Saturday, July 2, 2016

Democrats know Hillary is lying, they just don't care
Hillary Clinton, presumptive Democrat candidate for office of President of the United States, met with F.B.I. agents this morning for a reported 3 and a half  hour period. The investigation into her emails during her service as Secretary of State in the Obama administration is under investigation.

 We all have heard about it, she received and sent official government emails from her own personal email account, involving an unsecure server. The question looms: will she be indicted of a crime? Probably not. The Attorney General met with her husband Bill, and they are cool.
The statement released by the Clinton campaign regarding her F.B.I. meeting read, “Secretary Clinton gave a voluntary interview this morning about her email arrangements while she was secretary."

 Her email arrangements? Wait a minute. An “arrangement” is an exception to a standard, or policy. You have an “arrangement” when you are given permission by an authority to go outside standard requirements. A disable person might have an “arrangement” to accommodate them to be in the employ of a business.

 Hillary Clinton had no “email arrangement.” Those in authority never gave her permission, or an exception.

In fact, that’s why there is an F.B.I. investigation, because she DIDN'T HAVE an “arrangement."

 A FOX News poll released today stated that 60% of Americans believe Hillary Clinton is lying about her email predicament. The dishonesty is so incredulous and obvious, that you may be astounded that it appears 40% believes she is being honest. Don’t think that, for that is a lie, too.

 100% of Americans KNOW she is lying, it’s just that 40% don’t care. And why don’t they care? Because these folks like to kill babies, take guns away from registered law abiding citizens, want transgender boys in the girl’s bathroom, and worship the LGBT community as the second coming of Christ.

 When you serve the devil, and everything ungodly and demonic, you don’t care if your man or woman is lying. In fact, as Alveda King said in my Confronting the Devil podcast, “Satan is such a liar, all he does is lie."

 So, the 40% follow liars and are lairs. They don’t care about any truth. They only care about throwing babies into wood chippers. And they will provide cover for anyone who supports their demonic practices at any cost.

 So, the next time you see a poll number that is so outrageous that it’s unbelievable, it most likely is.
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The mainstream media's demonic disdain for pastors
One thing I noticed from the get-go when I started producing my podcast Confronting the Devil was a weariness among potential guests I approached to appear on the program. Some pastors even wrote that they were “praying for an answer” as to whether or not to do the show.

Then I figured it out. My show is a form of media, and media in general is hostile toward anything Christian. Interviews for pastors often become interrogations in mainstream media, who love to brand Christians as haters, but give Islamic and Muslim faith a politically correct pass.

For nearly 34 years I worked at a newspaper, and at one time was briefly on the editorial board. I recall that in one session a pastor who wrote a column for some time on the editorial page was the topic of discussion. His biblical stands often riled up liberal readers and caused a flood of letters to the editor accusing the reverend of skirting hate speech.

Some serious discussion took place in that editorial board meeting on how to address what was coming out of that pastor’s mouth. It irritated me so much, I stated to the others, “What do you expect him to say, he’s a pastor? If you don’t like him, boot him off the editorial page. But don’t act surprised if he ministers the Gospel.” In the end, the pastor stayed in the paper.

But, the experience revealed something. Most mainstream media, whose narrative is "all inclusive," don't want to include Christians. And if they do accommodate them, they quickly determine that the inclusion has become a problem. If Christian viewpoints are hate speech, don't include them. Ban them. Trash them if that improves your chances for salvation.

 It’s like running a column from the area Fire Chief who speaks out on fire prevention. It certainly will upset the arsonists who read the column, but what did you expect the Fire Chief to say when you invited him in?

One clear example of this is a Youtube video featuring Pastor Michael Venyah, who I have invited on my podcast and who will appear soon. When gay marriage was given the thumbs up by the Supreme Court, a TV reporter needed a “talking head” from the church. Venyah took the bait, but he didn’t swallow the hook.

The reporter framed the question, “So, what is your opinion on gay marriage?” To which, Venyah correctly answered, “My opinion is what the word of God says.” Venyah then quoted Scripture concerning the topic. The reporter was so frustrated she asked it again seeking a different answer, but got the same. In the video when the reporter wraps up the shoot Pastor Venyah is gently ministering to her. She cannot get out of there fast enough. It’s shameful.

