THE MIRACULOUS PLIGHT OF BABY AVERY

On June 13, 2015, what must have seemed like a tragedy to Megan and Brandon Stitt, turned out to be a blessed miracle of life, Avery Stitt was born at just 24 weeks of pregnancy.  

A premie baby fights for life

Baby Avery came into the world at 1 pound 11 ounces and began a brave struggle for life.  

Most poignant is the fact, while Planned Parenthood was being exposed for selling baby parts, Baby Avery was defying the odds and providing a living example of why life inside the womb is precious.   At 24 weeks, a baby has about 16 more weeks of growing and maturing inside the womb.  At 22 weeks, the hospital where Avery was born would not have attempted to save his life and would have considered him a miscarriage.  Avery's mother entered the hospital at 22 weeks and 5 days, God kept Avery in the womb for over a week so he would have a fighting chance.  When Megan went into preterm labor, God was in control and revealed  He had a plan from the beginning.                                                                                       

With health issues common to preterm babies, Avery endured surgeries, feeding tubes, IVs, intubation, infections and jaundice, aided by the prayers of numerous family, friends, and strangers and the faith of his mother and father.                                                   

I became aware of Baby Avery through my wife who, months ago, began soliciting prayer for him.  Through Facebook, my wife kept up to date with Avery's progress and shared with our family, our Wednesday night prayer group, and anyone else who would listen.  As I became more aware of the Planned Parenthood scandal, the brave fight of Baby Avery became, for me, a beautiful contrast of life overcoming death.  As I looked through the Facebook posts chronicling Avery's progress, I was most impressed with the unwavering faith of Megan and Brandon.  Constant requests for prayer, constant praise to God for His sustaining Avery through every victory and every setback, and Brandon reading the Bible to his new son, setting a pattern for of godly parenting from the outset.          .

Also, touching was the response from those who commented on each post, praying and praising along with the family and relating how many prayer groups were praying together for this blessed child.  The church coming together as it should, strangers uniting in prayer for a precious life and two faithful parents.                         

Baby Avery, and other preterm babies like him, should be the national story.  Avery should be a cause celebre whose brave struggle would speak to the sanctity of life.  My purpose in writing this is that this story would become known, that more people could pray and that there might be opportunity to bless the Stitt family.  A tiny child whose life is a testimony of God's love and power and a testimony of the importance of protecting every life.  

Baby Avery has overcome enormous odds, even as he continues to approach what would have been his scheduled date of birth, yet, he continues to rely on the prayers of God's people.  Please pray for Avery and his family.  One must wonder what God has in store for this little guy, as he has been bathed in prayer since the day of his birth. 

Our nation has been divided on the subject of life in the womb.  Stories like  Baby Avery's remind us that what some would call a fetal tissue mass is really a viable life created by the loving hands of God.  Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you... 

Psalm 139:13-14 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;                                                                         Our nation needs prayer as the debate over abortion and the sanctity of the life of the unborn rages on.  Our nation is guilty of bloodshed.  The prophet  Ezekiel warned Israel of their impending judgment, due to the innocent blood that was shed:                                                     Ezekiel 22:3-6&12 You shall say, Thus says the Lord God: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself!  You have become guilty by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought your days near, the appointed time of[a] your years has come. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all the countries. Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you; your name is defiled; you are full of tumult.“Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit[b] and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord God.

America may find itself on the wrong end of this prophecy if we do not get our spiritual house in order.                                                  

I pray that Baby Avery's story has inspired you and given you hope and causes you to seek God's guidance concerning your role as a believer concerning these issues.  I pray that as you read this you take the time to pray for Avery and his family, for God's healing, provision and strength.  The miraculous plight of Baby Avery is, in reality, a blessing and celebration of life and love.  

May God bless you as you pray for blessing over the Stitt family!

THE CASE AGAINST PLANNED PARENTHOOD

   

 In the past couple of months, investigative journalists have released video evidence of Planned Parenthood's illegal sales of the body parts of aborted babies.  Planned Parenthood and it's supporters have been crying foul and claiming that the videos are "heavily edited" and "inaccurate."  The fact is, the group that has released the edited versions to the internet have made the full videos available to media outlets and no evidence of deception has been discovered in the edited versions.  What kind of an organization is Planned Parenthood?  Planned Parenthood(PP) describes itself this way on it's website: "For nearly 100 years, Planned Parenthood has promoted a commonsense approach to women's health and well being, based on respect for each individual's right to make informed, independent decisions about health, sex, and family planning."  This statement is a blatant lie and easily exposed as such.  The fact is that PP is an evil organization founded by an evil woman whose express and stated purpose was to eradicate the less desirable of society which included controlling the population of blacks to the point of bringing them to extinction.  Today, PP is a used body parts mill making millions from the slaughter of innocents.  

PP SAYS ONE THING BUT OBVIOUSLY MEANS ANOTHER

     PP condemns itself by it's own statement.  "...100 years... promoted... women's health... based on respect for each individual's rights..."  To see if this is true or not, one only needs to look to the founder of PP and her original intent.  In 1916, Eugenics proponent, Margaret Sanger founded Planned Parenthood.  Her goal was not based on respect for individual rights, but the polar opposite of this idea.  Sanger was a racist and a white supremacist whose ideas were in line with Adolph Hitler and his desire to create a master race.  Today, Sanger is heralded as a great pioneer of women's rights, but in reality, she was a hate filled bigot obsessed with eradicating the black population from the United States.  These seem like bold and inflammatory statements, but are easily verified by Sanger's own statements. 

MARGARET SANGER WAS A WHITE SUPREMACIST  

     In 1926, Sanger spoke to a female auxiliary of the KU Klux Klan. In The Autobiography of Margaret Sanger the author brags  about the reception she received at the event and how it garnered her a dozen more invitations to speak at other such events.  Her remarks are not known today, but it would not take a great imagination to figure out what her topic must have been at a KKK rally, especially with the reception she received. We do know, however, what she said in 1932: "Birth control must lead to a better race."  Sanger was a blatant eugenicist and in case there is any doubt about which race Ms. Sanger was referencing here, we have her comments made in 1939: "We do not want word to get out that we want to exterminate the Negro population."  It is more than apparent that PP's origins had nothing to do with "respect for individual rights..."

