Such an event would be an unspeakable horror for the entire globe. But if one does happen, the Russians want to make sure that they are the ones that come out on top. (Read More…)
Did They Want More Violence In Ferguson? 10 ‘Coincidences’ Too Glaring To Ignore
Was it a conspiracy or was it incompetence? Those appear to be the only two alternatives that we are left with after the horrific violence that we witnessed in Ferguson on Monday night. The first round of Ferguson rioting back in August took everyone by surprise, but this time authorities had more than three months to prepare. They had the ability to control precisely when the grand jury decision would be announced and how many cops and National Guard troops would be deployed on the streets. But despite all this, the violence in Ferguson on Monday night was even worse than we witnessed back in August. Either this was a case of almost unbelievable incompetence, or there was someone out there that actually wanted this to happen. If someone out there is actually trying to provoke more violence in Ferguson, then the rioters are being played like a fiddle. Most of them have no idea that they could potentially just be pawns in a game that is far larger than they ever imagined. The only other alternative to explain what we just saw is incompetence on a level that is absolutely laughable. Something definitely does not smell right about all of this, and let us hope that at some point the American people get the truth. The following are 10 “coincidences” from Monday night in Ferguson that are too glaring to ignore… (Read More….)
15 Blessings You Should Never Take for Granted
At the beginning of this month, two Pakistani Christians—a husband and his pregnant wife—were beaten for three days, stoned by an angry mob and dragged behind a vehicle. Finally they were thrown into a brick kiln and burned alive. The crime: Shahzad Masih, 28, and Shama Bibi, 25, were falsely accused of desecrating a copy of the Quran. More than 100 people participated in this brutal murder on Nov. 4 in the Pakistani city of Kasur. It’s unlikely that anyone will be convicted for the attack. That’s because freedom of religion—something Americans have enjoyed for more than 200 years—is not guaranteed in Pakistan. As you celebrate Thanksgiving this year, I hope you are grateful that someone cannot drag you into an oven heated to 1,470 degrees simply because they believe you blasphemed their holy book. I encourage you to make a list of blessings you may take for granted. My list for 2014 might help you think of others: Read More
7 Subtle Health Warnings You Should Never Ignore
Men are notorious for ignoring health problems. Complaining about aches and pains somehow seems unmanly to many guys. That’s one reason men are far more likely than women to avoid going to the doctor, surveys consistently show. “Three out of four people who have not seen a doctor in more than five years are men,” says Will Courtenay, M.D., a San Francisco-area psychotherapist and author of the book “Dying to Be Men.” “Men balk at going to the doctor because they like to see themselves as independent and self-reliant,” Dr. Courtenay tells Newsmax Health. This attitude is admirable in many areas of life, but it can be fatal when it comes to health. Here are seven subtle symptoms men should never, ever ignore: Read More
What President Lincoln Taught Us About Giving Thanks
The year that is drawing towards its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Read More
Nor’easter Threatens Thanksgiving Travel Chaos for East Coast
A Holiday storm system played havoc Wednesday with the Thanksgiving travel plans of tens of millions of people — wiping out more than 200 flights in the Northeast, dumping rain on busy roads and threatening more than a foot of snow in some places. Rain fell on drivers getting an early start from the big cities — Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington — into the Carolinas. It was expected to change to snow later in the day. “If this was any other day of the year, it would be a pretty big storm but nothing too out of the ordinary,” said Kevin Roth, a meteorologist at The Weather Channel. “But it’s come at one of the worst possible times, the day before Thanksgiving. It’s going to be very, very tricky for anyone planning to travel today.” Read More
US Army may station tanks in Eastern Europe
The US Army plans to deploy about 150 tanks and armored vehicles to NATO countries next year and some of the heavy armor may be stationed in Eastern Europe, a top American general said Tuesday. The move is part of a US effort dubbed “Operation Atlantic Resolve” in the Baltic states and Poland to reassure allies anxious about a resurgent Russia, with American troops deploying for several months at a time to conduct joint exercises. Nearly 50 armored vehicles are already in place and another 100 M1 Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles will be “pre-positioned” in Germany and possibly elsewhere for the US troops conducting drills with NATO partners, Lieutenant General Ben Hodges told AFP in a phone interview from Estonia. Read More
New Russian Nuclear Submarine Ready To Launch, Armed With 12 Nuclear ‘Bulava’ Missiles
