People: A-F: |
- Past Witnesses -
|
sam alberry
Dec 30, 2021: Evangelical Focus: Top 10: Our best interviews of 2021
- Sam Allberry, a Christian apologist who has much to say about sexuality, identity and the church: “Christians need to keep biblical convictions and still show grace”
- Sam Allberry, a Christian apologist who has much to say about sexuality, identity and the church: “Christians need to keep biblical convictions and still show grace”
| It is a mixture of fashion, pornography and other things I am sure I am not aware of. Our culture is putting sexual fulfillment as being one of the key things that make your life complete, so that there is much more eagerness for sexual exploration and experimentation that it would have been in the past.” -Sam Alberry (Dec 2021 - Evangelical Focus: Europe |
- Randy Alcorn -
andy bannister
Mar 22, 2022: The Scotsman: Aim for the top of the ladder in the pursuit of happiness - Dr Andy Bannister
July 9, 2021: Cross Examined: Book review of “The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist”: more bad atheist arguments?
The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist (2015) by Andy Bannister promises to critique a number of atheist arguments. The subtitle is, “The dreadful consequences of bad arguments.” I’m on board with bad arguments having bad consequences, so I’m curious to hear what I’m guilty of.
The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist (2015) by Andy Bannister promises to critique a number of atheist arguments. The subtitle is, “The dreadful consequences of bad arguments.” I’m on board with bad arguments having bad consequences, so I’m curious to hear what I’m guilty of.
April 13, 2020: Friendly Athiest: Christian Accidentally Tells Newspaper That Faith in God is Like Faith in Santa
Uh-oh. Wait till fellow believers like Andy Bannister hear about this. Bannister, the director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity, wrote a piece a few years ago about how tired he is of “smug atheists” likening his totally real God to the fictional Kris Kringle.
Uh-oh. Wait till fellow believers like Andy Bannister hear about this. Bannister, the director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity, wrote a piece a few years ago about how tired he is of “smug atheists” likening his totally real God to the fictional Kris Kringle.
July 29, 2016: Stand To Reason: Yes, Christians Are Hypocrites—If by “Hypocrite” You Mean “Sinner”
Andy Bannister explains that, contrary to Christopher Hitchens’s claim, religion isn’t what poisons everything. The problem is much deeper, more pervasive, and far more personal.
Andy Bannister explains that, contrary to Christopher Hitchens’s claim, religion isn’t what poisons everything. The problem is much deeper, more pervasive, and far more personal.
Aug 30, 2015: Wintery Knight: Andy Bannister and Michael Ruse discuss how atheists find meaning in life
Atheist philosopher Michael Ruse joins Justin as we spend a second week looking at Andy Bannister’s new book ‘The atheist who didn’t exist’.
Atheist philosopher Michael Ruse joins Justin as we spend a second week looking at Andy Bannister’s new book ‘The atheist who didn’t exist’.
| Andy Bannister is Canadian Director for RZIM, speaking and teaching regularly throughout Canada, the USA, Europe and the wider world. From churches to universities, business forums to TV and radio, he regularly addresses audiences of both Christians and those of all faiths and none on issues relating to faith, culture, politics and society.
Bannister holds a PhD in Islamic studies and have taught extensively at universities across Canada, the USA, the UK and further afield on both Islam and philosophy. He is also an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths at Melbourne School of Theology. He is the author of An Oral-Formulaic Study of the Qur’an (a groundbreaking and innovative study that reveals many of the ways the Qur’an was first composed) and Heroes: Five Lessons From Whose Lives We Can Learn, an exciting and fast-moving look at the lives of five incredible giants of the Christian faith. My latest book, The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist (or: The Dreadful Consequences of Really Bad Arguments), is due to be published in summer 2015. He also co-wrote and presented the TV documentary, Burning Questions. |
David Barton
Jan 21, 2022: Right Wing Watch: David Barton and the Evolution of Lies
Christian nationalist pseudo-historian David Barton delivered a series of presentations to the religious-right organization City Elders earlier this month that contained, predictably, various misrepresentations and falsehoods. Ironically, Barton closed out his final presentation on the importance of truth by repeating two lies.
Christian nationalist pseudo-historian David Barton delivered a series of presentations to the religious-right organization City Elders earlier this month that contained, predictably, various misrepresentations and falsehoods. Ironically, Barton closed out his final presentation on the importance of truth by repeating two lies.
amy julia becker |
- Amy Julia Becker -
|
| |
Love requires sacrifice, and love gives life in return.”
I’m not talking with my kids much about the election. They know Donald Trump won, and they know his election troubles me. But my response starts not with specifics about sexism, racism, or civil discourse but with helping my children recognize their own humanity—their own sin, their own belovedness—and then with extending that same humanity to everyone else. From there, we work to demonstrate love tangibly and locally—attending our Jewish friend’s Rosh Hashanah dinner, saying thank you to the person in the cafeteria who spoons out our food, bringing dinner to the family with the new baby, writing a condolence letter to the friend whose father died, praying for people in need. We talk a lot about what love looks like in action, and how love always costs something. It cost Jesus his life, and it costs our time and energy. Love requires sacrifice, and love gives life in return. I believe our greatest responsibility as Christian parents in the wake of this election is not to teach my children about politics but to teach them how to love God and love their neighbor. -Amy Julia Becker; Christianity Today 11.17.16
I’m not talking with my kids much about the election. They know Donald Trump won, and they know his election troubles me. But my response starts not with specifics about sexism, racism, or civil discourse but with helping my children recognize their own humanity—their own sin, their own belovedness—and then with extending that same humanity to everyone else. From there, we work to demonstrate love tangibly and locally—attending our Jewish friend’s Rosh Hashanah dinner, saying thank you to the person in the cafeteria who spoons out our food, bringing dinner to the family with the new baby, writing a condolence letter to the friend whose father died, praying for people in need. We talk a lot about what love looks like in action, and how love always costs something. It cost Jesus his life, and it costs our time and energy. Love requires sacrifice, and love gives life in return. I believe our greatest responsibility as Christian parents in the wake of this election is not to teach my children about politics but to teach them how to love God and love their neighbor. -Amy Julia Becker; Christianity Today 11.17.16
| Amy Julia Becker is an award-winning writer and speaker on personal, spiritual, and social healing. She is the author of four books, including To Be Made Well: An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing, and Hope, releasing in Spring 2022. She hosts the Love Is Stronger Than Fear podcast.
