The Lord will build His church. It will never fail. That’s not to say that it won’t be under attack. It’s under attack every day. So the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible authors to warn us in many of the books to stay vigilant.
From the John MacArthur Daily Bible, entry on July 18,
Why should the church always be on guard?
“Paul told the Ephesians that he had declared to them “the whole purpose of God” (Ac 20:27). The entire plan and purpose of God for man’s salvation in all its fullness: divine truths of cre ation, election, redemption, justification, adoption, conversion, sanctification, holy living, and glorification. And now that he was leaving, he gives them a warning.”
“False teachers were already plaguing the churches of Galatia (Gal 1:6) and the Corinthian church (2Co 11:4). “Be on guard for yourselves” (v. 28), a warning that proved true by later events at Ephesus (1Ti 1:3-7, 19-20; 6:20-21; Rev 2:2). Paul repeated this call to self-examination to Timothy when his young son in the faith served as pastor of the Ephesian congregation (1Ti 4:16; 2Ti 2:20-21). The “overseers” are the same as elders and pastors. The word stresses the leaders’ responsibility to watch over and protect their congregations- an appropriate usage in the context of a warning against false teachers. Church rule, which minimizes the biblical authority of elders in favor of a cultural, democratic process, is foreign to the New Testament (1Th 5:12, 13; Heb 13:17).”
“He warns of “savage wolves” (v. 29)-a term borrowed from Jesus (Mt 7:15; 10:16). This metaphor stresses the extreme danger false teachers pose to the church. “From among your own selves” (v. 30). Even more deadly than attacks from outside the church are the defections of those (especially leaders) within the church (1Ti 1:20; 2Ti 1:15; 2:17; Jude 3, 4, 10-13). These wolves would speak “perverse things.” The Greek word means “distorted” or “twisted.” False teachers twist God’s Word for their own evil ends (13:10; 2Pe 3:16).”
“And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up” (v. 32). The Scriptures, the record of God’s gracious dealings with mankind, is the source of spiritual growth for all Christians. And since the church is “the pillar and support of the truth” (1Ti 3:15), its leaders must be familiar with that truth.” –end quoted MacArthur Bible entry
Stay vigilant. Be vigilant of our flesh and kill our own sin. Be vigilant over what we absorb from the world, which is at odds with the Lord Jesus. Stay vigilant over enemies and spies who come into the church, either your physical church or the digital Christian world via speeches, books, podcasts and the like. Jesus commended the church at EPhesus for being vigilant-
I know your deeds and your labor and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people, and you have put those who call themselves apostles to the test, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured on account of My name, and have not become weary. (Revelation 2:2-3).
How do we remain on guard but not get weary expending that energy? Rely on the Lord. His sustenance is the word, prayer, and fellowship with the saints. These things revive us.
Q. Can you tell me if a group of speakers are false teachers? The Prophecy Watchers: Larry Ollison, Mondo Gonzales, Bill Koenig, Billy Crone, Randall Price, Ken Johnson, Tom Hughes, Lee Brainard.
SYNOPSIS: This article examines the question of persistent, public disobedience among self-professing Christian women who preach and teach in defiance of biblical commands. It urges discernment, humility, and repentance, arguing that ongoing rebellion against Scripture raises serious concerns about genuine faith.
SYNOPSIS: Many defend false teachers by claiming, “Their teachings helped me.” This essay examines what true biblical help looks like—conviction of sin, growth in holiness, and exaltation of Christ—and argues that spiritual benefit must be measured by Scripture, not personal feelings.
SYNOPSIS: Modern “heaven tourism” claims continue resurfacing through books, interviews, and testimonies, but many contradict Scripture and even themselves. Christians should exercise biblical discernment, reject subjective revelations, and trust the sufficiency of God’s Word alone regarding heaven, hell, eternity, and salvation.
SYNOPSIS: In this discernment essay I critique Beth Moore as an example, arguing false teachers persist by God’s design to test, refine, and reveal believers, warning that longevity, sincerity, zeal, and eloquence do not confirm theological truth.
SYNOPSIS: Christians must contend for the faith with truth and love, rejecting shallow “drive-by” comments, pursuing humble dialogue, and standing firm despite opposition in today’s public, digital arena.
Introduction
The practicalities of how to contend for the faith is a big subject. We’re told to contend, of course, many times and in many ways. For example, Jude wanted to write a nice, little encouraging letter, but found that because of false brothers teaching false doctrine, he had to do his duty first and clear up some misconceptions and errors.
