Teaching, Apologetics, and Discernment, Study Tools, History, and Ministries

These links are resources that I’ve found to be helpful over time.  Do I agree with everything on every site and by every author or with every ministry?  No.  But I have found that the value found in the following sites outweighs any disagreements I may have with them.   As with anything, dear reader, read with discernment!   Listed alphabetically.

Teaching, Apologetics, and Discernment

• Apologetics Index  –  Interesting resource, a mixed bag, bordering on finding some fault with almost all.  Lots of info with many good jumping off points if you can weed through the ads.  Read with discernment.
• About The Way International  –  Like those from the Worldwide Church of God (Armstrongism), teachers and teachings from The Way International have made their way into the Hebrew Roots Movement.  Some would even say TWI has had a foundational influence on the HRM with teachers such as Michael Rood.  Site contains articles, history, and links.  Will also post in the Articles section.
• BasicGospel.net – BasicGospel.net  was birthed out of Real Answers Radio program started originally by Bob George.  After Bob George’s stroke, Bob Christopher, Bob Davis, and Richard Peifer have done a good job of continuing on with solid teaching.
• Bob George – Excellent site with lots of teaching resources.  Emphasis on Old/New Covenant issues.  Highly Recommended.
• ChristianAnswers.net – Lots of general info, good movie review section.
• Christ In You Ministries  –  In-depth studies on a wide variety of subjects.
• Escape To Reality – EXCELLENT teaching site in blog form – the Gospel of Grace ‘full-preach’.  Highly Recommended.
• Exit Support Network  –  Many doctrines found in the Hebrew Roots Movement/Law ‘keeping’ sects come straight from the Worldwide Church of God, aka ‘Armstrongism’.  While the Hebrew Roots/Messianic style and structure vary from the WCG,  you will find familiar issues addressed at Exit Support Network’s ministry website.  Highly recommended.  Will also post in the Articles section, with links to specific related articles.
• Field Guide to the Wide World of Religion – From a former WCG member.  Much info, but please do read with discernment.
• Former Adventists Fellowship – “A place for you to fellowship and study with others who have discovered that Jesus is their true Sabbath Rest.”   Many doctrines found in the HRM have also been drawn from SDA doctrines.  Excellent resource.  Highly Recommended.
• Good News for LDS  –  A good resource for those of you who are LDS or have family/friends that are LDS.  I include this link here because there are some similarities in LDS doctrine and HRM doctrine.
• Let Us Reason Ministries – Law Keeper’s Page – Let Us Reason Ministries borders on finding fault with all, but overall has a lot of good information.  As with other resources offered here, read with discernment.  “Mike Oppenheimer is the founder and director of Let Us Reason Ministries, which began in 1994. He has been researching and writing about spiritual deception in the church for many years. Mike was brought up Jewish, later spending many years in the New Age movement. He became a born-again Christian in the mid-’80s.  Mike lives in Hawaii with his wife and son.” (from Lighthouse Trails)
• Living God Ministries  –  Perspective and teaching from Jewish Christian Aaron Budjen.  Emphasis on Old/New Covenant issues.  Highly Recommended.  See Media resources from Living God Ministries, on the Media page here at JGIG.
• Ralph Woodrow Evangelistic Association – Perspective from one who formerly adhered to many Law keeping doctrines.  You can find resources here with a good refutation of Hislop’s “The Two Babylons” (“The Babylon Connection?“) and related issues.
• Recovering Grace – A Gothard generation sheds light on the teachings of IBLP and ATI.  In my experience with the mom’s group that first exposed me to the Hebrew Roots Movement, ‘Gothardism’ was a stop on the way in the journey into Torah pursuance for many.  Recovering Grace is a website for support, news, and yes, venting, for those who came out of Gothard’s very structured and formulaic belief system.  In addition to the obvious value of the site, seeing the generational fruit that comes from legalism is valuable and a good reason to consider the Simplicity of the Gospel of Grace.
• UK Apologetics  –  EXTENSIVE apologetics website.  Really well done. Not currently an active website – hoping to find an archive of this excellent resource. *Update – I’ve found an archive of UK Apologetics through the WayBackMachine.  Not sure if every article is there, but there’s a bunch of content!
• Under Much Grace Blog   –  “Resources for Recovery  from Spiritual Abuse”  Emphases on controlling spiritual groups, hyper-patriarchy in the homeschooling community, and other controlling groups.  Excellent resource.  I’ve linked to the navigation page at Under Much Grace.
• VIDEO – “Super Final Debunking”  by Chris White – A nuts-and-bolts approach to what it is to refute false teaching, what Scripture has to say about it, and some practical tips for research and distribution of that research.
• The Watchman’s Bagpipes – Newsreel style blog which examines the happenings and trends in the Church world, often where it intersects with culture and politics.  From a fundamentalist stream, but worth a gander every now and then.  I usually come away feeling even more strongly that grasping the simplicity of the Gospel saves us from so much of what’s “out there”!

