This Ridiculous Fantasy Has Destroyed Too Many Christian Relationships

There is a fantasy in our culture that many Christian singles have purchased, hook, line and sinker. The fantasy is that there is a special person who will unconditionally love you, meet your needs and take responsibility for your entire life. They will rescue you from the worst parts and clean up the messes you have made by personal irresponsibility. The myth is that there is a hero.

Heroes are fictional beings who have special powers and can rescue you anytime. Superman, Batgirl or any league of males and females we have read about when we were kids—certainly there's a superhero for me, right?

Sad to say, I think not. Unfortunately, like Santa Claus, so is the myth of the hero in singleness. The truth of the matter is, there are only imperfect, fallible and sometimes even mean-spirited people, even if they are saved.

These mere mortals have moods, opinions that change, grow in and out of fads, are passionate and dispassionate at the same time. They love God, and they sin. They are disciplined and lazy in different areas and can agree and disagree with you all within a day.

What to do if you’re too ashamed to go to Confession

While Reconciliation is intended to allow Christ’s victory to overcome sin in our lives, what happens when shame over one’s sins is so great that it keeps people away from the sacrament?

The famous Spanish theologian Father José Antonio Fortea discussed this phenomenon, and practical solutions to it, in a blog post.

Famed Celebrity Calls for Witchcraft Intervention in Pregnancy

Chrissy Teigen called for witchcraft to intervene with her pregnancy headaches.

The model is pregnant with her second child with husband John Legend. Legend was recently tapped to play Jesus in "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert!"

Popular pastor Rodney Howard Browne says the occult influences much of Hollywood.

"They sacrifice children at the highest levels in Hollywood. They drink blood of young kids. This is a fact. That's why the next thing to be exposed will be all the pedophilia that is going to come out of Hollywood and come out of Washington, D.C. The human sacrifice and the cannibalism has been going on for years," Browne said in an October sermon.

He continued: "Many of the Hollywood actors that you go see on a screen, what you don't know, they bring a witch, they do a big seance right there on the set, and they worship devils, and they allow devils to come into them before they take the part of what they're going to act. It's a fact, what I am telling you."

Christian movie featuring dress above knee deemed 'ungodly'

A Christian film director has been left frustrated after a faith-based media company refused to promote his new film on the grounds of decency. Dave Christiano, the in-some-circles-legendary director of films including The Pretender, says a Milwaukee-based radio host rejected his latest offering because it featured a female character with a dress cut above the knee. The daily Crosstalk programme, which airs on the Wisconsin-based station Voice of Christian Youth (VCY) said that it would not promote Remember the Goal – Christiano's new athletics-based evangelistic drama – on the grounds that it was 'ungodly'.

In the film, lead actress Allee-Sutton Hethcoat wears a dress which finishes slightly above her knee, while as a sports-based drama, it also features a number of characters in gym kit. On his own website, Christiano says that he pointed out to Jim Schneider, the host of the programme, that a similiar Christian movie, A Thief in the Night – a film still regularly referenced and promoted on Crosstalk – features two female characters with considerably shorter skirts than the one worn by Hethcoat. Schneider allegedly countered that this was different because those women were portraying non-believers, whereas Hethcoat's character is a Christian.

6 False Teachings Bringing Deceptive Darkness Into the Church

Since that very moment in the Garden of Eden when a single bite shattered the harmony of the world, man has tried to make his own way, be his own master, and set up his own kingdom. It's nothing new.

Nevertheless, if we want to be faithful followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in this day and age, we must be alert and ready to boldly stand against the spirit of the age that seeks to modify the message of Christ, undermine His power to set us free from sin, repaint Christ's picture to make Him more acceptable to a wayward generation and rewrite the gospel to remove the offense of the cross.

For the last 2,000 years, the church has been plagued with heresy after heresy seeking to tame the gospel, and today is no different. Here are just a few of the popular beliefs in our current culture that threaten to infiltrate the church:

Pope: All of Mass is important – don’t be late!

Pope Francis on Wednesday stressed the importance of getting to Mass on time, noting that every piece is important, especially the opening Sign of the Cross, where we prepare as a community to worship God together.

“It is not a good habit to look at the clock and say: ‘I am in time, I will arrive after the sermon and with this fulfill the commandment,’” the Pope said Dec. 20.