PP DOES NOT SUPPORT "INFORMED ... DECISIONS"

     It would seem reasonable for any person who is considering a medical procedure to be given as much information about that procedure to make as informed a choice as possible.  Laws have been legislated forcing abortion providers to provide information to potential patients, information that would be routine in any other medical environment.  Informed Consent laws generally require an abortion provider to explain the procedure that is about to be performed and the risks involved.  Also, part of most informed consent laws is making a sonogram of the unborn child available to the patient.  Not requiring the sonogram, but making it available.  PP opposes such laws to the point of having, in the case of Planned Parenthood vs Casey, gone all the way to the Supreme Court, in 1992. It would appear that PP does not want anything to get in the way of maximizing the amount of abortions it performs.  Any attempt that may persuade a potential client against having an abortion is ardently opposed by PP and it's minions of lawyers. What possible benefit could PP have in encouraging abortion rather than attempting to spare women the trauma of such an invasive procedure?

NEFARIOUS MOTIVATIONS

     If a stated purpose of PP is to provide "informed... decisions" while spending millions of dollars attempting to prohibit informed decisions in the case of abortion, what could PP's true motivations be?  This is a terribly over used cliche, but follow the money. Abortion is big business.  Until recently, the public had no idea how much money was generated by PP through abortion, but thanks to recently released videos, we can get a pretty good idea how profitable the harvesting of body parts of dead babies is.  A group called The Center for Medical Progress has released a series of videos documenting PP's baby parts for profits program.  PP's harvesting and sales of baby parts is so sophisticated that they take orders and perform abortion procedures that are most conducive to harvesting requested parts without damaging said parts.  click here to access website for CMP

EXTREMELY DISTURBING VIDEOS

   If you want to view the videos exposing PP, you can click on the link above.  I was going to post the 8th video that has been released but the content was so graphic, I became physically sick and did not feel comfortable posting the video in this forum.  The video showed footage of an abortion provider picking through the remains of an hours old abortion in which distinct limbs with hands and feet are clearly visible.  I was horrified.  It is one thing to know this goes on, but to actually see this is a bit traumatic.  I cannot fathom how these clinic workers can become so desensitized to such horror.    

  The videos mostly show PP representatives discussing the different parts they make available and the costs of harvesting these parts.  The representatives graphically describe the procedures used to acquire certain parts without damage.  Some of the videos also reveal that PP is performing partial birth abortions in order to preserve harvested parts.  This horrific procedure is nothing short of murder.  In the partial birth procedure, a baby is pulled through the birth canal feet first, leaving only the head inside the mother.  A sharp device is inserted into the base of the baby's skull and the brain is sucked out, collapsing the skull, at which point the baby is pulled the rest of the way out of the mother.  If you support this procedure, I defy you to view a video of it on YouTube, and let me know what you think.  

 I have decided to link to the third video that was released but with a warning, this video is far less disturbing than the 8th video but still is horrific as it shows a baby that has supposedly been aborted,but is obviously still alive because it is still moving : 
This video contains graphic content after 5:56 mark - not for children 

 WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

ARE WE BEGGING FOR GOD'S JUDGMENT?  

     In the book of Ezekiel, we find the nation of Israel in it's final stages before being devastated by Babylon.  God, speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, warns Israel that impending disaster is coming due to national sin.  One of the sins Israel was committing was child sacrifice.  Is abortion a sacrifice to the god of Convenience or, in the case of PP, the god of Mammon?  Ezekiel 22:12-14 could easily be an indictment of PP -   In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD. 
  "Behold, I strike my hand at the dishonest gain that you have made, and at the blood that has been in your midst. 
 Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it. 

     Is this verse only applicable to PP?  I do not believe this passage pertains to PP at all, but the nation that is most complicit in PP's fiendish activities.  The United States of America, one nation under God, in Whom we supposedly trust(according to our currency) is using tax dollars to fund, not only PP, but United Nations abortion projects, as well.  Are we responsible for the actions of our government?  Can we expect judgment because of the sinful actions and policies of our elected officials?   As a Representative Republic, we elect official to represent us in the running of the country.  These officials are acting on our behalf, as a nation, we are complicit in PP's actions and are in danger of falling under the judgment of God Almighty.  click here to read Is America Heading For Destruction By Representation?

America is on the front lines of the abortion battle, unfortunately, our nation is fighting for the wrong team...

SAFE, LEGAL AND RARE... REALLY MR. PRESIDENT?



     In 2010, President Obama gave a speech in which he repeated the same lie Bill Clinton told in 1996, "abortion should be safe, legal and rare."(emphasis added)  President Obama supports funding PP and, as a U.S. senator got a 100% rating from PP on his voting record concerning abortion rights.  This president has signed more legislation and made more executive orders for funding abortion and giving unfettered access to late term abortion than any president in history.  click here to access Obama's record on abortion

     Leading Democratic presidential contender, Hilary Clinton, declared her support for PP, even after the videos exposing PP as a clearinghouse for baby body parts became public.  Democrats in congress filibustered attempts to defund PP, after the videos were made public!  Our elected officials support PP and thus support the ordering, harvesting and selling of body parts of aborted babies.  Abortion clinics run by PP are slaughterhouses for research labs and are run by human monsters who are enriching themselves by encouraging abortions for profit.  Our government officials are obviously on board and America is defying the author of life. 