A graduate of Princeton University and Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv), Becker holds a bi-vocational license with the Evangelical Covenant Church. She lives with her husband and their three children in western Connecticut. |
- Voddie Baucham Jr -
Mike Bickle
Sept 19, 2021: The Guardian: Nurturing the seed of greatness – Part 1
Mike Bickle in his book, THE SEVEN LONGINGS OF THE HEART says, “the longing for greatness is one of the in-born desires of man. It is not bad to desire to be great, but how we go about it is what matters.”
Mike Bickle in his book, THE SEVEN LONGINGS OF THE HEART says, “the longing for greatness is one of the in-born desires of man. It is not bad to desire to be great, but how we go about it is what matters.”
Sept 7, 2021: Baptist News Global: Angels from Africa: Reckoning with the New Apostolic Reformation
Prominent figures within the apostolic movement like Mike Bickle of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City or Bill Johnson with Bethel Church in Redding, Calif., claim NAR is a pejorative category invented by their critics. This is a straw man argument. No one claims the NAR is a denomination or a formalized group; but it is a movement defined by an identifiable constellation of beliefs.
Prominent figures within the apostolic movement like Mike Bickle of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City or Bill Johnson with Bethel Church in Redding, Calif., claim NAR is a pejorative category invented by their critics. This is a straw man argument. No one claims the NAR is a denomination or a formalized group; but it is a movement defined by an identifiable constellation of beliefs.
Richard Blackaby
June 28, 2021: Biblical Recorder: Jordon Willard recommended to serve as 2023 N.C. Pastors’ Conference president
Willard served as director of discipleship at the North Roanoke Baptist Association from 2013-16 and as a member of the church strengthening team at the South Roanoke Baptist Association in 2018. He helped organize church strengthening and revitalization conferences in 2018 and 2019, featuring speakers such as well-known author and speaker Richard Blackaby, seminary president Danny Akin and preaching professor Jim Shaddix.
Willard served as director of discipleship at the North Roanoke Baptist Association from 2013-16 and as a member of the church strengthening team at the South Roanoke Baptist Association in 2018. He helped organize church strengthening and revitalization conferences in 2018 and 2019, featuring speakers such as well-known author and speaker Richard Blackaby, seminary president Danny Akin and preaching professor Jim Shaddix.
| -Richard Blackaby: president of Blackaby Ministries International -March 20, 2018 |
Michael Brown
Jan 19, 2022: Ask Dr Brown: 11 Years Ago I Wrote That It’s Not Too Late to Turn the Tide. Was I Wrong?
he last chapter to my 700-page, 2011 book A Queer Thing Happened to America: And What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been was titled, “GLBT and Beyond: Reflections On Our Current Trajectory.” (In those days, it was customary to put the G before the L.) In that chapter, I laid out where LGBT activism was heading, describing just where the trajectory would take us.
Yet, as disturbing as that trajectory was – and has proven to be – the last paragraphs of the book issued a word of hope coupled with a call to action, beginning with these words: “It’s Not Too Late to Turn the Tide.”
he last chapter to my 700-page, 2011 book A Queer Thing Happened to America: And What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been was titled, “GLBT and Beyond: Reflections On Our Current Trajectory.” (In those days, it was customary to put the G before the L.) In that chapter, I laid out where LGBT activism was heading, describing just where the trajectory would take us.
Yet, as disturbing as that trajectory was – and has proven to be – the last paragraphs of the book issued a word of hope coupled with a call to action, beginning with these words: “It’s Not Too Late to Turn the Tide.”
Kirk Cameron
| |
Tony Campolo
In a recent podcast, Baptist theologian Al Mohler points out that Tony Campolo was right, but now he is wrong on same sex marriage:
Mohler points out Campolo's earlier comments:
And then this last week Campolo reversed his "theology":
In a way it kind of epitomizes the current changes going on in some churches where they once adhered to a Biblical structure to giving it up in order to be more socially acceptable. Truth, however, cannot be compromised so it has to be discarded and exhanged for a lie.
Mohler points out Campolo's earlier comments:
- “I believe that the Bible does not allow for same-gender sexual intercourse or marriage,” Campolo said in Sojourners Magazine in May 1999. “We can argue over this interpretation or that interpretation, but we must take the church very seriously,” Campolo said. “The fellowship of believers called the church of Jesus Christ has stood from the time of Christ to the present day, and I believe it speaks with authority. For almost 2,000 years, the church has read Romans 1 in a particular way. People who knew the Apostle Paul personally have written about what Paul meant when he wrote those verses.”
And then this last week Campolo reversed his "theology":
- In a 937-word statement titled Tony Campolo: For the Record, the 80-year-old leader of the evangelical left said he believes the Bible is divinely inspired and that he gives highest priority to words of Jesus in Matthew 25 concerning care for the poor and oppressed. “Because of my open concern for social justice, in recent years I have been asked the same question over and over again: Are you ready to fully accept into the church those gay Christian couples who have made a lifetime commitment to one another?” Campolo wrote. “While I have always tried to communicate grace and understanding to people on both sides of the issue, my answer to that question has always been somewhat ambiguous,” he said. After “countless hours of prayer, study, conversation and emotional turmoil,” Campolo said, “I am finally ready to call for the full acceptance of Christian gay couples into the church.” -
In a way it kind of epitomizes the current changes going on in some churches where they once adhered to a Biblical structure to giving it up in order to be more socially acceptable. Truth, however, cannot be compromised so it has to be discarded and exhanged for a lie.