A new Russian nuclear submarine is set to launch on December 19, setting sail with as many as 16 of Russia’s next-generation nuclear missiles on board as President Vladimir Putin continues to rebuild his country’s nuclear defenses. The new sub, named K-551 Vladimir Monomakh, already conducted a successful test firing of an ICBM which, when the vessel officially launches, would carry a nuclear warhead. The test firing happened on September 10, when the nuclear submarine fired a single “Bulava” ballistic missile from a position in the White Sea at a target inside Russian territory. The K-551 Vladimir Monomakh will become the third nuclear submarine in the state-of-the-art Borei-class sub series, each armed with 12 or, according to some sources, up to 16 nuclear missiles. By the year 2020, Russia plans to have added eight of the Borei-class nuclear submarines to its fleet. Read More
North Korea says the U.S. is doomed just like the Roman Empire
On Nov. 15, President Obama was speaking at the University of Queensland in Australia when he began to talk about the present day’s place in history. “I often tell young people in America that, even with today’s challenges, this is the best time in history to be alive,” the president said. The president’s speech was then followed by one by then-Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, who explained how the U.S. military would need to reform to keep this place in history. Weeks later, these speeches may be forgotten by many, but not in North Korea. In a new commentary published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday, these two speeches are described as the “poor shriek of those facing ruin” and a “recognition of the dark reality in the U.S. as it is a reflection of extreme uneasiness and horror-phobia.” Read More
The top 4 reasons to avoid processed, conventional meat
While the meat packers kill the “24 hour sickness” with chemicals so you won’t get it, your cells are being destroyed and mutated by industrial chemicals NEVER meant for mankind to consume. The conventional meat industry is SO POLLUTED that they have to bleach the meat to kill bacteria, viruses and especially E-coli and Salmonella. This goes for infected cows, chickens, turkeys, pigs, and even fish that are shot up with artificial growth hormones and antibiotics. Ammonia is also used for the same reasons. Flavors and color are easily added back in using MSG, red dyes, nitrates, and other poisons on top of the fact that you’re eating TOXIC meat from animals that most likely led horrendous lives full of pain, misery and shock upon their day of death. Read More
Obama to Introduce Sweeping New Controls on Ozone Emissions
The Obama administration is expected to release on Wednesday a contentious and long-delayed environmental regulation to curb emissions of ozone, a smog-causing pollutant linked to asthma, heart disease and premature death. The sweeping regulation, which would aim at smog from power plants and factories across the country, particularly in the Midwest, would be the latest in a series of Environmental Protection Agency controls on air pollution that wafts from smokestacks and tailpipes. Such regulations, released under the authority of the Clean Air Act, have become a hallmark of President Obama’s administration. Read More
What the Earliest Non-Biblical Authors Say About Jesus (Free Bible Insert)
by J Warner Wallace
What would we know about Jesus if we lost every Biblical manuscript on the planet? Could we have any certainty Jesus actually lived, and would we be able to re-capture any of the details of his life or nature? As it turns out, there are several ancient sources of information about Jesus. Some of these […]
Read more of this post
Sorry, Mr. President. You’re Wrong on Exodus and Immigration
President Obama is drawing on Exodus 23:9 to make his case for shielding millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation: “You shall not oppress a stranger; you know the heart of a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
Some object, but is there a problem here? After all, he’s already made public use of the Bible, without controversy. Speaking in Cairo in 2009, he quoted from the Beatitudes along with selections from the Talmud and Quran to appeal for harmony among Christians, Jews and Muslims. At one of his Christmas tree lightings, he recounted the Nativity, calling it “a story that lights the world,” and then summarized our duty to love both God and neighbor.
There is, however, a difference between these latter two citations and the immigration debate.
In Cairo, he was making a general call for peace, and, at the White House, a general call for beneficence. But in his Nov. 20 immigration speech, he was making a very particular policy application and thus raised the accountability stakes much higher.
If, in Cairo, the president had quoted the Beatitudes (“Blessed are the peacemakers …”) in arguing that drone flights over Gaza should cease, we’d get twitchy. Similarly, if his Christmas remarks included, “Just as Jesus was exalted from humble birth, we should restrict high office to those born into households below the national median income,” the outcry would be justified.
Yet, in invoking Exodus to push his immigration policy, that is the sort of thing he just did. He ran roughshod over context.