WHAT SHOULD BE THE CHURCH'S RESPONSE 

     First of all, I want to be clear, if you have had an abortion, God loves you and desires a relationship with you.  The church needs to make this message clear.  Abortion is considered a sin, but all sins are forgiven at the cross.  Romans  8:1-2  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.   For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.  The church cannot just sit in judgment of abortion and those who choose abortion without offering an alternative.  We, as believers need to be at the forefront of education and provision for those in need.  Many good organizations already exist, but these organizations need our support through giving and volunteering.  In Florida, our family was involved with the Hope Pregnancy Center(now Hope Women's Center) click here to access website by hosting a table at their annual fund raising banquette.  In Knoxville, where I currently live, The Hope Resource Center is at the forefront of pro-life support.  click here for Hope Resource Center website  These places are looking for men and women of Christ to step up and assist in offering hurting women alternatives to abortion.  We can also support legislation that restricts abortion in our states and legislation that makes adoption by quality families easier and more affordable.  

    Tennessee recently passed a law that allows future laws to be passed governing abortion and truly protecting the health and well being of women who choose abortion. This was a positive step.  

     Educating women about what they are carrying in their womb is the greatest deterrent to abortion and the quickest way to destroy the evil influence Planned Parenthood has on society.  This is why PP is so opposed to informed consent laws, these laws reduce abortion by giving women a "truly commonsense approach to women's health and well being, based on respect for each individual's right to make informed, independent decisions about health, sex, and family planning."  PP counsels that a fetus is nothing more than an nonviable tissue mass.  Education reveals that a fetus is a baby with hands, feet and a face, a beating heart and the ability to suck it's thumb.  This information is often a game changer for a woman who is considering an abortion as a form of birth control.  

    Planned Parenthood was started with evil intent, to eradicate Black people and others that Margaret Sanger and her ilk determined to be society's undesirables.  Margaret Sanger was a monster, pure and simple.  Today, PP is in the baby parts business and will do all it can to keep the money train rolling. 
 The church's response must go beyond outrage, we have to let our voices be heard, we have to let or elected representatives know we are opposed to government funding of baby harvesting, we must support those who are on the front lines such as the organizations I have linked above.  We must also be ready to provide for babies who are born that would have been otherwise killed in the womb.  We have to be willing to adopt, to help single mom's and to promote abstinence in our churches.  

   Our greatest weapon is prayer, "for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but powers and principalities..."  Violence against those whom we oppose on this issue is never an option for those who follow Christ.  We are called to love. 

Please pray and see what God would have you do in regards to this issue, it really is a matter of life and death.  If nothing else, pray that Planned Parenthood is defunded and those who flout the law for profit are brought to justice.   

A SIMPLE CASE AGAINST BAPTISMAL REGENENERATION

      No true believer would argue the fact that "it is by grace we are saved through faith... not of works, lest any man should boast."  This is a clear, simple truth, taken right out of the Bible.  Beyond this, there is very little that the most Christians agree on. There is little wonder that the Christian community is divided into hundreds of denominations and sects, each calling the majority of the others heretics at worst or aberrant at best.  There are numerous reasons that cause churches to stray from Biblical truth and divide into new groups or denominations.  Very few of those reasons have anything to do with honoring God, sadly, most are due to people with strong personalities imposing their views on others or convincing others who are not Biblically literate enough to know the truth. While no one group is all wrong, all groups cannot be right.  Often, the tenets of faith and practice of one church contradict the tenets of faith and practice of another, leaving only faith in Christ as the common factor.  This can all be very confusing, especially to the unbeliever who is trying to understand why they may need a savior and how to come to that savior.  The Bible has the answer to every question of import that we may encounter, this becomes a matter of looking diligently for the truth rather than trying to find passages that agree with our point of view.

     One doctrine of the church that causes confusion across denominational lines is baptism.  Specifically, the role baptism plays in salvation.  On one side of the argument are those who claim that baptism is an act of obedience to be performed by a believer after having come to faith, often referred to as believers baptism.  On the other side of the argument are those who believe that baptism is the point of salvation and that baptism is a necessary part of the faith formula that brings us to new life, often referred to as baptismal regeneration.  It would be impossible to reconcile these two viewpoints on baptism as they are diametrically opposed to one another, so, the only logical conclusion we can make is that either one is right and one is wrong or both are wrong.  Since we are making an argument from the Bible, and there are passages that both sides use to make their argument, the Bible has to be the final authority, and since the Bible teaches baptism, as a matter of practice, we can safely declare that one side has to be right. 

BAPTISMAL REGENERATION

     The camp that believes in baptismal regeneration believes that baptism is a sacrament that infers grace to the recipient.  This camp is divided into two groups, one that practices infant baptism and one that only baptizes professing believers.  Not all who practice infant baptism hold to the traditional idea of baptismal regeneration.  The Roman Catholic Church does practice infant baptism for spiritual regeneration.  Augustine, arguably the father of much RCC doctrine stated, "It is this one Spirit who makes it possible for an infant to be regenerated . . . when that infant is brought to baptism..."  Pope John Paul II spoke on infant baptism and salvation, leaving open the question of whether or not babies who die without baptism go to heaven.  In contrast is the Methodist church, which, who also practices infant baptism, recognizes that the baptized infant must also make a profession of faith as an adult, in order to be saved, while also believing that grace is inferred to the baptized infant, removing the stain of original sin and affecting a regeneration of sorts, but not sufficient unto salvation.   The account of the salvation of the Philippian jailer and his family is often cited as a defense for infant baptism: Acts 15:33 - And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 

   Among those who practice baptismal regeneration, are Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ(DOC), Christian Church and Oneness Pentecostal.  These churches do not teach that baptism alone affects regeneration, but that baptism is a necessary component to the salvation process. All profess faith in Christ as the main factor of salvation, but all require baptism and deem it a necessary and efficacious act of obedience.  In other words, according to those holding to this practice, grace is given through the sacrament of baptism, and without that grace, one cannot be saved.  

     The main verse used to defend this position is Acts 2:38 - And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Also, Mathew 28:19 - Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  And the verse above, Acts 15:33 is also cited.  