The residual effect of similar examples is something I sense when guests accept an invite to appear on my podcast. There is a tinge of apprehension about entering a question and answer forum, and many perk up during the interview when they realize it is an authentic forum for them to minister the Gospel.

There is little doubt that the mainstream media is no friend to Christians. It has pretty much reached ungodly, demonic levels, where the only place a pastor can find respect is Christian media itself. And there’s plenty of infighting there where good men and women of God are vilified.

There is every reason for pastors to feel reluctance about being targets if they accept mainstream media invites to engage in hot moral topics today. They will get beat up, called haters, all while the media kisses, caresses and makes love to the Quran.

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Lukewarm congregations are pushing out bold pastors
It’s a silent crisis that lurks in churches throughout America. It’s at times an abusive practice. And the narrative is the lukewarm pastor. You know, the spokesmen for God who don’t rail so much against sin anymore, but talk about love, opportunity and a better life here in the natural.

 It’s the other side of the coin, where congregations control the tone, and if they don’t like what they hear, they get rid of the pastor. Public school teachers have more job security and internal support than pastors in today’s churches. If a student doesn’t think their teacher isn’t making class fun enough, they can’t get rid of him or her.

 Lukewarm pastors? What about the lukewarm congregation? In many cases, they run the church, not the pastor. And many of these internal key level individuals have been inside the workings of their church for decades, and ushered in, and ushered out, many pastors.

Pastors are leaving the ministry, and the stats bear this out. The number of pastors who are hurting is astronomical, as well.

 1,500 pastors leave the ministry for good each month, citing burnout or contention in their churches. 80% of pastors are “discouraged” in their roles. Nearly half of all pastors have seriously considered leaving the ministry in the past 3 months. 50% of pastors say they are unable to meet the demands of their job, and are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way to make a living.

 Dr. Roger Barrier, whom I interviewed for an episode of my Confronting the Devil podcast, relayed that pastors are being abused, and he’s witnessed many who were destroyed. Barrier is a pastor to pastors, and has counselled thousands of them over several decades. He knows first-hand what he is seeing.

 I was shocked to hear that in many cases, the pastors are not the leaders of their church. They are often micromanaged by the internal church hierarchy. Church revenue, which is tied to attendance, is leading nearly every decision being made. And a fiery preacher railing against sin drives people out, not in. That’s dollars going out the door.

 It has become a Catch 22. Pastors are damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.

 If they are outspoken on sin, repentance and social issues, such as abortion or ungodly political positions, they risk being under siege by key members of the congregation. Sure, no pastor need submit and should be bold in the Gospel, but be warned. You will be eliminated if your congregation feels uncomfortable or the message is causing members to leave the church.

 This church will get rid of you, but not before they gossip behind your back.

Pastors are not being pushed out of churches because they aren’t delivering stern enough sermons. They’re being eliminated if they are. It isn’t the devil attacking the pastoral position, it’s the congregation.

 The Warden doesn’t always run the correctional facility, sometimes it's the inmates.

 Let's face it. Churches have become more social-event oriented, rather than Gospel-truth hungry. Hunger in the church today is not for the Word, but for potlucks and pizza parties. Anything to get people to come in, and perhaps join the congregation.

 Happy churches routinely bring in more people and money. It’s just a fact. And, if you don’t believe that, you need to attend Lakewood Church and enjoy Joel Osteen’s latest message.
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Friday, July 1, 2016

The SPOILED, WEAK American Church

"There's good news. It looks like they're gonna' get a chance to learn to have faith like them."
-A pastor I know, regarding the American church and our Russian brethren

Q. Are you part of the spoiled American church?
A. If you can easily eat more than once a day, yes.

But don't worry, according to a reliable pastor I know, you'll get a chance to learn about the strong faith of our brothers and sisters in Russia, and other parts of the world living in scarcity. This is not just my opinion, in Bill Myers, The Jesus Experience, he recounts a story of going to Russia to make a movie, and how the Russian believer he was working with said he was sorry for us weak, American believers. Bill was offended, but I agree. 

