THE CHURCH MILITANT
Ephesians 5:11-"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them". This Christian News Blog maintains a one stop resource of current news and reports of its own related to church, moral, spiritual, and related political issues, plus articles, and postings from other online discernment ministries, and media which share the aims to obey the biblical commands to shed light on and refute error, heresy, apostasy, cults, and spiritual abuse.
Published on May 18, 2013 by VideoNewsPortal on YouTube. Text below video in full:
Colorado sheriffs upset with gun restrictions adopted in the aftermath of last year's mass shootings filed a federal lawsuit Friday, challenging the regulations as unconstitutional.
The lawsuit involves sheriffs from 54 of Colorado's 64 counties, most representing rural, gun-friendly areas of the state.
The sheriffs say the new state laws violate Second Amendment protections that guarantee the right to keep and bear arms. Opponents are criticizing the lawsuit as political maneuvering.
The filing targets Colorado laws that limit the size of ammunition magazines and expand background checks. The regulations passed the Legislature this spring and are set to take effect July 1.
It isn't yet clear whether the sheriffs' challenge will delay or jeopardize the laws. The filing, however, guarantees the renewal of a fierce debate over gun control.
Colorado lawmakers passed the restrictions in reaction to the shooting rampage at a suburban Denver movie theater last summer, where 12 people were killed and dozens more were wounded, and the massacre at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.
The gun control debate was one of the most emotionally charged of the legislative session, with lengthy debates and national attention. President Barack Obama added to the attention on the Colorado Statehouse, as his administration unsuccessfully pushed Congress to enact similar gun controls.
Sheriffs' attorneys are considering whether to ask the court for a preliminary injunction, which would block the Colorado laws while the lawsuit moves forward.
The law enforcement community is divided on the issue. In contrast to the sheriffs, the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police, which includes urban departments, supports the laws. The chiefs said the measures were "common-sense approaches" to protect the public "while not taking guns from law-abiding citizens in any way."
Unlike sheriffs, police chiefs are not elected.
Democrats maintain the public is on their side, and say legislators carefully crafted the proposals that were signed.
"These laws were not constructed haphazardly," said Democratic Sen. Mary Hodge, the sponsor of the magazine limit. "They were constructed to protect us from massacres like the ones we suffered in Aurora and Newtown."
Relatives of victims of the Colorado shooting criticized the sheriffs for filing the lawsuit and accused them of playing politics.
"As a parent who lost my son Alex at the Aurora theater shooting, I ask these people to put themselves in my place," Tom Sullivan said in a statement. "I do not understand why these politicians are picking guns over people."
Weld County Sheriff John Cooke said he and his colleagues were "not the ones playing politics with this."
"We believe that the Legislature were the ones who were playing politics," he said.
Gun control opponents say the language in the regulations is unclear and doesn't provide safeguards to prevent people from inadvertently breaking the laws.
Ammunition magazines, for example, are easily converted to larger sizes, which the bill bans. Gun rights advocates also say the law expanding background checks doesn't provide enough exemptions for temporary transfers and that people conducting private transactions will have a difficult time getting appropriate checks.
Lawmakers allowed several exemptions in the background check legislation, including transfers between immediate family members, shooting events and temporary transfers of up to 72 hours.
State officials, including Attorney General John Suthers, have worked to defend the intent of the laws. Suthers, a Republican responsible for defending the law against the legal challenge, issued a statement Friday giving guidance to law enforcement on how the magazine limit should be enforced.
He said magazine features "must be judged objectively" and that magazines that hold 15 rounds or fewer can't be defined as "large capacity" simply because it can be modified to include more.
Urge Congress to punish those responsible for IRS harassment
May 20, 2013
Dear ##FirstName[AFA Supporter]##,
As most Americans are aware by now, under the Obama administration up to 500 Tea Party, educational, Christian and pro-life groups have been targeted by the IRS since 2009. Their requests for tax exempt status have been delayed, blocked, frustrated and denied. Additionally, tax audits were launched against donors to the campaign of President Obama’s presidential opponent. In other cases confidential IRS information about Obama’s opponents may have been leaked to the press and to others. Such violations are punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
This obstruction has hindered the ability of conservative groups to inform and educate the American people on matters of paramount importance, and may have had a material effect on the 2012 presidential election.
