It's official. This country has gone to hell in a hand-basket. Why is that? Because Obama was just called as the winner of his second term? No, because if Romney were to have won I would be saying the same thing.
The fact that these two men were the ones chosen by their party was a judgment of God. One is a professing Christian that sides more with Islam than his professed religion, promotes greatly the murder of babies, blasphemes God and mocks His Word and has sent this country into a tailspin. The other is a professing Christian but is a Mormon, which means he cannot be a Christian since that religion believes in a different god, Jesus, atonement, salvation, gospel, scriptures and so much more that has already caused Mormonism to appear more viable. Sure, each candidate has other issues, but those mentioned are enough to show that God has turned this country over to it's evil desires.
As I set watching the results through the night I was shaking my head at every state that was "called" for either candidate. I did start to realize that I am not a fan of the Electoral College system. It is not a true consensus of the true vote. It is what it is, but that doesn't mean it is a good thing. Is it really "fair" that a handful of states be able to elect a President for the other, larger portion of the country? I think not, especially if the popular vote for the "losing" candidate is higher than the "winning" candidate. It's a very faulty system.
What also is faulty is the "evangelical church", small c. It is also called the visible church, or the perceived church because it is what the majority of people see as the Christian church. Sadly the visible church is not the true Church of God, not that some of the visible church are not part of the true Church. Most of the public look at Osteen, TBN, Obama, Romney and Oprah as Christians, which shows that the public do not know what true Christianity is. Oh, they may have seen it, but they label it as "extreme" or fundamentalism, trying to discredit those that actually adhere to the bible.
Most professing Christians have jumped aboard the Romney wagon and are now left dejected and feel duped. I do not disparage anyone that voted for Romney, but still can't understand why so many professing Christians back(ed) Romney at the level they did. Because I cast my vote for candidate other than the "main 2" I was seen as weird. Not that my vote mattered anyway, as Kentucky was the first state called for Romney but I voted my convictions and my vote went to a man that holds biblical values and professes to know the True God, been changed by the true Christ of scripture. Of course my candidate had no real chance to win, but why was that? I say it is a shame, since a lot of what I heard was "The 3rd party candidates had no chance of winning. Oh, it would be nice if they did, but it won't happen". I would say that it is because of that mindset and those that said that could have voted for the "better" candidate and could have campaigned and promoted a 3rd party. A huge chunk of the USA professes to be Christian, so if they pulled a "Chick-Fil-A" and stood up for something there could have been a much different outcome.
So, what is the answer? Reform, of course. Reformation of the Church, making the visible church into the true Church of Christ. Not that we would make a theocracy, but that God fearing men would be put into leadership positions and actually turn this country around. That's the only way this country will survive. Right now God has shown His disdain for "us". His judgments are many and most folks just brush it off or try to explain it away somehow. Not me, I see God's hand of judgment against us. I am not scared, for I know whom is really in charge. God. My faith is in the Lord, not men, not elections, not our President or the Electoral College.
Post Subtitle : Guilty of preaching a false gospel
Lots of talk the past few days about Word of Faith “preacher” Creflo Dollar. Seems that he is accused of battery and cruelty to children in an alleged attack on his 15 year old daughter. I will not go into the details of the alleged happening, but you can find it all over the internet at any news source. Also, you can find a scan of the actual police report here. My prayer is that this situation will be used to bring interest on Dollar and thus exposing his false gospel, regardless if what the criminal charges are.
First off, I did post the story on my Facebook page along with a comment that pretty much said Creflo was guilty. It is true that in this country we are innocent until proven guilty. So, for that I was wrong and not giving Creflo his due diligence in making his case before a judge and/ or jury. However, I do not believe this will reach that phase of the judicial process, so we may never know if he was guilty or not. Actually, does it really matter anyway? After all he has been abusing scripture and his listeners for decades and people still flock to him.
Dollar has a long history of being a Word of Faith teacher. This in itself is a heresy that has run rampant on the world for a few decades now, with other WoF (Word of Faith) preacher/ teachers like Oral Roberts, Jessie DuPlantis, Kenneth Copeland, T.D. Jakes, Benny Hinn and Joyce Meyer being some of the more well known. Not that there are actually “bigger” heresies than others, but the more prominent in this movement are the “little gods” statements, name it and claim it speak, your faith is what can cure you, sow your seeds into “my” ministry to receive your blessings, if your not being healed then your faith isn’t strong enough and one I just came across today - that Jesus “grew” into His Sonship and “Godness”.
Actually, I have listened to a few of Dollar’s messages over the past few days, taken directly from his website so they wouldn’t be “out of context”. In those messages I found not one single solitary shred of the true Gospel of Christ. I heard a lot of prosperity and a lot of “me” and “I”, even saw Dollar do a “thus sayeth the lord” as he closed his eyes and proceeded to act as a direct oracle for God. So, what is Dollar’s message all about? It is all about self, to the core, through and through.