Brian Carn |
Kingdom City Church; Charlotte - Brian Carn Ministries
|
Mar 13, 2021: WCCB: Charlotte Church Gives Away $10,000 Worth Of Gas
“Evidently gas is most definitely as essential need. Gas prices are going up right now, we just wanted to be a blessing to the community and give people as much gas as we could possibly give them,” says Pastor Brian Carn of Kingdom City Church.
“Evidently gas is most definitely as essential need. Gas prices are going up right now, we just wanted to be a blessing to the community and give people as much gas as we could possibly give them,” says Pastor Brian Carn of Kingdom City Church.
Apr 30, 2020: WSOTV: ‘It ain’t real’: Local pastor’s COVID-19 sermons raising eyebrows
Pastor Brian Carn at Kingdom City Church in southwest Charlotte held services after the stay-at-home order was first put in place. After several services, police talked to Carn and say he agreed not to hold church again until the stay-at-home order is lifted.
Pastor Brian Carn at Kingdom City Church in southwest Charlotte held services after the stay-at-home order was first put in place. After several services, police talked to Carn and say he agreed not to hold church again until the stay-at-home order is lifted.
da carson
Some studies have shown that Christians spend about five times more mission dollars on issues related to poverty than they do on evangelism and church planting. At one time, “holistic ministry” was an expression intended to move Christians beyond proclamation to include deeds of mercy. Increasingly, however, “holistic ministry” refers to deeds of mercy without any proclamation of the gospel—and that is not holistic. It is not even halfistic, since the deeds of mercy are not the gospel: they are entailments of the gospel. Although I know many Christians who happily combine fidelity to the gospel, evangelism, church planting, and energetic service to the needy, and although I know some who call themselves Christians who formally espouse the gospel but who live out few of its entailments, I also know Christians who, in the name of a “holistic” gospel, focus all their energy on presence, wells in the Sahel, fighting disease, and distributing food to the poor, but who never, or only very rarely, articulate the gospel, preach the gospel, announce the gospel, to anyone. Judging by the distribution of American mission dollars, the biggest hole in our gospel is the gospel itself. -DA Carson
Tim Challies
Z-NEWS NOTES: Mar 23, 2014: By early 2014, the Bible App had been installed on almost 125 million devices, with 49 million of those happening in 2013 alone. The app now offers 739 Bible versions that together represent more than 460 languages. Many of these versions are available in audio formats, and in 2013 users of the app listened to 595 million chapters of the Bible. The most-read chapter that year was Romans 8 and it was read, on average, four times every second through the entire year. The app has been used to complete an astonishing 15 million reading plans and, all together, its users have spent more than 84 billion minutes reading God’s Word. The Bible App represents a new era in the history of the church. The digital revolution is an entirely new phenomenon and it is changing everything. Most importantly, it is changing the way people read and experience God’s Word. (SOURCE: Tim Challies: "The History of Christianity in 25 Objects: YouVersion Bible App")
ray comfort
Throughout history, politicians have used religious language to win elections. One world leader was particularly good at it:
"In this hour I would ask of the Lord God only this: that He would give His blessing to our work, and that He may ever give us the courage to do the right. I am convinced that men who are created by God should live in accordance with the will of the Almighty. No man can fashion world history unless upon his purpose and his powers there rests the blessings of this Providence."
That may sound like an ideal leader, but that speech was given in 1937 by the Chancellor of Germany, Adolf Hitler. In his speeches, he challenged people to love their neighbors, to care for the poor and sick, and to take a stand against violence.
“His speeches were filled with hope,” says Ray Comfort, the author of Hitler, God & the Bible. “He says ‘I’m going to restore the glory.’ He also said that ‘I believe I am acting in the sense of the Almighty Creator.‘”
In public, Hitler often referred to himself as a follower of Christ. Even today, many people still believe the Holocaust was carried out in the name of Christianity, but what was the real relationship between God and Hitler?
“Adolf Hitler was the nastiest, most hate-filled, almost wickedest man in history,” says Comfort, “and to say that he was a Christian is to be tremendously ignorant, or to be disingenuous.”
As a child, Hitler was baptized into the Catholic Church. He was an altar boy, and at one point he even wanted to become a priest. But as history would later show, a church member and a Christian are two different things.
From his earliest political speeches, Hitler invoked God: a smart political move in the mostly Christian nation of Germany.
“At the very beginning of his career, Adolf Hitler was a baby-kisser, believe it or not,” says Comfort. “Even nowadays, if you want to get anywhere as a politician, you flavor your language and your speeches with maybe a Bible verse here and there, maybe have your picture taken with a robed minister outside his church on a Sunday, show up at a prayer breakfast and say something about God – then once you’re in your place of political authority, you can let your agenda come out, and that’s exactly what Hitler did.”
One of Hitler’s most public shows of solidarity with the Church was the signing of the Nazi-Vatican Concordat in 1933.
“That pact was that the Catholic Church would support Adolf Hitler politically, and Hitler would make sure they had freedom of religion,” Comfort explains. “Hitler in 1933 said wonderful things about Christianity. He even said he hated atheism and wanted to get rid of it in the country, so Hitler was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and he did pull the wool over the Catholic Church.”
So if Hitler wasn’t a Christian himself, why did he go to so much trouble to win the support of the Church?
As one author put it, he knew Christians would interfere with his plans if they were not hoodwinked first.
What you won’t hear in history class is that Hitler wasn’t just out to eliminate the Jews: he wanted to get rid of Christianity as well.
Hitler Youth leader Baldur von Schirach said, “The destruction of Christianity was explicitly recognized as a purpose of the national socialist movement.”
So where were Germany’s Christians in all this? Most of them were too frightened to protest, but a small remnant of Christians did stand up against the Reich Church. A group of 3,000 Protestants known as the “Confessing Church” openly defied Hitler and paid the price.
Hitler said, “I’ll make those damned pastors feel the power of the state in a way they’ve never believed possible. If I ever have the slightest suspicion that they’re getting dangerous, I’ll shoot the lot of them.”
Seven-hundred pastors from the Confessing Church were arrested. Many of them were murdered or sent to concentration camps.
“There is such a thing as evil, in my judgment, and this man is evil,” says Santoro. “Hitler has no permanent loyalties. If you cross him, you'll die.”
