From Billy Graham to Joel Osteen

For decades America’s spiritual leader was Billy Graham.

Here was a man who studied the Word of God daily, who led by example and didn’t bypass certain biblical verses if they didn’t suit his agenda. Here was a man who knew God, who lived and loved the message of the Cross. Here was a man who preached the Gospel to more people than any other person in history—to the salvation of countless souls.

We were blessed to have been led by such an inspirational bible-believing teacher.

Unfortunately due to advancing age (almost 97 year old today!) and declining health, the Reverend Billy Graham stepped down a few years ago. Today if America can be said to have a spiritual leader, the media would no doubt designate Joel Osteen as such, or any of a dozen other preachers of his genie-in-a-bottle god.

We are not blessed in this.

‘We know we have come to know God, when we obey His commands. The man who says “I know Him” but doesn’t do what He commands is a liar. But if anyone obeys His word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. Whoever claims to live in Him, must walk as Jesus did’ 1 John 2:3-6. Love is expressed in obedience to God’s word—to His entire word.

While Osteen has risen as a celebrity preacher, America has declined from a God-Blessed country to a Godless nation. This is not a coincidence. Where Billy Graham shared the Gospel in a simple clear manner, emphasizing the potency of and need for Christ, Joel Osteen shares his personal philosophy, one that equates more with new-age self help attitudes than with biblical righteousness. He does not walk as Jesus walked.

To be clear, Joel Osteen does not preach from the bible, he merely uses some of its less offensive passages to convey a general sense of morality. His use of scripture is manipulative. Sprinkling in the occasional inspirational verse, Osteen very cleverly avoids the more touchy or provocative parts, like the crucifixion, repentance, sin, and the one narrow path to heaven—which is Jesus Christ!—to emphasize a prosperity gospel that is not scriptural.

Billy Graham’s famous Crusades culminated in calls of repentance to affect changed lives and saved souls. Joel Osteen’s Night of Hope event culminated in praise for his inspirational words.

Let that sink in for a second.

Billy Graham taught that without the Cross there is no salvation, and that the Cross is offensive—because it is the condemnation of the world. Woo boy. People don’t want to hear things like that today. That’s why instead:

Joel Osteen chooses to teach that you are not a complete believer until you are financially set, until you have that second luxury car you want, until you are out of debt and better than your ‘less than the best’ neighbor.

Billy Graham said: You’re a sinner. You’d better repent. (Hard truth trumps cozy-but-false teachings.)

Joel Osteen says: You’re destined for great things in this world. Don’t settle for mediocrity.

Billy Graham taught: God is good.

Joel Osteen teaches: You are good, maybe even a little god.

It’s easy to see why so many people fall for the prosperity teaching and feel-good sermons of Joel Osteen. But 2 Peter warns us against his slimy me-first theology: ‘Beware false prophets . . . Many will follow their unrestrained ways, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. In their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words.’

If you want to be a dupe for Osteen, that’s your choice. If not, read on.

Whenever Osteen mentions God in his sermons, it is to explain how God will bless you if only you will believe that you are worthy of every blessing.

But that doesn’t jibe with scripture. Usually when the bible uses the term ‘prosperity’ it is referring to spiritual well-being or sufficient fiscal care, not temporal wealth. Psalms 143:2 says ‘No one alive is righteous in Your sight.’ Romans 3:9-10 says ‘All are under sin . . . There is no one righteous, not even one.’ Christ Himself spoke against the love of money: ‘You cannot serve both God and money’ Luke 16:13. See also, 1 Timothy 6:9-11, a real eye-opener against Osteen.

We need God—not to improve our social standing or to get ‘liked’ on Facebook or to grow our bank accounts. No, we need God to save us from our sinful nature so we might glorify HIM and be redeemed by His grace to spend eternity in heaven. (All of which is impossible without repentance and the death on the Cross. But don’t ask Osteen about the Cross. I’m pretty sure he skipped over that part in the bible.)

‘Don’t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal’ (there goes your luxury car). ‘But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also’ Matthew 6:19-21.

‘Your Best Life Now’? I’d rather enjoy blessings in heaven forever than riches here on earth for a few years.

Don’t be like the other sheep, following any false shepherd (Jeremiah 50:6) who’ll tell them what they want to hear. Don't eat up any piece of crap these false shepherds happen to lay before you.

God gave us brains, people. Let’s use them.

