"Truth Under Fire"

What do you get when you blend Christianity, pantheism, Eastern religion, mysticism with a dash of New Age philosophy? A recipe for disaster!

The Bible tells us that the end times will be characterized by false teaching and deception. Even what passes for the church will grow lukewarm and lethargic, (Revelation 3:16), with a watered-down, seeker-friendly version of the Gospel that has no place for Jesus.

We are no longer a predominantly Christian society. In fact, anti-Christian sentiment so permeates our public schools, one would think the mere mention of Christ (or God forbid!), the Ten Commandments, might actually corrupt young brains. The end result is a people ignorant of biblical truth and polluted by sin. The pursuit of a secular life without God leaves a spiritual vacuum that will, of necessity, be filled with deception. Take God out, and an empty, lost society will fill the void with something. Drugs, alcohol, materialism or some false religion are all popular options.

The Bible predicts that a time of spiritual apostasy will precede the end and pave the way for the arrival of the Antichrist. The word apostasy comes from the Greek word apostasia which means, literally, "to defect, or to forsake the faith."

Most evangelicals believe this apostasy is the product of a false Christianity--people who claim to be Christian, but who don't follow Christ. This false Church will have only the appearance of Godliness, but deny the power of God to save. They will be devoid of the Spirit and of truth. They will be counterfeits.

The false religion of the last days will be a combination of: corrupted Christianity, pantheism, Eastern religion, mysticism, and New Age blather all tossed together into one big fat grand DECEPTION.

Buyer beware.

A wise man once said: "Test everything against the truth of God's Word. The more familiar you are with the "real thing"--Scripture--the easier it becomes to spot a phony." -- Greg Laurie, evangelist

"How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure"  Ephesians 1: 3-5.

News:

• CNN: Rogue FBI employee marries ISIS terrorist she investigated.
• RR News: Iran Using U.S. Cash To Fund Massive Military Buildup; Money part of nuclear deal under Obama Administration.
• The Hill: U.S. intercepts Russian bombers, fighter jets off Alaska.

"Satanists Horn In On 10 Commandments"

The American History and Heritage Foundation filed an application last month to erect a privately-funded monument of the Ten Commandments on the Arkansas State Capitol grounds.

So far, so good...but then...

Not to be outdone, the Satanic Temple filed an application of their own--to place, also on the Capitol grounds, a statue of Baphomet--a 9-foot tall, 2,000 pound, bronzed goat-headed, angel-winged androgynous creature (made in the likeness of Iggy Pop) accompanied by two children smiling up at it. Their preferred location? One foot directly in front of the proposed Ten Commandments monument, where else?

"Our monument," proclaims Satanic Temple spokesman, Lucien Greaves, "will stand in honor of those unjustly accused--the slandered minority, the maligned outgroups who ultimately found a home in the United States where religions are neither opposed nor imposed--so that we might pay respect to their memory and celebrate our progress as a pluralistic nation founded on secular law."

The Satanic Temple pulled the same stunt at the Oklahoma Capitol and succeeded in having the state's Supreme Court rule against any religious display--including the Ten Commandments, which then had to be removed.

Meanwhile, the debate goes on in Arkansas with a third group getting into the act: The Saline Atheist and Skeptic Society has propose a third display: a brick "Wall of Separation" than would be erected between the Ten Commandments and the Satanic statue of Baphomet (aka Iggy Pop).

Seriously people, we can't make this stuff up. But if you'd like to voice your opinion, a hot line has been set up for your convenience by the Arkansas Secretary of State.

A wise man once said: "Many tend to see the Ten Commandments as a list of dos and don'ts given by a demanding God. Instead, we should view them as a road map to freedom provided by a powerful, yet gracious God." -- Mark Mitchell, author

"Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them."-- 2 Corinthians 4:4

News:

• The Globe: Satanic Temple quietly opened its first international headquarters in Salem, Mass on September 23
•  Richmond Times-Dispatch: FBI investigation launched after dead people are registered to vote in Harrisonburg, Virginia
• Los Angeles Times: Risk of big earthquake on San Andreas fault rises after quake swarm at Salton Sea; more than 200 quakes recorded in 24-hour period.