BELIEVER'S BAPTISM

    The camp that holds to believer's baptism believes that baptism is an ordinance of the church to be practiced by believers who have been born again and already regenerated by the blood of Christ through faith.  This group believes adding baptism to the formula of salvation is a heresy that adds a works component to the salvation experience.  
     The verses that are used to defend this position are numerous, such as, Ephesians 2:8 - For it is by graced you are saved through faith, and this, not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Also, John 3:16 - For God so loved the world He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  And also, Romans 10:9 -because, 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.  There are numerous other passages that call for salvation by belief and faith, and none of these verses mention baptism. 

BOTH SIDES CANNOT BE RIGHT

  Each side of the argument rebuts the other and there seems to be no definitive answer.  The baptismal regeneration group claim that that baptism is inferred in the passages that do not mention it because Acts 2:38 so clearly adds baptism to the formula of salvation and because Jesus commanded it in Mathew 28:19.  

The believer's baptism group rebut Acts 2:38 by noting that the vast majority of passages dealing with salvation omit any mention of baptism, therefore, baptism cannot be a component of salvation. They also rebut Acts 15:33 by noting that there is no mention of anyone in the household being too young to make a profession of faith, and to suggest that infant baptism is defended by this passage is a misnomer, inferring something that cannot be conveyed with the information given.  

Both sides have convincing arguments and obviously are able to win new converts to their points of view, but both sides cannot be right.  Either baptism is essential to salvation or it is a work to be done after salvation.  Arguing semantics and parsing verses obviously cannot settle the argument so further investigation must be done to determine the truth.  God would not have us ignorant to the truth and He takes no pleasure in His children dividing over an issue such as this.

THE ANSWER IS FOUND IN PRACTICE

     I believe the Apostle Paul settles this argument once and for all, almost inadvertently, in I Corinthians.  The church in Corinth was experiencing problems of division, some claiming to be followers of Paul, some claiming to be followers of Apollos, and so on.  Basically, denominationalism had crept into the church, and Paul needed to deal with it.  In dealing with it, Paul mentions baptism and his role of baptizing others. I Corinthians 1:10-17 10I appeal to you, brothers,^a by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16(I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.  

Paul is not dealing with the doctrine of Baptism or salvation in this passage, but he tells us a great deal about the role of baptism when it comes to salvation, we just have to follow the logic.  Paul was an evangelist, his primary role was to establish churches by sharing the Gospel and seeing people come to Christ in faith, yet he was not sent to baptize.  So we have to ask ourselves, did Paul lead people to salvation or did he just tell them about Christ without actually bringing them to saving faith?  I Corinthians 3:4-5 says that he was a servant through whom some of the people of Corinth believed - For when one says, "I follow Paul" and another, "I follow Apollos", are you not being merely human? What then is Apollos?  What then is Paul?  Servants through whom you believed as the Lord assigned to each. If Paul is a servant through whom these believed, how can he have accomplished this without baptizing if baptism is an essential component?  Some may argue that Paul did baptize some, whom he, himself, mentioned, and this passage could refer to these.  Is there more evidence that Paul does not consider baptism essential to salvation? 

In I Corinthian 4:17 - Paul mentions Timothy - That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.  Two notable things stand out in this passage.  First, we see that Paul's ways are the same in every church everywhere, thus he can see that he is not in the habit of baptizing, though he claims to be leading people to salvation. Secondly, and most important, Timothy is there among the people of Corinth and Paul names the very few people who are there that he baptized and Timothy is not named, yet, Paul specifically names Timothy as his child in the Lord.  If Timothy is, indeed Paul's child in the Lord, that means that Paul must have led Timothy to Christ, yet he did not baptize him.  If Baptism is a necessary part of salvation and Paul did not baptize Timothy, then Timothy could not possibly be Paul's child in the Lord.  

Paul was not teaching a lesson on baptism or the process of salvation.  In stating facts, Paul reveals that he does not equate baptism with the process of salvation, because if he did, he would have placed baptism on equal ground to preaching the Gospel, which he most obviously did not: 7For Christ did not send me to baptize.  

CONCLUSION

Part of discipleship is learning from the lives of others.  As we get a glimpse into the life of the Apostle Paul, we cannot deny that he was a church planter who led many to Christ.  What we also learn by watching him is that he did not consider baptism essential to salvation, nullifying the idea of baptismal regeneration. Paul was actually rejoicing that he had only baptized a few people.  We are saved by placing our faith in Christ and in that alone.  Baptism is a work that does not save.  Believers who have been regenerated are commanded to be baptized.  Paul led Timothy to Christ, yet he did not baptize him.  By handling scripture properly, we can learn a great deal about topics that divide the church.  We can see what God's intent is and we can lay arguments to rest.  It is up to us to come to the Word as a blank slate, not looking to find things that agree with our theology, but crafting our theology by learning what God's word is saying in context.  

MARRIAGE REDEFINED - A SPIRITUAL END TIME BATTLE

     A great upheaval has taken place in America over the Supreme Courts decision to force the legalization of same sex marriage.  There are numerous reasons for this upheaval.  

First, legally speaking, the court overstepped it's bounds by usurping authority not given it in the constitution.  As a republic, our representatives go to Washington and vote on our behalf.  Several states, by representative vote, decided that marriage should remain a covenant between a man and a woman.  Traditionally, this has been the definition for thousands of years.  The Federal Government was established with a system of checks and balances found in the three branches.  The Court has broken free of the system of checks and balances and decreed it's will on America.  

Second, the issue of states rights.  Marriage within a given state has always been governed by that state.  Each state decides it's age of consent, it's use of common law, what blood relations can marry, and who may preform a marriage ceremony.  These laws vary greatly from state to state and the Federal Government has never before interfered with a sovereign state's laws governing marriage.  The constitution, on which the Court presumably ruled, does not address marriage.  For the Court to even have heard this case is a mangling of the law, and for the Court to have decided against the rights of states to govern their own laws of marriage, is a travesty.  Activist judges have abused the authority given them by the Federal Government and they have violated the trust of the American public.  No matter what one's view is on homosexuality, a renegade Judiciary should cause citizens to shudder.  

