With the growing popularity of online sermons, social media influencers and podcast preachers, discerning sound doctrine from false teaching is more important than ever, according to pastor and author John Piper.

“Set your standards high,” the 79-year-old chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, said in a recent episode of the “Ask Pastor John” podcast.

“Listen to people who are truly God-centered, Christ-exalting, Bible-saturated, Spirit-dependent, who bear the marks in their lives of authenticity.”

Piper’s comments came in response to a reader who shared a concern about doctrine in the digital age: “The Bible gives us a lot of warnings about false teachers, but how can I identify if someone I listen to on the Internet is a false teacher?” he asked.

“Don’t set the bar so low that you only stop listening to people if they can be properly called false teachers,” Piper said. “Lots of people are teachers who are simply misguided and unhelpful in many ways, but might not come under the ban of being called a false teacher.”

The four biblical tests, Piper said, are the fruit of a teacher’s life, the soundness of their doctrine, their submission to Scripture and their fidelity to the Gospel of grace.

He cited the words of Jesus in Matthew 7, pointing to the importance of examining a teacher’s life.

“You will recognize them by their fruits,” Piper quoted. “So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.”

He acknowledged that evaluating someone’s personal conduct can be difficult when dealing with internet personalities. “Which is why you need to look carefully and take time and belong to a church — a real, live, human-being, flesh-and-blood, in-person church with a real, live preacher whose life you know.”

Drawing from Paul’s example in 1 Thessalonians, Piper noted how the apostle emphasized his own life as evidence of the Gospel’s power. “You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake,” Paul wrote. “So judge us by our lives.”

Next, Piper turned to the theological integrity of a teacher’s message.

Referencing 1 John 4, Piper said the incarnation of Christ is a non-negotiable: “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.”

He also quoted 1 Timothy 6, where Paul warns against anyone who “does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness.”

“We need to measure the doctrines that are being taught by the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and by their implications for godliness,” Piper said.

A teacher’s attitude toward the authority of Scripture is also key, the Don’t Waste Your Life author said.

Piper cited 1 Corinthians 14:37–38, where Paul declared that those who refuse to acknowledge apostolic teaching are not to be recognized. Similarly, in 1 John 4:6, John wrote, “Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us.”

“The apostles elevated their teaching to the level of a test of truth,” Piper said. “If a person does not submit his thinking and his teaching to the authority of the apostles — to the authorized teachers of Christ who wrote the New Testament — then they’re not going to be reliable teachers.”

Even if such people occasionally say true things, Piper warned, “that doesn’t make them reliable teachers.”

Finally, Piper emphasized the centrality of the Gospel of justification by faith.

Quoting Galatians 1:8–9, he reminded listeners of Paul’s stern warning: “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”

“Paul is just red-hot about this one,” Piper said, explaining that any gospel that reintroduces law-keeping as a means to justification is a betrayal of grace. “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace” (Galatians 5:4), he added.

Piper made it clear that identifying false teaching is a matter of spiritual life and death.

“False doctrine and false teachers aren’t just misleading; they’re soul-endangering. So, we must be on high alert with discernment, deeply rooted in the truth.”

While the internet can be a helpful supplement, the pastor ended with a strong reminder of where spiritual safety lies.

“The best way to protect ourselves from false teachers is to be part of a healthy, Bible-preaching church, and to be prayerfully saturated with the Bible every day.”

In a 2022 op-ed published by The Christian Post, Sam Rainer, president of Church Answers and pastor at West Bradenton Baptist Church in Florida, stressed that “theological training is helpful but not necessary to identify heresy.”

“Jesus answers this question in the Sermon on the Mount. He teaches how few take the narrow and difficult road to discern truth. Jesus then warns about why you should care about discerning truth,” he wrote.

“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act’ (Matthew 7:15-16),” he wrote.

“The term ‘fruit’ occurs over one hundred times in the Bible. Fruit usually refers to results. What qualities are manifested in your life? Where do your hours go? Where is your money spent? What words do you communicate? What does your mind consume?

If you are not dedicating hours, mind energy, and eyeballs to God’s Word, then you are going to struggle to know what is true in this world.