 As a church secretary, I get the honor of composing a newsletter each month with amazing pictures of their sister church in Siberia. Those men of God have such a humble, Christlike visage--peaceful, long-suffering. And some of the other pictures of them are interspersed with images of wrecks of buildings, decrepit old folks who you can tell have suffered. To God be the glory for it, because in the happy church America, you just see the sicky-sweet smiles. It makes me wanna' PUKE.

Because everywhere it's ME ME ME, I wanna' be blessed now, instead of "I wanna' die for You, my Lord Christ!"

"You know how gladly I would have shed my blood for the sake of Your Word, but I may not deserve this honor. If it is Your will I shall die gladly. Only let Your holy name be praised and glorified by my sufferings and death." - MARTIN LUTHER

If MARTIN LUTHER, who translated THE ENTIRE BIBLE into the language of the people, didn't even think he deserved THE HONOR of dying for Jesus, how much LESS should WE, who think we do great by God because we go to church every week, donate some canned good, or help a soup kitchen?!

But you cannot even tell the spoiled, weak American church how anemic they are, because they don't have ANY idea how spoiled and weak they are....

"What do you mean, that we should give up everything and go live like a poor, starving person?"

NO.

But you should THINK that way.


"God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." - John 4:24

Look at the way that you talk and think every day--are most of your conversations about ANY kind of world, PHYSICAL topic? (Politics, social issues, terrorism, even things related to ministry, like organizing a Bible study, why so-and-so in the choir does such a bad job, how you can help your youth group grow, etc.)

Some of these, WHILE GOOD, are all PHYSICAL EVENTS.

"God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." - John 4:24

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." - Colossians 3:2

"Yeah, but Kristen, we can't ignore things going on around us!"

But what is your FOCUS?

When your focus is on "things above," then YOU DON'T GET PLAYED BY THE DEVIL. You REALIZE that our fight is not "against flesh and blood." And you don't let the devil set you up to fight with our brothers and sisters who might look different and come from different places, but who all claim Christ.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." - Ephesians 6:12

So, I urge you--eschew earthly things! "Set your mind on things above...." Because if you don't do it soon, you'll do it the hard way. The Lord taught me to fast by taking my hunger away for four days and replacing it with joy. It was miraculous. I didn't eat for four days and felt joy the whole time. But I felt Him make it very clear to me, that those who don't fast now in joy, will fast later when it will NOT be easy. Whether that's a spiritual fast for some, or a food fast for others, the point is that if you don't submit to Him and the things of the Spirit, willingly now, as part of the spoiled American church, you will have to learn the hard way.

I pray you choose the former.

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Saturday, June 25, 2016

An answered prayer: Cavs' win broke the 'Cleveland curse'


If you're not from Cleveland, you don't get the look on LeBron's face, or why Delly, who didn't even play once during the Finals, could care less, had just as thrilled a look on his face as LeBron (once the immensity passed) as did the others.

God took me home to Cleveland to pray for this. Here's the rundown:

MONDAY: At my sister, Amy's, in North Ridgeville, watching with our family, and just prayed for this game not to be the last. I literally said, "Thank You, Jesus!" after every shot made, and meant it. And what's crazy, it felt like Jesus was laughing as I was praying (since obviously He knew He was gonna' give this to us), so in the same way the Chariots of Fire runner said when he ran he felt God's pleasure, I felt Jesus' laughter, His excitement.

THURSDAY: At Amy's again, and this time we were all a bit nervous, like, "Please, God, just let them get back to Oakland!"

At 7 minutes left in the game, we were getting quiet, and my sister (taking this pic) said out loud, "Please, Jesus, stop our heartbreak...this Cleveland curse...."Amy prayed it sincerely, from the heart.

And it jumped out at me. "Hey, I wonder if this curse is REAL?!" I've been in MI the past 10 years, so haven't been keeping up with Cleveland stuff.

So, I prayed, "Jesus, if there's something going on here supernaturally, that's keeping the Cavs down, please stop it. And likewise, if there's something that's helping the Warriors, that shouldn't be, please stop that."

Instantly, the Cavs came together and the Warriors came unglued. LeBron got that steely look in his eye. Steph Curry, a very public Christian, acted like a spoiled brat and got expelled for the first time in his life (I might add, that his arrogance is not Christ-like, but LeBron showed humility, so actually was the more godly appearing).

