9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult: Conclusion and Links

(I'll be posting a lot less in the New Year, gonna focus on reading instead of writing.  Happy New Year.  And God bless you all!)

[This series is "The 9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult" split up into smaller, individual posts.] 

Conclusion:

Sadly, the Psychology Today article lists some of the lasting effects of cults, the devastation it has on people's hearts and minds, such as (among others): extreme identity confusion, panic/anxiety attacks, depression, anger and guilt and shame, inability to make their own decisions (to trust their own judgment), fear of intimacy and commitment, distrust of others, grieving the loss of family and friends, loss of meaning or purpose, PTSD, etc.

I think Calvinism does this to people too.  I think the longer someone stays in a Calvinist church, the more it will destroy their faith (what should be a simple faith), their relationship with God, their trust of God, and their ability to discern truth for themselves, to understand the Bible the way God meant it to be understood.  And if and when someone leaves a Calvinist church, it may destroy their relationships with others and their ability/desire to get involved in a new church.

A totally sweet little song: It's a Beautiful Day

Oh my goodness, I'm totally loving this sweet little song (by The Kiffness and Rushawn): 

It's a Beautiful Day (click on it)

Take three minutes today to watch it and smile!

(Could you imagine how you would feel if you watched this song every morning or evening for the next month?  I might try it along with my Bible reading.  A New Year's resolution.)  

9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult #9 (authoritarian narcissists)

[This series is "The 9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult" split up into smaller, individual posts.] 

Cults are authoritarian (disagreeing with or opposing the leaders is not allowed), and cult leaders are malignant narcissists.

9. "Cults are authoritarian (disagreeing with or opposing the leader is not allowed)"...

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - in the article "How do cults differ from Christianity?" - lists these things as characteristics of a cult (my paraphrase): 

Cults reject the basic beliefs of the Chistian faith.  They act like they alone have the truth and that we must come to them to get it.  They have their own writings which they add to the Bible or replace the Bible with. They have a strong leader who demands obedience and claims to speak for God. 

Now, of course, Calvinists don't reject the basic beliefs of the Bible; they just redefine them, qualify them, or add other layers to them until they become something completely different.  

And they do believe they have the truth.  But don't we all?  We all think we have "the truth."  No one willingly believes a lie.  

But what makes Calvinism different than mere Christianity is this: 

Merry Christmas and God bless!

 Merry Christmas, Everyone!  God bless you today and in 2024.

Enjoy these two great Christmas songs: Hallelujah Christmas (by Cloverton) and Little Drummer Boy (My favorite!  By For King and Country)

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the LORD." Luke 2:11

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16

"... if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.... Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."  Romans 10:9, 13

9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult #8 (gaslighting)

[This series is "The 9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult" split up into smaller, individual posts.] 

(Merry Christmas, everyone!  Hope you have a blessed holiday season.)

8. Silencing the members' inner voices

Gaslighting: manipulating people into doubting their own sanity, memory, or powers of reasoning.  

And "manipulating people into doubting their own power of reasoning" is what Calvinists do (even if they don't mean to).  It's one of the reasons it spreads so unopposed, so easily.

In addition to manipulative-shaming, Calvinists have ways of getting us to doubt our abilities to correctly think, judge, and understand things.  They make us feel like if we disagree with Calvinism, then there's something wrong with us, not with their theology.  This causes us to question our discernment and to possibly ignore any doubts or "red flags" we get.  (Or at least to keep quiet about them because we fear others distrusting our discernment too.)

And if we can't trust our own judgment and discernment, guess whose we'll trust?  

That's right: theirs.  Just like they want.  

Celebrating with Danica McKellar!

 "... there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10)

Let's celebrate the new birth of another celebrity who recently-ish came to faith in Christ: Danica McKellar (best remembered by those in my generation as Winnie Cooper from "The Wonder Years")

"'The Holy Spirit Came to Me': Hollywood Star Danica McKellar Embraces Christianity, Finds 'Amazing Freedom'"

(Click on the video in the article.  She's such a darling.)  

God bless her!  And...

9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult #7 (thought-reform)

 [This series is "The 9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult" split up into smaller, individual posts.] 