I’ll clear the air here. I am in no way against a pastor of God having money. I don’t think it is beyond belief that God could bless His children abundantly. Only thing is, Creflo’s not a minister of the Gospel. Creflo feeds his congregation steady doses of “me” and “I”. He even expounds when preaching and calls what he says THE gospel, but not a single word of the Jesus of scripture, not one word on His blood, not one word about sin, not one utterance of repentance, nothing about sanctification, nothing at all resembling the true Gospel of Christ. Admittedly I did not listen to each and every message the Dollar has preached over his career, but shouldn’t the primary reason to preach to people be to glorify God? I mean I heard a few verses ripped out of context, but other than that it was an all out motivational talk/ sales pitch.
It really saddens me that so many people are on their way to hell because of this type of message. This false gospel has man as its central point, what can God do for me type of attitude. I suppose that is why it is so popular. I know there are a few prominent Christian voices out there that are calling these carlatans out. Justin Peters, Voddie Baucham, Hank Hanegraaff, John MacArthur and rappersIV Hisson and Jovan Mackenzy all speak out against the heresies that are spewed from pulpits every Sunday morning. I praise God that these “voices in the wilderness” are there, but I also pray that all pastors and followers of Christ would also take a stand for the true Gospel and push to expose these workers of darkness and of a false gospel. These workers of iniquity are actually to be anathema/ accursed according to Galatians 1:8-9. Instead they have their wears and false messages peddled on TV networks like TBN and TCT, their books and study guides displayed on “Christian” bookstore shelves and people ingest their poison all the way to the grave. Why is that? It is the human nature of self, the greed factor, the lust of money, the lust of a comfortable lifestyle, the desire to be healthy above all else. It is the “perfect” anti-gospel, relayed by prosperity preachers who flaunt their millions to the poor people they are ripping off.
I get infuriated at the state of what people see as Christianity today. It is not really hard to see why so many people are turned off by what they see on TV and read about in the news about the “church”. The secular world sees the hypocrisy of what passes for the gospel these days. The even sadder fact is that when the True Gospel is proclaimed people shake their heads and want nothing of it. They think it is extreme to actually taking up your cross daily, serving those in need, preaching to others, witnessing to those in your life, talking about being a slave to Christ, actually doing what the bible says a true follower of Christ will do - FOLLOW HIM.
Probably the most troubling part of the current issue with Creflo Dollar is those professing Christians that are saying Dollar is a brother in Christ, a fellow Christian. They see the name “pastor” and see that he “preaches” but beyond that they are ignorant of what Dollar actually preaches. They come to his defense (judging ‘for’) and admonish those that are opposing dollar (judging ‘against’). As I stated, I did unfairly judge Dollar guilty of the crimes he is charged with. I apologize for that and learned I should not, but I will not apologize for using this newfound spotlight in the public eye for Dollar to expose his heretical preaching. I wait to see how this all plays out - who will rush to his defense in judging him not guilty, those that judge him guilty and those that use this as a catapult to expose his lies to the world and use it to proclaim the true Gospel of Christ.
I also would like for anyone that may happen upon this posting and says that Dollar is a true preacher of the Gospel to please leave a comment for why you think that. Please leave any link to any message that is the true Gospel. Please explain how he can preach a heresy so much and still be a true child of God. I am always open for correction and will admit if I am wrong.
God has shown His grace on me. After 30 years as a false convert, willing to call anything and everything “Christian” that professed to be, God opened my eyes to the false messages. God showed me how utterly sinful and how much under His wrath I was. He showed me the true Jesus Christ, His sacrifice, His atonement for my sins, His blood shed on Calvary for me, His death, burial and resurrection, being my Propitiation, my Advocate, my Savior! Know what else? He can be yours as well. All you must do is repent and believe in Him. Turn from your sins and to the Holy God. Cry out to Him and fall at His feet and follow Him, wherever He leads, however the road turns. See God as He is - Holy and how you are not - a sinner. Cling to Christ. Deny yourself. Leave all behind and follow Him.
Day 284 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series
I'm sure this coin is worth a few dollars and increasing daily. After all, everything seems to be going up right now, but especially gold and silver. This is due to inflation and the continued decline of the "worth" of the dollar. Many people are turning to precious metals to have something tangible "just in case" in the future.
I was talking this over with a friend at work yesterday and I mentioned that if I had some extra money I would definitely be investing it in gold or silver. He made a very good point that I hope comes out right, because it was great. He said that even gold and silver will not be worth much if and when a financial collapse happens in this country. He gave an example that he would much rather have a chicken than a bar of gold, because no one will really want a bar of gold, but everyone would want a chicken because it is usable. Very good point and put things into a little better perspective for me on the "value" placed on certain things by us humans.
I do for-see a very big financial meltdown, soon. I do have money invested in a 401K that will probably be wiped out and the little bit I earn at work will be worthless then as well. It is a scary thought if you think about how you will learn to survive without relying on money as your means of obtaining goods and services. If/ when our currency collapses what will we use? Gold? Silver? Gas? Anything else that someone puts a value on? All I've got to say is, "I'm not really worried about it".
Not being worried about something as serious as a total change of life for everyone does sound kind of flippant and arrogant, but I know my Source. I know that my Father will supply my needs as He sees fit for what condition He wants to place me in. I may have a totally different lifestyle then, but I will still be resting in the knowledge that God is in full control and nothing is taking Him by surprise.