Beloved, although I made every effort to write you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints. (Jude 1:2)
Paul was sure that in his absence the Philippians will be “contending side by side for the faith of the gospel,” (Philippians 1:27).
Paul urged Timothy to “fight the good fight“. (1 Timothy 6:12).
Stand firm, do not turn, speak truth, and so on.
It’s important to consider, especially in this day and age of social media platforms with widespread audiences watching us, reading our words, and listening to our debates. Even in Solomon’s Portico or at the Areopagus or on the hillside at the Sermon on the Mount, with tens of thousands in attendance, today’s audiences who either lurk or engage with us online are an order of magnitude larger than those audiences.
But how? How do we contend appropriately? Sometimes we’re called to be gentle, other times to be direct. Righteous anger is allowed, but not unrighteous anger, and don’t let the sun set on any anger. Paul used holy sarcasm, but are we allowed to? Maybe? Maybe not.
I’ll do my best to answer the above but first, there is one part of online life in civil discourse I’d like to address as I fold it into the larger issue of appropriate theological discourse. I call these the “Drive By Debaters”.
Drive-By Commenters
It’s when someone takes the time to read the post. They take the time to comment on the post. Or they haven’t even read it (more common). But when they reply, they then state their position and end it by saying “I don’t want to debate.”
This kind of comment is opposed to true theological discourse, and even undermines it. It shuts down the point of any biblical discussion, which is to work together to arrive at a common understanding, mutual edification, and brotherly love with Christ as a center point. That kind of comment says ‘I’m right, you’re wrong, and I don’t care if you accept it or not, I just wanted to use your platform to say so. Buh-bye.’
The purpose of discussing biblical principles, interpretations, or concepts in person or online is to arrive at a common understanding. It’s to teach and be taught. The drive-by debate-denier displays they have an unteachable spirit.
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5).
What I do if someone says “I don’t want to debate” on one of my platforms (Facebook, Twitter, blog, or email) is to engage once more by gently asking a question about what they’d said. Sometimes they’ll come back and we can begin discussion. If they don’t, I delete their original comment. I figure, if they don’t want to discuss, then we won’t discuss. At all.
I won’t allow my platforms to be used by drive by commenters, because from the outset they display that they are not interested in the rules of honest civil engagement. We should all seek wisdom, then understanding. This should be true from the top-most sage teacher to the newest babe.
Wisdom is to be highly prized. Proverbs 4:7-9 says,
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. 8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. 9 She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
How Should We Contend?
As for my main point, how to contend. I share theological truths with friendly people and unfriendly people. Some of the most unfriendly people I deal with are those who claim they are Christians but are not. When addressing their stance, they explode in myriad ways. When pointing out their favorite teacher is false, they go off like a rocket. If you really want to poke a bear, either discuss a sin with a false professing Christian, or identify their favorite teacher as false. Both discussions go to the same root: sin. Satan is protective of his peoples’ sin and it does not like to be exposed to the light of day. (John 3:19). That’s why the person explodes on you.
Some Bible verses call for gentleness on the part of the deliverer of the message, other Bible verses call for firmness, harshness even. In today’s ‘tolerant’ and ‘don’t judge’ atmosphere, when discussing biblical things, if the other person blows up it’s often seen as a failure of communication on our part. But in many cases it’s not, and don’t be afraid if it happens to you.
The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ 5And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. 7And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.(Ezekiel 2:4-7).
Not that we are Prophets like Ezekiel was, but in New Testament times we are God’s witnesses, His ambassadors, people with a sent message. We are one of the ways Jesus uses to either draw people to Himself through the Gospel message, or we are one of the ways He will condemn them on the last day, if they refuse the message. In our case we say ‘Thus says the LORD’ via His written word.
In addition to sharing the Gospel, we are called to warn, encourage, rebuke, teach and exhort and so on. We are constantly called upon to employ a humble attitude and to contend in myriad ways. Though our proclamations sometimes will not be received well either, we still speak them. The LORD assured Ezekiel and He gives us the same assurance in Luke 12:4 and Revelation 2:10.
In the part 2 of this series I’ll sift through the various verses that discuss our speaking up in warnings and rebukes and exhortations, and being a witness through appropriate theological discourse in difficult times. There’s a lot to it, but mainly it boils down to two ingredients; speaking the truth, in love. I’ll share my perspective on this tomorrow.
