Current Events and Links

Christianity Without the Holy Spirit? One End-Time Expert Says Yes

Dec. 8, 2015 - A new book, Revelation and the Age of Antichrist, written by Steve Magill, suggests that the culture of violence and death will continue to increase if today's Christians fail to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

The departure of Christians from the Holy Spirit results in the removal of God's character of love, joy, peace, ... from our culture. The result is the opposite of these and the everyday violence we now see.

Source: Charisma

Prophetic Significance of Apostasy

As Darkness Falls

Oct. 29, 2015 -

Romans 1:28 says, “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind.” ... At this hour, many prominent and intelligent people are pushing agendas that amount to societal suicide.

Jesus said that in the End Times it will be like it was in the days of Noah -- when moral decay spreads among all peoples.

Source: Hal Lindsey

Survey shows disconnect between pastors, congregations

Sept. 14 - A new poll by researcher George Barna confirms that most conservative congregants wish their pastors spoke more on Bible answers to the problems of our generation. Barna said,

"The ones that rated at the top of the list were issues like abortions and religious freedom and persecution, sexual identity issues and same-sex marriage."

The people in the pews also wanted insight about how to think about and respond to Israel.

Source: OneNewsNow

Hackers say they've posted data of adultery website users online

Aug. 19, 2015 - WIRED magazine claims that a group called the Impact Team has stolen and posted information about 32 million people from Ashley Madison, an online dating site for people who wish to have extramarital affairs.

According to WIRED, the leaked data includes customer names, login details, street and e-mail addresses, and details of transactions that date as far back as 2007.

Source: Fox

Brazil, Peru leave PCUSA over ‘gay’ marriage

Aug. 9, 2015 -

In reaction to the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s recent vote to allow same-sex “marriage,” two Latin American Presbyterian denominations [Brazil and Peru] have decided to part ways with the largest Presbyterian Church in the United States.

Source:OneNewsNow

Pornography a public health crisis, say experts

July 18, 2015 - Dr. Gail Dines, founder and president of the non-profit organization Culture Reframed, told congressional staffers and concerned citizens:

"There are 40 million regular consumers of porn in the U.S. alone, and porn sites get more visitors each month than Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined."

The average American child is exposed to hardcore pornography by age 11, and many will be addicted for life.

Source: WND

Episcopalians Vote to Allow Gay Marriage in Churches

July 3, 2015 -

The Episcopal Church has completed its embrace of gay rights, changing church law to allow same-sex religious marriages throughout the denomination, just days after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide.

Source: NewsMax

Tsunami of Reactions to Supreme Court Marriage Decision

July 27, 2015 - Christians and Conservatives are expressing disagreement with the decision to force legalization of same-sex marriage in every state of the Union. Many of them are predicting the rise of persecution for those who believe the Bible.

‘Court is not a legislature’: Roberts rips gay marriage ruling, day after he backed ObamaCare - Fox

Transcript of Chief Justice Roberts' Dissenting Opinion

Scalia: SCOTUS Majority is A 'Threat to American Democracy' - NewsMax

Transcript of Justice Scalia's Dissenting Opinion

Transcript of Justice Thomas' Dissenting Opinion Religious, Family Groups Slam Justices for Redefining Marriage 'Through Judicial Fiat' - NewsMax

Ted Cruz on Court Rulings: 'Darkest 24 Hours in Our Nation's History' - NewsMax

Conservative law firm says ruling on gay marriage will lead to 'persecution of Christian people' - MLive

What presidential candidates, others, are saying - WND

Unprecedented Four SCOTUS Dissents Promise to Keep Marriage Debate Open - Breitbart

Supreme Court strikes down bans on same-sex marriage

June 6, 2015 - The US Supreme Court has issued its 5-4 verdict that states cannot deny gay men and lesbians the same marriage rights enjoyed for thousands of years by opposite-sex couples. Chief Justice John Roberts read for 10 minutes from his dissent. He accused the majority of overstepping their bounds and ignoring the Constitution.

"Today, five lawyers have ordered every state to change their definition of marriage," Roberts said. "Just who do we think we are?"

Source: USA Today

Reaction

Transcript of Supreme Court Decision

Justices' pointed dissents to gay marriage ruling show unusual discord - USA Today

Scalia: Supreme Court now a 'threat to American democracy' - "Today's decree says that my Ruler, and the Ruler of 320 million Americans coast-to-coast, is a majority of the nine lawyers on the Supreme Court," - Justice Antonin Scalia - Washington Examiner

No Court Can Change What Marriage Is - Jim Daly - Focus on the Family

SCOTUS ruling on marriage a 'spiritual 9/11' - OneNewsNow

Franklin Graham Warns Gay Marriage Ruling Will Lead to Christian Persecution - Fox

Bush, Carson, Walker: Protect Religious Liberty, State's Rights - NewsMax

Bruce Jenner: A Portrait of America's Confusion

June 2, 2015 -

We have an identity problem. We don't know who we are, where we came from and where we are going. The vast majority of our nation is ... in desperate need of light and redemption, lost sheep without a shepherd.

Source: Bert M. Farias - Charisma News

United Methodist Body Votes to Change the Church's Position on Homosexuality by Allowing Clergy to Be 'Practicing Homosexuals,' Perform Gay Weddings

May 21, 2015 - United Methodist churches in Nashville will allow ministers to perform gay marriage ceremonies and ordain non-celibate homosexuals.

While the proposal was passed by the Connectional Table, the General Conference, the denomination's top lawmaking assembly, will determine if it becomes official policy when it meets next year in Oregon.