The most important aspect of Christianity that Hitler ignored was the belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. That’s a role Hitler preferred to take for himself. And even when he did mention Jesus, it wasn’t the Jesus of the Bible. For example, he refused to admit the fact that Jesus was Jewish.
“They didn’t take any notice of John 4, where the woman at the well says, ‘How is it, you being a Jew…’ and Jesus didn’t say, ‘Hang on – I’m a gentile.’” says Comfort. “And then you find the genealogies in the book of Luke; they go right back through David, through to Abraham, so obviously, they didn’t believe the scriptures, and they made up their own Jesus. “
The Jesus Hitler made up was an Aryan, to whom he often referred as “The Nazarene” and “the first great enemy of the Jews.”
Hitler denied the deity of Christ and forced people to worship him as god. Then he killed or imprisoned hundreds of Christian pastors and developed a detailed plan to destroy the Church. If he was a Christian, as many people suggest, then he wasn’t a very good one.
“If you are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, if you are truly born again, you will have the evidence of fruit,” says Comfort. “The fruit of righteousness, the fruit of praise, the fruit of thanksgiving, the fruit of repentance, and especially, the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, generous, faith, meekness and temperance. So if you haven’t got love, you are not a Christian.”
If someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist.
Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.
I John 4:3, 8, 18
- Ray Comfort; Was Hitler a Christian?
"In this hour I would ask of the Lord God only this: that He would give His blessing to our work, and that He may ever give us the courage to do the right. I am convinced that men who are created by God should live in accordance with the will of the Almighty. No man can fashion world history unless upon his purpose and his powers there rests the blessings of this Providence."
That may sound like an ideal leader, but that speech was given in 1937 by the Chancellor of Germany, Adolf Hitler. In his speeches, he challenged people to love their neighbors, to care for the poor and sick, and to take a stand against violence.
“His speeches were filled with hope,” says Ray Comfort, the author of Hitler, God & the Bible. “He says ‘I’m going to restore the glory.’ He also said that ‘I believe I am acting in the sense of the Almighty Creator.‘”
In public, Hitler often referred to himself as a follower of Christ. Even today, many people still believe the Holocaust was carried out in the name of Christianity, but what was the real relationship between God and Hitler?
“Adolf Hitler was the nastiest, most hate-filled, almost wickedest man in history,” says Comfort, “and to say that he was a Christian is to be tremendously ignorant, or to be disingenuous.”
As a child, Hitler was baptized into the Catholic Church. He was an altar boy, and at one point he even wanted to become a priest. But as history would later show, a church member and a Christian are two different things.
From his earliest political speeches, Hitler invoked God: a smart political move in the mostly Christian nation of Germany.
“At the very beginning of his career, Adolf Hitler was a baby-kisser, believe it or not,” says Comfort. “Even nowadays, if you want to get anywhere as a politician, you flavor your language and your speeches with maybe a Bible verse here and there, maybe have your picture taken with a robed minister outside his church on a Sunday, show up at a prayer breakfast and say something about God – then once you’re in your place of political authority, you can let your agenda come out, and that’s exactly what Hitler did.”
One of Hitler’s most public shows of solidarity with the Church was the signing of the Nazi-Vatican Concordat in 1933.
“That pact was that the Catholic Church would support Adolf Hitler politically, and Hitler would make sure they had freedom of religion,” Comfort explains. “Hitler in 1933 said wonderful things about Christianity. He even said he hated atheism and wanted to get rid of it in the country, so Hitler was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and he did pull the wool over the Catholic Church.”
So if Hitler wasn’t a Christian himself, why did he go to so much trouble to win the support of the Church?
As one author put it, he knew Christians would interfere with his plans if they were not hoodwinked first.
What you won’t hear in history class is that Hitler wasn’t just out to eliminate the Jews: he wanted to get rid of Christianity as well.
Hitler Youth leader Baldur von Schirach said, “The destruction of Christianity was explicitly recognized as a purpose of the national socialist movement.”
So where were Germany’s Christians in all this? Most of them were too frightened to protest, but a small remnant of Christians did stand up against the Reich Church. A group of 3,000 Protestants known as the “Confessing Church” openly defied Hitler and paid the price.
Hitler said, “I’ll make those damned pastors feel the power of the state in a way they’ve never believed possible. If I ever have the slightest suspicion that they’re getting dangerous, I’ll shoot the lot of them.”
Seven-hundred pastors from the Confessing Church were arrested. Many of them were murdered or sent to concentration camps.
“There is such a thing as evil, in my judgment, and this man is evil,” says Santoro. “Hitler has no permanent loyalties. If you cross him, you'll die.”
The most important aspect of Christianity that Hitler ignored was the belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. That’s a role Hitler preferred to take for himself. And even when he did mention Jesus, it wasn’t the Jesus of the Bible. For example, he refused to admit the fact that Jesus was Jewish.
“They didn’t take any notice of John 4, where the woman at the well says, ‘How is it, you being a Jew…’ and Jesus didn’t say, ‘Hang on – I’m a gentile.’” says Comfort. “And then you find the genealogies in the book of Luke; they go right back through David, through to Abraham, so obviously, they didn’t believe the scriptures, and they made up their own Jesus. “
The Jesus Hitler made up was an Aryan, to whom he often referred as “The Nazarene” and “the first great enemy of the Jews.”
Hitler denied the deity of Christ and forced people to worship him as god. Then he killed or imprisoned hundreds of Christian pastors and developed a detailed plan to destroy the Church. If he was a Christian, as many people suggest, then he wasn’t a very good one.
“If you are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, if you are truly born again, you will have the evidence of fruit,” says Comfort. “The fruit of righteousness, the fruit of praise, the fruit of thanksgiving, the fruit of repentance, and especially, the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, generous, faith, meekness and temperance. So if you haven’t got love, you are not a Christian.”
If someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist.
Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.
I John 4:3, 8, 18
- Ray Comfort; Was Hitler a Christian?