In contrast, IRS officials have been unable to name even a single “progressive” group that received such withering scrutiny. This viewpoint discrimination blatantly violates First Amendment protections of freedom of religion and speech and may well be criminal.
Some specific and egregious examples of government harassment and intimidation:
Dr. James Dobson was told the application for Family Talk Action would not be approved because he had “criticized President Obama,” and the organization was deemed to be a “partisan right-wing group.”
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association was harassed shortly after running ads supporting natural marriage. The organization had to spend an exorbitant amount of time and funds “servicing IRS agents in our offices” over the issue.
The Coalition for Life in Iowa was ordered to divulge to the IRS the content of their prayers, according to Rep. Aaron Schock, and to detail “the activities at...prayer meetings” as well as to “provide the percentage of time your organizations spends on prayer groups.” The acting IRS commissioner refused to say such questions were inappropriate.
Hearings into this egregious and inexcusable IRS misconduct will be held this week in both the Senate and the House. TAKE ACTION Urge your congressmen today to thoroughly investigate IRS misconduct, identify those responsible, and press to see that they are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
We have a prepared letter ready for you. Send it now!
It is very important that you forward this alert to your friends and family members.
Sincerely,
Tim Wildmon, President
American Family Association
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education has reported on a joint letter http://www.justice.gov/opa/documents/um-ltr-findings.pdf, from the Department of Education and the Department of Justice which was sent to the University of Montana regulating speech on their campus and nationwide in all colleges and universities. President of FIRE, Greg Lukianoff, in The Wall Street Journal's lead op-ed space, discusses how the government has mandated a breathtakingly broad definition of sexual harassment that makes nearly every student in the United States a harasser, completely ignoring the First Amendment. See their article here: http://thefire.org/article/15767.html. The YouTube video is here:
Mat Staver and Matt Barber of Liberty Counsel http://www.lc.org/, discuss the intolerance from the homosexual community as they demand Christians participate in their so-called marriage events. The Washington State Attorney General has sued and levied a fine of $2,000 on an elderly woman, Baronelle Stutzman, who owns and operates Arlene's Florist in Richland, Washington for discrimination. She refused, on Christian beliefs, to supply flowers for a same sex wedding. She has countersued using Alliance Defending Freedom, http://www.alliancedefendingfreedom.org/, a Christian law firm.
"Denton, Texas – A pro-life group from Texas has released a video of an exclusive interview with three women who recently left their jobs as assistants to an abortionist who, much like convicted Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell, killed newborn babies upon their delivery.
Life Dynamics in Denton states that it has not named the abortionist so as not to interfere with a criminal investigation, but desired for the stories of the former employees to be told to demonstrate that Gosnell is not the exception in the abortion industry.
John 5:43-44-"I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?"
Romans 2:21-"You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal?"
Romans 12:5-"so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another."
Romans 12:16-"Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion."
1 Cor. 3:4-"For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?"
1 Cor. 12:25-"that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another."
2 Cor. 11:4-"For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted --you may well put up with it!"
Gal. 1:7-"which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ."
Col. 3:16-"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
2 Tim. 3:13-17-"But evil men and seducers will go forward to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue in the things that you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from a babe you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfected, thoroughly furnished to every good work."
Matt. 7:13-"Go in through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there are who go in through it."
This event will be telecast or simulcast to other contemporary emerging churches which glory in the Warren/Hybels new paradigm of doing church, i.e., running a church like a business instead of the model created by Jesus Christ. The above thirteen guest speakers include high profile business world instructors, lawyers, psychologists, mega church pastors, new age practitioners and high level government alumni. Only the best of the best were invited this time so that you and your local church "leaders" can learn more about the workings of running a "business model" church that promises to grow exponentially IF you carefully follow their combined wisdom. Oh, what would the church world do without the benefit of their advice? Return to fundamental Christianity? Heaven forbid! The question that will be scrubbed from this conference is: "What would Jesus do?" You can be certain that although these name the name of Christ and claim to be people of faith, (but in what you may ask), they glory in man's wisdom as an improvement on, and superior to, the Word of God. So get ready for what August will bring in the way of unheard of revelations from this gnostic group.
