The Christian Worldview

Guest: Costi Hinn, pastor and author, Knowing the SpiritThe Holy Spirit is the “most used and abused member of the Trinity,” writes our guest Costi Hinn in his new book, Knowing the Spirit: Who He Is, What He Does, and How He Can Transform Your Christian Life. Costi would know, growing up in the extreme charismatic movement as the nephew of world-renown “faith healer” Benny Hinn.God graciously saved Costi out of that heresy and now he pastors Shepherd’s House Bible Church in Chandler, AZ. He joins us this weekend on The Christian Worldview to offer “Biblical Clarity on the Holy Spirit”—how to receive the Spirit and walk by Him, how the gifts of the Spirit operate today, and much more.We’ll also discuss popular pastor Andy Stanley’s recent sermon where he said his church draws “big circles, not lines” with those who are in homosexual “marriages”.

If millions of people are reading a Christian book or watching a Christian television series, God must be at work, right?If tens of thousands of people are attending a mega-church with 15 multisite locations, God must be being honored, correct?If bigger is evidence of God’s favor, Jesus must not have been very favored by God. By the end of His ministry, He had few followers, was falsely convicted, and died a bloody death on the cross. By today’s Evangelical definition of success, Jesus was a failure.Jesus’ leading disciple, Peter, actually rebuked Jesus for saying He was going to suffer and die: “Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” (Matthew 16:22).Peter had a flawed human perspective of success for Christ, not one that would include death on a cross. Christ addressed Peter’s perspective when He responded, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” (Matthew 16:23)The prevailing Evangelical definition of success can be summarized by the “theology of glory”—bigger audiences, more professions of faith, more acceptable, more smiley.Jesus defined God’s interest, the “theology of the cross”: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)Now that doesn’t sound very desirable. Youth group leaders wouldn’t think of attracting young people by saying that. After all, pizza and games bring ‘em in. And “bringing them in” is the ultimate metric—bigger numbers means success. This “theology of glory” dominates Evangelical Christianity in the West.This weekend on The Christian Worldview, we’ll hear excerpts from a recent message by Travis Allen, pastor of Grace Church in Greeley, Colorado, where he contrasts the “theology of glory” and the “theology of the cross” and how each believer must examine his/her own heart to orient ourselves toward God’s purposes rather than our own.-------------------------------Related Video: The Paradigm of the Cross, Travis AllenRelated Resources:- New Life in Christ by Steven Lawson- Why Would Anyone Follow Jesus? by Ray Comfort

You have likely heard about and may have seen The Chosen television series. Tens of millions of people all over the world are watching it. It’s been translated into dozen of languages. Most Christians love it and call it life-changing. Even many non-Christians say how it’s given them a new perspective on Jesus.The series, now in its third season, depicts the life of Jesus generally based on biblical accounts and particularly from the perspectives of those closest to Jesus. “Generally” being the important word because what Dallas Jenkins, lead creator, has done is added all kinds of “plausible” fiction to the gospel accounts. For example, Jesus is portrayed as doing speech prep before the Sermon on the Mount. The apostle Matthew is portrayed as autistic.Is this a problem? Don’t all films and books use “artistic license”? Isn’t the greater good that so many millions of people are seeing Jesus in a “fresh” and “relatable” way?This weekend on The Christian Worldview, we will examine The Chosen and ask the questions—is it honoring to God and His Word and therefore something you and your family should watch?

GUEST: ABRAHAM HAMILTON III, General Counsel and Public Policy Analyst, American Family AssociationThe establishment of laws and the punishments for breaking them that apply to some but not to others is the bane of a healthy and cohesive society. The United States has prided itself as a country where there is “equal justice under the law” and “liberty and justice for all.”But Lady Justice, the statue of a woman holding the scales of justice with a blindfold on so as to judge impartially, does not seem to be so blind anymore. Perpetrators of crime and riots in our cities often go unpunished while rioters at the US Capitol from January 6, 2021 endure long prison sentences.Even at the top of the power chain, former President Trump faces four indictments for crimes that don’t seem to be applied to other presidents.Is injustice becoming more prevalent in our society, and if so, why? That would be ironic, as the word “justice” is bantered around so much today. Global warming believers want “climate justice.” Those who view America as systemically racist call for “social justice”.Our guest this weekend, Abraham Hamilton III, general counsel and public policy analyst for American Family Association, will provide context on questions of justice in our society, including the four indictments against President Trump.We will also look to the universal standard of justice—God Himself. Scripture emphasizes over and over that God is just—He is perfect in His establishment of laws and perfect in the meting out of punishment for breaking them.“His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4).Join us this weekend as we look at the justice, or lack thereof, in some current events and how God is “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).---------------------Grace Church Greeley, CO - Pillar of Truth Conference, Sept 21-24, 2023

Jesus declared to Peter: “I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18).That’s a guarantee from the Son of God. In fact, the church is the only institution that Christ promises to build. Not nation-states, not political parties, not para-church Christian ministries—just the church.The word “church” can be defined a few ways:The building you drive by down the street where people gather to worshipThe visible body of professing Christians, which contains “wheat and tares” (the professing church, Matthew 13)The invisible body of genuine believers from every tribe and nation (the true church)Aligning ourselves with Christ’s mission to build His church needs to be the believer’s priority. There’s a place for pushing back on the depravity revolution in our culture, working for political change, advocating for justice. But being a sanctified member of a sound local church should be top priority for Christians. That is God’s design and decree.Paul wrote to Timothy: “I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).This weekend on The Christian Worldview, as we prepare to gather for TCW Movie Night on Saturday, Sept. 9 to watch The Essential Church, we’re going to hear from God’s word and some of the great preachers of God’s word as they point us to love and protect “the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth”.