Know God’s truth, and the results will follow.”
Sources:Christianpost

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John MacArthur, the California-based Bible teacher, pastor and author known for his polarizing theological stances and defiance of ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns, has died at 86.

Grace to You, the teaching ministry of MacArthur, confirmed in an X post on Monday evening that MacArthur had passed away not long after being hospitalized with pneumonia.

“Our hearts are heavy, yet rejoicing, as we share the news that our beloved pastor and teacher John MacArthur has entered into the presence of the Savior. This evening, his faith became sight,” the ministry shared on its social media platforms.

MacArthur is survived by Patricia, his wife of more than 60 years, as well as four children, 15 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

“Rest in peace, lion of faith,” tweeted theologian and author Owen Strachan in response to the news. “It is already strange to live in a world without MacArthur’s steady convictional presence. Pray for his family, his church, and the many who mourn him.”

Background and ministry

Distantly related to famed five-star World War II United States General Douglas MacArthur, John Fullerton MacArthur Jr. was born on June 19, 1939, in Los Angeles, California.

MacArthur earned a Bachelor of Science degree from what was then called Los Angeles Pacific College and is now Azusa Pacific University, and a Master of Divinity degree from Biola University’s Talbot Theological Seminary.

In 1969, three years after graduating from Talbot, MacArthur became the pastor-teacher for Grace Community Church of Sun Valley, California, where he would serve for over 50 years.

“Under John’s leadership, Grace Community Church’s two morning worship services fill the three-thousand-seat auditorium to capacity,” noted The Master’s Seminary, a private Christian school that MacArthur led.

“Several thousand members participate every week in dozens of fellowship groups and training programs, most led by lay leaders and each dedicated to equipping members for ministry on local, national, and international levels.”

A prolific author and speaker, it is estimated that MacArthur has preached at least 3,300 sermons and written more than 400 books and biblical study guides.

In addition to his many books and sermons, MacArthur also hosted a long-running radio program and local television broadcast centered on his Bible studies and preaching.

MacArthur helped to found The Master’s University and Seminary in 1986 and served as its president until 2018, when he stepped down amid problems over the school’s accreditation.

Strange Fire, ‘Go Home’

MacArthur has garnered controversy over the years because of some of his theological views, including on issues like the Pentecostal movement and female preaching.

In 2013, MacArthur held a conference and published a critique of Charismatic churches titled Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship.

“The charismatic movement has always been a breeding-ground for scandal, greed, bad doctrine, and all kinds of spiritual chicanery. As a movement, it is clearly headed the wrong direction. And it is growing at an unprecedented rate,” read the book’s Amazon description.

Many Christian leaders, including the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, Pentecostal minister and president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, denounced the work.

“With great due deference to a Christian leader many of us admire, his conclusions regarding the largest and fastest growing of global Christendom, the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement, speaks to a man ignorant of the community’s unbridled commitment to biblical orthodoxy,” said Rodriguez in a statement provided to The Christian Post in 2013.

“Mr. MacArthur should be focusing on the fact that while many in the church continue to abandon our Christian faith, the Pentecostal/Charismatic community continues to offer the church a legitimate growth mechanism.”

In October 2019, McArthur garnered widespread criticism when he expressed opposition to having Bible teacher Beth Moore and televangelist Paula White preach.

“Go home,” he said of Moore. “There is no case that can be made biblically for a woman preacher. Period. Paragraph. End of discussion.”

He went on to say that he found the idea of female preachers “profoundly troubling,” adding that “when the leaders of evangelicalism roll over for women preachers, the feminists have really won the battle.”

Among the critics of the comments was pastor and bestselling author Max Lucado, who stated that he was “grieved” over MacArthur’s “derisive” remarks.

“Are we, white, male, aged leaders of the church, listening? Are we heeding the message of our sisters in Christ?” stated Lucado at the time.

“Listening to our astute and capable female Bible teachers? Listening to their longing to minister from a feminine perspective? Listening to their willingness to lend their intellect, energy and passion to the cause of Christ? What wealth of wisdom they bring!”