We will be focusing on several of these to demonstrate that their advice and wisdom is of this world, derived from another gospel that repudiates the true authentic gospel of Jesus Christ, and represents not only a false methodology for doing church, but is poisonous to those who accept their apostate/heretical teachings without comparing to the Bible standard.
We will not be focusing on Bill Hybels, Andy Stanley, Colin Powell, and others who are well known to the church world and the secular world of business. Instead, for the purpose of this post and the overall aim of this blog, we will focus on Dr. Brene Brown, Dr. Henry Cloud, Mark Burnett, and Chris Brown, supplying as much information about them gleaned from their own websites, writings, videos, and other third party sources to uncover what they believe and promote. WARNING # 1:It needs to be said that churches should not be run like businesses. When churches are run like corporations, pastors, elders and deacons lose whatever humility they once had and become manipulative dictatorial leaders and/or task masters, and discard their roles as shepherds, ministers, caring advisers, and equal members of the body of Christ, under the authority of God. Frequently, and in their sinful arrogance and independent spirit, the result is a complete failure to teach from the Bible, disciple believers, and warn and/or correct the congregation in a loving way about apostates, heretics, false teachers, false prophets, and the twisting of Scripture. Instead, they themselves become the focus of worship, the primary and final arbiters of truth, doctrine, and practice on their own authority. Members are ridiculed for wanting to hear Bible based expository preaching on the pretense that it just makes people fat and lazy, unwilling to work for the common good of the church. Adopting a business-like structure in church creates a hierarchy of authority, a "chain of command", leads to abuse, contributes to gnosticism, fosters elitism, belittles the congregation as a working class, values performance over grace, diverts from the God-given guidance of Scripture and focuses on implementing the vision cast by leaders, requires the congregation to subject themselves to unbiblical self-appointed change agents, drives the congregation away from the true gospel of grace towards a social gospel of works, creates a socialist, collectivist, community organizational structure that denies or suppresses individualism, individual thought, and individual effort. Compliance and compliant church members fit into this unbiblical business community, and consequently, individualistic personalities are routinely discarded and booted out if they "don't get with the program". WARNING # 2:In our post of February 28, 2013, we showed that Tim Keller is giving advice to mega church pastors, such as at Willowdale Chapel of Kennett Square, PA. As with more than a few of the 13 guest speakers at GLS 2013, Keller is also enthralled with offering a blend of worldly humanistic psychological theories with Scripture, known among discerning Christians as psycho-heresy. Here again is what we posted on February 28, along with the sources:
Sources show Keller may not be the biblical "go to guy" for advice, whether for individual Christians or churches:
But Lafferty and Willowdale's leadership have apparently learned a lot from Keller as well as Warren. Of course, all these emergents would claim a biblical mandate from Scripture. That may be so, but the implementation is not. They all seem to want to redeem the culture with good works, applying "salt and light" and/or present an attractive image to the unregenerate. Unfortunately, they will attempt to accomplish that goal through implementing a collectivist/fascist business model based on Peter Drucker's ideas for business (the three legged stool), and which is the foundation of Warren's "Purpose Driven" methods.
The second aim appears to be the establishment of God's kingdom on earth or at least preparing the way, allegedly to reign, but not to rule, falling just short of the seven "dominionist" aims of the New Apostolic Reformation which includes ruling the culture.
Lost in all this is the one-on-one traditional biblical model of evangelism, as well as the important role of individuals in such. Now, the message is that the sum total of all individuals spreading the gospel cannot be as effective as the collectivist community inside a business model. This is explored at length by Chris Rosebrough of Fighting for the Faith (Pirate Radio) in this audio "Resistance is Futile. You Will Be Assimilated into The Community".