Read more
10 Signs That Russia Is Preparing To Fight (And Win) A Nuclear War With The United States
If the United States and Russia fought a nuclear war, who would win? You might be surprised by the answer. Under the Obama administration, the rapidly aging U.S. strategic nuclear arsenal has been shrinking …………. Click here for full story
Study: Nearly Half Of Americans Believe Natural Disasters Are Rising Due to ‘End Times’ Not Climate Change
Nearly half of Americans now believe that the recent surge in natural disasters is the result of biblical “End Times” than climate change, and more than two-thirds of white evangelical Protestants hold this belief, according to a new study ……… Click here for full story
ISIS’ Global Network Expands: At Least 12 Military Allies In 9 Countries Beyond Iraq, Syria
The Islamic State terrorist organization now has at least 12 known military allies, operating in nine countries outside of Iraq and Syria, that have publicly pledged their allegiances to the caliphate of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi………. Click here for full story
How Israel’s Restoration Signals The End
The biblical prophets predicted a series of restorations that will unfold prior to the return of the Messiah. When these predictions begin to come to pass, it is a major witness that the closing out of the end of the age is at hand and the kingdom of the Messiah is over the horizon. The first major event would be the reestablishing of Israel as a nation……….. Click here for full story
Church Leaders Alarmed That IRS Agents Could Pose As Clergy To Access Privileged Information, Enforce Birth Control Mandate
Church leaders are upset after a recent article in The New York Times revealed that the Internal Revenue Service can use undercover agents disguised as members of the clergy as a means to gather privileged information ……… Click here for full story
Why?
Why? It’s a question that we encounter so often – as a friend, as a co-worker, as a pastor, as a loved one.
“Why is there so much pain and suffering in the world?”
“Why is this happening to me, and why now?”
“Why doesn’t God seem to be answering my prayers?”
“Why on earth does a good God send people to hell?”
James Emery White examined what Scripture had to say about all of these questions in a message series at Mecklenburg Community Church. We heard from so many people that the series had such an impact on their lives, and how they felt it came at just the right time for them.
We believe you will find this series a helpful resource should you wish to develop a similar set of sermons. This series is available on the Message Downloads page of the ChurchandCulture.org site in both PDF and mp3 formats.
COMPLAINTS OR THANKS?
Every day of your life you’ll find reasons to complain, and every day of your life you’ll have reasons to be thankful. Notice the distinction: you’ll FIND reasons to complain and you’ll HAVE reasons to be thankful.
These two themes, complaint and thankfulness, tug at the heart of each of us. They form fundamentally different ways of viewing the world because they’re rooted in fundamentally different ways of viewing yourself.
Read more
The Transforming Power of Thanksgiving and Forgiveness
Forgiveness is harder than thanksgiving, and for that reason it is even more powerful. To forgive someone is to release them from the debt they owe us. It is to surrender our claim to vengeance. Forgiveness is hard, but it is easier when I realize how much I have been forgiven. Forgiveness is powerful in my life for two reasons: It reminds me that I am not God and it releases me from the trap of bitterness.
Read more
CultureWatch: Islamists and Their ‘Moderate’ Muslim Supporters
by Bill Muehlenberg
So, are most Muslims moderates? Yes. So, does that let them off the hook? No. To the extent that they sit by as the Islamists kill and terrorise with impunity, they are just as guilty. When the so-called moderates effectively allow the jihadists to do their thing, then they are a part of the problem, not the solution.
gabrielBut here I want to allow two experts to speak on this. The first is Lebanese-born Brigitte Gabriel, President of Act! for America. Speaking at a Heritage Foundation event dealing with Benghazi’s unanswered questions on June 16, 2014, she gave a classic response to a question from a Muslim woman. I have shared the video of this often, but here is the actual transcript which I present in full:
Read more
Homosexual activist arrested for child rape was called ‘great friend and supporter’ by President Obama
Christian News Network reports:
A prominent homosexual activist who was arrested for child rape last week was once called by Obama a “great friend and supporter,” and has raised over a million dollars toward his election efforts since 2007.
As previously reported, Terrance Bean, 66, of Portland was taken into custody at his home last Wednesday by the Portland, Oregon Police Bureau Sex Crimes Unit following an indictment by a Lane County Grand Jury. He was booked at the Multnomah County Jail and released after posting 10 percent of his $50,000 bail.
Read more
The Hound of Heaven
National homosexual activist organization targets Christians in latest campaign
According to Christian News Network:
A homosexual activist organization whose co-founder was recently jailed for sex abuse charges has launched an aggressive campaign to convert Christians to the same-sex ‘marriage’ cause.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) describes itself as a “civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.” With over 1.5 million members and supporters, the HRC is the largest such organization in the United States.