Too many people want to place their hope and life in the money that is in their bank account. The more money they make the happier they are, or seemingly happy they are. I'm sure someone that strives for more money is really feeling down about now. They are putting their hope in an inanimate object that scripture calls the love of as the root of all kinds of evil. The large bank account they have worked so hard for, given up valuable time with their family for will be wiped out and they will be devastated. Their reason for living will be lost, to amass as much money as possible. Where will they turn then? Maybe a some will see the error in their ways and repent and turn to God as their supply, but I would chance to say that most will be shaking their fist at God and telling Him that He allowed them to go broke. Some may even resort to suicide because their whole reason for living will be gone.
We have to watch in our lives for the idols that seem to sneak in. This can be any number of things from people, jobs, a hobby, TV, the internet, your children or anything else that is elevated above God. We must be constantly aware of how depraved we are and how easily we turn our gaze from Christ. We have the greatest Treasure and we often times want to trade Him for temporal things that hold no eternal value and will be gone one day. We must cling to our Savior and resist our flesh to build idols in our life that distracts us. Focus is the key. Focus on Christ. Gaze upon Him every waking moment and commune with Him constantly. Do not give room for anything to wedge in between you and Him even a little. Call out to God to strengthen you for this and to burden your conscience if something does creep in unnoticed,
Day 243 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series
I thought I had seen it all. All as far as Elvis collectibles go, that is. That was until I opened the pages of the newest Graceland catalog. I'm not knockin' Elvis here, but a Mr. Potato Head Elvis? That's just plain wacky. But, wackier is that my mom would probably want one. Actually I think it is kind of neat myself and we could add it to our Darth Tater, R2DTater, SpiderSpud and Indiana Jones/ Taters of the Lost Ark collectibles. One big hindrance? The $20 price tag on them, so sorry, no Elvis Spudley for me.
I'm not going to mention Elvis' spiritual condition in this post, I did so in this one a little while back. I would like to say something about the level of fanhood he still has, even after being in the grave for 34 years.
No doubt about it, Elvis was a personality. He was a talented man, charming, good looking, rich and very kind hearted. But just what propelled him into such a magnitude of worship? What about more recent examples of Michael Jackson and Justin Bieber? Why do people seem to want to be like, pursue more than anything and follow those mentioned? Is it a true emotion or is it just a popular fad or something totally different? Does it border or even cross the line into idolatry? I would say yes to all of those questions.
But why do people want to follow other popular people is the real question. Or why can someone so freely follow a mere man and turn their back and close their ears to Jesus? Many people know almost every word to every Elvis song recorded. Now that is devotion. But, can not quote you a verse from the bible other than John 3:16, all the time saying they are a Christian.
What this helps to point out is there are a lot of people that claim to be Christian in word only. They have not opened their Bible in years, have not attended a church service in the last year except for Easter and/ or Christmas, but say they love God more than anyone or anything. Really? And just how does that mesh with your denial of godly things? How can you be a part of the Body of Christ and yet be severed from it? Not that reading scripture or attending church makes you a Christian or is a requirement to be saved, but it does show the state of a person's heart if they deny those things.
So, what idols are in your life? What do you love more than God? Your job? Your car? Your spouse? Kids? Money? Quiet time? Facebook? Justin Bieber? Jesus was really blunt in Mathew 10:37 when He said that if you love your parents or children more than Him you are not worthy of Him. He goes on to say in verse 38 that if you don't pick up your cross and follow Him you are not worthy either. Some pretty radical statements even for today. Breaking it down Jesus was saying that you better not have any idols in your life and if you do that you do not truly know Him. You may know another Jesus, but not The Jesus of scripture.
I hope that you examine your life and cut out the things that hinder a relationship with the Savior. If you are truly His child then He will not allow you to have idols and you can do it the easy way and purge them yourself or He will do it for you. I choose the first choice and total surrender to God, even though I am not 100% good at it yet. It is yet another area to seek Him and His strength to be closer to Him.
Can't seem to make up my mind on what to drink tonight. Should I choose the Diet Coke in the can or the Diet Coke in the bottle? The bottle it was. What a decision to make, huh? Not a life changing or altering choice, but one that shows the great wealth that my family has in comparison to the rest of the world.
I was venture to say that if you are reading this you are among the wealthiest percentage of Earth inhabitants. Chances are you had a meal today, have a faucet to get a drink of water at any time you choose, have a toilet in your house, a refrigerator to keep your abundance of food fresh, have a stove/ oven to prepare your meals on and probably also have a microwave oven because we are so rushed for time these days. One thing an American home is not without these days is a TV, or at least one with most families having 2 or more. You won a pair of shoes or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5. Your closet looks like the clothing department at the mall lined with many shorts, pants and accessories.
So, you don't have it so bad. The majority of the population did not even have a meal today, have the clothes on their back, no shoes, have to walk to collect enough water to bring back and boil so their family can have it to drink. No Wal Mart in sight, no grocery store with Diet Coke and no indoor plumbing, because they live outside. We are so blessed in this country and still complain. We are probably cursed if you think about it. God has blessed us so richly that we complain about the "stuff" we have and depend on it for our happiness. The majority i spoke of have God to depend on, so they are the blessed ones, not us.