1) Dr. Brene Brown is described on Emerging Women here: http://www.emergingwomen.com/presenter/brene-brown/. Dr. Brene Brown's website, http://www.brenebrown.com/about/, containsa short biography on her own website, which contains a link, http://www.oprah.com/own-supersoulsunday/blogs/Coming-Up-Sunday-Dr-Bren233-Brown-on-Daring-Greatly, to Oprah Winfrey's Super Soul Sunday. Yes, it appears the two are in fact "soulmates", promoting "psycho-heresy" (psychology and religious heresy mixture), further blended with New Age beliefs and practices such as yoga, mindfulness, holistic medicine, ecumenism, universalism, Hinduism, Buddhism, mantras, breath prayers, contemplative prayer with emptying of the mind, goddess worship, and an array of pagan, mystical ideas. All this while insisting they are Christians!
in which Brown participated and joined with Oprah, the latter claiming to be Christian, but practices and promulgates New Age beliefs, practices, and practitioners. Some examples of sessions with Oprah are in these select videos:
Brown on her concept of "wholeheartedness":
Brown's "Parenting Manifesto":
Brown has written for "Spirituality and Health", a New Age/Yoga online website here:
Quote: "new truths to help you unlock your full potential. Explore the intimate connection between body, mind and spirit through yoga, meditation, spiritual, wellness, and personal growth retreats and workshops."
and Eomega cites its source at http://www.eomega.org/about-omega/history quote: "The name "Omega" came from the teachings of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a renowned 20th-century philosopher, who used the term "Omega Point" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega_Point, to describe the peak of unity and integration toward which all life is evolving." Chardin is a New Age mystic, Catholic Jesuit priest, influenced by Charles Darwin's evolution theory.
Wikipedia states "Cloud co-founded and built Minirth-Meier ClinicWest and served as its Clinical Co-Director for ten years." and " (has) a PhD degree in clinical psychology from Biola University (1987). He also took classes from Talbot Theological Seminary." Talbot is at Biola University, and has been one of the top seminaries teaching spiritual formation and contemplative mysticism. Pat Robertson of CBN interviews Cloud about his book "The Secret Things of God", and his comments clearly point to a fusion of New Age practices and beliefs with Christianity, and in which he states that the Secret is "basically the New Age philosophy that says your thoughts create reality". The video of this astounding interview is here: http://www.cbn.com/tv/1418278203001. This is the book promotion video:
A less than complimentary review of his book was also written at CBN's 700 Club site here: http://www.cbn.com/700club/guests/bios/Henry_Cloud040408.aspx. Cloud is quoted as saying about his book therein as "a huge cultural phenomenon and is classic, new-age philosophy. " And the review further states "As a psychologist, he is amazed at 'the secret things of God' validated by research and clinical practice.
'In fact, I do not know of any successful clinical process or practice that does not agree with God’s secrets', he says. " The article goes on to describe a mystical encounter with Jesus by a Jewish woman: "She was going through a challenging time and asked God to show up. She was immediately embraced by the presence of Jesus."
Cloud has had a working relationship with Bill Hybels' Willow Creek Association as shown in these videos in which Cloud describes how to do "pruning" in your church.
This is very similar to James McDonald's "catapulting" uncooperative church members out of the parking lot, and the foul mouthed/cussing pastor, Mark Driscoll's "blessed subtraction" by getting rid of disagreeable church members by "throwing them under the bus".
Driscoll's "pile of dead bodies behind the bus":
Cloud with Steven Furtick of Elevation Church in this video discussing Cloud's "Necessary Endings":
Cloud claims that "dreams respond to positive and negative voices" in this video. Could the negative voices be demonic?
3) Mark Burnett, married to Roma Downey, were previously covered in a prior post of ours and the pertinent material from that post is copied and pasted here. They are clearly New Agers:
David Cloud's Way of Life reports: Roma Downey, the Roman Catholic co-creator (with her husband, Mark Burnett) of the History Channel’s popular “The Bible” miniseries, says Pope Francis is “a new pope of hope” (“Roma Downey,” Christian Post, April 4, 2013). Here is the promotion video of "The Bible" series:
Downey, famous for her role as “the angel Monica” in the new-agey TV series “Touched by an Angel,” plays the part of Mary in “The Bible” miniseries. She says the example of Pope Francis will cause “the seeds of hope to flourish in people’s hearts and people’s lives.” In an earlier interview, Downey said, “I have prayed to Mary and loved her my whole life” (“The Bible: An Epic Mini-Series,” Catholiclane.com, Feb. 28, 2013). Roma attended the University of Santa Monica http://www.universityofsantamonica.edu/, offering Master's degrees in Spiritual Psychology, “founded by New Age spiritual and self-help guru John Roger” (“Roma Downey Happy Out of Spotlight,” Beck/Smith Hollywood, April 23, 2013). She says that she listens to books on tape by New Age guru Eckhart Tolle, who teaches the divinity of man. The creators of “The Bible” miniseries have not been afraid to add to and change God’s Word.
