Article found on World Net Daily.

On his 100th day in office, President Obama will be “crowned” in messianic imagery at New York City’s Union Square.

Artist Michael D’Antuono’s painting “The Truth” – featuring Obama with his arms outstretched and wearing a crown of thorns upon his head – will be unveiled on April 29 at the Square’s South Plaza.

According to a statement released about the portrait, “The 30″ x 54″ acrylic painting on canvas depicts President Obama appearing much like Jesus Christ on the Cross: atop his head, a crown of thorns; behind him, the dark veil being lifted (or lowered) on the Presidential Seal. But is he revealing or concealing, and is he being crucified or glorified?”

Even the title of the piece, “The Truth,” suggests a play on biblical themes, as Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Get “The Audacity of Deceit: Barack Obama’s War on American Values” and learn about the looming hostile attack on Judeo-Christian values and freedoms Americans hold dear

“More than a presidential portrait,” writes D’Antuono on a website touting the painting, “‘The Truth’ is a politically, religiously and socially-charged statement on our nation’s current political climate and deep partisan divide that is sure to create a dialogue.”

Like others in the news who have depicted Obama in Christ-like imagery, D’Antuono insists he isn’t claiming the man is Messiah, but only inviting “individual interpretations.”

“‘The Truth,’ like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder,” claims the exhibit’s press release.

D’Antuono even invites the public to email him with reactions to the piece, answering his posed question, “What’s your truth?”

In January, artist Matthew J. Clark paraded a sculpture of Obama riding a donkey and preceded by waving palm fronds, reminiscent of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem in the 21st chapter of Matthew as foretold by the prophet Zechariah: “Behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass.”

Like D’Antuono, Clark was also unclear about whether his piece was proclaiming Obama to be the Christ or making some social commentary. Clark’s website described the sculpture in vague terms:

“This project was inspired by my thoughts about ‘icons’ and religious symbols and whether they represent truth or merely represent,” Clark’s website reads. “The sculpture poses a question that relates to social conventions, metaphysics, and the collective response of society in reaction to fearful and uncertain times, but doesn’t impose an answer. For me, it has much more to do with the general public as followers than any leader granted power.”

Others, such as Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, have been far clearer in their nearly religious adoration of Obama. As WND reported, Farrakhan declared last year that when Obama talks, “the Messiah is absolutely speaking.”

Addressing a large crowd behind a podium with a Nation of Islam Saviour’s Day 2008 sign, Farrakhan proclaimed, “You are the instruments that God is going to use to bring about universal change, and that is why Barack has captured the youth. And he has involved young people in a political process that they didn’t care anything about. That’s a sign. When the Messiah speaks, the youth will hear, and the Messiah is absolutely speaking.”

Farrakhan pointed out that the man Nation of Islam followers refer to as “the Savior,” Fard Muhammad, had a black father and a white mother, just as Obama did.

“A black man with a white mother became a savior to us,” he said. “A black man with a white mother could turn out to be one who can lift America from her fall.”  Read more…

I’m asking for prayer for my ex-husband who is extremely ill and in the hospital at this moment.  Please lift him up to the Lord. This is one of my oldest daughter’s favorite picture of her and her father when she was young. 

Thank you for praying, may God bless you all.

Paul Proctor, a rural resident of the Volunteer state and seasoned veteran of the country music industry, retired from showbiz in the late 1990’s to dedicate himself to addressing important social issues from a distinctly biblical perspective. As a freelance writer and regular columnist for News With Views, he extols the wisdom and truths of scripture through commentary and insight on cultural trends and current events. His articles appear regularly on a variety of news and opinion sites across the internet and in print. Paul may be reached at watchman@usa.com.

Are Christians Driving Church Numbers Down?
The reports are everywhere now about the declining numbers of church members and baptisms – especially among Southern Baptists; so much so that church leaders address it at almost every opportunity as if attempting to somehow spark a zeal in remaining members like a coach might do in the locker room of a losing team at halftime.