 Third, conviction of faith.  America has always boasted, until very recently, of it's Judeo-Christian heritage.  The Bible, from which most of our laws are derived, clearly defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Moses defined it this way and Jesus defined it this way.  Many liberal theologians, and I use the term theologian loosely, claim that the Bible does not define marriage or claim that Jesus never specifically condemned homosexuality.  While Jesus never spoke specifically about homosexuality, He did define marriage as between a man and a woman and to deny this is simply intellectual dishonesty.  On the topic of homosexuality, this is definitively condemned in the Law of Moses and Jesus fully endorsed the Law.  "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill."  Jesus upheld the Law and by default agrees that homosexual behavior is sin.  

     I believe that the ruling on marriage goes beyond law and ideology.  There is a spiritual underpinning to this story that is all but ignored in the church.  America is not the first country to legalize same sex marriage.  Canada voted to legalize same sex marriage in 2005.  The difference is that Canada has never touted itself as a Christian nation.  America was founded on the idea of religious freedom.  The first settlers came to America specifically to escape religious oppression.  It is undeniable that America was founded on Biblical values.  As Israel is a safe haven for the Jewish people, so too was America a safe haven for followers of Christ.  This heritage gives America a unique place in the community of nations.  As Rabbi Jonathan Cahn has pointed out, America parallels  Israel, especially ancient Israel, in many ways. hear Rabbi Cahn's message here   We claim, in our pledge, to be a nation under God, our money says "in God we trust" yet we, as a nation are sliding farther and farther away form God and His precepts.

   As America is, along with Israel, unique in it's relationship to God, enacting a law by Judicial fiat opposing God's natural order places us in a very precarious position.  The relationship God had with Israel, throughout the Old Testament, is described as a marriage relationship.  Each time the nation of Israel sinned in idol worship, God condemned this behavior, referring to it as adultery.  As Israel is depicted as God's wife, the church is declared the Bride of Christ throughout the New Testament.  God uses the model of marriage to demonstrate His relationship with His people.  This is a spiritual matter.  Satan, who hates both Christian and Jew has found a way to mock the relationship we have with God.  By taking a sacred institution established by God and redefining it is a power move by the father of lies.  

Redefining marriage in America has deep spiritual significance.  Satan is attempting to establish his rule on earth.  The Bible tells about a future time when the world system and it's citizenry, is in open hostility toward God.  By toppling a foundational institution like marriage, Satan is revealing that the world is ready for a major shift away from God, setting the stage for end time events.  In spiritual terms, this court ruling is tantamount to the Marines storming the beach at Normandy.  Satan has achieved a major victory on his road to ruling the world.  America, despite all it's issues, has always expressed itself as a shining city on a hill, a direct reference to a land under the authority of God.  While the constitution prohibits the establishment of a state religion, it also acknowledges God in it's preamble.  Satan's frontal assault on the definition of marriage in America reveals an enemy stronghold that has taken root and that will cause many to reveal where their true allegiances lie.  Spiritually speaking, Satan is rallying his troops.

  My greatest disappointment lies with those who claim faith in Christ and support the cause of same sex marriage.  To support something that so blatantly contradicts God's created order while claiming to be a follower of Christ is an amazing contradiction.  The court's ruling will cull unbelievers out of the church and further marginalize true believers in society.  By standing for truth, believers will be labeled as bigots, haters and worse.  This is also a major part of the spiritual warfare we are engaged in.  Make no mistake, we are at war.  We are not at war with homosexuals, we are not at war with the Supreme Court, we are not at war with the Obama administration, we are at war with powers and principalities and dark forces of the unseen world.   As Christians, we are commanded to pray for our leaders, this includes Barak Obama, God loves him.  We are commanded to reach out to those who are estranged from God through sin, this includes people involved in sexual sin, God loves them.  Our weapons are not physical as our enemy is not physical, but spiritual.  

The church must be able to stand firm in it's convictions and love those outside the church.  Jesus died for all mankind and the church must demonstrate this truth.  The believer in Christ must pursue personal holiness and be dedicated to prayer.  Spiritually speaking, we may have lost a major battle in the supreme court, and we may have very well lost the culture war in America, but we know that the battle belongs to the LORD and that in the end, it is His kingdom that will be established while Satan is remanded to the lake of fire for all eternity.  In the mean time, the church must demonstrate God's love to those who are perishing.  If we want to impact the world, we have to care enough about it to pray for it and then care enough to act upon God's call to action which is sharing our faith and making disciples of all nations.    

GAY MARRIAGE, THE SUPREME COURT, AND THE PROGRESSIVE POPE

    For American Christians, June 26, 2015 will be remembered as the day that America officially became a post-Christian nation.  By the decree of the Supreme Judiciary, the will of the people in several states, and state rights as a whole, has been obliterated.  Same sex marriage is now the law of the land in the nation that claims to be "under God" and the nation that prints the lie "in God we trust" on it's currency.  The United States of America has abandoned God and His creative order by judicial fiat.  The reaction of many who claim the title of Christian has been extremely disheartening, to say the least.  I find it very hard to believe that anyone who has the Spirit of God can celebrate or endorse this heinous court ruling.  

     As the church, we are called to love as Christ loves, and that means loving all people regardless of their behavior or beliefs. Loving people does not mean supporting them in opposing God's creative order.  True love demands truth.  In this case, true love demands that we speak the truth about sexual sin.  Clearly, God's word defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman and any sexual activity outside the confines of a Biblically defined marriage is sin.  Sin separates us from God and leads to eternal damnation.  Christ died to pay the penalty of sin.  Christ's death does not, however, excuse sin.  