GUESTS: TWILA BRASE, president, Citizens Council for Health Freedom JESSE JOHNSON, pastor and author, City of Man, Kingdom of GodGovernment mandates during the Covid pandemic—“wear a mask, get vaccinated, shut down your church or be fined and arrested”—caused Christians to consider the Biblical line between submission to governing authorities and resisting when the commands go beyond the sphere of their authority.Over the last several months, we have heard from guests such as pastor Travis Allen and journalist Alex Newman on the increasing authoritarianism in our nation and how Christians should respond.This weekend in the opening segment, we will be joined by Twila Brase, president of Citizens Council for Health Freedom (CCHF), to discuss rumblings of Covid mandates being instituted this fall and what was behind the mechanisms governing authorities put in place during the pandemic.Then, Jesse Johnson, pastor of Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, VA and author of City of Man, Kingdom of God: Why Christians Respect, Obey, and Resist Government, joins us for the remaining two segments to explain how Christians need to clearly understand the differing spheres of authority for government and the church.This will get you thinking Biblically in advance of our upcoming listener event, The Christian Worldview Movie Night on Saturday, September 9 at Fourth Baptist Church in Plymouth, MN where we will show The Essential Church documentary film, which chronicles how the pastors of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles and two churches in Canada were fined and/or arrested for gathering their churches to worship during Covid.The film also shows how Christians throughout history have understood the spheres of authority between the church and the state, and when there was a conflict, they concluded, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).--------------------------------------RELATED LINK: Twin Cities area listeners may be interested in attending Citizens Council for Health Freedom annual gala on Thu, Sept. 7 in St. Paul, MN.REGISTER  for The Essential Church Movie NightWe are excited to offer a viewing of this compelling 2-hour documentary for our listening audience on Sat. Sept 9 starting at 6:30 PM at Fourth Baptist Church in Plymouth.  A live panel discussion will immediately follow the film.Learn more: https://overcomerfoundation.kindful.com/e/movienightOrder DVD: https://store.thechristianworldview.org/collections/dvds/products/newoffer

GUEST: Matt Morrell, pastor, Fourth Baptist Church (Plymouth, MN)In a way, one could call Satan’s rebellion against God the original sin for Satan was the one who tempted the first humans, Adam and Eve, to rebel against God as Satan had done.Ever since, Satan and the angels who joined him in his rebellion have been waging spiritual war for the souls of men and women. The Bible says Satan “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5). He has one purpose—to keep the unsaved from being saved and the saved from being sanctified.Jesus put it this way: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).Satan and his demons, while powerful, are not all-knowing, all-present, and all-powerful like God. If not personally attacking the believer, Satan and his minions count on the sinful allures of the world and the sinful desires of our flesh to tempt the believer out of obedience to God.Last week in part 1 of Spiritual Warfare Requires Spiritual Armor, Matt Morrell, pastor of Fourth Baptist Church and School in Plymouth, MN and president of Central Seminary, explained the first three pieces of spiritual armor—the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with preparation of gospel of peace—that the apostle Paul exhorted Christians to “put on” in his letter to the Ephesian church.This week in part 2, Matt will explain the final three pieces of armor—the shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God—and the “supply line” of the spiritual armor—prayer.We hope you will better understand the spiritual war taking place for your soul and the spiritual armor and weapons God has provided for you to overcome.--------------------------------------------Related Sermon Series:The Believer’s Unseen BattleThe Belt of TruthThe Breastplate of RighteousnessThe Gospel of PeaceThe Shield of FaithThe Helmet of SalvationThe Sword of the SpiritPower Through PrayerRadical Redemption from Demon PossessionSecrets of Spiritual WarfareRegister for The Essential Church Movie NightWe are excited to offer a viewing of this compelling 2-hour documentary for our listening audience on Sat. Sept 9 starting at 6:30 PM at Fourth Baptist Church in Plymouth.  A live panel discussion will immediately follow the film.Learn More / RegisterPurchase DVD/Blu-Ray Combo