National Homosexual Activist Organization Targets Christians in Latest Campaign
Email Brigade News Report
What doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. ~ Micah 6:8
THANKING GOD FOR HIS ABUNDANT BLESSINGS
November 26, 2014
The problem is that you know I’m the President of the United States. I’m not the emperor of the United States. My job is to execute laws that are passed, and Congress right now has not changed what I consider to be a broken immigration system. ~ President Obama on Feb. 14, 2013
MARSHA WEST’S COLUMN
Revisited Would the Son of God Contradict the Father?
Is it true that Jesus never mentioned anything about homosexuality? That He never brought it up, even once? Most of us have heard the argument that the Gospels have no record of Jesus condemning homosexuality. There are individuals, especially from the militant homosexual rights movement, who utter this fabrication with all the raw hostility of liberals who think abortion is their God given right.
Bethel Church’s “Apostle” Bill Johnson: A Comedy of Errors Part 1 Part 2
Christian Meditation: What’s Biblical and What’s Not
FEATURED ARTICLES
New
Forgotten Americans—Victor Davis Hanson
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/393377/forgotten-americans-victor-davis-hanson
Political analysts still are arguing over why the Democratic party was washed away in the midterm election. Since 2008, ascendant progressives had been crowing over a fresh mosaic of energized minorities, newly franchised immigrants, single young urban women, greens, gays, and — less often mentioned — upscale professionals and the 1-percenter super-wealthy.
May I Present Our Emperor-in-Chief: His Highness Barack Obama—Joe Messina http://barbwire.com/2014/11/25/0650-may-present-emperor-chief-highness-barack-obama/
When you say “I’m the President of the United States. I’m not the emperor of the United States. My job is to execute laws that are passed….” but then you go on to make or change a law to the point where it no longer resembles the original law, then you have appointed yourself emperor by your own words and deeds. …
WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
New
Student mugged, says he deserved it because of his ‘privilege’
http://campusreform.org/?ID=6097
“Who am I to stand from my perch of privilege, surrounded by million-dollar homes and paying for a $60,000 education, to condemn these young men as ‘thugs?’ It’s precisely this kind of “otherization” that fuels the problem.”
NEWS TO KNOW
New
Where Were They? Missouri Lt. Gov.: Did The White House Stop The National Guard From Intervening Last Night?
http://dailycaller.com/2014/11/25/missouri-lt-gov-criticizes-absence-of-national-guard-where-were-they-last-night-video/
In interview, Darren Wilson says there was ‘no way’ Michael Brown had his hands up during shooting
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/11/25/in-interview-ferguson-cop-darren-wilson-says-there-was-no-way-michael-brown-had/
On CNN, Gingrich Blasts Obama’s Speech: ‘This Was a Gruber Speech’; ‘Simply Not Telling the Country the Truth’
http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/cnn-gingrich-blasts-obamas-speech-was-gruber-speech-simply-not-telling-country-truth
The 15 Most Liberal Senators
http://www.nationaljournal.com/pictures-video/the-15-most-liberal-senators-20140206
CULTURE CLASH
CULTURE
New
Attorney’s Lie to Schools, Say They Must OK Gender Confusion—Linda Harvey
http://barbwire.com/2014/11/25/1000-attorneys-lie-schools-say-must-ok-gender-confusion/
The depraved “gay” agenda continues to corrupt our nation’s youth, and the jaw-dropping irony is that activist groups are empowered by the financial and legal support of prestigious firms.
But it’s time to call these people to conscience. Several recent controversies may jumpstart the great awakening of America to the gruesome consequences of “tolerance” and “diversity.”
