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Pastor Rick Henderson

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The False Promise of the Prosperity Gospel: Why I Called Out Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer

Posted: 08/21/2013 11:37 am

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I have been preaching for 20 years. Yesterday I did something that I have never done before in a sermon. I publicly called out false teachers and named them by name. I said:

If you listen to Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer, if you take what they teach seriously, it will not be good for you. It will be detrimental to your long-term growth as a follower of Jesus.

(You can watch my sermon here.)

I used to think that their error was so blatantly obvious that they could just be ignored. I was wrong. They are massively growing in popularity in the evangelical world and are seen as credible and helpful. Before I'm inundated with questioning emails I want to share why I distrust these two and think you should as well. So, don't shoot me -- at least not yet.

When I was a kid I could tell the difference between neighborhood kids who wanted to be my friend from the neighborhood kids who were my friends so that they could play with my toys. Joel and Joyce are the latter. They both teach a twisted form of Christianity that teaches obedience, giving and faith as a way to get things from God. They are both products of what is known as the Prosperity Gospel and The Word of Faith Movement, or the Seed Faith Movement.

Dangers of the Prosperity Gospel

John Piper does a great job of defining what the Prosperity Gospel is and why it is so sinister. Please take a few minutes to watch this before moving on the critiques of Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen:

Joyce Meyer

When I first heard her tell her story I was deeply moved and impressed. She is an amazing example of overcoming hurts and abuse. She will forever have my admiration and respect in that regard. Furthermore, she gives spectacular advice. If my wife or if one of my daughters went to her in a moment of crisis, I believe they would return with magnificently helpful advice. If they went to her for teaching, they would return with deadly heresy.

False Doctrine

1. She teaches that Jesus literally stopped being the Son of God on the Cross (listen here):

"He could have helped himself up until the point where he said I commend my spirit into your hands, at that point he couldn't do nothing for himself anymore. He had become sin, he was no longer the Son of God. He was sin."

2. She teaches that Jesus went to Hell and became the first-born again man (listen here):

"Do you know something? The minute that blood sacrifice was accepted Jesus was the first human being that was ever born again. Now that was real it happened when he was in hell."

3. She teaches that Jesus paid for our sins in Hell:

"There is no hope of anyone going to heaven unless they believe this truth I am presenting. You cannot go to heaven unless you believe with all your heart that Jesus took your place in hell" -From The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make

4. She teaches that words have power and you can release the power of Heaven through your words.

5. She teaches that you need special revelation from God to understand what she teaches because it is NOT contained in the Bible (listen here):

"The Bible can't even find any way to explain this. Not really. That's why you've got to get it by revelation. There are no words to explain what I'm telling you. I've got to just trust God that He's putting it into your spirit like He put it into mine." From "What Happened From the Cross to The Throne"

"Now spirits don't have bodies, so we can't see them. Okay? There probably is, I believe there is, and I certainly hope there is several angels up here this morning that are preaching with me. I believe that right before I speak some anointed statement to you, that one of them bends over and says in my ear what I'm supposed to say to you." From "Witchcraft & Related Spirits" (Part 1) - 2 A-27 Audiotape)

6. She teaches that she is no longer a sinner.

Unfortunately I could continue with examples of her utter misuse of scripture, false teaching and blatant heresy. In America, Christians have an embarrassment of riches. We can buy more books, download more podcasts and tune into more helpful teachers than anyone else on the planet. The lies that she teaches are easily lost in the hum of all the great teachers we hear. But this is not the case in the third world.

In many other countries their resources are far fewer. Uneducated pastors, who are doing their very best and uninformed Christians have this garbage pumped into their countries through radio waves and TV broadcasts. Because Joyce Meyer is endorsed here, she is trusted there. And, she can afford to spread her message with the money she makes from American Christians who buy her books, CDs and who attend her conferences. Her influence is severely disrupting the church in the third world. Her teachings are the unfortunate starting point for Christians in the third world and it is birthing even greater heresies.

The devastating reality that we have to come to grips with is that when we support her here, we support the churches she is undoing there.

