For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 5:4-5 ESV We are a week past the midterm elections in the United States, and for some, the words of the self-professing prophets were claiming for months and days up to the election, victory. There was talk…
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17 When Jesus prayed what is known as the High Priestly prayer in John 17, He prayed for three distinct things. The first was to be glorified so that He would glorify the Father. The second was for His disciples whom He had chosen as apostles to proclaim His Word, and finally, Jesus prayed for those of us who come to saving faith in Christ through the writings of the…
On October 10, 2022, a statement was posted online titled the NAR and Christian Nationalism statement. This statement was co-drafted by Dr. Michael Brown and the leader of USCAL, Joseph Mattera, addressing both issues and seeming to hitch the wagons of each one to another. As of today, 307 individuals have signed this five-page document in agreement of its affirmations and rejections pertaining to both subjects. Included in the initial signatures are well known leaders in the Charismatic movement such…
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a…
In the mid second century, a cult monk turned Christian arrived in Phrygia. His arrival did not go unnoticed as he fell into a trance and “began to prophesy under the influence of the Holy Spirit.” Soon after, two women, Maximilla and Priscilla, joined this man in prophesying, claiming to have divine revelation in the midst of ecstatic behavior. This movement did not remain isolated in Phrygia. Rather, it gained momentum and spread into Asia Minor, Africa, and Gaul. This…
Red heifers. Nuclear war. Financial crisis. Midterm elections. A 1990’s action film about a Russian submarine headed for the United States bearing the name of the prophetic words God allegedly spoke to an individual leaving the gym. It was a lot of information to consider while listening to a recent prophetic word for the month of October. You may or may not be familiar with this type of activity, but in the modern prophetic movement, it is not uncommon for…
It was one of those topics I avoided at all costs. It seemed to have been popping up more on social media with videos having a similar theme and question: Should women preach? Should women be pastors? Shortly after leaving the hyper charismatic movement, I had worked up the nerve to search the Scriptures on several matters to see what Scripture had to say in context. Even sharing these things publicly took time because of the stigma as to what…
The character of God is the guarantee that all wrongs will be righted someday; when the ‘day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed’ arrives, retribution will be exact, and no problems of cosmic unfairness will remain to haunt us. God is the Judge, so justice will be done. J.I. Packer In Luke 16:18-31, Jesus gives the account of a poor man named Lazarus and a rich man whose name we do not know and their eternal…
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-3 ESV We all have particular verses that encourage us in various ways as believers in Christ. These verses from Colossians 3 are beautiful reminders where the…
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 1 Colossians 1:13,14 ESV If a person indwelled by the Holy Spirit can at the same time be sovereignly controlled by an evil spirit, then our redemption is meaningless. R.C. Sproul I recently came across a post challenging those disagreeing with the teaching that Christians can have indwelling demons and that deliverance…