EDUCATION – Research Links
New
Opposition to Common Core spurs jump in homeschooling
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/11/25/opposition-to-common-core-spurs-jump-in-homeschooling/
HOMOSEXUALITY — Research Links
The revolution of the family: the Marxist roots of ‘homosexualism’
Porn may be only place gay youth see gay sex portrayed ‘positively’: UK ‘sex health’ charity head
300 Articles You Have to Read to Understand Homofascism
Homosexual Promiscuity: Breeding a national health problem
Speaking of Homosexuality
Big ‘Gay’ Brother is Watching You
Truth-Telling and Homosexuality
New
Homosexual Activist Arrested for Child Rape Was Called By Obama ‘Great Friend and Supporter’
http://christiannews.net/2014/11/24/homosexual-activist-arrested-for-child-rape-was-called-by-obama-great-friend-and-supporter/
Previous
Homosexual HRC Founder Arrested for Raping 15-year-old boy—Barbwire
http://barbwire.com/2014/11/20/homosexual-hrc-founder-arrested-raping-15-year-old-boy/
EX-GAYS/EX TRANSEXUALS
Truth Matters In Ex-Gay Debate
Nine fallen ‘exgay’ leaders seek spotlight with therapy ban alliance
Why Gays Cannot Speak for Ex-Gays
120 EXhomosexual video testimonies
Previous
Trouble In Transtopia: Murmurs Of Sex Change Regret—Stella Morabito
http://thefederalist.com/2014/11/11/trouble-in-transtopia-murmurs-of-sex-change-regret/
LEFT-WING MEDIA
New
Chuck Todd Asks If GOP Should ‘Drop the Benghazi Conspiracy Theories?’
http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/chuck-todd-asks-if-gop-should-drop-benghazi-conspiracy-theories
LIFE& DEATH – Research Links
Parents Release Photo of Daughter Born at 24 Weeks to Stop Late-Term Abortions
Amazing Video Shows Life Before Birth: “Everything a Newborn Baby Does, a Fetus Has Already Done”
Abortion, Depression, Suicide
New
Surprise! New Obamacare Rule Means You Won’t Know if You’re Paying for Abortions
http://www.lifenews.com/2014/11/25/surprise-new-obamacare-rule-means-you-wont-know-if-youre-paying-for-abortions/
MARRIAGE & FAMILY
Ryan Anderson explains why gay marriage doesn’t exist
Our last chance to save traditional marriage
New
National Homosexual Activist Organization Targets Christians in Latest Campaign
http://christiannews.net/2014/11/24/national-homosexual-activist-organization-targets-christians-in-latest-campaign/
A homosexual activist organization whose co-founder was recently jailed for sex abuse charges has launched an aggressive campaign to convert Christians to the same-sex ‘marriage’ cause.
RELIGION
OF INTEREST
New
Ferguson and the Soft Bigotry of America’s Leading Evangelicals—JD Hall
http://pulpitandpen.org/2014/11/24/ferguson-and-the-soft-bigotry-of-americas-leading-evangelicals/
As Ferguson erupts in riotous violence, America’s leading evangelicals – like Southern Baptists Russell Moore and Ed Stetzer – are falling over themselves to prove who is the most thoughtful, compassionate, and sympathetic to the racial tension and tragedy that the community has come to typify. In their race to win the racial sensitivity award, what they’re demonstrating is the soft bigotry of low expectations. …
Previous
A Profile of Integrity—Mike Riccardi
http://thecripplegate.com/a-profile-of-integrity/
CREATION VS EVOLUTION – Research links
Why is biblical Creationism so important?
The Giraffe: God’s Outstanding Animal
Previous
My pastors don’t believe Genesis. Should I leave my church?
http://creation.com/my-pastor-doesnt-believe-in-genesis#.VGmPI-0EAIM.facebook
PERSECUTION
New
Islamists Linked to Obama’s Kenyan Family Hijacked Bus, Killed Dozens
http://www.newswithviews.com/NWV-News/news414.htm
TEACHING/DEVOTIONAL
New
Obedience, A Word Study—Mike Ratliff
http://mikeratliff.wordpress.com/2014/11/23/obedience-a-word-study/
WATCH OUT!
Where do Christians get solid food? From voices in their heads, intuition, imaginations, flights of fancy, signs, wonders? No. Solid food is consumed by feeding on the meat of the written
Word of God. ~ Sandy Simpson
Alcoholics Anonymous
New Booklet Tract: The Spiritual Truth Behind Alcoholics Anonymous–And Why Christians Should Think Twice About Joining A.A.
Previous
Yes, AA’s cofounder was a freemason—John Lanagan
http://mywordlikefire.com/2009/10/26/yes-aas-cofounder-was-a-freemason/
Angels
Three Reasons You Should Not Try To Bind Satan
Unbiblical ideas About Angels
Ann Voskamp
Romantic Panentheism, a Review of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts: A Christianized Version of “Sexytime” with Ghosts?
Beth Moore
Has so-and-so false teacher always been false, or did it just start now?