Good night and God bless.   

Gratitude of a Thankful Nation

Gratitude: An essential yet often neglected aspect of salvation.

I’ve noticed that I spend a lot of my prayer time asking God to accomplish certain things, or to do this or change that. Sometimes it takes me a while to even realize when he has answered prayers or otherwise blessed me and mine in various areas of our lives. In failing to recognize his answers, I neglect to thank him. In fact, gratitude seems the last and smallest part of our prayer lives. This must change.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 states: ‘Rejoice always! Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything, for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus.’

Psalm 100:4 admonishes us to: ‘Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good, and his love is eternal: his faithfulness endures through all generations.’

Gratitude is an absolutely essential part of salvation. Without it we are no better than monkeys who’ve been given everything and yet display no gratitude for anything. Gratitude is the proper response to God’s saving grace, and it should be expressed every day in every prayer. Mature believers in Christ are thankful believers.

Thank you Father for the roof over our heads

Thank you Father for the food in our cupboards

Thank you Father for our health, and for our recovery from illness

Thank you Father for the ability to think and to know you

Thank you Father for our senses and for your amazing love each day

Thank you Father for everything we take for granted

Amen

Why Do Atheists Have a Problem with Believers?

It is understandable that Christians seek to change the worldview of atheists: concern for the eternal souls of atheists naturally spurs believers to try and save them from their destructive path. But why do atheists bother trying to convert believers? Why do they work so hard to convince the faithful that they are wrong?

It is illogical. They don’t believe in heaven or hell, so clearly atheists are not concerned with the salvation of our eternal souls. If they really think Christians are stupid for believing in God, then logic suggests they would prefer we keep on believing in our so-called delusions, because it edifies their ego’s, makes them feel intellectually superior. (And God knows atheists have huge egos; they’d have to in order to consider themselves smarter than God.)

The reason atheists work so hard to convince us that they are right and we are wrong is that they despise the Truth. Atheists absolutely hate God because they either: do not understand Him, or because they despise His rules. They are so arrogant as to think the world should function according to their parameters, rather than according to the design of a being that is in every way their superior. That’s right. God is superior to man, intellectually, dimensionally, chronologically, and just plain vastly in every other way. Atheists do not want to hear that. Atheists would rather run things according to their plans.

But the idea of man’s morality being the measure of righteousness in this world is not just absurd, it’s laughable. The idea of man’s intellect being the measure of supreme intelligence in the universe is not just ignorant, it’s actively stupid.

No matter how advanced mankind’s science becomes, we will never learn how to create something from nothing. That is God’s domain. That is God’s secret. And He’s not sharing that one. Let’s make a deal with the atheists. We’ll obey God’s Word and love them without preaching at them, if they’ll agree to stop shoving their God-hating agenda down our throats. They don’t believe as we do? Fine. But that’s no reason for them to hate or mock or persecute us.         

Is God Impotent and/or Evil?

Author David Fiorazo makes a good point in his book The Cost of Our Silence. I am tired of being silent while so many atheists proudly proclaim their filth and drivel. I intend to be offensive to the sin nature, as Jesus was/is offensive, as the Cross is offensive to all who choose not to retain God in their knowledge.

Atheists claim that a God who (for example, as Sam Harris claims) could permit the death of nine million children every year is either impotent or evil. This claim is a favorite among unbelievers. And it betrays their arrogant ignorance.

Atheists perceive only two explanations BECAUSE, as human beings their intellectual capacity limits them to perceiving only two explanations. As the supreme intelligence in the universe, God alone knows why he permits these things. Even if he were to explain, we would likely not comprehend. God sees all time simultaneously: he knows what the effects will be of permitting some things and not permitting others. Unlike humans, God's understanding is not limited by time, intellect, or hatred. He—and he alone—understands the great question WHY. (We might add here that humans are to blame for most of our misery, that those who cannot even feed and water themselves are cruel to bring children into this world, but seem unwilling to accept this responsibility. Rather, they prefer to lay the blame at the feet of the One they do not believe in.)

The atheist might respond with: So the death of nine million children doesn’t bother you?

The believer responds with: Of course the death of nine million children bothers me. It is a tragedy. But it would bother me even more if I believed, as you do, that their existence was limited to a short time of struggle and misery here on earth. Unlike you, I believe that all those innocents are now enjoying paradise in heaven with God, who saved them from growing up, which inevitably includes the temptation to become like you and suffer the damnation that goes hand in hand with unbelief.