Yesterday on her social media platforms, professing Christian Beth Moore announced that she is winding down her Living Proof Live part of her ongoing ministry and reducing her office staff to minimal personnel.
Beth Moore is a professing Christian who spent many decades as a Southern Baptist, eventually leaving that denomination to become Anglican in March 2021.
She began in her early 20s as a motivational speaker who also led an aerobics class at her church since the early 1980s. Noted for her ability to speak and connect with audiences, she became a Sunday School teacher at Houston’s First Baptist Church in 1984 and continued in that role for over a decade.
How old is Beth Moore?
Beth Green was born in Green Bay Wisconsin in June 1957, so as of this June 2026 Moore will be 69 years old. She was raised in Arkadelphia Arkansas.
When did she found Living Proof Ministries?
Moore founded Living Proof Ministries (LPM) in 1995 as a non-profit Christian corporation.
When did she publish her first Bible study?
Beth Moore’s first published Bible study is A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place, released in 1994 through LifeWay Christian Resources. She and Lifeway had a publishing relationship for many subsequent years, formally parting in 2021 when she left the Southern Baptist Convention and her SBC church. Lifeway even paid to charter jets or provide first class airplane accommodations to Moore as she traveled, paying half such costs. A LifeWay representative said that at her height, “no one’s products raise as much revenue as Beth Moore’s”.
At that time, “Although still without any formal theological education, LifeWay Christian Resources’ publishing arm Broadman & Holman (later B&H) began publishing her Bible studies in 1994, leading to a national speaking ministry for Moore.” (source Christianity Today- “Why Women Want Moore“)
Many say they are, and the number of these studies and the popularity of them would confirm this to the undiscerning. For a long while, anyone who said anything negative about Moore would receive heated and immediate pushback. Luke 6:26 however warns against universal popularity,
Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
Others say her studies are not good, that they are rife with direct revelation, teach the unbiblical stance of learning to hear from God directly, are emotionally driven, and contain a twisted hermeneutic riddled with eisegesis, and many other issues. She preaches another Jesus, many claim.
What was Beth Moore’s Announcement?
As Moore said she is nearing her end phase, her Board of Directors said that “According to the protocol of a nonprofit organization like ours, after I turned 65, my board of directors asked me to propose a transition plan with just some idea of what I foresaw concerning Living Proof.” (source youtube video as above).
This is normal. It is wise to prepare a succession plan, but according to Council for Nonprofits, only 29% actually do. It makes sense as Moore looks at turning 70 in 18 months that she not only slow down but prepare a future vision for what she wants to do with the corporation.
Moore said in her announcement: “The plan includes downsizing Living Proof Ministries in June 2027 to minimal staff and minimal office space so that turning 70 I’ll have less responsibility overseeing a very busy ministry“
Both her daughters and her son-in-law work for LPL, so this is definitely a family discussion.
Why is Beth Moore slowing down? Is she retiring?
In truth, she has already tapered off these last couple of years with reducing the number of heavily scheduled and widely traveled large scale LP Live events. Moore has still been actively speaking but only at small venues such as colleges, churches, ship cruises, and so on. Her IRS Tax return states she puts in 50 hours per week, in the past in addition to that, she spoke at up to 12 LPL events per year (every other week according to The Atlantic article) hosted a weekly TV show, went on book tours, led Sunday School at church or Bible Studies/prayer meetings at LPM offices, and wrote more books. In a lengthy article in the Atlantic Monthly magazine she was called an ‘evangelical superstar’. She was busy.
Moore said in her announcement this serves as a path toward retirement-
“So though it may sound like retirement unless the Lord wills it, it’s meant to actually delay retirement.” (source, video).
So she is slowing down and dispensing with some of the heavier responsibilities so that she can focus on her plans to speak, write, and teach.
How many Living Proof Live events will there be now?
Only 7 more, and two of those are already sold out. It is keenly insightful from an economic standpoint for her to create scarcity. It only makes the object one wants to consume all the more desirable.
What is Beth Moore known for?
It depends on who you ask. Supporters say she is known for passion for Jesus, long-standing expertise in teaching Bible to women, notable skill and verve in speaking, and excellent at her craft of writing.
Detractors say she is a Christian in name only, a false teacher who spreads seeds of false doctrine throughout the faith, a rebel who preaches to men, and a stiff-necked, self-identifying obnoxious woman unable to control her mouth or submit to correction.
–She was sexually abused by her father for a number of years starting at a very early age.
