This is the testimony of Keith Becker as told on Pacific Garden Mission’s Unshackled. “Keith had his own plans for his life, but bankrupt and brokenhearted, he starts to wonder where he’s going wrong. From rebellion to bending the knee, to devastating tragedy, Keith saw God’s power turn his family’s story into a powerful ministry.” John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
‘Christalignment is a false Christian group based out of Melbourne, Australia that has aligned itself with the cult of Bethel Church. Christalignment is well-known for its “Christian” version of tarot card readings and other occult practices. A few years ago, Christalignment made headlines when it held a nude festival and posted a topless “spirit dance” and wrote it off as part of its “evangelism” strategy.
It is utterly abhorrent that the people at Bethel Church and other charismatic communities have taken something as completely and unmistakably occultic as “tarot cards” and sought to disguise it as “Christalignment.” There is no way to make something so heavily steeped in the dark arts seem like a sensible approach to “empowering destiny” and “making better decisions in the future.”’https://disntr.com/2023/01/09/christian-psychic-readings-and-taro-cards-continue-to-grow-in-popularity/
‘It is a harsh but undeniable truth that the majority of what calls itself the Church in the modern world is nothing more than a shallow facade, a shell of its former self. Charles Spurgeon, one of the greatest theologians and preachers of the past, had the foresight to recognize this disturbing trend even in his own lifetime. He famously declared, “A time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the church will have clowns entertaining the goats!”
Tragically, Spurgeon’s prediction has become a reality. As one looks out at the landscape of the contemporary Church, it is nearly impossible to find any semblance of genuine faith or spiritual depth. Instead, one is confronted with an endless parade of superficial and shallow antics, designed to titillate the senses and distract from the emptiness within.
A recent spectacle at the Center for Hope, a United Methodist church in Wintersville, Ohio, where a couple sang a trite and manipulative cover of “Eye of the Tiger,” is just one example of the degradation and degeneration that plagues the modern Church. It is a damning indictment of our spiritual state that we have become so enamored with cheap thrills and vacuous entertainment rather than seeking the nourishment of the soul and the timeless wisdom of the divine through His word.
Below are some of the altered lyrics the couple sang that were overly cheesy and focused on charismatic self-help themes:
Before I was a Christian, Something was missin, felt a little distant, dark resistant, made a decision, got a new vision, wrote my goals yeah wrote my mission, BC I was aimlessly walkin then one day I heard the voice of God talkin, rise up child to the enemy mockin’, prayer is your weapon pray without stoppin’‘https://disntr.com/2023/01/05/church-performs-cringworthy-rap-edition-of-eye-of-the-tiger/
‘Often people ask does the King James Bible say Jehovah. More and more lately, thanks to the rise and popularity of internet “ministries,” people ask questions about the name of God due to doubts and errant teachings being spread online. So, it is valid to ask is Jehovah mentioned in King James Bible? The answer is Yes! The King James Bible says “Jehovah” in four separate verses:
Exodus 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Psalms 83:18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.
Isaiah 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Isaiah 26:4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
There are also four places where “Jehovah” is part of a name and therefore is transliterated:
Genesis 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
Exodus 17:15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi:
Judges 6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.
Interestingly, there is another verse where the name of God is presented differently:
Psalms 68:4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
In the King James Bible, most of the appearances of the Tetragrammaton (the four letter abbreviated name of God) are translated instead as “the LORD” instead of transliterated as “Jehovah.” It is likely that this was done out of respect for the Personal Name of God, since it only appears a total of seven times (including the three place names). This article from Chick Publications gives a short explanation and also responds to the “Jehovah vs. Yahweh” issue.
Many times, those who ask about the the name Jehovah are asking for other reasons: they are challenging the deity of Jesus Christ who IS Jehovah. This is a fundamental doctrine, the deity of Christ. The most obvious example of those who deny this truth are the “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” who take their name from Isaiah, assuming that they are witnesses for Jehovah God and not Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8).
Yet the Bible truth is that the King James Bible tells us Who Jehovah is! While the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ translation (the New World Translation) obfuscates the identity of Jehovah, the King James Bible makes it clear who He is:
Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
The NWT intentionally hides this clear cross reference to Jehovah who is speaking in Zechariah 12 (a monologue starting with verse 1) and Jesus who is speaking in Revelation 12. The NWT says “and they will look to the one whom they pierced.” Jehovah Himself was pierced with a spear (John 19:34, 37) on the cross. It was on the cross that God’s own blood was shed to purchase His church (Acts 20:28). So, is Jehovah mentioned in King James Bible? Yes! Not only that, but the King James Bible clearly indicates who He is: Jesus Christ is Jehovah, revealed to us.