Next time you complain because nothing is on the TV to watch, think about those others that have never even heard of television. They are probably huddled together, praying to God and thanking htem for the cup of rice He supplied today.
Had a little road trip with Chandra today. We made a little day trip to Carbondale/ Marion Illinois for a little shopping and a little eating. On the way we stopped at a gas station off of I-24 at the Vienna exit. Today's picture is of the restroom door with "Jesus is ready when you are" emblazoned in black Sharpie.
Now I am not 100% sure, but I do not believe that is an accurate quote from the bible. I can't really recall the chapter and verse they were trying to quote there. And on the inside of a bathroom door? Really? That is after all destruction of private property, which I do not think would be a sin free act here. So there are multiple issues with doing something like this.
Issue 1) It is not a biblical statement Issue 2) It was written on a bathroom door Issue 3) It takes something that a person possibly meant to help someone (albeit not a very smart attempt) and reduced it to the same level as the other things scrawled across the door and walls.
I did do a little touch up and cover up of some "unneeded" elements of graffiti. I will not even describe what was on the door right next to this marking. I just can't see the reasoning someone went through to write this out across the door. This would probably go in the same category as the Westboro folks in my book (if I had a book).
This is what modern day "Christianity" has been reduced to as of late. Just more proof that the holiness of God is trivial to a lot of people that claim to be Christians. If someone could please enlighten me to how someone could think this is beneficial. Leave a reply here or on my facebook post or this blog posting.
There is a unnerving debate going on right now. You may have heard a little about it, it is the old “Calvinism VS Arminianism” debate. Actually it has been escalated from debate to all out “you sere a different god than I do, a different jesus than I do”. So, I am perplexed. I am actually feeling pain from this as it is a strong tactic of the enemy to cause division among the brethren.
If you read over my posts here, you will probably be hard pressed to say which you would call me – an Arminian or a Calvinist. I simply call myself a Christian, although I do have scriptural basis for the actual “structure” of my soteriology. I am not about to go into that here, but want to start by saying that I have dear Arminian brothers and sisters and I have dear Calvinist brothers and sisters.
So what is the big deal then? Why does it matter if you either or neither of these? I don't think it really does matter, other than having a wrong view of the condition that man is in and what, if any, ability God has allowed or disallowed of Himself in the salvation process. I honestly believe people from each camp are going to be very surprised in heaven when they see or do not see certain people. I think that is why we are not to judge superficially and instead make our judgments based on the adherence to God's Word. One thing that should not be happening is exactly what has happened – saying the other structure is going to hell.
I think the current debate/ misinformation is actually the common misunderstand of what Calvinists actually believe. Mark Cahill has the common view that all Calvinists are actually Hyper-Calvinists, which is simply untrue. He has a caricature view of that view, possibly because he holds a wrong view of God and/ or humanity. There are also Hyper-Arminians around as well, but for the most part they are actually Pelagian or Semipelagian in their soteriology. I would even venture to say that most “churches” today are actually Pelagian in nature and neither Calvinistic of Arminian in their views of salvation.
So, what is a person to do? Do we say we are of Calvin or of Arminius? Not at all, just as Paul told the Corinthian church not to say they were of him or Appolos (1 Corinthians 3:1-16). What should be happening now is a searching of scripture, a study of the teachings of Christ and the Apostles and of the Old Testament Saints. We (modern Christianity) put too much stock in men's words and do not compare them to what God has revealed to us in His Word. That is the main reason we have so much heresy rampant these days. People are lax in their discernment and give ear to the many false teachers out there today.
I am not discounting true men of God and their work in the furtherance of the Kingdom. God has given us men that have a love and a passion for His Word and that same love for exposition of His Word. There are many authors and preachers alive today that God has gifted as true voices to a dying world. There are also many great saints of past that who had the same gifts from God. I will say that these men will also tell you that their words are not authoritative without their adherence to scripture. God has given these men to help us, to teach us and to help guide us along the path to His righteousness. I can also say without flinching that these authors and preachers will tell you to search the scriptures yourself, that anything they say or write has to come under the scrutiny of scripture, to the fullest extent. Do not take anyone at their word alone, ever, when it comes to teaching on the character and holiness of God.
I want to close by saying that I was brought up with a distorted view of God. I was taught many things in my youth that I question today, things that molded my view into a very un-powerful god. My views were like most of the professing Christians today. I had created a god in my mind that allowed many things, that overlooked many things and that was going to let me into His Kingdom just because I had mumbled and agreed to a few points when I was 8 years old. Only when I actually saw my standing before the most Holy God was I able to truly repent and turn from my sins and to that Holy God for my salvation. Did I choose Him or did He choose me? That is the question of the day. Better yet, was I able to choose Him would be the proper question.
Please examine scripture to see what God has to say about salvation, His will, His power, His Kingdom, His Word, His holiness, His worth, His demands, His love, His judgment, His world. It is all His and He has allowed us to be a part. How awesome is that? That the God that created the universe, has allowed us communion with Him? How awesome is it that we, as sinful creatures, are able to enter into His presence because of our Mediator, Christ Jesus. Why? Because He loves us.