In an apparent response to MacArthur on X at the time, Moore said that she “did not surrender to a calling of man when I was 18 years old. I surrendered to a calling of God,” tweeted Moore.

COVID-19 lockdown resistance

When California enacted lockdown rules shutting down worship gatherings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, MacArthur and his church initially followed the gathering restrictions. However, as lockdowns persisted for several months, the church decided to gather for in-person worship.

In response, MacArthur and Grace Community Church engaged in a lengthy legal battle with Los Angeles and state officials over his refusal to adhere to the public health orders.

“We are a friend to this society, to every level of this society,” said MacArthur in a 2020 interview with Fox News. “But never before has the government invaded the territory that belongs only to the Lord Jesus Christ and told us we can’t meet, we can’t worship, we can’t sing.”

Jonathan Leeman of 9Marks wrote a blog post at the time expressing skepticism over whether churches should follow the example of Grace Community Church and reopen in-person services.

“Churches in coastal cities during World War Two accommodated evening black-out requirements in case enemy planes hit the coasts. Those churches didn’t insist the government had no right to ‘restrict our worship,’” wrote Leeman.

“In other words, just because you think God will ultimately vindicate your decision to disobey the government on the last day doesn’t mean it’s wise. You might have other options that avoid undue attention.”

In late August 2021, state and local officials reached a settlement with MacArthur, which resulted in the government paying $800,000 in legal fees to end the litigation.

“It has been a hard-fought battle to preserve religious liberty and we hope that this result will encourage Californians, and all Americans, to continue to stand firm that church is essential,” said the Thomas More Society, which represented MacArthur, in a statement at the time.

Church abuse controversies

While pastor at Grace, MacArthur’s church faced multiple accusations that its leadership was mistreating female members who had credible accusations of abuse against their ex-husbands.

In February 2023, a former GCC elder named Hohn Cho shared concerns that leaders at MacArthur’s church had “awful patterns” of siding with abusers against their victims.

A prominent example of this was when GCC excommunicated Eileen Gray for refusing to take back her child-abusing husband, David Gray, in 2002. According to The Roys Report, even after David was convicted of child abuse and molestation in 2005, the church continued to support him over Eileen.

In response to the concerns Cho shared, GCC released a statement explaining that “Grace Church’s elders do not publicly discuss details arising from counseling and discipline cases — especially on social media.”

“Nor do we litigate disputes about such matters in online forums. Grace Church deals with accusations personally and privately in accordance with biblical principles. We do not respond to attacks, lies, misrepresentations, and anonymous accusations,” read the statement from February 2023.

“Our church’s history and congregation are the testimony. Myriads of Grace Church members who have sought counsel at our church will testify that the counsel they receive is biblical, charitable, supportive, and liberating.”

Hospitalizations

On New Year’s Day 2023, which fell on a Sunday, the then 83-year-old MacArthur was hospitalized, preventing him from preaching at the second service at his church, and had to be treated for a blockage in his arteries.

Although GCC provided an update the following day saying that MacArthur was “doing well” after the emergency, the prominent pastor continued to have health issues and was away from his pulpit from July 2024 until last November when he preached at a Thanksgiving service.

“I’m still here, and thankful to the Lord for that,” MacArthur said at the service. “God has purposes that we would’ve never been able to fulfill if we weren’t put into some kind of stress.”

In January, GCC Elder Tom Patton said in an update that the 85-year-old MacArthur had “suffered a series of health issues that kept him out of the pulpit and required three surgeries in the second half of 2024.”

“His recovery has been slower than expected, with occasional setbacks affecting his heart, lungs, and kidneys,” Patton told the congregation. “The doctors have not yet discovered any single root cause for these diverse troubles.”

Earlier this year, MacArthur addressed attendees of the Shepherds Conference, which was held at his church, via video message, telling them that “I realize I’m on the last lap.”