–She dislikes President Trump so intensely his candidacy and eventual winning of the Presidency shook her to the core. She sees the world through a lens of abuse. “Moore believes that an evangelical culture that demeans women, promotes sexism, and disregards accusations of sexual abuse enabled Trump’s rise.” (The Atlantic).
–Beth and Keith have two daughters, one divorced and remarried, the other still married to her original husband, and several grandchildren. Beth and Keith are still married.
–She owns the two homes on her 50-acre compound, (one a 4,537 sf home and the other a 2,126 sf home); and a ranch in Menard TX, all managed by the Keith & Elizabeth Moore Family Trust.
–Beth’s given first name is Wanda and Keith’s given first name is Ivan.
Conclusion
I am glad Moore is stopping her Living Proof Live events. I attended a Live Event and also a simulcast at another time. She is a false teacher and the fewer venues she pumps out her version of a false Christianity and the fewer women she reaches, the better. It is not a sign of God’s approval that He allows a teacher to teach for so long, nor is it validation of doctrinal solidity that she is so popular. God uses false teachers to hone the true believer’s discernment, to test us, and to separate the false from the true body.
I owned my own business at one time, so I definitely understand the need to look ahead and plan for succession. I am also in the same age bracket as Moore, so I also understand the desire to slow down. I pray she stops completely soon, for even though she has plied her ungodly trade for so many decades seemingly unperturbed by Jesus, He may indeed still ‘stop her mouth’ as it says in the KJV,
Titus 1:10-11
For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.
In any case, Beth will have a lot to answer for when she meets the true Jesus whom she does not currently know.
‘Cut To the Chase’ essays are shorter form bulleted articles highlighting the issues of a particular author or false doctrine.
Ann Voskamp is a popular writer and conference speaker. Her most famous book is “One Thousand Gifts”, which is an exploration of her spirituality in a poetic narrative form.
Issue #1: Inappropriate sexual metaphors and innuendos about God
“By the book’s final chapter Voskamp has realized that she still hasn’t put it all together, that something is still missing, and so, in her words, “I fly to Paris and discover how to make love to God.” This closing chapter, “The Joy of Intimacy,” is her discovery of God through something akin to sexual intimacy. In a chapter laden with intimate imagery she falls in love with God again, but this time hears him urging to respond. She wants more of him. And then at last she experiences some kind of spiritual climax, some understanding of what it means to fully live, of what it means to be one with Christ, to experience the deepest kind of union. “God makes love with grace upon grace, every moment a making of His love for us. Couldn’t I make love to God, making every moment love for Him? To know Him the way Adam knew Eve. Spirit skin to spirit skin?” –Challies
“It is true, of course, that the Bible uses imagery of bride and groom to describe the relationship of Christ to his church, but it does not go as far as integrating the sexual component of marriage. Sometimes it is best to allow God to define the parameters of our metaphors rather than taking them to a much greater extent. Voskamp would have done well to limit herself here.” –Challies
“The sexuality of this chapter is not all that concerns me. I am also concerned with the kind of spiritual climax she experiences. Why should she have to travel to a Roman Catholic cathedral in a foreign land in order to truly experience the Lord?” –end Challies quoting Voskamp.
Dewaay shows that “Voskamp sees God in everything, and that concept has a name—panentheism. We must distinguish panentheism from pantheism, the belief that God is everything. If we accept that God is in everything, then we accept that God can be discovered and understood through encounters with nature.”
Marcia Montenegro at Christian Answers for the New Age wrote about Voskamp and had similar concerns with the unbiblical stance of her panentheism-
Ann Voskamp: Panentheism and Hollow Words, By Marcia Montenegro “Panentheism is contrary to Scripture, yet can sound very biblically correct and even uplifting. Panentheism mingles God with creation, demeans His majesty and omnipotence, and ends up altering God’s attributes and character as presented in the scriptures.”: (with additional links to other commentaries about Voskamp)”
Issue #3: Ann Voskamp partners with false teachers.
Recent examples are her speaking at the HopeStory Conference with keynote speaker and false teacher Lisa Bevere. (Source). Also has appeared at the same event as with Mark Batterson (who is false). Voskamp invited false teacher Beth Moore to guest post on her website.
Please avoid Ann Voskamp. She promotes unbiblical doctrines, lacks discernment, and makes other problematic choices that indicate consuming her material is not healthy for the Christian woman. Be discerning.
the-end-time.org 