GUEST: MATT MORRELL, pastor, Fourth Baptist Church (Plymouth, MN)The Bible clearly teaches that Satan was created by God as the preeminent angel before Satan arrogantly desired to be like God (Isaiah 14), rebelling against God and persuading, as some interpreters believe, one third of the angels to join his rebellion.For this, God cast Satan out of his high position in heaven. Satan and his demons now engage in relentless warfare against God, leading non-believers into sin and away from being reconciled to God and tempting Christians to compromise their service to God.Satan is mentioned all over Scripture. 1 Peter 5 says: “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 John 5 says “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”In short, there is a great spiritual war taking place for the souls of men. This is why the apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 6, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”So how can Christians defend themselves in this war? How is the war manifested—is everything difficult that happens to us because of Satan? And what is the “spiritual armor” that Paul describes that Christians are to “take up”—the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit?Matt Morrell, pastor of Fourth Baptist Church in Plymouth, MN and president of Central Seminary and the radio station it operates in Minneapolis (WCTS AM1030), as well as Fourth Baptist Christian School, joins us to discuss his 10-part preaching series this summer on Spiritual Warfare from Ephesians 6:10-20.We hope you benefit from understanding how the spiritual armor God provides for the Christian is fully effective to “stand firm” and “resist” the wicked one.-----------------------------RELATED SERMON SERIES:The Believer’s Unseen BattleThe Belt of TruthThe Breastplate of RighteousnessThe Gospel of PeaceThe Shield of FaithThe Helmet of SalvationThe Sword of the SpiritPower Through PrayerRadical Redemption from Demon PossessionSecrets of Spiritual WarfareRELATED VIDEO:Tucker Carlson Is Changing…

GUEST: JAMES SPENCER, President, D.L. Moody Center You’ve no doubt heard about “artificial intelligence” also known as “AI”. Simply put, artificial intelligence is when a computer program, designed by humans, collect vast amounts of data on a given subject, then sort through and learn trends from that data far faster than any human mind, and then make recommendations or even take action based on analysis of the data.You likely are already using AI even if you don’t know it. For example, AI programs are tracking the websites you visit, the products you research, the content you search for online. Once the AI program collects this date about you and compares it with the patterns of others, product ads or content recommendations start appearing on the Internet pages you visit because AI has concluded that you want or need something and so it takes action to meet that want or need. This is why when you do a search for new car tires, all of a sudden ads for tires start appearing on every website you visit.If you were to get cancer, AI can analyze everyone in the world who has the same cancer, narrow the field to those of similar biological makeup, and then recommend treatments that were successful in others similar to you. No doctor could process all the health data on millions of people and offer such a data-based recommendation.AI is powerful because of its ability to collect, process, and learn from vast amounts of data and then provide recommendations or solutions it deems best.But “best” according to whom? What happens when government or the CIA uses AI to identify those who oppose the people and policies of those in power and then takes away your ability to buy, sell, speak, or travel? What happens when the military uses AI to conduct war, allowing computer programs to make decisions? These and countless other scenarios have the potential for leading the world right into authoritarian rule…right where Scripture states it will under the Antichrist.And finally, AI is already impacting the church. From using language AI programs like ChatGPT to generate newsletters, worship service format, and even create the sermon, it doesn’t take much imagination to see how data-driven computer programs will drive the church rather than Spirit-filled qualified men.James Spencer, president of the DL Moody Center, joins us on The Christian Worldview to discuss How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the World…and the Church.---------------------------------James Spencer has written a free guide for the Moody Center titled, “Twenty Questions: Christian Resistance, Technology, and Artificial Intelligence.”New Featured Resource: The Essential Church movie now on DVD/Blu-ray for a donation of any amount to TCW.

GUEST: TRAVIS ALLEN, pastor, Grace Church (Greeley, CO)The church is the body of true believers across the world that Christ redeemed for eternity through the shedding of His own blood in order to represent and proclaim the excellencies of Christ to a rebellious world.The church and its message of salvation through faith in Christ is the only hope for sinners. This is why the church is essential.Referring to Himself, Christ told the apostle Peter, “upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18).Christ promises to build His church, to grow His body of believers, and that the powers of death and darkness (i.e. Satan) will not overpower it.The Bible says that Satan is the god of this world and he is active in deceiving nations, governing authorities, and peoples. The church is the primary obstacle for his deceit, which is why he incites governing authorities to persecute the church and introduces “tares” (false Christians, see Matthew 13) to lead it to compromise.This weekend on The Christian Worldview, pastor Travis Allen of Grace Church in Greeley, CO joins us to discuss the just-released documentary film, The Essential Church, which chronicles how three churches—Grace Community Church in Los Angeles and two churches in Canada—defied government mandates during the Covid pandemic, continuing to gather to worship because they understood that government does not have the God-given authority to dictate how a church worships.We will play audio clips from the film and then discuss some current events, including how a young believer was arrested in Wisconsin without warning for preaching on the street at a “drag queen” event, while other Evangelical churches are dressing themselves up in Star Wars, Barbie, or Toy Story themes for “At the Movies” sermon series.--------------------------------The Essential Church movie:When COVID-19 restrictions force Grace Community Church to close its doors indefinitely, the Los Angeles-based congregation takes a courageous stance and sues the government. This feature-length documentary explores the Church’s unwavering determination to exercise its constitutional rights and ecclesiastical authority to serve its assembly through faith and fellowship amidst government restrictions and global lockdowns.Find a theater near you