Financial Concerns

There is nothing wrong with being wealthy. I love it when Christians are rich. That should mean more money to fund the mission. But there is a line to how much money we as leaders should spend on ourselves. I don't know where the line is, but it is somewhere before the ministry purchasing million dollar homes for us and our kids. That line is somewhere before purchasing us a $10 million private jet. The line is somewhere before the ministry spending $261, 498 for 68 pieces of furniture. That equates to $3,845.56 per item. That line is somewhere before spending so egregiously that the U.S. Senate investigates us. Joyce Meyer lands on the other side of that line.

The following link includes audio from Joyce Meyer. Around 5:30 she is asked if people will get more money back to them if they give financially to her ministry.

Not only does she teach giving as a way to leverage more money from God, she is reckless with desperate people. She is not at all concerned if people give to her instead of paying bills. This is intolerable!

Questionable Example and Lack of Accountability

I challenge you to watch a typical message by Joyce Meyer. Here are a few of things you will notice:

She pauses about every five minutes for applause. And if people don't applaud she is likely to say something like, "I'm preaching better than you're acting."

She talks about herself constantly. She is the main character in every story she tells. Even when she talks about herself in a self-deprecating way, some how it comes across in a way that causes people to admire her more.

God talks to her and reveals new information to her... a lot!

Her ministry lacks real accountability. Her family and her close friends are the governing board. This is an organization that receives almost $100 million dollars annually, and with no substantive accountability.

Conclusion for Joyce Meyer

What I wrote and linked in the first section should have been enough to completely remove her from our sphere of trust. Her doctrine is horrific. Her hermeneutics are horrible. She is a woman who seems to have an unrestrained love for money and applause. Her finances are questionable at best. Her example is questionable at best. Her impact on desperate people here, as well as churches and pastors around the globe is wildly destructive.

I lament with you a sense of loss if she was a teacher you trusted. I lament that someone who is so wrong has so much influence with so many. I do not regret, however, pointing to her as a false teacher and as one who should be rejected.

Joel Osteen

Like Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen has some really great things to say. He is encouraging and the man is certainly happy. This should not be held against him.

The man is confused on theology. He has much of the same doctrinal misunderstandings as does Joyce Meyer. They come from the same tradition. His doctrine is difficult to discern for many because he won't talk about doctrine. He won't talk about theology. He quickly back pedals when asked hard questions, as seen here in an interview with Larry King.

In fairness, Joel published a letter of apology after this interview.

While I commend him for his humility and courage to publicly declare that he was wrong, this is just one of too many instances. He frequently misunderstands important matters of faith and doctrine when being interviewed. He repeatedly gets the Gospel wrong. And he does so when talking to millions.

If we take Joel at his word, our only conclusion is that he is either incapable or unwilling to understand and explain how the Gospel intersects with all of life.

We recently hosted Hank Hanegraaff (The Bible Answerman) at SMCC. He has some very helpful insights (here and here) into Joel Osteen's confused views of faith, doctrine and Scripture:

Joel Osteen and Prosperity Gospel

The Prosperity Gospel is much like all other religions in that it uses faith, it uses doing good things to leverage material blessings from God. Essentially, use God to get things from God.

"God has already done everything He's going to do. The ball is now in your court. If you want success, if you want wisdom, if you want to be prosperous and healthy, you're going to have to do more than meditate and believe; you must boldly declare words of faith and victory over yourself and your family" From Your Best Life Now, p.132

"If you are believing for your child to find God, go help somebody else's child to develop a relationship with God. If you're struggling financially, go out and help somebody who has less than you have ... f you want to reap financial blessings, you must sow financial seeds in the lives of others ... If you want to see healing and restoration come to your life, go out and help somebody else get well" From Your Best Life Now, pp. 224, 250-51

This is not the Gospel. This is a false Gospel. Joel teaches that we open ourselves to God to get more from God. He teaches that we use our words to speak into existence a better reality. This straight from the Word of Faith Movement. This is not what is taught throughout the New Testament. Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote. And remember that he wrote this while in prison.