The Low-Information Evangelical, Part 1 Part 2
Examining Beth Moore’s teaching
“Blood Moons”
Is Jesus going to return during the blood-red moon of 2015?
Divine Sign for Israel? Hagee Explains Blood Moons
Will Lunar Eclipses Cause Four Blood Moons in 2014 and 2015?
Charismatic Movement
Strange Fire Q&A: Answering the Critics—Phil Johnson interviews John MacArthur
Where is IHOP Going? An interview with Sarah Leslie
Previous
Pa$$ The Plate And Let Us Prey–SUFTT
http://standupforthetruth.com/2014/10/pa-plate-let-us-prey/
Should we impart an anointing of the Spirit on someone’s head? Does the Holy Spirit posses us, or indwell us? Yes, big difference between these two terms.
Church Growth Movement/Seeker/Market-Driven
Straight Talk About the Seeker Church Movement
Why this pastor left the church-growth model
Who is Peter Drucker, and what did he do with our church?
Rick Warren’s Catholic television interview
Contemplative Prayer – Research Links
The “Tree of Contemplative Practices” – Is Your Church Practicing Some of These?
What Is Spiritual Formation and Why Does It Matter?
Contemplative Terms
Previous
Ravi Zacharias on Henri Nouwen – “I regret having said that” “Henri Nouwen Was One of the Greatest Saints In Our Time”—Lighthouse Trails
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=16369
Ecumenism
Previous
Does Rick Warren want you to “come home” to the Catholic Church?—Amy Spreeman
http://standupforthetruth.com/2013/06/does-rick-warren-want-you-to-come-home-to-the-catholic-church/
You’ve heard about the Purpose Driven Life for Catholics, but did you ever think it would lead to a major evangelization project by the Church of Rome that targets Protestant Christians?
Emergent Church – Research Links
Listen: Emergent Church finally shows its real intentions!–
Emerging towards convergence
Emergent /Emerging Church Documentary
New
The morphing of the Emergent movement: Can you see it now?–SUFTT
http://standupforthetruth.com/2014/11/the-morphing-of-the-emergent-movement-can-you-see-it-now/
Hillsong Church
Hellsong – The Music of Hillsong – In Praise of Folly
Previous
Hillsong NYC’s “biblical” silence about homosexuality—John Lanagan
http://mywordlikefire.com/2014/11/04/hillsongs-carl-lentz-uses-non-existent-scripture-the-message-to-justify-silence-on-homosexuality/
Eugene Peterson’s The Message “bible” flat out deletes homosexuality as sin from two key New Testament passages, and gives a politically correct spin to a third
“Jesus Calling” – Research Links
In Jesus Calling: Jesus Contradicts Himself
Is Hit Book “Jesus Calling” Pushing New Age?
Articles and links exposing the New Age “Jesus” and New Age teachings
in Sarah Young’s “Jesus Calling” devotional
One Woman’s Story About Jesus Calling: A Surprise I Never Expected That Changed My Life
New
Changing “Jesus Calling”—Damage Control for a False Christ–SUFTT
http://standupforthetruth.com/2014/11/changing-jesus-calling-damage-control-false-christ/
Jonathan Cahn
“Rabbi” Jonathan Cahn’s Most Recent Duping of the People of God: “The Mystery of the Shemitah”
Joyce Meyer
The Prosperity Priestess and the Pied Piper of IHOP
Joyce Meyer’s teaching
New
Joyce Meyer cancels speaking engagement at IHOP-KC Onething 2014
http://mywordlikefire.com/2014/11/21/joyce-meyer-cancels-speaking-engagement-at-ihop-kc-onething-2014/
Kay Arthur
Kay Arthur With Erroneous Contemplative Interpretation of Psalm 46:10
Christian Meditation: What’s Biblical and What’s
Mark Driscoll
5 Early Leadership Lessons from the Dissolution of Mars Hill Church
Part 1: “We Are Not ABANDONED” Part 2: “Under the Bus” and “Off the Map” – The Out-of-Control Bus That Runs Over Sheep Part 3: The Culture Which Gave Rise to Driscoll
Previous
Mars Hill Church lists more than $25 million worth of property as bankruptcy rumors fly
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/2014/11/mars-hill-church-lists-more-than-25-million-worth.html
Sources: Mark Driscoll Considering a Return to Ministry http://www.patheos.com/blogs/warrenthrockmorton/2014/11/09/sources-mark-driscoll-considering-a-return-to-ministry/
“The Message” Bible
Eugene Peterson’s “The Message” is a parody of the Bible
Previous
Hillsong NYC’s “biblical” silence about homosexuality—John Lanagan
http://mywordlikefire.com/2014/11/04/hillsongs-carl-lentz-uses-non-existent-scripture-the-message-to-justify-silence-on-homosexuality/
Eugene Peterson’s The Message “bible” flat out deletes homosexuality as sin from two key New Testament passages, and gives a politically correct spin to a third.