7. Mind-Control, Thought-Reform

Reforming people's thoughts is absolutely necessary for Stealth Calvinism (or even non-stealth Calvinism) to be effective.  Strategic brainwashing.  (A lot of how they control/modify our thoughts has already been addressed, so I won't repeat all that.  Much.)

Controlling the language: Remember, whoever controls the language also controls the conversation and destination.  

Calvinist pastors control the direction of the church by controlling not just the resources and staff, but also controlling the definitions of words, the theological language we speak.  And by controlling the words (and verses), they can slowly modify our thinking and our perspectives on God and His Word, causing us to see everything through the lens of Calvinism - until we can't remember how to read the Bible in a clear, plain, commonsense way anymore.

(See "Calvinist Bad Logic #1: Never Let a Calvinist Define the Terms!".)

9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult #6 (fear, coercion)

[This series is "The 9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult" split up into smaller, individual posts.] 

6. Fear and Coercion

None of us wants to be an unhumble, divisive, God-dishonoring, glory-stealing Christian, do we?  These are fears of any good Christian.

Calvinist pastors know this and use it their advantage (even if it's not totally deliberate).

In that "10 things to know..." article I linked to above, the author points out this mark of a cult: "Cults maintain their power by promoting an 'us vs. them' mentality."

Calvinists will use flattery and shaming (forms of manipulation) to do just this: to create an "us vs. them" dichotomy, to coerce people into Calvinism.  They will talk in such a way that makes those who agree with them feel like good Christians and those who disagree feel like bad Christians.  

Calling Out High-and-Mighty, Holier-Than-Thou Judges in Defense of Kat Von D

I read a post from a Christian the other day that bugs me so much I've gotta address it.  It's a post from the Rapture Ready website called "An Artist's Testimony or Agenda?"  And it's basically a Christian calling a newly-born-again celebrity a "false convert."  

And the "proof" that this Christian uses to support their case are things like the celebrity said she wasn't planning on changing her goth looks, that she didn't burn her witchcraft books but merely threw them out, that she's "BFF's" with a satanist, that she thinks skulls are beautiful, that she recently released a song with some nasty lyrics (and yes, I agree they're nasty), and that she said she refuses to talk about her faith on her social media accounts anymore, etc. 

And because of things like these, this Christian "judge" (named Candy) declares the celebrity guilty - a "false convert" and possibly one of the "Satanists/Luciferians" who are "God-haters who use every chance they get to mock our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, even to the point of using 'Trojan Horse assimilation' into the church."

But do you know what I think?

9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult #5 (isolation, control)

[This series is "The 9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult" split up into smaller, individual posts.] 

Cults use isolation, control, fear, coercion, mind-control, and thought-reform to enslave the members to the cult.  The members' "inner voices" are suppressed.

5. Information Isolation and Control

Of course, Calvinists don't physically isolate members in a commune or anything like that, as more extreme cults have.  But Calvinist pastors do practice various forms of "mental" isolation by controlling the information and resources.  

From the very beginning, Calvinist pastors set out to carefully control the information we get, the resources we have access to, the verses we hear, who's in charge, etc.

Verses: Calvinists will ignore verses that contradict or disprove Calvinism, but highly favor those that can be twisted/interpreted to support it.  

For example: Calvinist pastors fill their sermons with verses that appear to fit their view that God preplans, causes, controls everything, such as Job 42:2 "... no plan of yours can be thwarted" and Proverbs 21:1 "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases".  [Notice that these verses record Job and Solomon's words about God.]

But they ignore verses that contradict their Calvinist views, such as Jeremiah 19:5 "They have built the high places to Baal to burn their sons in the fire as offerings to Baal - something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind" and 1 Kings 20:42 "He said to the king, 'This is what the Lord says: 'You have set free a man I had determined should die.''" [Their response to a verse like this would be the ridiculous - and possibly blasphemous - "God decrees that people break His decrees." (And notice that these verses record God's own words about Himself.)]

Celebrating with Rob Schneider!

"... there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."  (Luke 15:10)

I don't really pay attention to the personal lives of actors or actresses, because I don't really care what they do.