Philippians 4:10-13 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Conclusion

When I was in seminary, Heather and I were poor. There were seasons in which I worked 70+ hours a week while taking a full-time Master's load. There were times that I had to sleep every other day so that I could get all my work done. This was an extended period of exhausting financial stress.

During this time, I remember reading something from Joel Osteen. He and his wife claimed by faith a new house that they wanted. Joel was unsure, but his wife Victoria was confident. And she lovingly chastised him for his lack of faith. Sometime later, they purchased that house. Still in seminary, my wife and I were walking through our dream neighborhood and that was playing through my mind. As I walked through the neighborhood, looking at all the homes, I wanted so badly for what Joel is teaching to be true. I don't know if you can understand how desperately I wanted it to be true.

I wanted relief and I wanted more. But I knew that it wasn't true. I knew that my exhaustion and desperation made me emotionally vulnerable to this false Gospel. I'm educated and well read. I've haven't just read the Bible, I've translated large chunks of it from the original Hebrew and Greek. I think I understand it. I think I have a relatively significant level of discernment. But for a moment, I was emotionally vulnerable to this false doctrine.

What about the millions of others who are desperate, searching, hoping and vulnerable without the discernment? We owe it to them to not tolerate a false gospel any longer.

If you made it to the end of this blog post, congratulations. This is a thick and heavy subject. Even though I've written much, this only begins to scratch the surface of the repugnant nature of the Prosperity Gospel.

Rick Henderson is a pastor who blogs at churchismessy.com. This post first appeared on his blog.

A Very Disturbing Obituary

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was as his birth records were lost long ago in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Panadol, sun lotion or a sticking plaster to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realise that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Trust, his wife Discretion, his daughter Responsibility and his son Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers: I Know My Rights, Someone Else Is To Blame and I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing. (Dallas Morning News)

Sixth Sense Technology

Imagine just using your fingers to surf the internet using a blank wall as your computer screen, and the palm of your hand as the key board. Impossible? Think again. Watch this: Sixthsense Technology

Power 4.2.10

"Problems are the stuff of life and not theater. " Fred Smith, Sr. 1915-2007

 

When I was a young man—and I believe fairly successful, beyond that of many of my peers; someone asked, “Jim, what drives you? What do want out of life?”

 

My immediate reply was, “Dignity.” Well, after all these years, I am not sure that I have achieved my goal; but I am closer.

 

Money never motivated me. Really, position never did either. I was always looking for something else—an inner peace, a quiet confidence, that has always been enough.

 

As Fred Smith, Sr., (whom I quoted above) once observed, I have found that maturity is not chronological, but rather in finding that quiet center in your heart, where all is well.

 

That I have.

 

I don’t dare attempt to tell you the complete process; however, I would like to share a few discoveries, in hope that it might help. Keep in mind, however, that as Fred said, maturity is not chronological—it’s a discovery.

 

Discovery One — The power of surrender. Surrender to God’s purpose in your life; which is primarily to make you into the image of His Son. Romans 8:29 This will work miracles in you.

 

Discovery Two — The power of uniqueness. Focus on your uniqueness, and build on that. Don’t try and be something or someone that you are not. Mickey Rooney was not John Wayne, but he made a pretty good Mickey Rooney.

 

Discovery Three — The power of submission. Submit to Godly appointed leadership. Mavericks make great legends, but poor leaders—at least, that has been my observation; besides it is Scriptural. 

 

Discovery Four — The power of relaxation. Relax! Life is serious, but it will continue with or without you. Now, that doesn’t mean that you should hunker down and do nothing. It simply means that your legacy is the ethic that you instill in others; not in how important you may think you are at the moment.

 

Discovery Five — The power of relationships. So, build relationships, edifices will come later. First of all, build relationships with your family, the immediate one, as well as the extended one. Build relationships with friends—don’t just use them!

 

Discovery Six — The power of enjoyment. Enjoy the simple things in life — the common man; a field of flowers; peanut butter sandwiches; frolicking with the kids; a summer walk through the forest with the love of your life; watching a squirrel hoard away acorns for the winter; whatever! Just keep it simple. Life is so much easier that way.