Everyone is trying to figure out what’s wrong.

This might come as a shock to many, but I would suggest that the answer here might just be nothing is wrong – that those declining numbers that are troubling the pulpits of American churches right now may well be God’s will being carried out by His own being called out of a growing apostasy flourishing within them.  Read more…

Bedridden Believers
Driving across town the other day, I passed by a church that always displays an inspirational message on their sign out front. Such messages are very common these days and often quite thought provoking. The one I saw most recently had me thinking all the way home.

It read: “Churches are hospitals for sinners, not museums for saints.”

How sad and true, I thought to myself. Churches have become hospitals for sinners, haven’t they? They used to be spiritual fortresses built in enemy territory where soldiers for Christ were recruited, trained and equipped for doing battle against sin and evil in society with open bibles, convicted hearts and committed lives.  Read more…

Knowing that this didn’t sound right, I invited readers to email me personally with “the primary reason they left their former church and if they actively sought out and ended up in a more contemporary fellowship,” to see for myself if the results would be anywhere near those cited in the Christian Post.  Read more…

Article by Paul Proctor

There’s nothing in the bible about Jesus or the apostles ever soliciting money from those they preached to. Despite the fact that it’s vulgar, offensive and counterproductive to the cause of Christ, televangelists and others like them have been doing just that and more for eons. You see, it takes a lot of money to keep a face on TV and I suppose many of them see that as somehow good for God.

But you know, even on that one occasion that money was needed to pay the temple tax, Jesus sent Peter to get it from the mouth of a fish rather than the pocket of a man. I never really understood that until recently. And as we watch the mass marketing of Christianity soar beyond the shameless and despicable, that story begins to make perfect sense.

In no way am I suggesting that we should withhold monetary support from all things evangelical or that we should use the past abuses of Christian con men as an excuse for our own delinquency. Frankly, some of the most unchristian Christians I know hypocritically point to the hypocrisy of the church as their reason for staying away and not supporting it – in effect, using the sins of others to justify their own. My last church, in all its apostasy, provided me just such an opportunity. But with the Lord’s help and guidance, I was delivered FROM IT instead of being discouraged and defeated BY IT. Like many of you, I have given to various ministries and mission efforts over the years and have come out of those experiences with a little more insight and understanding than I had going in.

A couple of friends from that former church, who had been overseas for a time doing mission work, called my wife up one day, out of the wild blue, to say “they wanted to get together and visit with us.” Even though I suspected an ulterior motive, (a learned behavior, I guess), I gave them the benefit of the doubt and agreed to meet over lunch. We weren’t real close friends, mind you but we were certainly more than just acquaintances.

After an hour or so of endearing small talk, laughter and light-hearted conversation, our “friends” finally got around to the point. They wanted to know if we would be interested in supporting their ministry overseas both financially and prayerfully. Well, I must say, it was amazing how the endearing small talk, laughter and light-hearted conversation that flowed so freely from their lips all afternoon dwindled away as soon as I politely responded that we would only be able to support them prayerfully.

Oh – I suppose I could have said that we would think about it, pray about it and get back to them later with an answer; but after watching them work us like a couple of seasoned grifters, I really didn’t see the need. No, they weren’t rude or even offended by my answer but I think it’s worth noting that they left shortly thereafter and to my recollection have never called or written us since. That’s been almost two years ago and frankly, under the circumstances, I’m really glad they haven’t.

I tell this story only to illustrate the subtle dishonesty and deceit that permeates the church today even among the nicest of people. The kind of behavior those “friends” exhibited was something I would expect from a car salesman, an insurance agent or an Amway rep, not a brother or sister in Christ.   Read more…

Article by Paul Proctor.