The fundamental problem here lies in the atheists' inability to grasp the seriously offensive nature of sin in Gods eyes. When we get right down to it, they simply refuse to believe that people can do anything evil enough to deserve eternal damnation.

I cannot help but wonder why atheists work so hard to discredit a God they don’t believe in. If he doesn't exist, then their theories should prove this. But if God does exist, then everything atheists say against him can be used as proof against their ignorance (or stubborn refusal to accept the truth that humans are not the supreme intelligence in the universe).

Atheists are dupes for Satan. They follow his path. Satan doesn't need people to worship him, he simply wants people to worship anything other than God. Atheists worship themselves.

Don't follow the broad path of least resistance, which leads to destruction. Turn to God. We may suffer persecution in this world for this decision, but a crown of righteousness awaits: 'For it is God's will that you, by doing good, silence the ignorance of foolish men (1 Peter 2:15).

All the Light They Cannot See

When I began this blog I thought I was being guided by the Spirit to write for God, to help further the Kingdom. I'd hoped to clarify some biblical misunderstandings. I thought, like a naive student, that God would therefore promote it.

Noble aspirations not withstanding, He hasn't helped, and neither has my family.

If they don't care, I'm starting to wonder why I bother. So this is a test of my faith; to push on despite neglect, to see if this is part of Gods will for me after all, according to Colossians 1:29 'I labor for this, striving with His strength that works powerfully in me.'

The Parable of the 10 Minas in Luke 19:11-27 revealed itself to me not long ago; I saw it and understood it really for the first time. In the parable, Jesus is the nobleman and we are the slaves. The minas represent the light or gifts He has given each of us according to His own measure. Now, the slaves who invested what He had given, represent believers who share the light He provides, basically multiplying that light of salvation. The slave who hid his mina is the believer who doesn't share his light--that is, the good news of the gospel. He represents those of us (like me, I often feel) who make a poor showing of their discipleship. Many are saved, but few go out and share their light with the world. In the parable, Jesus is asking 'What have you done with the light I gave you?'

What have we done with it? Have we kept it hidden under a bushel. making our salvation unfruitful? Matthew 5:15 commands us to 'Let your light so shine before men that they glorify God!'

Coinciding with this theme is the passage in 2 Peter 1:5-9. Supplementing our faith with goodness, knowledge, self-control, love, etc, so that we not become unfruitful or useless in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.'

I am guilty of this sin of salvation-neglect. At times I am filled with righteous boldness and break free of this wicked nature. Despite these wondrous moments, nothing changes. As far as I know God does not bless them. I am not strong like Job. I am not wise as Peter. I am the least of His disciples. I know hatred and hold resentment within. In neglecting the world and seeking God, I have learned solitude and have grown numb. I no longer even care enough to refrain from embracing the truth.

I have become sufficiently knowledgeable to know that I have much to learn and that the world is sadly lacking in Jesus-educated teachers. In striving to become one, I make myself a fool for Christ. Still, I'd rather be a fool for Christ than a dupe for Satan. 

A Pure and Undefiled Religion

Praise God! Let us celebrate our Maker!

During my daily Bible reading recently, God has been graciously showing me select passages highlighting methods for activating a pure and undefiled religion, simple ways to live among our fellow humans--believers and atheists alike.

It is refreshing to find such simple, elegant religious pointers in the Bible, especially in an age where religion has become progressively more complex and convoluted, what with all the political correctness and false teachings going on in the church. (Political correctness is fine and all, but Biblical correctness should take preference over mere human opinions; after all, Jesus Christ himself was not political correct.)

You'll find the inspirational verses in the following places: Philippians 2:4, Psalms 133:1, Hebrews 10:24, and James 1:27. These passages are beacons! Simple and useful guidelines on how to activate our 'religion' and serve God, by considering others as just as important as ourselves (GASP!) and then acting on this wild new perspective.

If Christ humbled Himself and lived as if others were just as important as He was (and let's be honest, our Savior was surrounded by thieves, liars, backstabbers, cowards and prideful heathen who were most definitely NOT as important as He), then there is no reason or excuse under heaven why we should not follow His example.

It's time to simplify our faith, people. Let us get back to the Bible. Let us return to a pure religion founded on the Word of God, and on that alone. Amen! 