 

Discovery Seven — The power of people knowledge. Make a concerted effort to understand humanity—the brilliant, as well as the mentally handicapped. Make friends with people. Don’t stereotype and pigeonhole people into neat little boxes. Not all Hindus are bad; or Evangelicals good. Get to know the person.

 

Discovery Eight — The power of acceptance. Understand that there are no quick fixes to life. Accidents will happen. Death comes to all. Natural disasters have no favorites. Crying, “Woe is me!” will get you absolutely nowhere.

 

Discovery Nine — The power of service. Serve your country. Serve others. Volunteer to help others. Church is a good place to start; even better, however, is in your own neighborhood. You don’t have to go halfway around the world to find need. It is most probably right down the street. So, just do good for goodness sake. Expect nothing in return.

 

Discovery Ten — The power of silence. Hold your tongue. Don’t just speak to hear yourself rattle. Think before you speak. And, above all, never shout. When you shout, generally you are in the wrong. At least that has been my observation. The power of solitude is of equal importance. So, take time to meditate and pray. God speaks in silent ways, most often.

 

Know any more? If so, suggest them. I would be interested.

 

Blessings!

 

Political Correctness 4.2.10

Strictly Political!

Years ago, I went on record to say that Communism was old-fashioned, outmoded and out of step with the march of time. Moreover, as such it was destined for the dustbins of history. I feel the same about radical jihadist. Both constructs are integrally flawed and are therefore doomed.

During the meantime, however, we do have to live in this world. And, to avoid another 911 we must come to our senses and insist that our government start profiling terrorist and stop referring to the jihadists’ destructive behavior as acts of violence and call these rascals what they are—terrorist, pure and simple.

The logic is not really that hard at all. When I go walking and see a snake, I want to make sure what kind of snake it is. So, I check it out. If I find rattlers, I am sure that it is dangerous, so I chop its head off. If it is just a mouse snake, I leave it alone. It might look like rattlesnake, but it is not; however, I am not sure until I check to see if it has rattlers.

So, my feeling is, if you have the name Muhammad or any derivation there of in any one of your names, then I want to take a good look to see if you have rattlers.

No, but what do we do? We waste our time checking out a blue eyed, old English woman in her 90’s that hobbles up on a walker and let Ahmad and Muhammad whistle on through security. So much for political correctness.

Does that mean that every Muslim is a terrorist? Absolutely not. But, if I were Muslim, not only would I be ashamed of these jihadists, but I would not object if some of the suspicion rubs off on me. Why? Because that is the price I pay for being a Muslim.

Otherwise, if we don’t stop this politically correct foolishness, we must prepare ourselves for a few more 911's —not to mention, perhaps even the end of western civilization, including our religious freedom.

Pedophilia, and other propaganda 4.10.10

Major news organizations, influential churchmen and others   have been hammering away at how  Pope Benedict XVI—then, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, and later Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly known as the Holy Office, the historical Inquisition—handled cases of pedophilia among priest under his scrutiny prior to his ascendency to the papacy.

Der Spiegel, one of Germany’s most prestigious news sources wrote, “But the pope, this owl-eyed old man with a high voice, simply isn't as adorable as the Dalai Lama. He lacks the clear message of a Barack Obama. And no one would want to be stuck on a deserted island with one of his German propagandists, let alone be guided through the desert by them. The days of Vatican chic are over, it seems.”

Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Anglican Communion, has said that the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has lost "all credibility" over the way it had dealt with paedophile priests."

“He is at a crossroads,” said Marco Politi, a veteran Italian Vatican journalist. “What’s extraordinary is that the scandal has reached the heart of the center of the church. Up to now, it was far away — in the States, in Canada, in Brazil, in Australia. Then it came to Europe, to Ireland."

On Maundy Thursday, members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, an American advocacy group, held an impromptu news conference in St. Peter’s Square, holding up pictures of Father Murphy [a convicted pedophile] and calling on the Vatican to take responsibility.

“They’re not holding themselves accountable, and these documents show they were very involved in the case,” said John Pilmaier, the group’s Wisconsin director.