I saw something in the mall the other day that nearly turned my stomach. An item for sale caught my attention as I passed by a clothing store, accompanied by my wife. For teens, it is, and always has been, at least for as long as I’ve been alive, chic to wear clothes that are, shall we say, shocking to adults. That’s what rebellion is all about. Kids obviously love it because it not only challenges societal standards and authority but gets them the attention and admiration of peers, as well. Shop owners love it simply because it makes the register ring. Nevertheless, there, in that little boutique, written across the front of a brightly colored T-shirt, in bold print, was the proud proclamation: “Jesus is my homeboy”

My initial thought was that some anti-Christian group or organization was merely mocking God for moolah. Then I realized it was really the handiwork of hipsters hocking God for hoopla and in the process, degrading the Divine to the level of street urchin in some opportunistic attempt to alter the public’s perception of the Prince of Peace into someone not so sacred, serious or sin conscious. But, my question is, “What’s the difference?” Aren’t they both trivializing God and therefore equally blasphemous?

I don’t know about you, but even under grace, the very thought of coming face to face with the Alpha and the Omega is more than a little unsettling. In fact, I’ve yet to find anyone in scripture who wasn’t dramatically affected in some way by the mere presence of God. Scripture tells us that even the Earth trembles before Him.

I get alot of interesting letters and comments like the one I’m going to post.  The reason I’m posting this is because this is an all too familar cry from the emergent, seeker  friendly church concerning unity. 

Who in the church has the right to tell another they’re in error? Should scripture back what you have to say?  Do we even really know what’s in the word or do we rely on what we hear from the pulpit and others? 

Comment: “I am no fan of todd bently either. But I will have to say..I THINK THIS KIND OF STUFF GREATLY GRIEVES THE SPIRIT!!!. When I watch this daggering of others, it makes me feel sick to my stomach!!! This is no way to love others!!! I am ashamed for them..whoever is putting time and energy into picking the judging of others. I MAKE NO EXCUSES for this man and what he did.. I think IT IS A SIN. And he WILL reap the seeds he has sown. But in that regard so shall you. and so shall the ones putting out this filth!! I do not like to have to write this and mt energy into this but I will have to say THIS IS NOT OF GOD EITHER!!! THIS IS DIVISION AND THAT IS OF THE ENEMY!!! BEWARE IN WHOM YOU JUDGE FOR YOU WILL BE JUDGE WITH THE SAME MEASURE!! SURELY YOU WANT GOODNESS AND MERCY TO FOLLOW YOU!! YOU AND I AND BROTHERS AND SISTER WHO FALL ARE GODS CHILDREN AND WILL BE DELT WITH BY HIM> ”

Response: Please show me scripture that backs your claim that speaking against false is division and division is of the enemy.
 
(I want YOU to find it if you would.  I don’t want you asking someone else where to find the scripture you feel backs your claim. You have to know where scripture is to back what you’ve heard over and over and accept as blanket truth from the pulpit.)
 
Concerning division, Jesus said he came to divide.
 
Luke 12:51
Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. ⁵²From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. ⁵³They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
 
Yes Susan, division can be of the Lord also and not solely owned as a tactic of the enemy as the church has been preaching.
 
True unity is not keeping silent and coming into agreement with the false, that’s false unity. True unity is when everyone is being led of the Holy Spirit and going in in the same biblical direction.  When scripture speaks of unity and division really read the entire chapter and see exactly what division was being warned against. The following is an example in scripture talking about what would cause disunity.  They’re quarreling about who they follow, which camp they belong to. This is divisional because it is of no importance.

1 Corinthians 1:10-12
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. ¹¹My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. ¹²What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
 
You’re missing the whole point of speaking out against the false.  I have not judged the soul of this man, rather I’ve pointed out what is being done wrong according to scripture so others don’t fall into this trap thinking their actions are scriptually correct or what is being preached by these men is scriptually correct.  Scripture talks about confronting sin and rebuking and warning.
 
1 Timothy 5:19-20
¹⁹Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. ²⁰Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.
 