There are many other ways to identify Who Jehovah is. When He first revealed Himself to Moses in the desert, He told Moses that His name was “I AM THAT I AM” and to tell Israel that “I AM” had sent Moses (Exodus 3:14). The idea here is that God is defining reality and temporal existence by His own being. This goes along with “For in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28) and “he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:17; see also Hebrews 1:1-4). So, when Jesus was speaking to the Jews, who knew the Old Testament very well, He enraged them by saying “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). He was identifying Himself as the “I AM” of Exodus 3:14, and they knew it, which is why they tried to stone him (John 8:59; 10:31-33).
I recently received these quotes in an email and thought they were worth sharing. Our world is definitely rushing to its end as prophesied in the Word with more hatred each day toward their Creator. If you don’t know the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior take care of that situation today! John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Bill Sunday is quoted saying:
“When is a revival needed? When carelessness and unconcern keep the people asleep.” “Whenever a day comes when I can stand and preach God’s Word without an agony of anxiety lest the people will not accept Christ; whenever a day comes when I can see men and women coming down the aisles without joy in my heart, I’ll quit preaching.” “The church is not a dormitory for sleepers, it is an institution for workers; it is not a rest camp, it is a front line trench.” “One reason sin flourishes is that it is treated like a cream puff instead of a rattlesnake.” “Let’s quit fiddling with religion and do something to bring the world to Christ.” “The backslider likes the preaching that wouldn’t hit the side of a house, while the real disciple is delighted when the truth brings him to his knees.” “The Bible will always be full of things you cannot understand, as long as you will not live according to those you can understand.”
‘Why do evangelical scholars fail in their efforts to respond to Bart Ehrman? Jeff Riddle offers a lecture on applied apologetics by focusing on Bart Ehrman’s contribution to the field of modern textual criticism…’
‘The Mahaska County Republicans unanimously voted to censure Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks following her vote in support of a bill codifying homosexual marriage, repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and forcing Iowa to recognize anything another state decides qualifies as a “marriage.”
Here is the text:
“Her vote directly opposes the Mahaska County Republicans policy platform item #6 — family values:
“In keeping with the reality that we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, and that our nation’s foundation and subsequent blessings flow from adherence to and respect for the Judeo-Christian ethic, we affirm the following: We support an amendment to the United States Constitution stating that “Only marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized in the United States, and that neither the Federal government, any state government, or the political subdivisions thereof may create or recognize a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals.”
“Her vote also directly opposes the Iowa Republican Platform, Liberty #13: “We believe that traditional, two-parent (one male (XY) and one female (XX)), marriage-based families are the foundation to a stable, enduring, and healthy civilization. We encourage the repeal of any laws allowing any marriage that is not between one natural man and one natural woman.”
“There is nothing more foundational to our society than marriage as instituted by God between one man and one woman.
“Our Representative, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, directly opposes the expressed will of God and of her constituents and is hereby formally censured for her vote.”
The Lord Jesus said ‘Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.’ Jesus also said of Himself “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Sadly, some “twist” God’s truth and thereby many miss the ONLY way to Heaven. The following article concerns a woman who leads First Presbyterian in Birmingham, AL https://www.fpcbham.org/projects.
The article states ‘We’ve seen a lot of scripture twisting in our day, but nothing quite like the dark arts performed by Pastrix Terry Hamilton Poore, Head of Staff at the Crypt Church of Birmingham, Alabama, which is a PCUSA Church. Poore gained prominence when she led the fight in her state AGAINST restrictive anti-abortion laws, declaring ” The religious community needs to stand with women, work for just laws, and demonstrate respect for women’s abilities to make decisions about their own lives.”
While we typically see the story of Zacchaeus used by critical theorists and wokesters as a prooftext for reparations, Poore uses it for novel purposes. She starts off by recounting the story of Jonah and the fact that he wanted God to smite the Ninevites, comparing pro-life advocates to the mean old Jonah who just wants to see people punished, then saying Christians ought to be like Zacchaeus and give their money to women to fund their birth control and other social programs.’https://protestia.com/2022/07/20/pro-abortion-pastrix-says-stories-of-jonah-and-zacchaeus-are-proof-we-should-subsize-birth-control/
The situation today reminds me of Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.