Twenty minutes into the news conference, the Rome police told the group that it did not have a proper permit, and brought organizers in for questioning. They were detained for two and a half hours. “We’ve spent more time in police custody than most of these pedophile priests have,” Mr. Pilmaier said.

Well, to say the least, these are some pretty stinging accusations. So, I would like to address a few myths concerning pedophilia in general.*

Myth # 1.—Homosexuality isn't connected to pedophilia. This is plainly false. Homosexuals are three times as likely to be pedophiles as heterosexual men.
Myth # 2.—Catholic priests are more likely to be pedophiles than other groups of men. Again, this is just plain false. Pedophilia (the sexual abuse of a prepubescent child) among priests is extremely rare, affecting only 0.3% of the entire population of clergy.

Myth # 3.—Celibacy state of priests leads to pedophilia. As a matter of fact, married men are just as likely as celibate priests to sexually abuse children.

Myth # 4.—Married clergy would make pedophilia and other forms of sexual misconduct go away. The plain fact is, healthy heterosexual men have never been known to develop erotic attractions to children as a result of abstinence.

Myth # 5.—More female clergy would help solve the problem. For every three male abusers, there's one female abuser.

So, what is the answer to this growing problem? In my opinion, most of the hard questions on the subject are easily answered. Here is what I think:

Answer # 1.—Keep informed and know how to define your position, including what the Bible says about sexuality. For example, the Scripture says in Genesis, chapter one, that God created male and female and pronounced His creation very good. Furthermore, both the Old and New Testament proscribe homosexuality. But, did you know that Christ by inference also proscribed homosexuality?  He said, “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” (Mark 10:6-9 NIV) Therefore, it is hard to see a same sex relationship fitting this criterion.

Answer # 2.—Actively object to the gay agenda. We must, as Christians, never resort to hateful tactics and acts of violence to promote our moral agenda, however. (As previously pointed out, Homosexuals are three times as likely to be pedophiles as heterosexual men are.)

Answer # 3.—Zero tolerance, with stiff penalties. The hard statistical facts are, there is no cure. Once a confirmed pedophile starts, he or she virtually never stops. Most pedophiles just get smarter at hiding their perversions, recoursing to murder in far too many cases.

Answer # 4.—Intercessory prayer is needed. A holy prayer life changes you, and you thereby influence others. It is a Biblical principle that “if God’s people, who are called by God’s name, will humble themselves and pray and seek God’s face and turn from their wicked ways, then He will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  2 Chronicles 7:14 This I believe.

Answer # 5.—Sound biblically based doctrine must ring out from our nation’s pulpits. The church is sick, emaciated and dying from the lack of solid Biblically based theology. Truly, God’s people are being destroyed because of a lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6

So, if we are honest with ourselves, pedophilia and sexual perversion is much larger than the Catholic Church, and they should not have to carry the full brunt of all that has gone bad in our country or the world. Unfortunately, we are all in the same boat, and it is rapidly sinking. Patching it up with a few mea culpas is not enough either from the church at large, or society in general, either.

We must repent as a nation and as a people.

---

* Summaries taken from Pedophiles and Priests: Anatomy of a Contemporary Crisis by Philip Jenkins, a non-Catholic, who is a Professor of History and Religious Studies at Pennsylvania State University.

"One Man's Opinion" on jihadist 12.30.09

"Yemen's government said the U.S. should have shared its warnings about the suspect and said it was tightening restrictions on student visas like the one that allowed the young man to enter the country." AP-updated 6:48 a.m. CT, Wed., Dec . 30, 2009 

Sometimes I wonder how stupid some countries think we are? The prize this week goes to Yemen, who had the audacity to lecture us on the necessity to inform them of the likes of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23 year old Nigerian "student" who is accused of attempting to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam.

Of course, we can hardly blame them for thinking we are so ignorant after listening to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano say that "once the suspect attempted to take down Flight 253, after his attempt, it's clear that passengers and crew, our homeland security systems, and our aviation security took all appropriate actions."