“The Mass begins with the Sign of the Cross, with these introductory rites, because we begin to adore God as a community. And for this reason, it is important to plan to not arrive late, but in advance, to prepare the heart for this rite, for this celebration of the community.”

Mass in sign language? These Spanish priests celebrate it every week

In the Catholic Church, the spoken language is central to the liturgy: we recite the Nicene Creed as one, we praise the Lord with the Gloria that we sing, and we bow our heads to hear the blessing we receive at the end of Mass.

But there’s a different reality for hearing impaired and deaf Catholics around the world.

Quebec Makes Sex Ed Mandatory at Age 5, Will Teach About Same-Sex Couples in Kindergarten

The Canadian province of Quebec has become the latest to make sex education mandatory for children in all stages of school, starting in kindergarten.

As CBC News reported on Saturday, starting in September 2018 children as young as 5 "will get a brief explanation of the steps involved in making a baby."

Deadly attack on Pakistan Methodist church leaves 8 dead, many wounded

Eight people have died and 44 have been injured at a Methodist church in Pakistan, according to reports from Quetta Sunday morning.

Nine of the injured are in a critical condition, a hospital spokesman said.

The Bethel Memorial Methodist Church was attacked by two suicide bombers who tried to enter the church but were stopped by guards at the entrance

What You Need to Know About the Number of the Beast

If there's one part of the Bible virtually everyone has heard of, it's 666—the "number of the beast." And if there's one thing no one can agree upon, it's what that number stands for. We find the number in Revelation 13:18, "Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast. It is the number of a man. His number is six hundred and sixty-six." The wording here is important: John tells readers that the number needs to be "calculated," which means there must be a hidden meaning behind it. But how do we calculate it?

Keep internet neutral, U.S. bishops say

On Thursday, the Federal Communication Commission voted to repeal net neutrality regulations, which the U.S. bishops have called essential to fair use of the internet by for nonprofits and individuals.

“Without open internet principles which prohibit paid prioritization, we might be forced to pay fees to ensure that our high-bandwidth content receives fair treatment on the internet,” said Bishop Christopher Coyne, Chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Communications.

“Non-profit communities, both religious and secular, cannot afford to pay to compete with profitable commercialized content.”

Pope Francis warns against 'conversing' with Satan, an 'evil person...more intelligent than us'

Pope Francis has warned against 'conversing' with Satan, describing the 'person' of the Devil as 'more intelligent than us', an evil enemy who will 'turn you upside down'.

'I'm convinced that one must never converse with Satan - if you do that, you'll be lost,' the pontiff told Catholic broadcaster TV2000, according to the Telegraph.

Dr. Mike Evans, Friends of Zion Honor President Trump After Historic Jerusalem Announcement

Last week, President Donald Trump made history by declaring Jerusalem Israel's capital. In fulfilling one of his campaign promises, the proclamation brought joy to many in the evangelical community.

I happened to be in Washington, D.C., the day it happened and caught up with popular speaker and writer Lance Wallnau to discuss the significance of this event. You can listen to it on my Strang Report Podcast. (Lance is always one of my most popular podcast guests.)

The evangelical community showed its appreciation when the founder of the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem, Dr. Mike Evans, presented President Trump with the Friends of Zion Award in a ceremony at the White House on Monday.

Former priest to serve life for 1960 murder in Texas

Nearly 60 years after Irene Garza disappeared after going to confession in her Texas hometown, the last person who saw her – who was a priest at the time – has been convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

John Feit, an 85-year-old former priest has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Garza on Holy Saturday, April 16, 1960.

Vatican communications department will soon unveil new website

Pope Francis and his Council of Cardinals met this week to continue discussions on reform of the Roman Curia and unveiled a new communications system for the Secretariat for Communications.

Taking place at the Vatican Dec. 11-13, all members were present for the meetings, apart from Cardinal George Pell. Pope Francis was present except for Wednesday morning during the general audience, as is ordinary.

Fr. Dario Edoardo Viganò, prefect of the Secretariat for Communications, presented the new communications system, including a new website and logos, during the 22nd round of meetings.

False Religion Rising With 'Robot' Messiah

There's the great falling away Paul the apostle prophesied in 2 Timothy 2; then there's the Way of the Future. Could the two converge?