William Lane Craig
| “Unfortunately, our churches have largely dropped the ball in this area. It’s insufficient for youth groups and Sunday school classes to focus on entertainment and simpering devotional thoughts. We’ve got to train our kids for war.” The world is at war with us. This is why we need the full armor of God.
|
steve dewitt
We want the love of a mother, the love a father, the love of a friend, the love of a spouse, the love of someone. We want an enduring and unconditional love. Even the worst criminal locked up in prison longs for someone to love him. Have you ever thought about why? If the origin of the universe is an accident, and if through time and chance human beings are who they are, why do all people want to be loved? Further, we might also ask why all human love is ultimately disappointing. No spouse loves us exactly like we want. Too often family love erupts into friction and conflict. Friends fail us. We desperately want someone to love us perfectly. This is why loneliness is so painful. I have spoken often to my church and others about my struggles with loneliness through years of singleness (not that those two always go together, they just seem to for me). There is a palatable ache within that can wash over you like waves of despair. I could analyze it. I could philosophize about it. I could even teach on it. But I could not overcome it. Then I began to look at the pain from the perspective of beauty and to consider why I felt the way I did. I came to discover that loneliness was not an enemy but a friend. It is a painful reminder that I was not made for myself. I was made for Him, and the pain is God’s way of saying, “Here I am!” Loneliness has become a guide and a friend in my spiritual journey. When I feel lonely, I am feeling theology inside. All the pleasures, desires, and loves in this world will not take that pain away. We desperately want someone to love us perfectly, yet no one does. But when we wake up to the fact that no relationship can fully satisfy, we realize that we are lonely for God.”
–Steve DeWitt, Eyes Wide Open: Enjoying God in Everything.
–Steve DeWitt, Eyes Wide Open: Enjoying God in Everything.
james dobson
Christian psychologist and cultural commentator James Dobson is calling for the assassination of Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating in a newsletter: “Some murderous tyrants need to be ‘taken out’ to save innocent lives. That, at least, is my view.”
Writing to supporters of Dr. James Dobson Family Institute based in Colorado Springs, Dobson addressed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and quoted Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who stated in a March 3 tweet referring to Putin: “The only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out.” -Josh Shepherd; Roys Report 3.22.22
Writing to supporters of Dr. James Dobson Family Institute based in Colorado Springs, Dobson addressed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and quoted Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who stated in a March 3 tweet referring to Putin: “The only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out.” -Josh Shepherd; Roys Report 3.22.22
Roma Downey
She has the voice of an angel – an Irish angel that is. Actress Roma Downey grew to fame on the TV series “Touched by an Angel,” telling millions of viewers each week that “There is a God, that He loves you, and wants to be a part of your life.” It’s a message that’s now embedded in her work with husband/producer Mark Burnett. Their mini-series on The Bible a few years ago became a surprise hit; a surprise to the secular world of Hollywood elites that is, not to Roma and Mark. Their latest offering is on the cornerstone of Christianity, The Resurrection. It’s a film that would have been released in theaters, but because of the pandemic it could not be. -Fox News Radio 2.6.22
Writing for CNN, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Roma Downey and Mark Burnett make their plea in light of the massacre of Christian college students in Kenya and ongoing threats against Christians elsewhere.
They say: "We are calling upon Christians to also reflect upon the crucifixion, beheading, stoning, enforced slavery, sexual abuse, human trafficking, harassment, bombing and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Christians -- and others -- whose faith alone has made them a target of religious extremists."
They mention persecution in countries such as Iraq, Syria, Libya, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria. -Ruth Giedhill; Christian Today; 4.8.15
They say: "We are calling upon Christians to also reflect upon the crucifixion, beheading, stoning, enforced slavery, sexual abuse, human trafficking, harassment, bombing and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Christians -- and others -- whose faith alone has made them a target of religious extremists."
They mention persecution in countries such as Iraq, Syria, Libya, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria. -Ruth Giedhill; Christian Today; 4.8.15
"It was an extraordinary time, and I have to say, Hollywood gets a bad rap. I think there's a lot of good people there and a lot of good people doing good work. While shooting 'Touched by an Angel' it was unusual perhaps for a Hollywood set that we would gather hands before those scenes and we would pray — pray that there would be less of us and there would be more of God, and that there would be an opportunity through the camera that the Holy Spirit could move through the camera and touch people's hearts." -Roma Downey
"Touched By an Angel" taught about God from a monolithic viewpoint where there was God...but far less common for anyone to mention Jesus Christ or any suggestion of salvation through Him and Him alone. Downey's efforts are largeley new ageist. -ZR
"Touched By an Angel" taught about God from a monolithic viewpoint where there was God...but far less common for anyone to mention Jesus Christ or any suggestion of salvation through Him and Him alone. Downey's efforts are largeley new ageist. -ZR
| Roma Downey (born 6 May 1960) is an Irish actress and Emmy nominated producer from Northern Ireland. She played kind-hearted angel Monica on the American TV series Touched by an Angel, alongside Della Reese; they remained close friends after the series. Downey received two Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her role on the show. Downey is an ambassador for Operation Smile. She is an author of three books for children and producer of the children's series, Little Angels. She was the executive producer of the television miniseries The Bible on the History channel, in which she also played the role of Mary. Downey and her husband Mark Burnett produced the movie version of the series, Son of God, which was released on February 28, 2014, and was distributed by 20th Century Fox. Its sequel, A.D.: The Bible Continues, premiered on NBC Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015 |
- jesse duplantis -
kevin Eckstrom
Feb 9, 2022: Ministry Watch: LGBTQ Community Organize Petition Against Max Lucado Preaching at Washington National Cathedral
Cathedral spokesman Kevin Eckstrom emphasized that Lucado, a popular author and teaching minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, was not asked to preach on LGBTQ issues. The subject of his sermon, which was pre-recorded and aired as planned Feb. 7, was “how God can bring calm to our chaos.” The Right Rev. V. Gene Robinson, retired Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire and the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican communion, presided over the service where Lucado preached.