But I do pay attention when anyone comes to the faith in Jesus Christ, because I really care about people and want everyone to experience the forgiveness, healing, hope, and eternal life that can only be found in Jesus.  And I especially enjoy the testimonies of people who come to Christ as adults.  They usually have such rich stories to share, such thoughtful reasons for why they left the life they had to turn to Christ.

And so today I am writing this in honor of actor Rob Schneider who recently came to faith in Jesus.  

The angels are celebrating his salvation right now, so let's celebrate it too!

(And I had no idea he had such deep thoughts about some really significant things until I read this message from him on X.  It's really good!  Thank you for sharing, Rob.)

Congratulations, Rob!  God bless you and guide you on your journey of faith.  And welcome to the family!

9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult #4 (strategic tactics)

[This series is "The 9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult" split up into smaller, individual posts.] 

4. The Fun Stuff (Strategic Tactics)

Besides their hidden "buts" and multiple layers, Calvinists employ a wide range of other tactics to hook, trick, trap, and reel us into Calvinism slowly, covertly.  (But they don't do it to just us.  They are victims of these tactics too, having allowed themselves to be tricked and trapped by them also.)  

The tactics they use (no matter how unintentional they might be) are things such as: 

... false dichotomies.  

      "Either God saves us, or else we save ourselves... Either God controls everything, or else He controls nothing... Either God is in charge, or else we are in charge."  It's super-polarized - and badly-polarized - on purpose, to force you to reject the ridiculous option and pick the Calvinist one.  See Calvinist Bad Logic #7: False Dichotomies. 

Healing your soul from Calvinism's damage

[updated April 2024]

For the 6 years that the new Calvinist pastor was at our church, subtly teaching his Calvinism, my soul was starving.  I'm not kidding; I could feel it starving.  Shriveling up dry.  It wasn't dying - because I have a very strong faith, and my faith is in God, not in some preacher - but it was starved for truth and encouragement and joy, etc.  (See "Why Is Calvinism So Dangerous?")

And it wasn't just because of what he was teaching, but it was also because of what he wasn't teaching.  He hardly talked about God's love for us, how God cares about us, how He helps us in the hard times, etc.  There was no real encouragement, compassion, grace, love, hope, etc.  At least not in my eyes.  

Instead, it was often lofty, academic knowledge for the head, hardly ever comfort for the heart.  (I think he was more "professor" than "shepherd," more "this is what I think and how I do things, and so should you" than "Let me come alongside you in this hard life and help you on your journey of faith."  But maybe that's just me.)  And it was often about how depraved we are, how much we don't deserve God's love, how much we deserve hell, how we should just ignore that God predestines people to hell and be thankful that He chose to save any of us wretched sinners (the lucky lottery winners!), and how God "ordains" every evil that happens and every tragedy we go through - including childhood abuse - for our good, for His glory, and to keep us humble.  

No wonder my heart was aching and my soul was starving!  

(See "Are we only here for God's glory?  What about God's love?" and "Is God only concerned about His glory and being famous?" and "Does God cause childhood abuse?" for more on this.)  

9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult #3 (multiple layers)

[This series is "The 9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult" split up into smaller, individual posts.] 

3. Multiple Layers for Maximum Deception

In Calvinism, there are always layers, at least two: the one they want you to see and the one they don't.  What they say and what they mean.  What they want you to think they really believe and what they really believe.

If you read Piper's article, you'll notice how somewhat sweet and humble he makes his hard-core Calvinism seem.  But do you notice what's missing?

The flipside.  The bad parts.  The parts that would raise most Christians' red flags.  The thing is, he's only sharing one layer of Calvinism, only telling the story from the side of the Calvinist elect and God's relationship to them.  But he hides the deeper, darker layer, completely ignoring how God relates to the non-elect.  

If Calvinist teachings sound like "good news," it's only because they're telling it from the perspective of "the elect."  And only the elect.  

9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult #2 (hidden agendas)

 [This series is "The 9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult" split up into smaller, individual posts.] 

(Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow!)

2. Hidden Agendas

Not only do Stealth Calvinist pastors get into churches using deception, but they come in with the hidden agenda to reform the church, to slowly drag it into Calvinism without the awareness of the people.