2 Timothy 4:2
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
 
I’ve read all the scriptures speaking against judging that the church preaches from the pulpit. I would ask you to read them in detail to see what type of judging scripture is speaking about you may be surprised.
 
Did you ever read the following scripture that talks about our right to judge those IN the church and what to do with those who are sexually immoral and do not repent?
 
1 Corinthians 5:1-13
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. ²And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? ³Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. ⁴When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, ⁵hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

 ⁶Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? ⁷Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. ⁸Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

 ⁹I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— ¹⁰not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. ¹¹But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

 ¹²What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? ¹³God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
 
Tell me where in scripture are we told to be silent and not expose false?  I would like you to find that scripture please.
 
I don’t doubt that you love the Lord, but did it ever dawn on you the very thing you’re speaking to me would be considered judging by your standard?  The very letter you wrote me is a letter of rebuke, yet when others rebuke Bentley and those saying they’re helping ‘restore’ him, it’s different by your standards and wrong. Why is that? 

Your own words:

I am no fan of todd bently either. But I will have to say..I THINK THIS KIND OF STUFF GREATLY GRIEVES THE SPIRIT!!!. When I watch this daggering of others, it makes me feel sick to my stomach!!! This is no way to love others!!!
 
“This kind of stuff”, what is the definition of this kind of stuff? You do not think this is love. Are you then not doing the very thing you warn me against, you’re judging my heart and motives.  Tell me sister, what are my motives, what is my heart and why am I doing what I’m doing? 

“THIS KIND OF STUFF GREATLY GRIEVES THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!”.  How do you know this? Can you point out scripture to show me just how the Holy Spirit is being grieved here?  How do you know the Holy Spirit is being grieved?
 
Why is it you can be the judge if you don’t feel we are to judge one another? 

 I don’t doubt you love the Lord but I wonder what type of teaching you sit under. I would venture you have sat in a seeker friendly non-denom church who is teaching a strong unity message and discourages anyone confronting leadership about most anything. I would admonish you to dig in scripture for yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in that search.
 
Blessings to you dear sister.
 
Melinda

The video and following commentary is from Defending. Contending.

“Reminiscent of the helplessness I felt watching the video of  Africa’s Witch Children, this video broke me. I never wept so much over the suffering of the children in Africa, and at the same time been so angered at my own gluttony, selfishness, and daily ungratefulness.

Lord forgive me.”  Read more …

Story found on Newsday.

The doors of the Bethesda Wesleyan Church were locked Sunday, as were the gates to the property. A lone security guard stood watch outside.

For the Greenlawn church, it was the second straight Sunday that a long-running dispute with the congregation’s district leaders in Pennsylvania prevented services in the little two-story church on Lawn Street.

So, on a soggy Sunday morning, about 30 congregants gathered Sunday in front of the locked gate and bowed their heads in prayer.

“We pray to God to ask him what will be the next day for this church,” said the Rev. Francois Pierre, who founded the congregation in his Huntington home some 35 years ago. “It is the Lord above who is responsible for what will happen to this church and to each of us.”

The Wesleyan Church International - an Evangelical Christian denomination with roots in Methodism that claims more than 400,000 congregants worldwide - closed the chapel two weeks ago, posting an order from the Suffolk Supreme Court declaring it the property of the international church, not the local congregation.

Holding umbrellas on Lawn Street and wearing their Sunday best, the congregants - mostly Haitian immigrants - sang songs and said prayers in Creole-French. Many said this was the church where they were baptized, recited wedding vows and sent their children to Bible school.

“We want the church to be opened,” said founding church member Marie Armand. “We don’t want to be outside. Nobody understands this.”

How the congregation lost its place of worship was not totally clear Sunday. Church officials at Wesleyan Church International headquarters in Fisher, Ind., and at district offices in Allentown, Pa., did not return calls Sunday. Michael Versichelli, a Uniondale attorney for the church, did not return phone or e-mail messages.

According to Bethesda congregation members, the story dates back to 1999, when Pierre, 79, retired as pastor.