Okay. I posted a blog about the possibility of Pastor Terry Jones and his congregation burning of a Qur’an. A few minutes later I was informed by a good friend that Jones had agreed not to burn it. After reading the AP story it seems that Jones has gotten word that the Ground Zero planned Mosque will not be built, so he will not go through as planned. Apparently this was his “Word from God” that he was awaiting on.
The fact that he was planning on burning a Qur’an did not really make a deep impression on me, but what did was the worldwide outcry for him (them) to not do it. Although the actual burning of the book would have been detrimental in many ways. The decision to not follow though, or actually the outcries themselves, is what really get my ire.
Let’s start with President Obama. Does he really need to be involved in this? Okay, it could possibly set off some Muslim extremist to do something, or actually give him a reason to do something. They are always looking for something to blame their terrorizing on anyway. But that is all hypothetical. Does the Commander of the “free world” need to voice his opinion on a pastor of a 50 person congregation to not burn a Qur’an? I haven’t heard any outcry from Obama to stop burning bibles, the American flag or even Christian brothers and sisters in other countries. What about those atrocities? Do they not command the attention of President Obama?
Another that was speaking out on the matter was Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, "It's regrettable that a pastor in Gainesville, Florida with a church of no more than 50 people can make this outrageous and distressful, disgraceful plan and get the world's attention, but that's the world we live in right now". So immediately this congregation is not worthy because they are “only” 50 strong. I hate to break it to Hillary, but David was only one strong and slew a giant. Others that have spoken out against the planned burning were the Pope and Afghanistan war chief Gen. David Petraeu.
As I said in my last post, I am not for or against burning the Qur’an. It is not going to affect me in any way. But what does is the outcry of the public and leaders against it. I really hope and pray that this wakes true bible believing, God loving Christians up to the state of the world. This world and its leaders and the public will defend the Qur’an and the Muslims that cherish it words, but turn a blind eye to Christianity. I pray that this wake up call stirs Christians worldwide to repent of their Laodicean ways and cry out to God for revival in their hearts first and then to spread across the world. It is time that Christians stand up for the God they say they worship and follow. Enough of this “oh well” attitude. Jesus, Paul, Peter and the rest of the Apostles took stands for Christ that cost the majority of them their lives.
Why can’t we take a stand that might allow us persecution? Why are we numb to the fact that we have it so easy in America, but our brothers and sisters across the sea are being burned alive for not renouncing their faith? Those are the true champions of the faith. Those are the ones that we should be looking to for leadership, the ones that stand fast and are beaten. American Christianity thinks persecution is someone saying “ why do you go to church so much” or giving them a dirty look because they are carrying a bible. ***WAKE UP CALL*** that is not persecution. That is sinners voicing their lack of understanding. All Christians should be in prayer for those in other countries that are spit on and beaten while walking to a church gathering. Pray for those that only have a single page of scripture to hold fast to, while we have dozens of bibles in our houses that barley get opened up. You think we are blessed nation because we have so much? Think about it like this - we are a cursed nation because we have so much. We are so dislocated to what is going on in other countries because we have so much and keep piling it on. We go about our days complaining because we have to wait 2 minutes at a drive through window for our extra large value meal while a small church is gathering in the dark sharing a few grains of rice, but praising the Lord for each and every grain.
We (Christians) have our wake up call. We need to cry out to God for forgiveness and for mercy that He will save us from us. Cry out that He will convict us of our idolatry and to give us a heart for our brothers and sisters across the globe.
So this evening I see a local "pastor" post about people from his "church" having fellowships centered around the UFC 116 Pay Per view. For those not in the know, UFC stands for "Ultimate Fighting Championship". The men that take part in these events set out to pummel their opponent into submission, unconsciousness or inability to carry on with the fight. The scenes of the gatherings that take place for these fights are typically filled with the normal testosterone flow of yelling, screaming, alcohol consumption and even the occasional fight breaking out as the watchers of the event are worked into emotional frenzies as their minds try to process the amount of bloody violence they are consuming. Not to mention the thinly clad ring girls that get just as many hoops and hollers that the fight gets.
So why is a "pastor" endorsing these events? I have no idea. These types of events are nothing more than modern day coliseum events pitting two gladiators against each other. The only slight difference is the halting of the fighting before death is reached for the lesser of the combatants. The way these athletes engage during the fights could lead to, as they keep pummeling away sometimes until they are pulled from their prey.
This most violent of spectator events has gained popularity over recent years. I assume that to stay relevant to their lost congregations these "pastors" must be lenient to what they deem as wrong. Of course those that do endorse such bloodsport are probably not converted either, so this does not really come as a big surprise. I think the relevance factor shows through on this and all of the other things these "pastors" do to draw interest to their "church". They use worldly means to gain a worldly congregation and then have to continue to use those worldly ways and means to keep their flock of goats entertained.