     The legalization of same sex marriage is not a plague on America but a symptom of a much greater disease, the disease of apostasy.  American culture has been working toward divorcing itself from God since the 1960's and the Supreme Court's usurpation of power over the definition of marriage is one more move against God and His principles.  This ruling should not come as a surprise, as our nation is mostly non-Christian and people separated from God should be expected to embrace sin and reject the teachings of scripture.  

     Apostasy does not take place in a secular culture, but within the Church itself.  Church leaders across America are abandoning sound doctrine for progressive concepts and merrily leading the nation down the path to destruction.  The very institution that is supposed to be calling people to holiness and Biblical truth is increasingly touting evil and allowing emotions to govern decision making within the upper echelons of ecclesiastical leadership.  How does this happen?

     The Roman Catholic Church, which officially takes a stand against sexual immorality, is currently led by a false prophet who claims to stand for God's truth and creative order while practicing just the opposite.  Pope Francis has repeatedly spit in the face of conservative Catholics who stand for Biblical truth, which is ultimately, spitting in the face of the very One whom he claims to represent, Jesus Christ.  To read about the Popes apostasy, CLICK HERE 

     Currently, the Pope is on a crusade to protect the planet from man made climate change.  Professor John Schellnhuber, a Vatican spokesman on climate change, has called for a depopulation of planet Earth from 7 billion people down to 1 billion.  God told us to "be fruitful and multiply" and to "fill the earth."  The Vatican is proposing a sustainable population of just 1 billion people, which in affect is endorsing a policy that contradicts God.  

     The Vatican, this week has signed a treaty with the Palestinians, recognizing the statehood of Palestine, in direct opposition to the Word of God, concerning the Gaza.  Zephaniah 2:4-7  For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted.   Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast, you nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left. 
And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures, with meadows for shepherds and folds for flocks. 
 The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah, on which they shall graze, and in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the LORD their God will be mindful of them and restore their fortunes. This passage reveals the fact that God has bequeathed Gaza to Israel, not the Palestinians, or anyone else who may lay claim to that land.   Once again, the Pope is seen supporting a policy that contradicts God.  

  On same sex marriage, we see the same contradiction of God on the part of Pope Francis.  In 2010, Argentina voted to legalize same sex marriage.  Argentine Bishop, Jorge Bergoglio wrote a statement, filled with references to the Holy Spirit, condemning Argentina's move to legalize same sex marriage.  According to the document Bergoglio wrote, it appeared that he was in favor of the Biblical definition of marriage and believed that homosexual practice was a sin.  What most people do not know is that Bishop Bergoglio, in a phone call to Argentine gay rights activist, Marcelo Marquez, stated, "I'm in favor of gay rights" and supported civil unions, stating that Argentina was "not yet ready for a gay marriage law.  Bishop Bergoglio is now known to the world as Pope Francis.  Others have reported similar conversations with the Pontiff while he was still a cardinal.  Francis has made controversial comments concerning his acceptance of the sin of homosexuality since his ascension to the so called throne of Peter.  Most troubling was his statement to reporters, "When I meet a gay person, I have to distinguish between their being gay and being part of a lobby. If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them? They shouldn’t be marginalized. The tendency [to homosexuality] is not the problem…they’re our brothers."  This does not sound like the words of a man who holds to a Biblical view of sexual sin.

    When church leaders, like Pope Francis, openly or even secretly, support sin, there is no hope for a secular society to choose a moral path.  The church is the gatekeeper, church leaders are supposed to be the watchmen on the wall, keeping vigil and steering God's people toward holiness and truth and by doing so, helping society retain a moral compass.  When those who claim to speak for God tout the theologies of Satan, who is watching the gate?  The church must stand for righteousness in love.  Love means telling the truth and helping people come to Christ for forgiveness and transformation.  Church leaders who endorse sin are just as evil as hatemongers like Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church.  Phelps, and his brand of Christianity, bears  no resemblance to any form of Biblical Christianity that follows Christ's example to love people.  

     The church bears some blame for than the Supreme Court's ruling on marriage, because the church has not been clear it's beliefs on the matter.  Most mainline denominations either openly accept sexual sin or merely pay lip service against it.  Those who take a stand for holiness are marginalized and maligned by both secularists and many who claim to be Christ followers.  Those who claim Christ and support evil "have a form of godliness, but the truth is far from them."  The church cannot accept sin any more than it can hate unbelievers or expect them to behave according to the Bible.  The role of the church is to make disciples of all nations, which means loving people enough to speak the truth into their lives and offering them the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  We cannot lash out in hatred and vitriol towards those who do not have the Spirit of God and who choose to live according to their own rules.  We cannot allow those who claim to speak for God to lie and endorse sin.  Somehow, we must balance holiness with love, offering hope to the hopeless and help to the helpless without compromising the message of the cross or minimizing the consequences of unconfessed sin.  The church will face a challenge like it has never seen before and much prayer will be needed on the part of believers as we navigate our not so brave, but very new world.

  

THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST VS. THE EMERGENT SOCIAL GOSPEL

     There seems to be a quiet, almost indiscernible, battle taking place within the Evangelical Christian world.  There is a spiritual war, in which social justice, disguised as evangelism,  is destroying sound theology within the church and marginalizing the Gospel of Christ. The Emergent Church movement is slowly whittling away Biblical truth within the Christian community through ecumenicalism and heresy.  The social agenda of the Emergent Church is attempting to use the Gospel as a means to correct injustice.  The social gospel truly puts the cart before the horse and places the salvation of souls subordinate to caring for the poor and in some cases, makes caring for the poor essential for salvation.  The Bible commands us to care for the poor, and we see Jesus and the Apostles caring for the poor as a means to present the Gospel and to deal with the real issue facing mankind, separation from God due to sin.  The social gospel piggybacks off of an established system, the church, in order to right societies wrongs.  On the surface, this seems to be an altruistic endeavor, but what good is eliminating poverty if we are not making Christ our central message.  Jesus, Himself, asked, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?"  Social injustice is unjust, clearly, however, we must ask ourselves, what is more important, the temporality of our human existence or the eternality of life beyond the physical. Granted, the unregenerated man would lean toward a more humanist approach and focus on the immediate physical need, but as Evangelical Christians, we cannot afford to ignore the eternal destination of men's souls.  Eternity must be our central issue, even as we strive to ease suffering in the here and now.