Cathedral spokesman Kevin Eckstrom emphasized that Lucado, a popular author and teaching minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, was not asked to preach on LGBTQ issues. The subject of his sermon, which was pre-recorded and aired as planned Feb. 7, was “how God can bring calm to our chaos.” The Right Rev. V. Gene Robinson, retired Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire and the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican communion, presided over the service where Lucado preached.
Oct 1, 2021: The Hoya: National Cathedral To Replace Confederate Imagery With Art Honoring Black American History
The Washington National Cathedral formed a task force to decide the future of the Confederate stained glass following a 2015 shooting at a historically Black church in Charleston, S.C. After the 2017 “Unite the Right” white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., the task force ultimately decided that the windows should be replaced with art that did not exclusively center on white historical perspectives, according to Kevin Eckstrom, chief communications officer at the Washington National Cathedral.
The Washington National Cathedral formed a task force to decide the future of the Confederate stained glass following a 2015 shooting at a historically Black church in Charleston, S.C. After the 2017 “Unite the Right” white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., the task force ultimately decided that the windows should be replaced with art that did not exclusively center on white historical perspectives, according to Kevin Eckstrom, chief communications officer at the Washington National Cathedral.
June 18, 2020: Christian Headlines: Financially Hit by COVID-19, Washington National Cathedral Lays Off Staff
The cathedral’s doors have been closed since March 12, preventing tourists and worshippers from visiting during what is usually the 113-year-old neo-Gothic landmark’s busiest time of year. In an email to Religion News Service, Chief Communications Officer Kevin Eckstrom said that while donor support has remained strong despite holding only online services, the cathedral has been unable to rent its buildings and grounds for events, which normally helps underwrite operations.
The cathedral’s doors have been closed since March 12, preventing tourists and worshippers from visiting during what is usually the 113-year-old neo-Gothic landmark’s busiest time of year. In an email to Religion News Service, Chief Communications Officer Kevin Eckstrom said that while donor support has remained strong despite holding only online services, the cathedral has been unable to rent its buildings and grounds for events, which normally helps underwrite operations.
Christopher Esget |
- Esgetology -
|
Deaconess Tiffany Manor, director of Life Ministry for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), explained the connection: “We like to start with a Divine Service in which we receive the forgiveness of sins, lament the lives lost to abortion, and are strengthened through the Word preached to us and the Sacraments received.”
Following the service, worshipers exited the church, led by the processional cross. “The liturgical statement of the crucifix leading us both toward the altar and, later, out of the church is a statement that in this alone is the good that overcomes the world’s evil,” preached the Rev. Christopher Esget, senior pastor of Immanuel and fifth vice-president of the LCMS. Esget continued, “The march for life is a march behind the cross.” -Roy S Askins; LCMS Reporter 3.3.22
Following the service, worshipers exited the church, led by the processional cross. “The liturgical statement of the crucifix leading us both toward the altar and, later, out of the church is a statement that in this alone is the good that overcomes the world’s evil,” preached the Rev. Christopher Esget, senior pastor of Immanuel and fifth vice-president of the LCMS. Esget continued, “The march for life is a march behind the cross.” -Roy S Askins; LCMS Reporter 3.3.22
| The Reverend Christopher S. Esget has served as Immanuel's Pastor (Alexandria, Virginia) since 2001. He is married to Kassie, and they have one son, James.
Before coming to Immanuel, Pastor Esget served at Bethel Lutheran Church, DuQuoin, IL, where he was ordained in 1998. He attended Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne, IN) where he earned the Master of Divinity degree (1997, concentration in systematic theology) and the Master of Sacred Theology degree (2005, major in systematic theology, minor in church history). His STM thesis was a comparison of the doctrine of original sin in Patristic and contemporary Eastern Orthodox theology. Pastor Esget's undergraduate degree is from Berklee College of Music (Summa cum laude 1993, with an emphasis in film scoring). He also studied classical piano performance at the University of Minnesota. Pastor Esget is the Fifth Vice-President of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (East-Southeast Region; 2015 – present). He is a member of the Board of Regents of Concordia College—New York. He is a contributing author to The Gates of Hell: Confessing Christ in a Hostile World (CPH, 2018) and Words of Strength and Promise: Devotions for Youth (CPH 2021). |
Amy-Orr Ewing
"Cultivation in the Christian life is about welcoming the tender hands of the gardener," she (Amy-Orr Ewing) said. She cited John 15 regarding how the hands of God are at work cultivating His communities of disciples. "We are grafted from Jesus himself," she added.
She spoke about the "weather system" used by God such as storms and disruptions. According to her, it was written in the scripture that "Jesus doesn't prevent storms from coming" but rather "He cultivated His people to overcome it." "Cultivation is recognizing the time that we're in and understanding the impact of the weather system on our community," she explained.
According to her, from the 20th century onwards, people got to mass-produce. "Machine-like agriculture has been the same thing in the Church," she claimed. She criticized the 'mechanized mass production' approach to religion. "The Church fights the seasons so that we can just mass-produce so that we can consume, consume, consume, and within agriculture that's destroyed soil, it's yielded fruit that isn't so tasty," she said. "Resist the impetus to insist on a perpetual summer or constant harvest if we're going to agree that God is good," she encouraged. "Let the gardener do His will," she added. She believed that people must loosen up and let the Holy Spirit do His work. She then cited the bible on John 3:5-8 saying "Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God..." -Cyrel Tajanlangit ; Christianity Daily 3.21.22
She spoke about the "weather system" used by God such as storms and disruptions. According to her, it was written in the scripture that "Jesus doesn't prevent storms from coming" but rather "He cultivated His people to overcome it." "Cultivation is recognizing the time that we're in and understanding the impact of the weather system on our community," she explained.
According to her, from the 20th century onwards, people got to mass-produce. "Machine-like agriculture has been the same thing in the Church," she claimed. She criticized the 'mechanized mass production' approach to religion. "The Church fights the seasons so that we can just mass-produce so that we can consume, consume, consume, and within agriculture that's destroyed soil, it's yielded fruit that isn't so tasty," she said. "Resist the impetus to insist on a perpetual summer or constant harvest if we're going to agree that God is good," she encouraged. "Let the gardener do His will," she added. She believed that people must loosen up and let the Holy Spirit do His work. She then cited the bible on John 3:5-8 saying "Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God..." -Cyrel Tajanlangit ; Christianity Daily 3.21.22
May 26, 2021: Christianity Today: Can you separate Ravi Zacharias International Ministries from Ravi Zacharias?