A post called "The Church Infected with Calvinism" shares this: 

"This third scenario [of how Calvinism infects a church] is all too common.  There are websites that instruct Calvinistic preachers who accept calls to non-Calvinistic churches on how to gradually 'acclimate' the church to Calvinism.  I saw one website with a two-year, month-by-month plan for the stealth Calvinist to take a non-Calvinistic church into 'Reformed Theology' land.  It's almost cult-like and certainly deceptive... While the Calvinistic pastor is crafting pulpit content to fortify his philosophical arguments, he will simultaneously be about the business of looking for and mentoring members of the congregation who are now open to Calvinistic logic.  He'll slowly but surely transform as many of these folks as possible into full-blown Calvinists and, when possible, put them in places of church leadership, especially teaching positions... With the leadership of the church and a majority of the congregation now in league with him, the plan of transition is complete. The objectors, who are now in the minority, are powerless to reverse the Calvinistic course."  [Yep, we've seen it happen.]

As that said, Calvinists have published plans for how to take over a church, such as the one I mentioned earlier from Founders Ministries ("Walking without Slipping") and this one from 9Marks ("A Roadmap for Church Reform"), both very Calvinist.  (And FYI, I'm not picking on 9Marks with the title of my post.  I'm picking on 9Marks and all other Calvinist organizations and Stealth Calvinists, too.)

9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult: Intro and #1 (deception)

[This series is "The 9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult" broken up into smaller posts.]

A Psychology Today article - Understanding Cults: The Basics - shares some characteristics of cults and how they operate (I've condensed some of them here to three main points): 

1. No one knowingly, voluntarily joins a cult, but they are "recruited" into it by cult leaders who take advantage of the vulnerabilities of the recruits, using deception and manipulation to suck them in.

2. Cults use isolation, control, fear, coercion, mind-control, and thought-reform to enslave the members to the cult.  The members' "inner voices" are suppressed.

3. Cults are authoritarian (disagreeing with or opposing the leader is not allowed), and cult leaders are malignant narcissists.

And I think this kinda fits Calvinism, especially Stealth Calvinism.  And so, based on these, I came up with 9 marks that I think identify Calvinism as a cult.  Or more accurately, "cult-ish."  You decide if you agree or disagree.  

But don't take my word about any of this.  Who am I?  I'm nobody.  Don't trust me.  Dig into the research and Bible for yourself before forming your conclusions.  Be a good Berean!

“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11)

The 9 Marks of a Calvinist Cult

(For the shortened version of this post, click here.  And here are links to the individual long chapters: #1 deception ... #2 hidden agendas ... #3 multiple layers ... #4 strategic tactics ... #5 isolation and control ... #6 fear/coercion ... #7 mind-control/thought-reform ... #8 gaslighting ... #9 authoritarian narcissists ... conclusion and links)

A Psychology Today article - Understanding Cults: The Basics - shares some characteristics of cults and how they operate (I've condensed some of them here to three main points): 

1. No one knowingly, voluntarily joins a cult, but they are "recruited" into it by cult leaders who take advantage of the vulnerabilities of the recruits, using deception and manipulation to suck them in.

2. Cults use isolation, control, fear, coercion, mind-control, and thought-reform to enslave the members to the cult.  The members' "inner voices" are suppressed.

3. Cults are authoritarian (disagreeing with or opposing the leader is not allowed), and cult leaders are malignant narcissists.

And I think this kinda fits Calvinism, especially Stealth Calvinism.  And so, based on these, I came up with 9 marks that I think identify Calvinism as a cult.  Or more accurately, "cult-ish."  You decide if you agree or disagree.  

But don't take my word about any of this.  Who am I?  I'm nobody.  Don't trust me.  Dig into the research and Bible for yourself before forming your conclusions.  Be a good Berean!

“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11)

So Earth's crust is full of water, huh?

Did you see this article - "Earth's crust swallowed a sea's worth of water and locked it away beneath Pacific seafloor" - about how there is a massive deep reservoir of water hidden beneath the ocean floor by New Zealand and how the rocks there are abnormally wet, how they should contain much less water for being many "millions" of years old?

Do you know what this makes me think of?

"The fountains of the great deep" which burst open during the worldwide flood of Genesis 5:11: "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life... all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of heaven were opened."