     One voice who has taken evangelicalism by storm is that of Francis Chan.  Chan first came on the scene with his best selling book Crazy Love: Overwhelmed By A Relentless God.  Chan calls the believer to a deeper love and commitment to God, but saddles that message with a social gospel, suggesting that the true role of the church is to right all of society's wrongs and to alleviate suffering.  Chan goes as far as saying that feeding the poor is essential to salvation.  Chan's theology is a works based faith in which a person cannot be saved unless they preform specified acts, in this case, acts of goodwill for the poor and suffering.  Chan seems to be one of  a growing number of so called theologians who are less interested in doctrine and more interested in making social change. 

    Francis Chan uses Matthew 25 as his proof text.  In Mathew 25, we see Christ, after the second coming, gathering those who have survived the tribulation claiming to have followed Him.  Jesus checks their faith by their actions in helping the poor and persecuted.  These are tribulation saints, not born again Christians.  Had these people been born again, they would have been regenerated and indwelt by the Spirit of God, and the only judgment they would have been subject to would be the Bema Seat Judgment of Christ, a judgment meant to reward works of service.  Either Chan completely misses the point of Matthew 25, or he knowingly misuses the passage to make his point.  Either option is unconscionable, especially for someone who has a Masters of Divinity. 

     This misuse(or misunderstanding) of Matthew 25 is indicative of the Emergent Church's penchant for ignoring doctrine.
Admittedly, doctrinal differences have divided the church for the past 2000 years.  The adherents of the Emergent Church have decided the solution to this problem is to forget doctrine all together and to focus on love.  The proper response should be, rather, to study scripture in light of scripture and accept foundational doctrines as they are presented in the Word.  The Emergent argument makes statements like, "hurting people do not care what mode of baptism the Bible teaches."  This may be a true statement, but it does not absolve the believer from studying and establishing doctrinal truth.  Once we begin to remove doctrinal purity from the discussion, we are left with an anything goes theology that adheres to emotion and "what seems right" rather than absolute truth.  Once we eliminate doctrinal truth, we can take passages out of context, at will, and make them say whatever we want to support our position.  

     In his epistle to the Philippian church, we see the Apostle Paul mentioning those who proclaim Christ from impure motive. While Paul rejoices in the fact that these false teachers are still proclaiming Christ, he makes a point to call them out for their false motive.  We too can rejoice in the fact that Christ is proclaimed by those with an ulterior motive, but we also have a responsibility to proclaim truth. 

    Perhaps the most influential voice in the Social Gospel movement is Purpose Driven guru, Rick Warren.  Author Paul Smith wrote a critique of Warren's Social Gospel agenda in his book New Evangelicalism.  To read my review of Smith's book, click HERE   Warren has gone beyond sacrificing sound doctrine for the sake of social justice, he has embraced ecumenicalism to an amazing degree.  Warren has embraced Pope Francis and claimed that "He is doing everything right."  click here to see Warren's comments on Pope Francis  Francis has embraced Islam by allowing Muslim prayers in the Vatican and Francis made news when he stated that Atheists can be saved "as long as they are sincere."  This does not sound like a man who is doing "everything right" as a spiritual leader meant to represent Christ.  click here to see heresy of Pope  When Rick Warren prayed at the presidential inauguration, his prayer paid homage to Protestant Christianity, Judaism, Catholicism and Islam.  In addressing God, Warren made clear reference to the god of Islam, equating him to the God of the Bible.  By referencing God as "the compassionate and merciful one" Warren referenced God in terms that would be familiar to any Muslim. Later, he referenced Christ by the name Isa, the name used for Him in the Koran.  Unfortunately, the Isa of the Koran is not the Jesus of history, the Koranic Isa is not the son of God, but a prophet of Islam.   Warren should know this, which means he is either unduly ignorant of Biblical truth, or he is willing to disregard what he knows is right to achieve his agenda.  Again, neither is acceptable for a man in Rick Warren's position.

    When social injustice becomes the main thrust, silly things like the exclusivity of the Gospel of Christ cannot stand in the way of progress, or so believe the purveyors of the social gospel.  This is what makes the social gospel of the Emergent Church so dangerous and subversive.  When the true Gospel hinders the work of social justice, sound doctrine is marginalized and considered anti-poor.  The social justice movement is willing to sacrifice souls in the pursuit of humanitarian efforts.  

    If Christ's main concern was caring for the poor and persecuted, why did He turn away the multitude after having fed them the previous day?  Christ made it clear that the message was Him, that the goal was total commitment to God the Father through the Son.  When Jesus was anointed with expensive nard, some were opposed to the apparent waste of resources that could have been used on the poor.  Christ's response is very telling "you will always have the poor..."  Obviously, Christ was not teaching a Gospel that required care for the suffering as a prerequisite for salvation.

     Even as the church continues to downgrade sound doctrine from within, we are bombarded by false teaching from outside the camp in the form of movies like Son Of God and shows like The Bible from new age adherents Roma Downey and Mark Burnett.  Roma Downey holds a degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica, a well known New Age institute of learning.  Downey also partnered with Medium/Spiritist John Edwards to create a CD for children, helping them to meditate.  Interestingly, neither Burnett nor Downey have a salvation testimony or claim to be born again, yet, they are brought on Christian talk show after Christian talk show and allowed to discuss all the work they are doing in the name of Christ.  Sadly, the Jesus found in Son of God bears little resemblance to the Jesus of the Bible.  to see my review of Son of God - click here  I find it disconcerting that Downey and Burnett are able to continue to put out inaccurate representations of scripture, have obvious ties to the new age community, and offer no evidence of Biblical salvation, yet are able to go unchallenged by the Christian community.  