Meanwhile, we’ve heard no acknowledgment of the courageous whistleblowers—RZIM team members such as Ruth Malhotra, Sam Allberry, Amy Orr-Ewing, Daniel Gilman, Nancy Gifford, Max Baker-Hytch, Rio Summers, and others—who repeatedly raised questions to the leadership and attempted to speak up on behalf of victims. Instead of being celebrated for telling the truth, they were shut down or sidelined, accused of a greater sin: being disloyal.
Meanwhile, we’ve heard no acknowledgment of the courageous whistleblowers—RZIM team members such as Ruth Malhotra, Sam Allberry, Amy Orr-Ewing, Daniel Gilman, Nancy Gifford, Max Baker-Hytch, Rio Summers, and others—who repeatedly raised questions to the leadership and attempted to speak up on behalf of victims. Instead of being celebrated for telling the truth, they were shut down or sidelined, accused of a greater sin: being disloyal.
Nov 6, 2020: Otago Daily Times: Freedom is part of God’s creation — it can, and does, go awry
Nonetheless, it is quintessentially human to try to make sense of what is going on. The "why suffering?" question is challenging for everybody’s worldview to address. In her recent book Where is God in all the Suffering?, Dr Amy Orr-Ewing contrasts how worldviews governed by karma, fatalism, and naturalism differently answer this question, before showing the unique response offered by Christian faith
Nonetheless, it is quintessentially human to try to make sense of what is going on. The "why suffering?" question is challenging for everybody’s worldview to address. In her recent book Where is God in all the Suffering?, Dr Amy Orr-Ewing contrasts how worldviews governed by karma, fatalism, and naturalism differently answer this question, before showing the unique response offered by Christian faith
| --Amy Orr-Ewing ; Christianity Today for July 2016 |
| Amy Orr-Ewing is Director of Programmes for the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics (OCCA) and European Director for RZIM Zacharias Trust. She gained a first class degree in Theology at Christ Church, Oxford University, before receiving a Master’s in Theology from King’s College London. Amy has written two books exploring key questions in apologetics: Why Trust the Bible? (published under the title Is the Bible Intolerant? in North America) which was shortlisted for the 2006 UK Christian Book Awards, and But Is It Real? (USA title: Is Believing in God Irrational). Her most recent publication is Millennials, which she co-authored with her husband Frog . They have also published Holy Warriors: A Fresh Look at the Face of Extreme Islam and Deep. She has contributed to the books Beyond Opinion, God and the Generations and Worth Knowing: Wisdom for Women. Amy speaks and lectures on Christian Apologetics worldwide, at events such as Keswick Convention, and the European Leadership Forum, Hungary. She was recently invited to speak both at the White House and to staffers on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Amy and her husband Frog have recently planted a new church in Buckinghamshire called Latimer Minster. |
Gregg Farrington
Although opposition to COVID vaccines has been tracked more as a political issue than a religious belief, national polling consistently has shown that conservative evangelical Christians tend to be overly represented among the vaccine hesitant and the vaccine refusers.
With the arrival of vaccine mandates, anti-vaxxers are turning to their religious beliefs as a new justification for refusing vaccination.
Destiny Christian Church in Rocklin, Calif., now offers “religious exemptions” to anyone who asks for them, according to CBS Channel 13 in Sacramento. Pastor Gregg Farrington said his church is pro-freedom, not anti-vaccine, yet he’s been approached by “hundreds of people who feel morally compromised by mandatory vaccination requirements.” -Mark Wingfield;Baptist News Global
With the arrival of vaccine mandates, anti-vaxxers are turning to their religious beliefs as a new justification for refusing vaccination.
Destiny Christian Church in Rocklin, Calif., now offers “religious exemptions” to anyone who asks for them, according to CBS Channel 13 in Sacramento. Pastor Gregg Farrington said his church is pro-freedom, not anti-vaccine, yet he’s been approached by “hundreds of people who feel morally compromised by mandatory vaccination requirements.” -Mark Wingfield;Baptist News Global
David Felton
Feb 7, 2022: LGBTQ Nation: Arizona state government is secretly funding an anti-LGBTQ hate group
“What do people not understand about the inappropriateness of this kind of fundamentalist inspired, state-sanctioned discrimination?” says David Felten, a pastor at Fountain Hill United Methodist Church, told the local media.
“This is not just an abstract violation of church-state separation. It’s a very real rejection of Arizona’s LGBTQ people by the very government that is supposed to impartially support and protect all of its citizens.”
“What do people not understand about the inappropriateness of this kind of fundamentalist inspired, state-sanctioned discrimination?” says David Felten, a pastor at Fountain Hill United Methodist Church, told the local media.
“This is not just an abstract violation of church-state separation. It’s a very real rejection of Arizona’s LGBTQ people by the very government that is supposed to impartially support and protect all of its citizens.”
May 18, 2015: Christianity Today: Theology Feud Pits Half of Town's Protestant Churches Against Another
At issue: the topic of “Progressive Christianity,” taught at The Fountains, a United Methodist church. That church’s pastor, David Felten, is known for supporting LGBT rights and progressive theology.
At issue: the topic of “Progressive Christianity,” taught at The Fountains, a United Methodist church. That church’s pastor, David Felten, is known for supporting LGBT rights and progressive theology.
May 18, 2015: Christianity Today: Theology Feud Pits Half of Town's Protestant Churches Against Another
At issue: the topic of “Progressive Christianity,” taught at The Fountains, a United Methodist church. That church’s pastor, David Felten, is known for supporting LGBT rights and progressive theology.