Mormonism — Research Links
Mormon Church Admits Founder Joseph Smith Had About 40 Wives
Was Joseph Smith Really a Prophet from God?
What is Mormonism – What do Mormon’s Believe
The Mormon version of “Holy, Holy, Holy” is missing something
New Age Movement/New Thought/Spirituality — Research Links
Mysticism & Global Mind Change
Panantheism
What is “The Secret”? What is the “Law of Attraction”?
Previous
The New Age Peale Factor: Norman Vincent Peale and the Occult Part 1 Part 2—Warren B. Smith
New Apostolic Reformation/Dominionism – Research Links
What is an Apostle?
Rick Joyner’s alleged visit to heaven where he claims he met Enoch
Previous
Written in 2008. Posting it as reminder of who these people are.
We have had enough of false prophets—Marsha West
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/mwest/080830
People in this movement believe that the Apostles and Prophets have authority over the Church. Even though they hold a high office, the “apostles” and “prophets” don’t see eye to eye on everything. It has now come to light that some of the “apostles” were concerned about the possible dangers of commissioning Todd Bentley and warned other “apostles” but they were rebuffed — and they’re not taking it lying down….
Previous
Bethel Church’s “Apostle” Bill Johnson: A Comedy of Errors Part 2 http://standupforthetruth.com/2014/11/bethel-churchs-apostle-bill-johnson-comedy-errors-part-2/
Before I report on Apostle Bill’s endeavor to involve his followers in his “grave sucking,” undertaking, I must tell you a brief story that involves an angel, a gift, and slaying a dragon.
Read Part 1
Roman Catholicism
The Papacy of the Roman Catholic Church
‘Secrets of the Vatican’ exposes moral crises facing Catholic Church’s new pope
Do eucharistic miracles really happen?
Previous
Cardinal’s demotion helps Pope Francis quell ‘conservative backlash’ — for now
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/11/20/cardinal-stunning-demotion-helps-pope-francis-quell-conservative-backlash-for/
Social Justice/Progressive Christianity
Shameful Social Gospel
The Social Justice Gospel, Yesterday and Today—Part 2
Previous
How progressive Pharisees brutalize the Bible—SUFTT
http://standupforthetruth.com/2014/11/progressive-pharisees-brutalize-bible/
Transhumanism/Nephilum
Spiritual Seduction
Extraterrestrials, Noah’s Flood, Pseudo-Humans, Pseudo-Science,
Nephilim and Space Alien DNA—Part 2
Vision Casting
Casting a Vision of Commandeering Control
Witchcraft – Research Links
Word of Faith/Prosperity Gospel — Research Links
The True Origins of the Prosperity Gospel
T.D. Jakes and Joyce Meyer teaching word-faith “Little Gods” doctrine
Previous
Televangelist pastor accused of forcing vasectomies and abortions on church members
http://rt.com/usa/195940-pastor-vasectomy-abortion-abuse/
Bethel Church’s “Apostle” Bill Johnson: A Comedy of Errors Part 2 http://standupforthetruth.com/2014/11/bethel-churchs-apostle-bill-johnson-comedy-errors-part-2/
Before I report on Apostle Bill’s endeavor to involve his followers in his “grave sucking,” undertaking, I must tell you a brief story that involves an angel, a gift, and slaying a dragon.
Read Part 1
ENTERTAINMENT
New
Bill Cosby Leaked Story About Daughter’s Drug Use to Cover-Up Sex Scandal
http://dailycaller.com/2014/11/25/bill-cosby-leaked-story-about-daughters-drug-use-to-cover-up-sex-scandal/
HEALTH
New
Worthless Exercises You Probably Do
http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/list/201303/6-worthless-exercises-you-probably-do
Abuse of sleep, anti-anxiety drugs a growing issue among teenagers, study shows
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/11/24/abuse-sleep-anti-anxiety-drugs-growing-issue-among-teenagers-study-shows/
MUSIC
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