Honestly, Madam Secretary, do you really think that double talk like that will absolve you of your responsibilities. Apparently so, because I heard you repeat yourself on at least 2 national broadcast. Which leave me at this point questioning whether or not I can be angry and sin not, because I would really like to express myself with some pretty choice words. I must admit that it is at times like this that I would really like to be president so I could ship you back to Arizona from where you came.

Well, enough of that!

The real question is, "Where do we go from here?"

Personally, I believe that takes us back to square one. What is square one? Simple. We need to identify our enemy and stop all this politically correct nonsense.

When my 93 year old mother gets a complete body search when she goes through airport security and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab gets though scot-free, then I think something is terrible wrong.

As the Israeli Foreign Minister said recently, "Not every Muslim is a terrorist, but every terrorist is generally a Muslim." So, if someone is so unfortunate as to have inherited that religion or chosen it as a convert, then I personally think they should be willing to allow profiling for the benefit of the rest of us, unless they have an ulterior motive.

Then that's another question altogether. However, I would be interesting to hear their reasoning on that. Wouldn't you?

Now, if you would like to add your 2 cents worth along with mine, please do so.

Declare that you are a Christian!

Today is God’s day for Iran, and for the entire world of Islam. If you do not see this, then, may I encourage you to re-examine your eschatology?

That aside, however, the provocative question is, “What is our responsibility?” Should Christians take to the streets and demand free and full elections in that country?

Jesus said that we are to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves; which, I think advocates a common sense approach. However, nowhere in the New Testament (or for that matter in the first 2 centuries of Christianity) do I find believers involed in civil disobedience except when it came to the freedom to worship as one wished. Peter's rejoiner, for example, when faced by civil and religious opposition, was "Shall we obey God or man?"

So, it is within this context that one must clearly search their hearts and conscience and, if needs be, peacefuly place their lives on the line. For, I feel that each human placed on this earth by our Heavenly Father is a person of worth and dignity, and has the inalienable right to the pursuit of truth, happiness, and a political system that allows religious freedom.

On the other hand, other than that, Jesus clearly taught that His Kingdom is not a kingdom of this world. “My kingdom,” he said, “is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” John 18:36

Here Christ is reminding us that “now,” at this point in time, His kingdom “is not from hence,” or for this time. It shall be. But, not now. “For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” Galatians 5:5

And, you can rest upon that verse!

Therefore, I would caution the activist among us to listen to the words of the Apostle Paul as he addressed the persecuted church in Rome: "Dearly beloved,"he wrote, " avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Romans 12:19

God will bring about His Kingdom in due time.

Now is the time, however, to declare, "I am a Christian!"

Everyday Christians are finding it increasingly difficult to openly express their faith.

The National Secular Society has encouraged 100,000 people to sign a certificate to “debaptise” themselves as part of their campaign to allow people to revoke their baptisms.

We are asking....are there 100,000 people who are prepared to publicly stand up and declare that they are Christians?

Premier’s “I am a Christian” campaign is asking you to take this opportunity to publicly affirm your faith and declare that Jesus is relevant to your everyday life.

Make your declaration today and join together with thousands of other Christians around the world. Simply click onto the "Declare Now!" logo on the top.

Whoops out pops the weasel . . .

I don't know about you, but I am kind of tired of Christians labeled as stupid simply because they do not buy into political correctness. It's stupid to believe in creationism they say, anyone with just common sense knows that all of this just happened. 

Now, I cannot prove how it happened but I can tell you one thing, it was not the result of some atoms just bumping together long enough to just accidentally get all tangled up and whoops out pops the weasel.

Ah, they say, that's where you are mistaken. Evolution preserves the survival of the fittest and guarantees the very best for the future. Really? Why? Who cares? If all there is,is just atoms and electrons and material stuff that bounced around long enough to do that, pray tell me who made the glue that keeps it all together? Furthermore, why keep it all together if there is no purpose beyond just keeping it together? So, why bother debating such an absurd allegation?

Well, I know that I am preaching to the choir; but, believe-it-or-not I do have a point. 