Source: Christian Post

Bruce Jenner Is Not A Woman. He Is A Sick And Delusional Man- Matt Walsh - The Blaze

Bruce Jenner's transgender journey sparks clash between commentator and pastor - Angie Chui - Christianity Today

Christianity Declines Sharply in US, Agnostics Growing: Pew

May 12, 2015 - A new poll from the Pew Research Center shows a steep decline of people who claim to be Christians and an increase of those who are not affiliated with any religion has grown considerably.

The number of Christians dropped by almost 8 percentage points in seven years to 71 percent, and the trend holds across race, gender, education, and geographic dimensions, though Christianity still dominates American religious identity at 70 percent, USA Today said.

The percentage of people not affiliated with a religion has increased from 16 percent to about 23 percent. At one time it was thought that Millennials would become more religious as they grew older, but they have not.

Source: NewsMax

Study: Americans becoming less Christian, more secular - MSN

Pew Survey: Nearly Half of Those Raised as Atheists Turn to Religion - NewsMax

Dobson: 'Fall of Western civilization' at hand

May 3, 2015 - Iconic Chistian family expert, Dr. James Dobson, warned readers of his "Family Talk" organization that if the Supreme Court rules in favor of same-sex marriage, the consequences will be disastrous. He wrote:

“Barring a miracle, the family that has existed since antiquity will likely crumble, presaging the fall of Western civilization itself. This is a time for concerted prayer, divine wisdom and greater courage ..."

He predicted that hundreds of Christian churches and colleges will be dragged into court, and prohibited from teaching scriptural views of marriage.

Source: WND

Is God’s Judgment Coming?

Apr. 30, 2015 -

“For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now... Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.” Matthew 24:21 Psalm 107:19

Anne Graham Lotz, the highly respected daughter of evangelist Billy Graham, recently taught a prophecy seminar with Joel Rosenberg. She says that the messages that covered Joel 1:1 through Joel 2:17 almost made the hair stand up on the back of her neck because she sensed that God's judgment is coming on America and the world. She believes that Jesus is coming soon to take all of His followers to Heaven (The Rapture). After that, the world will experience a terrible time of God's judgment.

In the hopes that this judgment might be delayed, Lotz is issuing an international distress call: MAYDAY! MAYDAY! for the days of May 15-May 23, 2015. She says:

"These are the nine days between the Day of the Ascension of Jesus and the Day of Pentecost that have Biblically and traditionally been days of prayer and fasting for an outpouring of God’s Spirit."

Read her blog for suggestions about how to pray during these critical days.

Source: Anne Graham Lotz

MAYDAY! MAYDAY! A Distress Call for Prayer Sign up for daily prayer reminders

America is on the wrong track. Washington cannot fix all that ails us. We need to pray. Will you commit to an urgent time of prayer May 15-23? - Joel Rosenberg

The Terrible Failure of the Secular Gospel

Apr. 21, 2015 - Many Christian leaders have made the serious mistake of recasting Christianity in a secular mold in order to try to reach non-believers. He explains:

In short, they followed a worldly philosophy of accommodation (which is very different than wise, Spirit-led, cultural sensitivity), but rather than this bringing a wave of renewal, salvation, and discipleship, it brought more spiritual decline.

Source: Christian Post

Rob Bell stands with Oprah: Rewrites Bible on marriage

Feb. 22, 2015 -

Poised to make more money from attacking another biblical principle, [Rob] Bell, the former pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church, told Oprah Winfrey that the American Church is just “moments away” from supporting “gay marriage,” proclaiming that the transformation is “inevitable.”

Bell made it clear that he thinks the Bible is not God's word and is no longer relevant. He refers to it as "letters from 2,000 years ago."

Source: One News Now

Family Christian Retailer Files for Bankruptcy

'We Strive to Serve God in All That We Do and Trust His Guidance in All Our Decisions,' Says CEO

Feb. 13, 2015 - The nation's largest chain of Christian Bookstores has filed for Chapter 11 protection while it restructures its business. It plans to sell all of its assets and hopes to keep all of its stores open.

Source: Christian Post

Family Christian Bookstore Files for Bankruptcy Protection - GoodEReader

Editor's Note: In recent years we have witnessed the demise of the Sunday School publishing industry, and the closing of many great chains of Christian bookstores. The continued decline of the Christian book publishing industry and apathy by Christians about the continued presence of local suppliers of Bibles, Christian literature and gifts, is a warning sign of the prophesied "falling away" of Christians in the End Times.

15 changes churches can expect in 2015

Jan. 13, 2015 -

Studying churches from coast to coast, LifeWay Research found 15 movements that will be noticed by America's churchgoers throughout the year.

The church is always changing in order to be relevant to the shifting culture. On the other hand, God's Word never changes.

This Lifeway study notices trends that might contribute to either the continued decline of the church or a revival of spiritual vitality. Here are some of their predictions:

- Smaller gathering places and more worship services, instead of massive crowds at megachurches
- Continued loss of membership from small churches to megachurches
- Difficulty matching new pastors with congregations, and an increase of bi-vocational work for pastors
- More and better small groups
- Enhanced emphasis on prayer and growth of interest in prayer
- Shifting of theological training from seminaries to local churches
- Greater interaction of churches with their communities
- Further waning of denominational influence
- Increased emphasis on sharing the gospel verbally as well as demonstrating it through our lifestyle

Source: OneNewsNow

Thom S. Rainer - Fifteen Trends...

GOOD OR BAD? Time will tell: We are posting this in both "Apostasy" and "Revival."