The Wesleyan Church’s Penn-Jersey District, which includes New York, appointed as pastor the Rev. Rochemond St. Louis, who clashed with some congregants, said Gerard Armand, a congregation trustee. Armand said St. Louis wanted to make “changes,” though he didn’t specify what they were.

In a brief interview, St. Louis said he was forced out of the congregation in 2005 and took a large group of church members with him. He started a new congregation that he says is officially recognized by the Wesleyan Church, and which rents space in a Presbyterian church on Pulaski Road.

“We were there, they pushed us out,” he said, declining to comment further.  Read More…

The following article was written and submitted by Fred London, a reader of this site. Thank you for sharing this with us!

Prophetic Or Pathetic Ministry?

So many of our prophetic words, dreams and visions are delivered with impunity, sort of “hit and run” tactics, with no sense of responsibility to the word or the people to which it is directed. This lack of personal accountability to these “words” gives rise to ministerial malpractice. This ever- growing phenomenon must be called to account and be addressed for the sake of discernment and accurately knowing the Mind of Christ. With the myriads of prophetic words, dreams and visions posted on various websites, it is high time to examine these so called “prophetic words” which are quickly compiling a track record of being scripturally unsound, or a “one size fits all” form of soothsaying, rarely coming to pass. “For God is not a God of confusion,” offering scores of contradictory “words,” heavy on power and blessing, and lacking in “Christ and Him crucified.”

Employing the Old Testament criteria for judging true prophets and their words would result in greatly reducing all of this free-wheeling prophetic hype we are currently being inundated with. In truth, it would almost be comical if it weren’t so tragic. Not everyone who calls themselves a prophet, is a prophet. Based upon Scripture, it is therefore incumbent upon us to hold these messengers accountable and examine their words carefully, now more than ever. A line by line exhortation of Jeremiah 23 might work wonders in helping to eradicate the artificial and misappropriated prophetic words so commonplace in our day. It has become arguably a scourge of epidemic proportions, of the “prophetic word” made cheap. These things ought not to be.

Can the explanation for this ongoing “Mars Hill” prophetic circus, which continues to grow in popularity, be attributable to a true lack of the fear of God, an over active sense of self-importance or need to garner attention, and a lack of discernment by many who receive these words? Is it worth the risk of being found naked before God and men? You be the judge! Sooner or later, someone in the crowd will speak up and declare what should have been obvious to the multitude. “The king isn’t wearing any clothes!” Going along with the crowd in order to gain tacit approval or knuckling under to peer pressure simply will not fly. There is no escaping personal responsibility as it always comes down to, “Who do YOU say that I am?”

Here is an analogy. Terrorists are cowards at heart, bomb throwers, who use hit and run tactics, who avoid facing their targets directly, do not discriminate between combatants and innocents, and don’t consider themselves accountable for their actions. This is what much of the so-called “prophetic ministry” has become, in word and practice. But, it is even more than that. It is a character issue. It is an integrity issue. It is a heart issue. It is time to come to grips with this matter. It is time to clean house. It is time to repent. It is time to treat this ministry as holy before the Lord. Are we jealous enough to desire to see the reality and purity of the Lord’s testimony? It would serve us well to be restored to a healthy fear lest we “speak that which the Lord has not spoken.” What would be the result? It is quite likely that today’s glut of “prophetic words” would be significantly reduced and its scarcity would once again cause it be restored to its rightful preciousness. What should it be worth to us? No less than everything!

Fred London is a freelance writer & author who has been a Jewish believer in Jesus since 1971. Over the years he has been a lay minister serving as a fellowship leader, Bible teacher, and occasional guest speaker. His writings have been distributed under the names of “Seeker” and “Think on these Things.”  He also has published a book of his writings entitled, “Mountain Watch: Writings from Outside the Camp.” Fred and his wife, Candie, also a Jewish believer, have three grown children and reside in western North Carolina.