Study Tools

• Article on Exhortation  –  What exhortation is and is not.  Great teaching; highly recommended!
• Bible.org  –  Online Bible versions and study tools.
• BibleGateway  –  Online Bible versions and study tools.
• Bible Study Tools Online  –  Online Bible versions and study tools. NOTE:  the NIV 1984 version IS still available online at this site.
• Biblehub.com  –  Online Bible versions and study tools.
• Blue Letter Bible  –  Online Bible versions and study tools.

History

• Ante-Nicene Fathers – Writings of the early Church fathers from the beginning of Christianity to the time of the creation of the Nicene Creed. Includes Polycarp, Tertullian, Julius Africanus, Ignatius, Origen, Clement and more.
• Early Church Fathers  –   Early church fathers and apologists of the first and second centuries.  The writers known as the church fathers represent the ancient orthodox church as opposed to other elements of ancient Christianity such as Gnosticism.
• Foxe’s Book of Martyrs  –  The Classic.
• Nicene Fathers – Writings of the Church fathers around the time of the Council of Nicaea. Includes Confessions of St. Augustine, City of God, Homilies on John, Homilies on Hebrews and more.
• Post-Nicene Fathers – Writings of the Church fathers after the Council of Nicaea. Includes Jerome, Cyril of Jerusalem, Basil, Ambrose, Hilary of Poiters, The Seven Ecumenical Councils and more.
• The Hall of Church History  –  “Theology From a Bunch of Dead Guys”
• The Works of Flavius Josephus  –  A 1st-century Jewish Historian.

Ministries

• Both Hands Foundation – Both Hands is a non-profit organization with a two-fold mission, serving widows in a very practical way in our communities, while raising funds to help willing families adopt.  This is a very easy ministry to get involved with!
• Donate Life America  –  About organ donation.
• Hope For Life  –  Biblical counseling and equipping
• Life Without Limbs  –  HUGE dose of perspective!
• Mercy Ships  –  Mobile missions
• Under Much Grace Blog   –  “Resources for Recovery  from Spiritual Abuse”  Emphases on controlling spiritual groups, hyper-patriarchy in the homeschooling community, and other controlling groups.  Excellent resource.  There is some crossover into the cultural issues facing us all in todays world, as well (brain washing, paradigm shifts, mass manipulation, etc.)
• Unshackled Radio Theatre  –  “True stories that make you face yourself and think!”  Classic Christian radio testimonies.  These guys have been around for a couple of generations . . . real life issues; real life rescues by God!

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Good Links

• Teaching, Apologetics, and Discernment, Study Tools, History, and Ministries
• Blogs I Like
• News/Politics
• Just For Fun
• Music

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A clear presentation of the Gospel can be found HERE.  For more resources regarding the Hebrew Roots/Messianic movements see the Post Index and the Articles Page.  General study helps, discernment, and apologetics sites can be found HERE.  Good, foundational studies with a special emphasis on Old Covenant/New Covenant Truths can be found HERE.  Be sure to check out the Testimonies Page, as well.   Make use of the tabs with drop-down menus found at the top of this site – there’s tons of info there, and it’s very navigable.

Other articles of interest:

• Grace or Law?  How Then, Shall We Live?
• Hebrew Roots Movement – Man’s Righteousness or God’s Righteousness?
• Hebrew Roots Movement – Hebrews 10, Willful Sin, No More Sacrifice, and Judgement, Oh My!
• Hebrew Roots Movement – Believers are Grafted Into and Become Israel? Um . . . No.
• Hebrew Roots Movement – Salesmanship 101
• Hebrew Roots Movement – Are They Judaizers?
• Hebrew Roots Movement – “Prove to Me That God Does Not Want Us to Keep ALL of His Word”
• Romans 14: Indisputable Matters – Torah or the Gospel?
• Hebrew Roots Movement – The Issue of “Hellenization”
• Millennial Prophecy – Measuring Unrevealed Prophecies in Light of Revealed Truths
• Is Law Really Law Without Enforcement?
• Hebrew Roots Movement – New Covenant or “Renewed” Covenant?
• Doublemindedness in the Hebrew Roots Movement – The Use of Kabbalah and Gematria
• Tzit Tzit For the Believer In Christ?
• 12 Undeniable Truths That Drive Law ‘Keepers’ Crazy

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