Way of the Future, a new religion birthed with artificial Intelligence in mind, is setting up church and making news media headlines around the world. Newsweek, Wired, Bloomberg and others are giving this false religion plenty of press.

Anthony Levandowski, the Silicon Valley multimillionaire who developed the robotics team for Uber's self-driving program and Waymo, the self-driving car company Google owns, launched the first AI-based church to propagate a perverted religion.

Block the Leviathan Spirit's Deadly Attacks With This Spiritual Insight

Recently, at a national level, as well as in the church, we have suffered an attack of the Leviathan spirit. Before you get too mystical about all that, understand that Leviathan is a metaphorical reference Scripture draws from the image of a great serpentine sea creature. It describes a spirit that works to twist words and perceptions in order to disrupt and destroy the people of God.

Christian teacher suing Oxfordshire school for suspension after 'misgendering' transgender pupil

A Christian maths teacher suspended by his Oxfordshire school for 'misgendering' a transgender pupil is suing the school on the grounds of religious discrimination.

Joshua Sutcliffe, 27, who teaches maths at an Oxfordshire secondary school, faced a disciplinary hearing and suspension after he called a transgender student who self-identified as male a 'girl'.

Marriage redefined in Australia despite religious freedom fears

A bill passed Thursday in Australia changed the legal definition of marriage from being between “a man and a women” to “between two people.”

The parliamentary vote comes after a two-month postal survey which concluded on Nov. 7, with nearly 80 percent of Australia’s voting eligible population in participation. Of the 12.7 million people who voted, 61 percent voted in favor of same-sex marriage.

The poll was legally non-binding, but it did initiate the introduction of a bill in parliament. Last week the piece of legislation was passed through the upper house Senate, 43-12.

'Christmas Is Illegal,' Says North Carolina Senior Resident

Christmas has always been a festive time of the year for the residents of Lake Ridge Commons, a senior-living community in Wilmington, North Carolina.

"We had door-decorating contests, wrapping-paper covered doors, festive wreaths," resident Leigh Bowser told television station WECT.

But this year, there will be no door-decorating contests or doors covered in wrapping paper or even Christmas wreaths.

7 worst countries to be an atheist named

Army soldiers stand guard at a street in Pakistan, which was cited as one of the seven worst countries to be an atheist.

The seven worst countries to be an atheist have been named in an annual report documenting the persecution of non-believers around the world.

India, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan all actively persecute the non-religious, according to the Freedom of Thought report published this week.

Most Western Europeans No Longer Believe in Heaven and Hell, Survey Finds

A global survey of people's perceptions of major religious beliefs has found that in a number of Western nations a majority of the population no longer believes in Heaven or Hell, even if they profess a belief in God.

A global survey on the perception of people around the world has found that in a number of Western countries, relatively small portions of the population believe in Heaven and Hell, though more believe in God.

Breaking: Three Reported Dead in School Shooting in New Mexico

The Associated Press has reported that at least three people are dead and several others injured in yet another school shooting, this one Thursday morning at Aztec High School in Aztec, New Mexico at approximately 9 a.m. local time.

Fox News reported just after noon ET Thursday that authorities from the San Juan County Sheriff's Office said the shooter was "down" but did not provide any further information.

The school, located in the Four Corners Region of New Mexico and near the Navajo Nation about 180 miles north of the capital of Albuquerque, is on lockdown.

Fox News reported that it wasn't immediately clear if the shooting happened inside the school, who was suspected of firing the shots and the condition of the wounded. Law-enforcement officials posted a message on Facebook for people to "avoid the area" while they secured the scene.

Jerusalem church leaders warn Trump of 'irreparable harm' if he changes Holy City's status

Patriarchs and heads of local churches in Jerusalem have written a special letter to Donald Trump pleading with him not to change the 'international' status of the city hours ahead of the President's planned statement recognising it as Israel's capital.

The letter, reported by the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz, warned that any 'sudden changes would cause irreparable harm, and comes amid intense speculation that Trump will also announce that the US is to relocate its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

'Our solemn advice and plea is for the United States to continue recognizing the present international status of Jerusalem. Any sudden changes would cause irreparable harm,' the clerics wrote.

Catholics ‘not permitted to adhere to the pope’s novel teaching’: expert

A Catholic theologian has said in a media statement that Catholics may not follow the pope’s “novel teaching” endorsing Communion guidelines from the Buenos Aires bishops.