And it makes me think that maybe the earth isn't really "millions" of years old like scientists keep insisting.

Also see "Maybe 'millions of years' is actually just 40 days!"  and "Starting the new school year with Creation vs. Evolution" and "Is Evolution True?" 

Just something to think about. 

Stupider than stupid

You know what's stupider than stupid?

Worms.

They're always slithering lengthwise down a sidewalk, instead of crawling across it from side to side.  And then they wonder why they shrivel up and die.

They're so stupid.

You know you're getting older when...

You know you're getting older when you go to a thrift store and find a knee brace for a few dollars and think "Wow, good deal!  Gotta get that, just in case." 

Maybe. Just maybe.

 Worth considering, especially these days:

"'Fasten your seat belt': Pastor Greg Laurie talks potential fulfillment of Bible prophecy in Israel-Hamas War"

"Greg Laurie says rapture is next event on prophetic calendar: 'Get right with God'"

And a couple of encouraging songs, at least for those that know Jesus as Lord and Savior (and if you don't, check out "Starting your own relationship with Jesus" and "Support for Jesus and the Bible"):

I Wish We'd All Been Ready 

In The Sky 

Just when I was wondering...

Just when I was wondering if my kids are learning anything from their history books, one of my sons dramatically swings his arm towards his younger brother, boldly points at him, and confidently declares, "You are my peasant, and I am your feudal lord!"

Ha!  I guess they're paying attention and learning things.  (Just maybe not what I expected.)

Have a Little Faith...

Anyone else need this song and video right now:

Have a Little Faith in Me (by Joe Cocker, which I know is not a Christian song, but it totally fits right now)

Just breathe.  You're gonna be okay.

And remember, all we need is a little faith.  

God will take it from there.

Delightful Wanderings in the Lost Forest

 It's a dreary, rainy, cool day here - one of my favorite kinds of days.  So I brewed a hot cup of Pumpkin Spice tea (The Republic of Tea brand - so good!) with a dash of milk and sugar and nestled in for a half-hour of wandering through the Lost Forest, a YouTube channel I recently found.

Such simple videos from a woman in Ireland (I've always wanted to visit there, I have strong Irish roots) who records scenes from her day as she visits her garden (where her cats meander), her jewelry studio, nearby cottages and castles and landscapes, etc.  It's delightful and relaxing - no speaking, no faces, no chaos, just gentle music and simple captions at the bottom of the screen sharing her thoughts.

If you've got an extra 15-30 minutes in your day and need to relax, grab a cup of tea or coffee (or maybe you prefer lemonade), and spend some quiet time wandering the Irish countryside.

Here's the newest video I just watched: Visit an Irish Cottage, A Cosy Day in Autumn

[Note: She refers to nature as Mother Nature, and her jewelry business has a "folklore/mythological goodness" aspect to it.  I enjoy mythology and think her jewelry is beautiful, but I but would not worship or honor the "gods and goddesses" of mythology.  But I do still enjoy her peaceful videos, and so I'll just overlook the other stuff.  But I'm sharing this with you so you can be discerning for yourself.]

A Tale of Two Sermons: Calvinist vs Non-Calvinist

The other day, I watched a Willow Creek sermon again, and it happened to be Megan preaching again.  (I talked about her once before, see at the end of this post).  It was about heaven.  And it was good.  Very good.  

But after that sermon, I decided to watch the sermon at the Calvinist church we left (I won't identify the church, or link to it), just to see what they were preaching.  And I wanted to compare these two sermons, to give you a taste of what sermons are like at a non-Calvinist church versus a Calvinist church.  I'm going to paraphrase what each pastor said, for space and to sum it up quickly.  And interestingly, both of them gave their version of the gospel, the call to salvation.  Notice how different they are.  

And I want you to imagine what it would be like to be in the audience listening to these different sermons, especially if you were a broken, hurting, lost person who was aching for help and healing and hope.  

Family-Friendly Demons?

I've said this before, but I think this stuff will get more and more out in the open as we get closer and closer to the end times:

They're Coming For Your Children (article)

If you invite demons into your life, don't be surprised when they show up.