Relevance also shined through while my family was having dinner at a local restaurant last night. Another of these "pastors" of a different local "church" was sitting at the table beside ours. Not that I was eavesdropping, but I could hear their conversation if I tuned my ears their way. I never heard one mention of God between this "pastor, his wife and the couple that was with them. Their topic of conversation was action movies and their actors and the ungodly movie they were going to see after dinner. No wonder their flock stray from the Word, because their leader is just as deceived as they are.
So is it wrong for me to say they are wrong? I think not as pastors and leaders are held to a higher degree that "regular" people. These leaders should not be doing anything to cause others to stumble and promoting and condoning UFC and filthy movies is doing just that. I wonder how they determine where the line is drawn for what is wrong and what isn't. If beating someone to near death is not bad, then I guess the line would be a sport that's directive is to kill your opponent, movies deemed sinful are probably marketed with an X in their rating.
Morals and biblical mandates to be separated from worldly vices seem to have been forgotten by most church attenders, professing Christians and their "pastors". I can't imagine a counseling session with one of these leaders knowing what they condone. How could you take seriously someone telling you to not fight with a fellow church member when the "pastor" just had you over the weekend before to watch 10 matches of a UFC event? Or a sermon on worldliness when the pastor just had a sermon series based on the spiritual implications of "Sex and the City 2".
Get real Christians. Get out of the world. Stand strong on the Word of God and if your church leaders endorse questionable forms of entertainment, tell them about it. Just because they hold a degree in theology doesn't mean they are discerning. If they are deceiving the flock it is your duty to tell them. If they accept the rebuke and move forward in repentance then great, if not follow the biblical mandates from there.
Christians are called to be holy as God is holy. To be set apart from the world. To be salt and light. To walk in the Light as He is in the light. All of which UFC and filthy movies are not a part of. AM i being too harsh? I think I am not being harsh enough as these deceiving wolves are giving the world ammunition to use against those that do strive for holiness and Godliness. Call them out and mark them as deceivers if they do not repent. I am going to contact the UFC condoning "pastor" about this tomorrow and see how he reacts. I will also in the near future contact the other movie going pastor as I have been in contact with him before. Both of these men are well known in my community and I have given them scriptural basis for things they have said or condoned in the past being false or deceptive. I will continue to contact these men about their deceptions and misleading of their "church" attendees. Pray for them and pray for their followers that the scales will come off and the Truth of holiness and true repentance will be made known to them.
The greatest question…. The one everyone is pondering……… The one that caused heated debate between a “friend of a friend” on facebook (not really heated, but he was not in agreement with me)…….. Was it “Did you choose God or did God choose you?” No. How about, “Should we not pray because God is sovereign and therefore our prayers don’t really do anything anyway?” No. Then it’s got to be, “Did Adam have a belly button?” And, no again. It was, “Are U2 Christians?” And I’m sure that if you have read even a single post on my blog, you already know what my stance is. A sound no. Well, I can’t say with a 100% certainty they are not Christians, but unless they have forsaken their sins, turned from them in repentance and put their whole faith in Christ it is a definite no.
By they, I of course mean Saint Bono and Saint Edge, the other guys are just kinda there and nobody knows who they are anyway. And by “unless they have forsaken their sins, turned in repentance and put their whole faith in Christ”, I mean nobody knows. They seem to wear their faith on their sleeve. Right? Well, not exactly.
In numerous interviews and quotes found throughout the internet, they (Bono and Edge) paint broad pictures of what their faith looks like. Thing is, it looks different all the time and not in a sanctification kinda way, but in a “We’re going to do what feels comfortable for us” kinda way. They refuse to say what their faith is based on and who that faith is actually in. From what I gather though, they have amalgamated a plethora (my $2 words for this post) of spiritual concepts into one big ball of jello that changes shape depending on which way the wind is blowing at the time.
What is really damaging is their use of Biblical themes in their music and even using Christian terms to describe some aspects of their beliefs. But, neither Bono or Edge have said “ I am a Christian. I follow the risen Savior Jesus Christ. The Bible is the final authority on my life and I lay my life at the feet of Jesus and am His slave.” Nothing even remotely like that. I have found where he says a lot of truth about Jesus and who He is and what faith in Him requires, but nothing that says without a doubt “I am a Christian”. And with that I will have to quote Martin Luther “You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say”
U2’s faith is very reminiscent of Universalism, at best. Roman Catholicism is held in deep regard to the band. They have a pragmatic approach to their spirituality using humanitarian aid as a catalyst to their good works, as well as a sign for others to point to saying “See, they’re good guys, they help so many people”. I will not discount their generosity, but that is not necessarily a fruit of the spirit on display. (see my last post on non-Christian philanthropy). It is great that they try to help kids in less wealthy nations, but it is not proof of their spiritual condition. It could be, however, a condition of their conscience, the God given “voice” that points to God. The pragmatism of U2 is at center of their philosophy. The “ONE” movement that has pulled in many mainstream “Christian” bands and leaders is very works based philosophy. It is about serving the poor and needy, but makes no mention of God while doing these works. If you watch the video below you will see the pragmatism on display by Bono. He is somewhat knowledgeable of scripture and also the twisting of it. The “ONE” group/ movement has enlisted the likes of Bill Gates, Third Day, Rick Warren and Islamic Relief. So, as you can see the ecumenical push to join together for the betterment of mankind, to step join together and give credence to false religions and people and groups that are blatantly anti-Christian. I don’t think that is such a good idea and neither does the God of the bible.