THURSDAY AFTER THE GAME: When I realized that this was more than just what appeared on the surface, I prayed that God would protect the Cavs and all their people, their families, the places they'd be staying at in CA, and their practices.

FRIDAY: I prayed that the Cavs would get good rest, that nothing would disturb their sleep, or practices. That God would send extra angels to wherever they were staying, and Oracle, to protect their practices, their families, and everyone connected to the team.

SATURDAY: I prayed that God would fill them with "the peace that surpasses all human understanding," and that they would know it's HIM Who is helping them. That they would feel His help so strongly that they would feel that it's not even them who's playing, but that something's filling them with extra supernatural power and strength.

SUNDAY: Had to go back to MI after church, had to be back at St. Matthew the next morning, so Jarod and I watched the game by ourselves (Kev watched Sister Wives, he loves laughing at that ridiculousness. Like ANYONE could be happy having to share their man!). But Jarod was in a group chat with my family back in Ohio.

After feeling Jesus laugh when I prayed Thursday and Monday, this time I felt silence. So, I prayed, "Lord, please do this to glorify Your Son, not for any selfish purposes." I gave up when it seemed like He wasn't going to do it. But I still prayed out loud, this time, the entire game. And I saw tiny things that were answered prayers throughout the whole game. But I still thought the whole game He wasn't going to do it.

The last few seconds, when LeBron hurt his wrist, both Jarod and I were like, "PLEASE, JESUS, HELP LEBRON!!!!!" He did.

And then, I was like, "PLEASE JESUS, do this for me and Jarod!" And He did. For me, Jarod, and all the others who prayed for this hope.

If you've never lived in a heartbroken, hopeless place, you don't get that this is about more than a trophy. It is a symbol of hope. Dan Gilbert summed it up: "God loves Cleveland!"

Dear Jesus, please bless Dan, Lebron, and the rest of the Cavs! Help them to use this to bring hope to many!


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Sunday, June 5, 2016

Ali is gone, but the 'rope a dope' technique is alive and well
I must admit, living here in the natural, I admire many people, even those who do not not share my faith. One such individual was Muhammad Ali, a Muslim, and the greatest boxer there ever was. Few could argue that he was a decent humanitarian.
But this column isn’t about his faith, his profession, or his life. It’s about a technique he used in the boxing ring. It was called the rope a dope. Many of you know a lot about it, but for those who don’t I offer this observation, and a spiritual comparision.
I do not know if Muhammad Ali originated the rope a dope, but he certainly perfected it. It became a hallmark strategy of his boxing career, and played an enormous role in defeating his opponents.
That’s what we’re seeing in the last few decades, but it’s not Ali, it’s Satan who has now mastered the rope a dope.
And, before we continue, this is not in any way comparing Ali to Lucifer. It’s not about that at all. It’s about the strategy. The infamous rope a dope.
Ali used to train relentlessly on how to take a punch. His sparring partners were often in training sessions doing nothing but punching him with no reciprocation. Ali ducked and weaved to avoid the headshots, but absorbed the body punches to the point where his midsection was like a wall of concrete. He could take those punches with little consequence.
In the ring, he capitalized on this by drawing his opponent into a corner, taking a defensive, if not retreating posture, leaning back against the ropes, and allowing the challenger to throw everything he had into taking Ali down. But, Ali wasn’t vulnerable in this position. He was on the ropes, but his opponent was “the dope.”
The challengers like Joe Frazier, George Foreman, and so many others, would exhaust themselves giving it everything they had in what appeared to be a moment of vulnerability. But, folks, it wasn’t the case. Ali’s strategy was to get his opponent to expend all his energy in those moments, to wear him down, then, when the challenger was physically spent, Ali would start to dance around, and effortlessly take them out. Knockout time, buddy.
Satan is playing the rope a dope on society today, especially Christians. He’s drawing you into a corner, and getting your emotional energy at its peak. You begin spending all that energy in a place, fighting, swinging, when there is no damage being inflicted on the enemy. Do you get it my brothers and sisters? Satan is wearing you down so he can easily take you out.
How does Satan draw you into that corner? Well, for Bible committed Christians, he puts out an endless narrative on the news feeds about the power grid going down, nukes headed our way, food shortages, martial law, even the gay pride parades and gay marriage, or gender identification issues. Not to minimize any of this, but if you know the Bible is the true Word of God, and know Jesus is in your corner of the boxing ring, and angels at your side whatever the impending catastrophe - whether real or perceived - you stay out of that corner.
Why get into the Devil’s corner? Are you a dope for the one on the ropes? His goal is a reversal, he’s tricking you. Turnabout, they say, is fair game. You will be the one on the ropes. When you’re invested in the devil’s strategy, you just might be knocked out.
So, the next time the world seems out of control, seemingly overpowered by the demonic, and it triggers a spiritual offense of emotion, stay away from the corner. Boldly stand before your opponent and smile with the love of Jesus upon your face, and His fierceness and wrath in your heart (Rev. 19:15).
Then, pray that Jesus sends His holy angels in for the knock-out. You won’t have to land a single punch. Through Jesus’ overwhelming power, you’ll be declared victorious in the ring. A true champion for Christ.