And do you really think they'll care if you go "Oh, I didn't really mean it; it was just a joke"?  (Here's my story about why I take this stuff so seriously, how I know it's real and shouldn't be messed with.)

(What would be really interesting would be to hear the stories of what happened in these families' lives in the months that followed their demon summoning.  Sadly, they won't realize how real it all is until it's too late.  And more sadly, it will be their kids who pay the price.)

And how about some relevant songs from Carman, just for fun:

A Witch's Invitation - Love this one!

No Monsters - Carman knows the power of Jesus's name!

Satan, Bite The Dust - I wouldn't go around challenging Satan, but Carman's making a good, important point here about the power of God compared to the power of the devil.

God's Got An Army - with a little Narnia thrown in

Keep it simple

Just wanted to pass along this quick, wonderful testimony from someone who came out of a commune/cult (the 60's!): 

Why I Believe in a Biblical Worldview (A Testimony) by Rick Segoine. 

I loved it when he said "... along with all of the study and knowledge that comes with it, my dear and precious Jesus always reminded me along the way to never forsake the simple things. The simple faith of a child. The gratefulness for my salvation and what He did for me. My heart filled with His love..."

This resonated with me because after leaving our church (because of Calvinism - lofty, convoluted, contradictory, soul-deadening, love-destroying, faith-suffocating garbage), I have been longing to get back to the simple things.  

Simple truths.  Simple joys.  Simple relationship with God.  Simple Gospel.

"For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."  (John 3:16)

A Place For Us All!

 A fantastic song from a fantastic movie (Jesus Revolution - a favorite!): Living Water by Anne Wilson 

As she rightly sings, "He paid every sinner's price!"

And so "every outcast, every wrong-way, runaway rebel" - no matter who you are or where you've been - can come on down to the Living Water and find hope, healing, and eternal life in Jesus.  

No one is hopeless.  No one is too far gone.  No one is destined for hell.  

There's a place for us all in God's family.  All of us are able to and welcome to freely accept the gift of eternal life, paid for by Jesus's death for us all.  

“For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."  (John 3:16-17)

"This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all men ..." (1 Timothy 2:3-6)

Don't pass up this opportunity, this free gift.  There is no other way to heaven.  

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6)  

But that's the good news!  

Because you don't have to do anything to get to heaven but believe.  You don't have to struggle to work your way to heaven, because God's done all the work for you.  Jesus paid the price for you, and all you have to do is open your hands and accept it. 

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) 

“if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.... ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”  (Romans 10:9-10,13)

I'm not sure how much time we have left before God ends the Church age (the "salvation by grace through faith" age) and begins His "end times" plans, but I think we're living on borrowed time.  So don't wait.  Make your decision now.

"So if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve ... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord!" (Joshua 24:15)

"The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!'... Whoever is thirst, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life."  (Rev. 22:17)

Bonus: A few "end times" songs (which will either be encouraging or terrifying, depending on where you're headed):

I Wish We'd All Been Ready 

In The Sky

People, Get Ready

The Unseen and The End

 A couple of good videos I just watched:

What is the Rapture? -  a sermon by Greg Laurie (47 minutes)

The Unseen Realm - a documentary by Michael Heiser about the spiritual powers, about how God organized them and allows them to operate (1 Hour, 11 minutes)

A better explanation than demons?

Check out this article, the woman's eyes: Unreal Video: I'm beginning to seriously believe DC is run by literal demons

Does anyone else have a better explanation?

And a bonus article on a different note, not about demons in government (or maybe it is, since they're the ones pushing the vaccine): "Why do people's personalities suddenly change following Covid vaccination?"  I haven't yet noticed personality changes in people, so I'm not sure how much I trust this.  But it might be worth tucking in the back of your mind.

And if this is true ["Drag Queen tops iTunes "Christian Chart" music genre"], what is wrong with Christians nowadays!?!  Or maybe it is what's wrong with Christians nowadays.  No discernment.  No biblical stands on anything anymore.

Cindy's Comment on Theistic Evolution vs. A Literal Genesis

 (Happy 4th, America!  I'm sorry for what's being done to you.)