I do think U2 have a lot of knowledge of Biblical things, but this can be said of most of professing Christians across the world. Knowledge does not equal conversion. Knowing a bunch of facts will not put you on the narrow road, but still leaves one on the broad path to destruction. Sadly U2 are pulling people that are headed to the narrow path back towards the broad. Actually U2 are embraced as full-fledged Christians by a lot of liberal professing Christians and especially those engrained in the Emergent movement. Bono and Edge truly are saints to those people. This is quite damaging as the lifestyles of the members of U2 are emulated. Chomping on cigars, cursing like a sailor and embracing other religions as true are very commonplace in both the liberal and emergent circles which would make U2 the poster children for either movement.
Conservative Christianity is under attack. Actually when you say Christianity the conservative part should be a given. The liberality that is the pursuit of so many stand in contradiction to most of the New Testament. They mention grace an awful lot, that they are free to do what is good in their own eyes, but neglect the command to be holy. They sin and sin and sin some more because “Jesus died on the cross for me”. They do have that right, but not in the way a true believer says it. Their context is “I’ll sin all I want, I have a license to sin and it’s the blood of Jesus”. The true Christian, however, truly see’s that Jesus did die for them on the cross, that Jesus did pay it all and they no longer desire to sin because of their sins that did put Him on the cross. They want to be Holy as He is Holy and strive to be more like Christ instead of still like their old self with the trinket of Christianity hanging around their neck.
So, is the band U2 Christian? Could be, but if so they would be the new creation talked about in 2 Corinthians 5:17. They would proudly profess Who their hope lies in and Who they are slaves to. Their wouldn’t be the omission and the broad paintbrush strokes to leave people wondering. To some that sounds radical or extreme Christianity, to actually live for Christ, to profess Christ in all that you do. It is radical that all things become new, but it is the fruit of the Spirit that start being produced. You might even say that those “radical” Christians that actually look like nut cases because they love the Lord so much are actually what normal Christianity looks like. Not like the mish mash of worldly entwined with whatever is convenient to a particular person at any given time. Christianity is a call to Holiness and Christ-likeness that is not found in a secular rock band, or any other thing that Satan uses to muddy peoples thoughts.
If there is even a little doubt if something is of God or not, I would strongly suggest to err on the side of caution. Do not try to justify a band, a relationship, a book, a movie, a website or anything else that you find interesting. If you must scour scripture to find something that is not there to justify something, then it is probably a bad idea. Scripture is clear that Christians are to be separate from the world.
In closing, this is yet another call to discernment. Any true Christian will desire holiness as a characteristic. They will seek righteousness and FLEE from sin, not try to justify. They will not condone sinful musicians, they will not justify a crass TV show, they will not find “the spirituality in” Twilight, Harry Potter or Gilligan’s Island. They will seek a true understanding of God in His glory and not use the Blood of Christ as a ticket to sin. So, where do you stand? Are you justifying sins, embracing the darkness of the world? Do you not desire holiness in your life? Do you care that professing Christ, but living like the world is blaspheming His Holy Name? Repentance is the first key to a true walk with the Lord. Turn from your wickedness and sin to the Holy God. Trust in Him for everything. Lay your life at His feet and say, “take me, I am Yours. Do with me what thou will.” And do not look back at the sinful past of your life. Flee from sin, put your hand to the plow and do not look back, truly trust in Him, for everything.
Bono’s pragmatic philosophy from his own mouth. Rick Warren will be proud.
If you have not read my first post about the season finale of Lost, please do so. This post is to just show the stained glass window depicted in the final minutes of the series finale. Pardon the bad photo, but I could not find any postings on the web yet.
I was confident that the depiction in the glass was for a Unitarian Universalism church, but not 100% sure. But after research that is what this glass would be from. There does seem to be a couple of insignia missing though, maybe as to not cause "too much" controversy. Those being the Wiccan pentacle, the Universalist's flaming chalice, the circles of time and a different symbol for the Islamic faith.
So, I stand with my original assertion that I will never watch Lost in any capacity again. I think that the producers overstepped their bounds to imply the "all roads lead to heaven" view of religions. Jesus said He was the only Way to the Father. Anything other than that is rank heresy and I cannot and will not support anything that does, especially a TV show.
I showed a lack of better judgment in watching the series in the first place. They peppered it with Christian titles and themes, just enough to hold my interest to see where they were going with things. It worked, I was fooled, but not again.
As a fan of Lost for the past 6 seasons I have had about every emotion thrown at me. You kinda get to know the characters of a show that you invest so much time in. I guess I now would like a refund on the last 6 years of Tuesday night back.