“That takes on a new meaning when you know you’re on the short end of the candle,” he said. “I am all thanks and praise to God for everything He’s allowed me to be a part of and everything He’s accomplished by His Word in these years of ministry.”
Sources:Christianpost

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കെൻ്റക്കി: ലെക്സിംഗ്ടണിലുള്ള ഒരു പള്ളിയിൽ നടന്ന വെടിവയ്പ്പിൽ രണ്ട് സ്ത്രീകൾ കൊല്ലപ്പെടുകയും ഒരു സ്റ്റേറ്റ് ട്രൂപ്പർ ഉൾപ്പെടെ നിരവധി പേർക്ക് പരിക്കേൽക്കുകയും ചെയ്തതായി അധികൃതർ അറിയിച്ചു.

വാർത്താ ഏജൻസിയായ എപിയുടെ റിപ്പോർട്ട് പ്രകാരം, രാവിലെ 11:36 ന് (പ്രാദേശിക സമയം) വെടിവയ്പ്പ് ആരംഭിച്ചു, “ലൈസൻസ് പ്ലേറ്റ് റീഡർ അലേർട്ട്” ലഭിച്ചതിനെത്തുടർന്ന് പൊലാസ് ഒരു വാഹനം നിർത്തിച്ചു, തുടർന്ന് അക്രമി പൊലീസ് ട്രൂപ്പറെ വെടിവച്ചു. തുടർന്ന് പ്രതി സംഭവസ്ഥലത്ത് നിന്ന് ഓടി രക്ഷപ്പെട്ട് തെക്കുപടിഞ്ഞാറൻ ലെക്സിംഗ്ടണിലെ റിച്ച്മണ്ട് റോഡ് ബാപ്റ്റിസ്റ്റ് പള്ളിയിൽ എത്തി, അവിടെ രണ്ടാമത്തെ വെടിവയ്പ്പ് നടന്നു, നിരവധി പേർക്ക് പരിക്കേൽക്കുകയും രണ്ട് പേർ കൊല്ലപ്പെടുകയും ചെയ്തു.

ആക്രമണത്തിന്റെ സാഹചര്യങ്ങളെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള വിശദാംശങ്ങൾ പുറത്തുവിട്ടിട്ടില്ലെങ്കിലും, പ്രതി ഒടുവിൽ കൊല്ലപ്പെട്ടതായി കെന്റക്കി സ്റ്റേറ്റ് പോലീസ് സോഷ്യൽ മീഡിയയിൽ സ്ഥിരീകരിച്ചു.
Sources:nerkazhcha

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Two people have been fatally shot at a church in Kentucky after a car chase that began with a gunman shooting and injuring a police officer, officials said.

The suspect shot a state trooper during a traffic stop before car-jacking a vehicle and driving to Richmond Road Baptist Church in Lexington, where he opened fire at parishioners, before law enforcement shot him dead.

Two women, aged 72 and 32, died in Sunday’s incident at the place of worship, and two male parishioners were injured, said police.

Investigators believe the suspect had a connection to individuals at the church. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear posted on X that “violence like this has no place in our commonwealth or country”.

The initial shooting occurred at 11:36 local time (15:36 GMT) on Sunday near the Blue Grass Airport, a regional hub in Fayette County.

A state trooper pulled over the suspect’s car on Terminal Drive after receiving a registration plate reader alert, Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers told a news conference. He said that incident had no connection to the airport.

The suspect shot the trooper, inflicting non-life threatening injuries, according to Chief Weathers.

The gunman then carried out a car-jacking, during which the vehicle’s occupant was not hurt, before driving towards the church about 16 miles (25km) away, with law enforcement in pursuit.

“The suspect fired his weapon at individuals on church property,” Chief Weathers said.

“Preliminary information indicates that the suspect may have had a connection to the individuals at the church.”

Four people – two males and two females – were shot on church grounds.

An official from the county coroner’s office named the two women as Beverly Gum, 72, and Christina Combs, 32. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

The two male victims were transported to a local hospital, with one sustaining critical injuries and the other in a stable condition.

“The suspect was shot by responding law enforcement and was pronounced deceased at the scene,” said Chief Weathers, adding that the gunman’s identity would be released once next-of-kin had been notified.

The county coroner official said the church was small and most attendees were either related or close friends.

“It’s a very tight-knit group of people,” he added.

The incident was being investigated by the Kentucky State Police and the department’s Public Integrity Unit.
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