There's a comment from someone named Cindy in the comment section of a post on theistic evolution vs. a literal Genesis.  (Actually, the post is really just a nasty attack on Ken Ham.)  Since the author of that blog stopped allowing comments on that post - it appears she didn't want any more opposing voices - I wanted to post the comment I like and agree with here, since I couldn't agree with it there.  

Time to boycott Starbucks

You know, up until now, I never boycotted Starbucks for their very leftist stances.  I wouldn't want leftists to boycott a conservative organization just because they disagreed with our moral stances (which happens, of course, both ways), and so I didn't want to do it to them.  I just wanted coffee.

But now that the Starbucks employees have decided to put their desires above the customers - their desire to have the Pride decorations they want above their responsibility to sell coffee at a coffee shop - it's time for me to boycott.  

Businesses have forgotten what business is about.  Employees have forgotten who they work for and what their job is and who keeps them running.  And so I'm sorry, my beautiful Cafe Mocha friend, but I can't see you anymore for awhile.  It's not me; it's you (Starbucks, the employees).  You've forced me into this by putting yourself above us, the customers.  And we don't need to tolerate being treated this way, not when there are many other good coffee shops to visit who are willing to do their job of serving coffee.

May you get your heads on straight soon, Starbucks.  Till then, goodbye. 

"I have no clue what you're talking about."

The other day, I told my sons that if they can't find the official "doggie bags," they can use plastic grocery-store bags (we have an over-abundance of them) to clean up after our dog on walks.  

In response, my 13-year-old son delighted to inform me that "Mom, if you use a Walmart bag to clean up dog poop on the side of the road, you'll look like a crazy lady.  Especially with the kind of hair you have."

Me:

Coincidence? Or prophecy?

 Recent-ish headlines (I'm not linking to them, but you can search them for yourself):

"'Only one sausage per month for everyone!' German Nutrition Society recommends over 90% reduction in daily meat eating - to combat global warming"

"Davos speaker calls for one billion people to 'stop eating meat' for 'innovation' and the environment"

"Bill Gates thinks we should start eating synthetic beef"

And a biblical prophecy:

"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.  Such teachings will come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared with a hot iron.  They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods..." (1 Timothy 4:1-3, emphasis added)

Interesting, maybe?

Also see "New Take on an Old Prophecy - 1 Timothy 4:1-5" (an article I found while looking for the headlines above)

"More Fun" ... in church

 A really enjoyable and meaningful "sermon" from Willow Creek (from a comedian/actor who was in the movie War Room): 

More Fun in Play - Willow Creek Community Church

And wait till you see the video of his daughter moments after she was born.  What a cool, touching moment!

Anyone else wondering ...

So is anyone else wondering what's going on here: Fox News gets rid of Tucker Carlson while CNN hosts Trump Town Hall?  What are the powers-that-be trying to do here?

No good comes from ...

No good comes from saying what shouldn't be said or not saying what should be said.

And the hardest part may be knowing the difference.

Life is ...

Life is the slow, steady journey of turning from this:

into this:

[My kids are watching Parks and Recreation right now, and this popped into my mind.  Couldn't help it.]

A Warning about Prophetic Messages and Speaking in Tongues

(For the rest of the Spiritual Warfare series, click here to go to my other blog.)

There are a couple videos I recently linked to of someone sharing the spiritual warfare they've gone through.  It was good advice and on-track biblically.  But since then, she's done videos more along the lines of "prophetic messages," sharing dreams she's had and what she thinks God is saying through them to the people watching her videos, including the prophecy that God is going to bring someone an unexpected business opportunity.  This makes me leery, and it makes me want to share a quick warning about those kinds of "prophetic" messages.  

I don't want to quench the Spirit or limit His work, or anything like that.  And I don't know exactly what this specific woman is experiencing (so I'm not writing this specifically about her, but about things like this).  And I don't know exactly how the Spirit works nowadays through spiritual "gifts."  So this is just my opinion, a word of caution.  (There's a note about the "gift" of speaking in tongues, which has nothing to do with this woman's messages, near the end of this post.)  

I think "prophetic messages" are something we should be discerning about, especially as the New Age and the occult has seeped into churches more and more over the years.  When do things cease to be strictly biblical and start to blend into New Age or the occult, especially when it comes to supernatural things?