The Buenos Aires guidelines, pronounced by Pope Francis to be the “only interpretation” of Amoris Laetitia, allow some divorced-and-remarried couples to receive both the sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist without a firm resolve to live chastely in continence.

Holy Decisions Spark Holy Desires

Have you ever noticed that the word "holy" tends to get a bad rap? After all, "holy rollers" are said to be too extreme in their spiritual views, while other religious folks get described as "holier than thou." In both cases, the word "holy" is used to describe something off-putting.

In the Bible, however, the word "holy" is a beautiful term that describes a key aspect of God's nature. In fact, the third Person of the Trinity is called "the Holy Spirit." There is absolutely nothing within the God of the universe that is not perfect in holiness, righteousness, and truth.

When God created Adam and Eve, the first two human beings had nothing but holy desires within them. And yet somehow, when the crafty serpent seduced Eve's mind, she began to entertain evil ideas. This was introduced to her from the outside. And Eve's choice to contemplate forbidden fruit led to impure desires, which in turn led to this infamous decision:

Scouts Told to Stop Praying Before Meals

Girl Guides are being urged not to say grace before meals to avoid offending Muslims or atheists.

New guidance aimed at boosting 'inclusivity' asks Girlguiding groups to "think of a statement that doesn't make reference to any particular god or faith."

It is the latest in a series of "inclusive" measures from an organization that has become increasingly secular in recent years.

Foolish

The guidance suggests that girls use the neutral phrase, "Let's all take a moment to show gratitude for this food and to remember how fortunate we are to have this meal."

A member of the Church of England's General Synod described the move as "absolute nonsense."

Alison Ruoff told the Mail on Sunday: "The Guides are being very foolish in trying to whitewash Christianity, and they must not."

In 2013, the group stated that Guides would no longer promise to serve God but pledge to be "true to myself and develop my beliefs."

Trans Guidance

This week, the Guides faced widespread criticism when it emerged that boys who "identify" as girls are allowed to use the toilets and changing rooms of their choice under official guidance.

Leaders are also advised not to tell parents if their daughters will be required to share shower and sleeping facilities with boys.

Feminist campaigner Julie Bindel expressed her alarm, saying: "This signifies the end to girl-only space, and the safety of girls in single-sex organizations."

Archbishop to UN: Christians are critical to Iraq’s future

A UN panel met last week to discuss the aftermath of the Islamic State’s occupation in Iraq’s Nineveh Plain, saying that the region’s future depends upon the preservation of the practices of pluralism and diversity.

“During ISIS’ occupation of Nineveh, even as it sought to eliminate the religious minorities completely, many from the majority population were also victimized as their rights evaporated,” stated Supreme Knight Carl Anderson of the Knights of Columbus at the event.

Prophetic Vision: The Spirit of Offense Wants to Attack You in These 8 Ways

Offense: It's a word we have either experienced or seen others go through it. It's a hot-topic word as it seems more and more individuals are going through battles of being offended. Whether it is being offended over politics, religion, freedom, protests or choices, the list is long with so many dealing with being offended on some level. To understand more about how offense works against individuals who have a relationship with Jesus, I began to consider how the mindset of offense works.

And that's when I saw an octopus. Yep, I know it sounds strange, but it was the image that first came to me. I began to see how offense operates like the arms and the legs of an octopus. Offense has the sole purpose to attach itself to you (to entangle you), and I believe that the Lord is detailing how a spirit of offense will come against you in eight different ways.

1. Mind - Romans 8:5-8: "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, for the carnal mind is hostile toward God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can it be, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God." When offense takes root, the first place it's coming after is your mind. If offense can attach itself to your thoughts, it owns your ability to process understanding. The moment offense attaches itself to your mind, the ability to have clarity and peace is diminished, as everything now becomes about feeding every thought that is only directed at the hurt through offense.

3 Foods That Are Draining Your Energy

There are three foods you should never eat. They may be toxic to your body and might be draining your energy.

These foods are being marketed to you as super foods for your health.

The truth is these foods might be draining your energy, making you fatigued, causing you to gain weight and lowering your metabolism.

Most Americans have these foods in their home and consume them on a daily basis.

One of these foods actually affects your hormones!