4) Chris Brown of North Coast Church, http://www.northcoastchurch.com/, the largest Evangelical Free Church in the U.S.A. What more didn't we know that we should have known by now?
Chris Brown on avoiding "stained glass" words when inviting unchurched/unsaved visitors to church as part of their Creative Leadership Training:
Brown on "Sermon Series Branding" to make sermons palatable to the world by always changing everything in the church, so it doesn't look the same as it did 40 years ago. So much for traditional Christianity:
Ceilings of Creativity that hold things back in church, by Brown:
Here is an example of one mega church, Willowdale Chapel of Kennett Square, PA, influenced by all the emergent leaders including Rick Warren and Bill Hybels, and which will be hosting a live simulcast of the Global Leadership Summit this coming August:
Chosen as a premier host site, Olivet will host the live telecast of the Willow Creek Association’s 2013 Global Leadership Summit on August 8 and 9. This two-day event will be broadcast live from Willow Creek Community Church to Olivet’s site at College Church of the Nazarene, North Campus, in Bourbonnais, Ill. Since on-site seats at the main site in South Barrington, Ill., are already sold out, this provides a unique opportunity for local leaders of businesses, churches and organizations to experience the Summit via live telecast.
reported the court's dismissal, but Susan Burke, attorney for plaintiffs will appeal.
Here is Detwiler's report in full below:
Statement by Susan Burke Regarding Statute of Limitations, Bravery, Appeal, & Criminal Proceedings
Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 4:28PM Brent Detwiler
Susan Burke, the plaintiff’s attorney, gave The Wartburg Watch permission to reprint the following statement, verbatim.
We (the victims and the lawyers) all knew about the statute issue at the outset. But fighting for justice means doing so even against known obstacles. We had a conspiracy theory to overcome the statute but the Court rejected it. The victims are all brave and courageous people whose willingness to fight against evil has already made a difference in the world. Also, please realize going forward with a civil lawsuit does not in any way prevent criminal actions – perhaps may even make it more likely. And please keep praying, as we think the Court erred, and will be appealing her ruling.
All the best, Susan L. Burke
If you read the 2nd Amended Complaint you’ll notice the emphasis on the conspiracy by the Defendants being discovered by the Plaintiffs in August, 2011. Susan Burke and Bill O’Neil hoped to overcome the statute of limitations using this legal argument.
These two lawyers took the case knowing it would be hard to argue successfully. They invested a lot of their own resources for the good of justice, the cause of the Plaintiffs, and the prevention of sex abuse. The same is true of the Defendants. One told me, they planned to keep $1 in damages and put the rest into a non-profit Foundation to help the victims of abuse.
The law “may” require the Judge to dismiss the case due to the statute of limitations. If so, she did no wrong but that does NOT mean justice has been served. It has been circumvented. God is interested in justice. Civil authorities often fall short in providing it. Then again the appeal may be successful.
This much I can tell you with certainty. Going forward with the appeal “does not in any way prevent criminal actions – perhaps may even make it more likely.” “Criminal actions.” That means arresting people. “More likely.” That is an understatement by Ms. Burke.
The criminal investigations are going on behind the scenes. Believe me when I say no one cited in the lawsuit is sleeping well at night. There are numerous criminal charges under consideration from obstruction of justice to rape. Plaintiffs are determined to press ahead. They may never be remunerated but they are not going to let their abusers, abuse others. The dismissal was excruciating but they are undeterred. Pray for them.
Pray also for law enforcement officials, witnesses who provide testimony, and victims in other churches who are afraid to come forward.
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Additionally, tax audits were launched against donors to the campaign of President Obama’s presidential opponent. In other cases confidential IRS information about Obama’s opponents may have been leaked to the press and to others. Such violations are punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