Spiritual Warfare: Stay on the Path (Eph. 6:11)

Do you remember the scene in The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug when the dwarves are about to enter Mirkwood?  Mirkwood is full of dangers, distractions, and deceptions that will try to confuse them and get them off-track, lost.  And so before Gandalf leaves to attend matters elsewhere, he instructs them about how to get through the evil forest successfully.  He tells them what they need to know about the dangers they'll face and the path they should take, and then he warns them, "Stay on the path."  But while in the forest, it's up to them to do it, to be on-guard and wise, to remember and follow what Gandalf said instead of trusting themselves.  

Well, life is our Mirkwood, full of spiritual dangers, distractions, and deceptions that try to get us off-track in life, away from God's best.  But God has created a way through, a path that He wants us to walk for the best life (and eternity) possible.  

But where is this path?  How do we stay on it and avoid the dangers?

Psalm 119:9-11: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.  I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.  I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

Spiritual Warfare Sermons by Tony Evans

Here are links to some great sermons about the spiritual world and the spiritual battle.  

Some basics

The Nature of the Battle part 1 (audio, 25 minutes long)

The Nature of the Battle, part 2 (audio, 25 min.)

The War Revealed and Strongholds Defined (video, 29 min.)

Finding victory over Satan's tricks and traps  (video, 44 min.)

Take authority over the spiritual warfare in your life (video, 28 min.)

How the enemy tries to distract you from God's plan (video, 50 min.)

Some Interesting Articles

I stumbled across these interesting articles today.  Passing them on to you for your reading pleasure:

"'I am so sorry': Naomi Wolf apologizes to conservatives for believing mainstream Jan. 6 narrative"

"Secret Pfizer & Government documents reveal COVID Vaccination has caused Antibody-Dependent Enhancement, V-AED, and AIDS resulting in millions 'dying suddenly'" 

The looming reckoning for COVID tyrants

A fun, catchy, new song: Trump Won (but I don't foresee him winning in 2024)

 

[Four sources for more world news headlines like the above: 

Tracking the Birth Pangs - News and Links (trackingbibleprophecy.org)

Rapture Ready News - End Times News Stories and Headlines

End Time Headlines | News From a Prophetic Perspective

Natural Health News and Scientific Discoveries - Natural News.com]

Spiritual Warfare: Be Strong in the Lord (Eph. 6:10)

I remember one dream I had during those five months of demonic harassment (see this post) that really stuck out to me.  (I actually think it was more of a vision than a dream).  I was “dreaming” that I was sleeping in bed just like I was actually lying there sleeping in real life, and there was a demon in the room, hovering about a foot over me in a cloud of black smoke as I slept.  (Honestly, it felt as if my spirit was watching my body sleep and could see the demon hovering over me.)  

Still fits in 2023:

(Can I get an "Amen"?)

"Spiritual Warfare" series: My Story

I'm gonna do a series on Spiritual Warfare, reposting some relevant older posts, adding new things, and sharing some good resources.  The world is growing dark and the spiritual battle is getting serious, making it a good time for a series like this.  (I figured since I'm posting it on my other blog, why not post it here too.)

You don't think that the world is getting dark, that the spiritual battle is ramping up?  Here are some articles I found just this week:

When clowns run the circus

So get this: 

An Arizona elementary school should not hire teachers with Christian values because it doesn't feel "safe" ... so says the self-proclaimed "queer" schoolboard member wearing cat ears.  (See here.)  

My Most Trusted Pastor

I speak a lot on my other blog against Calvinism, and sadly there are lots of Calvinist pastors out there.  Too many.  And of course, I think they should be avoided.  I think they are destroying the church from the inside out, a slow destruction.  

And so if you want to find a good pastor but don't know who to turn to, I recommend the one I listen to most and trust as the most biblically accurate: Tony Evans.  Back before we left our Calvinist church, when we were getting super fed-up listening to all the Calvinist sermons, I began listening to Dr. Evans every week, and I haven't yet heard anything that alarms me or that I disagree with (except for a few very minor points when it comes to prophecy).    

I actually credit Dr. Evans with "restoring my faith" after I felt it crumbling under the Calvinist preaching we were getting at the time.