The final season was a setup for the afterlife, one that the producers seemed to condone as an “all roads lead to heaven” kinda place. As of right now (within 30 minutes of the final credits) I cannot find the end all screen capture posted on the web, but when I do I will post it to this posting. By “end all” I mean my watching Lost, partaking of any extended series books, stories, TV shows, movies, etc. ***Update - just posted a screen capture of the stained glass window in my part 2 to this post***
I will not go into detail, but the ending was very disappointing to me, as a Christian. The “church” where the cast met to be taken into the afterlife had a stained glass window, prominently displayed, with many different religious symbols in it. I assume because they did not want to offend anyone of religions other than Christianity, so they represented several other faiths in the glass. It seems they would have wanted to start the “all roads lead to heaven” story a lot sooner than the finale, say maybe back when they were throwing in a whole lot of biblical references. I can’t seem to recall any Islamic or Taoist text being recited or shown carved in sticks. Christianity was just a side story line that I thought was just that, a diversion for some other central story. And it was, as Christianity now has been brought down to the level of the false religions of the world to many millions of people. But with one fell swoop, the producers have done what Oprah, Obama and so many other Universalists have been trying to do for so long, indoctrinate that all roads lead to heaven into the mindset of the masses.
I am sorely upset at the producers of the series. That is one emotion I have not even thought about throughout the 6 years I invested in their TV show. I have gotten angry at story lines, but not the makers… until now.
I guess it is now too late to boycott the show, since they did not throw this in until the last 10 minutes of the 6 years. Maybe that’s why, they knew that they would be forsaken and lose viewers. I suppose my boycott will now only extend to the re-broadcasts. Knowing the ending will now taint the whole series for me. Just wish I would have known this 6 years ago……..
Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” In reference to Jesus
Tomorrow marks the 59th observance of the “National Day of Prayer” in our nation. “Every president since 1952 has endorsed and supported National Day of Prayer except President Obama, who has decided not to endorse that,” is a quote from a local news website. Is that an accurate quote? Perhaps, and it would not surprise me. Obama did, however, back an exclusive Muslim day of prayer last September.
Does it bother me that Obama doesn’t support a sanctioned day of prayer for our nation? Not at all and it shouldn’t you either. If you think about it, a national day of prayer will be a day that many people (professing Christians, Jewish, Muslims, Hindu, Krishna, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormons and even Wiccans) will come together to pray to their chosen deity for whatever reason they do. To me this sounds like a common evening at any Masonic Lodge across the world, “just profess to believe in a higher power of the Universe and you can stand beside me in prayer” is the mantra for the day tomorrow.
So, should a Christian get all worked up about the president not supporting this event or the Wisconsin’s judge finding the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional? I say NO with a resounding voice. Tomorrow will mark a day of idolatry when fanciful prayers will be offered up to nonexistent gods, even by those that profess the name of Jesus. These are the modern day equivalence of the Pharisees of scripture. I would say that next to Christmas, tomorrow will be the most blasphemous day of the year.
Matthew 6:5-7“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
Wow, Jesus sure made that clear, didn’t He? So, does this one passage of scripture refute having a National Day of Prayer? I’ll let you decide that for yourself. Personally, tomorrow will be as any other day for me, as far as my prayers go. I will awaken and thank God for all He does for me, allowing me to awaken next to my beautiful wife and thank Him for the gifts He has given me, thank Him for my health and ask to be used of Him to do what is pleasing to Him. My day will progress as any other day, I will commune with the Lord throughout the day. I will pray for brothers and sisters as they come to mind, I will pray for guidance and opportunity to share what He has done for me, to be mindful of opportunities to share the Gospel. I will thank Him for the meals He supplies to my family and me. In other words, I never really stop praying throughout the day. I am aware of the presence of God with me. I may not be 100% faithful in this, but God is teaching me to commune with Him and in turn I will sin less against Him and be conformed more into the image of Christ. I am definitely very far from that goal, but He is the Potter and I am the clay and He is molding me and shaping me to be what He wants.
So, I guess my point of this posting is to say, “chill out” if you are uptight about the recent events that are against a National Day of Prayer. Calm down if you think Obama is a Muslim against Christians. I am very certain that God has Obama in control and he doesn’t take a breath unless it is ordained by the Father. Do not bemoan a man sanctioned day of idolatry, I would even say do not take part in the day except to ask the Lord to turn those that are praying to their false idols to the One that can actually answer their prayers. Pray that God is glorified and exalted above all and ask how you can be used of Him to be a part of that.
Let me close by saying that I am not 100% against a gathering of God’s people joining in prayer to ask for the Lords will to be done. We do see in scripture the Church coming together with prayers, but they did not need a certain day of the year to do so. They came together in unison, with one voice, seeking the will of God. That kind of corporate prayer is very much needed today. True Christians need to come together with one voice to seek God as the body, to seek a return to the pure state of Christianity, a true revival of His church. I ask that you pray without ceasing and join others daily in prayer to the Lord. Just don’t plan a day, write out a long and exuberant prayer that will try to tickle the ears of those hearing it instead of petitioning the God and Maker of everything.
Oh, and stop posting prayers on facebook, myspace, youtube or sending them in emails. If those are your prayers to God, why do you post them for others to read? To bolster the readers spirituality? To show how spiritual you are? To show your immense vocabulary? I would very seriously caution posting a prayer to God anywhere. Pray to the Father only.
