Random Bits

"I walk through this sinful world as a 

pilgrim in a foreign country" - CH Spurgeon

It's over. 2017 is in the bag, it's a done deal, stick a fork in it. Not that 2017 was a bad year, and by looking at the economic numbers you'd think it was an outstanding year. I'm not going to get into a rehash of 2017, there are plenty of click-bait slide shows out there to show you the best/worst movies of 2017, the celebrity deaths of 2017, the sex scandals of 2017, the top news stories of 2017... ad nausium. 

What is weighing on my heart is something I haven't seen in a slide show yet - the Great Apostasy of 2017. Nothing sums it up better than a twitter "conversation" I had with a member of the "Christian" left. When challenged by this person to name Jesus top commandment I replied "Love the lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind" I was informed that I was wrong, it's to love your neighbor. And that's where Satan is attacking the church, our sinful neighbor has replaced God as the object of worship, rather than spreading the gospel to them, we're trampling the gospel for them. To top it off, the church has been filled with false prophesy, false teaching, occultism, and piles and piles of mammon. And those in the wrong are those that point this out. It's thrilling to watch bible prophesy come alive in front of your eyes, it's also saddening

Necromancy? Tarot cards? Just another day at Bethel Cult Church

Bethel pastor Ben Fitzerald gets upset that his mother is accused of practicing a form of occultism, when in reality she is only practicing a form of occultism

Occultism is becoming a big problem in the church

Eight Christmas biblical "contradictions" resolved

Christmas in the Armed Forces

Naming Names

Ever have someone get on your case for calling out a false teacher? It's not hard to do, just find a false teacher and publicly announce why he or she is a false teacher. 

You can have all the biblical evidence needed to back up your claim, you can even throw in evidence of their financial and marital malfeasance, but still you're going to be accused of being "unchristian" and "hateful" for your desires to protect the flock that the wolves are ravaging. And what happens? the sheep being torn asunder accuse you of being unfair to the wolves whose teeth are dripping with their blood.  Don't believe me? Try discussing Steven Furtick. You'll find out very quickly why Naming Names is the #1 crime an Evangelical can commit.

WWUTT - Born in a Barn?

Charles Haddon Spurgeon's Thoughts on Christmas

Spurgeon on Christmas

December 8, 2015 by Ray Rhodes, Jr.

A few days before Christmas 1891, while recovering in Mentone, France, from poor health, Charles Spurgeon wrote a moving letter to the children of his orphanages. From the time Spurgeon moved to London in 1854, he was deeply concerned about the plight of the hundreds of orphans that lined the city’s streets. Between 1866 and 1876, he led his church to build two orphan’s homes.1

As long as Spurgeon’s health allowed him to remain in London during the cold winter months, he, along with Susannah, visited the orphans each Christmas Day. He led the children to remember generous benefactors who supplied funds for the orphanages, to be kind to their caretakers, and to give thanks to God for his provision. Affectionately, he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a coin for each child.2

As what would be Spurgeon’s last Christmas Day drew near, he wanted the orphans to know that he loved them. In his letter, Spurgeon wished them a “glorious,” “jolly,” and “merry” Christmas. When the children received his letter, they cheered. The children wrote back warmly telling him that they prayed for him every day “that God would make you well again, for what should we do without you?”3 Spurgeon’s care for his orphans each Christmas Day demonstrates his positive outlook on the holiday.

To assert that Spurgeon was a Scrooge, as some have suggested, is to misunderstand him. It is true that he opposed ecclesiastical enforcement of, and superstitious practices related to, Christmas.4 He also denounced excesses that were prevalent at Christmas, such as drunkenness and gluttony. However, he did not discourage Christians from celebrating the birth of Christ. Spurgeon valued Christmas Day and said, “I love it as a family institution.” He wished there were “20 Christmas Days.”5 He viewed Christmas as one of “England’s brightest days,” because laborers rested, families gathered, and joy was expressed.6

Random Bits

"I walk through this sinful world as a 

pilgrim in a foreign country" - CH Spurgeon

I've always been leery of big company Christmas parties. For one thing there's nothing Christian about them, instead Christ is replaced with myths and alcohol. Still, they did show that the higher-ups care about employee spirit. The reason why I'm leery is that the most awesome Christmas parties I've attended in the civilian world preceded company collapse. When I worked for Andalon.com our 2000 Christmas party was Spectacular! and in the week that followed the company announced it's bankruptcy and we were all out of jobs. Talk about a Y2K bummer! The same thing happened with another company I worked for: Adelphia.

I could say that it just applies to companies that start with an A, but the same thing happened at Time Warner Cable, which also no longer exists. Maybe it's just me? Possibly, my current company has either phased out Christmas parties, or (much more likely) they just didn't invite my team. (I knew there was a reason they moved us to that dank basement!)  All that party stuff is just a distraction to the real meaning of Christmas: We have been blessed with our promised Savior! His birth was just the beginning of His wonderful ministry on earth and should be celebrated with great joy, almost as much joy as the news of His resurrection. So on Sunday I will join with my congregation of Bereans, twice, and celebrate the Good News.

Looks like we have to build a second wall. Man, I used to like Canada

And just when you thought Canada couldn't slide any deeper into...

You say Potato I say Potahto dept: Is witchcraft synonymous with feminism?

Tom Wolf, Governor or Pennsylvania, has vetoed a bill Monday that would have made it illegal to chop live babies into pieces

Did God use a false teacher to heal you?