And the devil, if he’s even able to crawl out of there in one piece, by the power of Jesus, will never play you for the dope of the ropes again.
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Gotthard event: Satan is playing you, just ask the Orkin man
The Gotthard Base Tunnel, which meanders through the Swiss Alps and is the world’s longest and most pricey tunnel project, measures over 57 km. Racking up a price tag of of over 11 billion Euros, the portal took 17 years to complete.

It is said to be “a symbol of European unification in a context of rising nationalism and closing borders.” It’s also another global event opportunity to break out the dancers and costumes for Satan.
One has to remember, while Satan is tenacious, this loser is relentlessly lazy. He’d much rather put in the least amount of effort to reach the most people with a filthy, unGodly visual. That’s why there are “wardrobe malfunctions” for pedophoile Michael Jackson’s satanic Jezebel sister.
The one thing being the host of a podcast titled Confronting the Devil has done for me is put me in direct contact with authoritative and scholarly Christians regarding infestation of the demonic. The demonic display you saw at the Gotthard Base Tunnel, while causing a shocking reaction from Christians, is a distraction. “What?” you say? Yes, Satan puts something outrageous like this out there so we don’t focus on the billions of other subtle moves he is making every moment.
You many have gone to church this Sunday and spoken of this outrageous Gotthard satanic event with a congregation member, and be totally unaware that demons are in your church, eavesdropping on your conversation, laughing at you. As long as your attention is on the Janet Jackson flashing, your mind will never entertain the notion that something bigger has happened. Your church possesses demonic infestation.
We can flinch over the idea of “Isis sleeper cells” in our nation, ready to rise at any given moment, and while they are Satanic, Isis is only some of Lucifer’s soldiers. And, for the most part, Satan doesn’t toy with sleeper cells, they are wide awake. They are in your face. And they are all around you, deceiving you into friendships.
That is one reason that we have a cross on the door of our home. Demons have to face that if they seek entry, and if they are indoors, they have the torture of Christian symbols and Christ everywhere.
When we get into Satan’s emotional response trap on these spectacular events and displays of the demonic, we wander past the guardpost of our personal environments and leave the territory unprotected.
The Orkin man never runs into an extermination job where the issue is one, huge, monster termite that is inside a wood dwelling. Bugzilla is the destraction. The reality is the Orkin man enters the home and sees hundreds of small termites all working together to eat away the foundation of the structure - or in our context, Christianity. And even the Orkin man is smart enough to know for every termite he sees, there are 100 he does not.
Our role as disciples and warriors for Christ demands that we take our eyes off the demonic spectacle of the Gotthard Tunnel event. That is the grand distraction, where lazy Satan can reach the most amount of people with the least amount of effort. And, we as disciples, much like the Orkin man, must not just focus on the obvious, the termites we can see. The true battle is the millions of termites that are inside our dwelling that we cannot see.
The bible tells us, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Do not be deceived regarding the Gotthard event. It’s not the big picture. Because demonic dancers with flashy costumes can never collapse the house of Christ. The big picture is what you don’t see - the unseen and ignored termites that are really eating away the structure and foundation of our faith.
Satan’s desire is to get us off topic. To be focused on temporal, rather than eternal issues. For those who don’t yet see, it’s to get us focused on worldly events, make us forget our mission. We are here for one reason and one reason only, and it’s NOT to save America:

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, ‘All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.’” - Matthew 28:18-20
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