   This brings us back to the fact that sound doctrine does matter. Without the foundation of sound doctrine, we cannot combat error. By allowing the social gospel to hijack the work of the true Gospel, we are attempting to gain the world while forfeiting it's soul.  Again we must answer Christ's question, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?"  What profit is it to a man if I help alleviate his physical suffering and do nothing to remedy his eternal damnation.  We should, unquestioningly, care for the suffering of the downtrodden, but we should do so with their soul in mind.  The church should address social issues and care for the poor, but the ultimate goal must be the salvation of the lost.  We cannot partner with and give credence to those who are opposed to the Gospel of Christ, we must not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, we must never sacrifice Biblical truth for any reason, no matter how seemingly altruistic.  Doctrine matters and so does the salvation of the lost.  Christ commanded us to go and preach the Gospel, making disciples of all nations.  As people place their lives under the lordship of Jesus Christ, societies will change for the better and suffering will ease.  True change can only come through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

FOX'S LUCIFER - CONDITIONING SOCIETY TO RETHINK EVIL

     Fox Television Network has green lighted a new show called Lucifer.  This new series will depict Satan, bored with being "lord of hell", taking a vacation, of sorts, in Las Angeles.  A major plot line of the show will be Lucifer helping the police punish criminals while an angel, sent from God, attempts to convince him to return to his place in Hell.  Lucifer becomes an anti-hero with a likable personality, more of a lovable rogue than the hater of men's souls. 

     This theme of traditionally evil characters being rebooted as heroic and virtuous seems to be a new trend in Hollywood.  Disney's Maleficent reinvents the evil character from Sleeping Beauty as a creature of beauty and grace who was turned bitter by lost love and betrayal.  In the end, Maleficent regains her wings and returns to being a creature of goodness and light, restoring peace to the world. Dracula Untold was the next film that recently retold the tale of an overtly evil character who was really a misunderstood good guy, forced to embrace an evil persona to accomplish good. In Dracula Untold we find the story of a man who is forced to become a powerful creature in order to save his family and kingdom from Islamic invaders.  A character who is traditionally referred to as "the prince of darkness" and whose name literally means "son of the devil" gets a makeover and is revealed to be more than good as he sacrifices himself for those he loves.  In essence, we have Dracula being recast as a Messiah rather than a blood thirsty agent of hell.  

     Lucifer is one of a slew of comic book based television shows and movies that have been flooding American culture in recent years.  Executive Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has been quoted as saying, "We are in the transportation business. We transport audiences from one place to another", in referring to the film industry.  Where exactly is Mr. Bruckheimer attempting to transport us with Lucifer?

     With the current trend of reinventing evil characters, Lucifer goes beyond mere entertainment as this production deals with a non fictional entity who is evil personified.  There seems to be an agenda to cast Sastan in a positive light, especially to younger generations who are all but Biblically illiterate.  Isaiah 5:20 states: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Maleficent and Dracula are obviously fictional characters and reinventing them for entertainment purposes is perfectly acceptable.  One does have to wonder who or what is ultimately inspiring these ideas.  I dealt with this topic in a previous blog that can be accessed by CLICKING HERE THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED BY GOD - WHO INSPIRES OUR ENTERTAINMENT?

     At some point in the future, Satan will come to world power through  the person the Bible refers to as the "beast" traditionally known as the Anti-Christ. This is clearly stated in Revelation 13:5-8 5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling,[a] that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.  Obviously, if Satan showed up today, the world would not accept him or worship him.  Something must fundamentally change in the way the world views God and Satan for the above scenario to take place.  Television shows like Lucifer are the beginning of what must take place in order for there to be a paradigm shift tremendous enough for the world to embrace Satan and actively reject God.  People must be conditioned to accept the idea that Satan is good and God is evil.

     In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve walked with God, talked with God, had fellowship with God, yet Satan was able to convince them that God was lying to them for His own selfish purposes.  If Adam and Eve could be convinced of lies about God, how much more is a world that has no regard for the Creator susceptible to such a great delusion. In fact, the Apostle Paul warns us of this very thing in II Thessalonians 2:8-11 -  8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,... Satan's perceived persona must change in order for the world to accept him as a ruler.  Current culture and entertainment is attempting to accomplish just that.  Through conditioning, society may come to view Satan as a heroic, even victimized, persona that wants what's best for everyone.  This idea transcends the idea of sympathy for the devil, even the Rolling Stones' song by the same name cast Satan as a villain.  Casting Satan as a sympathetic villain is not enough to bring forth the cultural shift that must take place before Revelation 13 can become a reality.  

     As believers, we have a great challenge and responsibility to present and defend truth.  We cannot afford to speak about faith and not actively practice it in our daily lives.  The onus is on us, now more than ever, to educate the younger generations in Biblical truth.  The Word of God has been marginalized in our post modern society and is not tolerated in the marketplace of ideas because, in a relativistic society, there is no place for a book that claims authority and absolute truth.  We need to be careful, now more than ever about our entertainment choices and the example we are giving to our children and grandchildren.  Hypocrisy is one of the largest factors in why young people are rejecting Christ in record numbers.  When we say one thing and do another, it tells those around us that we really do not believe what we claim to believe.  

     We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities of darkness.  We must be prepared for battle and we must understand that the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but of the Spirit.  Scripture memorization, obedience to God's word, and prayer. We must have the mind of Christ.  Philippians 4:8 tells us to focus on good things and not to dwell on evil: 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  Time is short, and we know that the world will grow increasingly evil before the end of all things.  We can do our part by being aware that evil influences will be growing as well, and responding to these influences properly.  We must be wary, as believers, to not participate in or support anything that glorifies the enemy of God.  Lucifer should be on our "do not watch list" but it should be part of our conversation.  We are called to be prepared in season and out of season to give an account for our faith.  A show about Satan may just be a good conversation starter and we can take something that Satan meant for his glory and use it to glorify our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!