America is on a Dangerous Path

One could say America turned onto and first trod this road the day President Clinton defiled the White House. One sin begets another. His lust begat lies, his lies tolerance for wickedness, and so on. It continued with President Bush, and this journey America is on is being spearheaded today by our incumbent president, the man who seems intent on accelerating our destruction.

For years America has been trading off the greatness of the World War 2 generation. Seven decades have worn this greatness down to a nub, until today we find that countless nations around the world hate our once revered country.

It is no coincidence that this slow and steady decline of faith in America as the greatest nation on earth has coincided with the steady decline of morality and religious values on which this nation was founded. (And don’t bother arguing that Thomas Jefferson was an agnostic; even he lived by an unshakable ethical and moral code founded on Christian principles.) Contrary to his early claims of being a Christian, Obama clearly possesses no moral compass, but prefers to lend his support to whichever group happens to be in the majority at the moment, and has a proclivity for waving the flag of whichever assemblage might produce for him the most votes.

President Obama is, ironically, as misguided as was Jefferson Davis in his day. His principles lay with the highest bidder. Either he is intentionally sabotaging America or he is unspeakably, monumentally inept, making the wrong choices at every turn. He needs our prayers so that he might be led by God rather than by self-interest.

The attacks on this nation, the growing anti-American propaganda, the wars, all these terrible events will accelerate and worsen the more America strives to become a godless nation. We are systematically denigrating our religious values, shoving God out of school and public life while pushing for the tolerance of those acts which used to be committed only in the dark. If our government and its people continue seeking the outlawing of God Almighty, we will reap even worse consequences than those which trouble us now. In the Bible God gave the Israelites opportunities to repent. Whenever they chose stubborn disobedience to His Word, He let their enemies overtake them. I fear the same for my nation, a land I love—America the Beautiful.

Concerning anti-discrimination laws, our government needs to tread carefully.

Discrimination of any sort is both backwards and harmful; this includes anti-Christian sentiments! It is good that we Americans are seeking anti-discrimination, but if in doing so we trod over religious liberties, cultural advancement will go out the window. Likewise so-called ‘Religious Liberty’ bills are just as controversial. We must take care to make sure these bills do no authorize discrimination, just as we must work to prevent anti-discrimination laws from shoving Christians into a rock-and-a-hard-place, forcing them to choose to either follow their beliefs (and thereby invite lawsuits), or to compromise their faith in compliance with religious intolerance promoted via these anti-discrimination laws.

Let’s get specific: The pastor of a Christian church is asked to perform a gay wedding. Adhering to God’s view that homosexuality is a sin in His eyes as it is contrary to His design, the pastor says he is not comfortable with performing the marriage and refuses to do it. The gay couple sues. Following the current social agenda and the popularity contest that our judicial system is fast becoming, the gay couple wins. The pastor loses his position. Another pastor is brought in to the church, one who will perform marriages of any type, because, after all, making concessions in one’s faith is what the church is all about in this the age of tolerance for sin. Whatever brings in the numbers.

In the obverse we have a so-called Christian owner of a diner (re: Indiana Religious Freedom Bill) who turns away a lesbian couple, citing the bill. This is intolerance and displays an arrogance not advocated by the Bible. It is false Christians like the bigoted diner owner who give Christianity and religious freedom a bad name. Religious freedom bills should exist to protect believers from being forced to jeopardize their faith, not to empower them to endorse discrimination.

A balance between the two sides can be met, but not by bigots, racists, God-haters, or religious hypocrites.

We need a better class of leadership in this nation. We need men and women of unshakable faith if we ever hope to enact this decisive balance. We should invite the LGBT community into our places of business, we should hire them, bring them to church, but if we feel it would displease God to honor their lifestyle by marrying them, then we should not be forced to choose between God’s will and man’s. After all, as our Creator, it is God’s right to decide what is pleasing to Him, and what is detestable (Leviticus 18:22). I know of many straight couples who were forced to choose a different church and pastor to marry them due to various reasons. It upset them, but they didn’t sue anyone over it. Why start a war over a disagreement, when a peaceful resolution can be found by those who honor God above man?

This dangerous path America is currently on can only lead to civil unrest, or worse, to a Godless nation. We must pray. We must live as good examples. We must voice our concerns and support those who support a God-fearing America. (It is right and good that we should love and fear Him; He is both Creator and Destroyer. Let us not provoke the latter.)

Consider this: without God, who will there be to bless America?