At issue: the topic of “Progressive Christianity,” taught at The Fountains, a United Methodist church. That church’s pastor, David Felten, is known for supporting LGBT rights and progressive theology.
| A native of Phoenix, David received a music education degree from Arizona State University before attending Boston University School of Theology where he earned his MDiv in Biblical Studies and History. Before completing Chaplaincy training at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, David spent a year studying as a Rotary Graduate Scholar at Perth Theological Hall of Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia. There he received an Honours degree and a taste for Promite. |
- sean feucht -
Joshua Feuerstein
August 11, 2021
Radical right-wing preacher Joshua Feuerstein tells Christians "you don't have to wear the mask, you got Jesus. You don't need the vaccine, you got Jesus."
Feuerstein is presuming upon Gods grace, Feuerstein does not have the right or authority to tell God who he should give grace to.
Radical right-wing preacher Joshua Feuerstein tells Christians "you don't have to wear the mask, you got Jesus. You don't need the vaccine, you got Jesus."
Feuerstein is presuming upon Gods grace, Feuerstein does not have the right or authority to tell God who he should give grace to.
bryaN FISCHER
|
Jan 9, 2017: Huffington Post: Right-Wing Radio Host Bryan Fischer Says Anyone Opposed To Christianity Is A ‘Traitor’
Conservative radio host Bryan Fischer said last week that anyone who opposes Christianity is a “traitor” to America. May 15, 2015: Right Wing Watch: Fischer: 'I Believe We Are Going To Have Violence' If SCOTUS Legalizes Gay Marriage - On his radio program today, Bryan Fischer called upon state legislatures to pass resolutions declaring that they will not abide by any Supreme Court ruling that legalizes gay marriage, warning that failure to do so would result in chaos, civil unrest, and violence. -
|
Apr 10, 2015: Right Wing Watch: Fischer: Noah's Flood Was The Result Of Society Not Using The Death Penalty
On his radio program yesterday, Bryan Fischer made the case that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev should be put to death following his conviction for his role in the Boston Marathon bombing in the most Fischer-esque way possible: explaining that Noah's Flood was the result of society not using the death penalty.
On his radio program yesterday, Bryan Fischer made the case that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev should be put to death following his conviction for his role in the Boston Marathon bombing in the most Fischer-esque way possible: explaining that Noah's Flood was the result of society not using the death penalty.
Apr 5, 2015: Daily Beast: The Polite Right’s Bryan Fischer Problem
Indeed, many of those who supported Indiana’s original law recognized this—that denying service to gay couples is an impediment to their gaining full civil rights. The American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer, for one. Fischer is a nationally-syndicated radio host, not simply a lone fruitcake, even though the next exit down from his particular brand of crazy is the Westboro Baptist Church: His Twitter feed is full of references to “the Church of the Rainbow Jihad,” “same-sex cakes,” the “Gay Gestapo,” and several warnings that “Big Gay is not about ‘marriage equality’ but ‘homosexual supremacy.’”
Indeed, many of those who supported Indiana’s original law recognized this—that denying service to gay couples is an impediment to their gaining full civil rights. The American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer, for one. Fischer is a nationally-syndicated radio host, not simply a lone fruitcake, even though the next exit down from his particular brand of crazy is the Westboro Baptist Church: His Twitter feed is full of references to “the Church of the Rainbow Jihad,” “same-sex cakes,” the “Gay Gestapo,” and several warnings that “Big Gay is not about ‘marriage equality’ but ‘homosexual supremacy.’”
Feb 28, 2015: Bryan Fischer: Renew America: Either pro-gay Jeb is toast in 2016 or the GOP is
Feb 12, 2015: Right Wing Watch: Bryan Fischer: 'Gay Gestapo' Forcing Alabama Judges Into 'Slavery' -
Bryan Fischer is outraged that a federal judge may order the dozens of Alabama probate who are refusing to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples to back down. On his American Family Radio Program today, Fischer said that such an order would be tantamount to “tyranny” and “slavery” enforced by the “gay gestapo.”
Bryan Fischer is outraged that a federal judge may order the dozens of Alabama probate who are refusing to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples to back down. On his American Family Radio Program today, Fischer said that such an order would be tantamount to “tyranny” and “slavery” enforced by the “gay gestapo.”
Jan 29, 2015: Huffington Post: American Family Association's Bryan Fischer Reportedly Fired Ahead Of GOP Israel Trip
Bryan Fischer, who has made headlines for his right-wing stance on the LGBT community and minority faiths, has reportedly been ousted from his position as the Director of Issues Analysis at the American Family Association (AFA).
Bryan Fischer, who has made headlines for his right-wing stance on the LGBT community and minority faiths, has reportedly been ousted from his position as the Director of Issues Analysis at the American Family Association (AFA).
| Bryan Fischer is the former Director of Issues Analysis for the American Family Association (AFA). He hosts the talk radio program Focal Point on American Family Radio and posts on the AFA-run blog Instant Analysis (formerly Rightly Concerned). Fischer opposes abortion, national health care, gay adoption, and same-sex marriage. Fischer's comments about homosexuality caused the AFA to be designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in November 2010. To avoid being classified as a hate group, the AFA has officially repudiated Fischer's views on Muslims, Native Americans, Hispanics, African Americans, The Holocaust being caused by homosexuals, the outlawing of homosexuality and that LGBT parenting is slavery, and that Hillary Clinton is a lesbian. |
steve furtick
September 2, 2020:
👉California pastor and author John MacArthur has been steadily going off the deep end for awhile now..MacArthur has referred to Catholicism as the "Kingdom of Satan, attacking Steven Furtick and Beth Moore. .But if you read his theology about 10 years ago you could see the beginning. In a nutshell, it's a desire for power which is primary motivation over proclaiming Jesus as Lord to a state that could use the message.,
👉California pastor and author John MacArthur has been steadily going off the deep end for awhile now..MacArthur has referred to Catholicism as the "Kingdom of Satan, attacking Steven Furtick and Beth Moore. .But if you read his theology about 10 years ago you could see the beginning. In a nutshell, it's a desire for power which is primary motivation over proclaiming Jesus as Lord to a state that could use the message.,