The point is you simply are wasting your time arguing against willful ignorance. Peter told us that this foolishness would be propagated in the last days, when he wrote:

For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: (2 Peter 3:5 AKJV)

So, for me it just makes good sense to believer the author of Hebrews when he writes,

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:3 NIV)

And, that's just the point. We Christians are sometimes just too timid or intellectually lazy to challenge the intellectual integrity of those that propagate these doctrines of men. A friend of mine, Wilson Turner, a professor who taught at Stanford University once remarked in a conversation we had that statistically there are simply not enough zeros that can be added to any number of chances for a random collection of atoms (never mind where they came from) to produce even the most elementary biological cell, much less explain the "accidental" structure of the universe. 

Yours For A Greater End Time Harvest,

P.S. Please continue to pray for and support our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia. 

The Bigots Among Us . . .

I don’t know about you, but do you sense a lot of bigotry out there among some Christians? I can almost guarantee you that if I mention Billly Graham or Mother Tersa or Pope Francis on a blog that I will get a rash of responses that inform me that they are either headed for Hell or should be since none of them are branded with the right theology.

Billy Graham is New Age. Yeah, can you believe that? I thought that the New Age wave was a thing of the trendy past. Apparently not. He’s New Age they say because he leaves some wiggle room for someone who has never heard the name of Jesus to have a slight chance of getting into Heaven. Never mind that he insist that Jesus is the only door, for these self-appointed purveyors of righteousness it is enough that the door wasn’t opened soon enough. So, unfortunately these poor ignorant souls are left to fry in Hell for ever and ever, world without end. Amen and amen.

And, Mother Teresa, whom I had the privilege to meet and also to closely associate with those that knew her best . . . well, poor Mother Teresa is sizzling away in Hell right now according to some of my fundamentalist buddies. Kind of sad, but they insist on it. Why? Well, because she was Roman Catholic, but primarily because she rigorously insisted that even a Hindu had the right to die in the comforting arms of sisters who really cared—whom she appropriately called the Sisters of Charity. Oh to God that we had more sisters and brothers of charity! Christ’s love was unconditional; so should ours be.

Then there is Pope Francis. I’m not Roman Catholic but much of my theology is similar as is the case for most of us—i.e., the Trinity, the virgin birth, the Resurrection, and so-forth—although, I do have my disagreements; as do all Protestants, or they would not be protesting. 

Nevertheless, I am not prepared to usher them into Hell simply because we have a difference of opinion. My theology is this regards is best described in the words of the following hymn—

My faith has found a resting place,

Not in device nor creed;

I trust the Ever-living One,

His wounds for me shall plead.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,

This ends my fear and doubt;

A sinful soul, I come to Him,

He’ll never cast me out.

My heart is leaning on the Word,

The written Word of God,

Salvation by my Savior’s name,

Salvation through His blood.

My great Physician heals the sick,

The lost He came to save;

For me His precious blood He shed,

For me His life He gave.

Refrain:

I need no other argument,

I need no other plea;

It is enough that Jesus died,

And that He died for me.

—‘No Other Plea’ by Lidie H. Edmunds, 19th Century

Now, I am not so naïve to believe that this is all that is needed to live a fully informed and fruitful Christian life; but I am saying that it is enough.

Unanswered prayers are not just Christian voodoo gone wrong . . .

Dear friends and faithful prayer partners,

Just in case you have not seen it yet, there is almost without exception an elephant in the room every time the subject of prayer comes up.

I am not talking about the doubt, either. Most anyone I know that prays believes that God hears them; but the big question is does He really care enough to do something about it?

Why should he, the silent argument goes, He already knows my requests before I even say the words: “Lord, help me, I’ve got some real problems.”

So, the reasoning goes, if He already knows and He loves me, why make me beg?
Well, first of all in reply, asking and begging are two different things. Asking is reasonable; whereas, begging is usually an unwillingness to accept 'no' as an answer or just plain selfishness clothed in the language of prayer.

James addresses this aspect quite well, he writes:

“And when you do ask he doesn’t give it to you, for you ask in quite the wrong spirit—you only want to satisfy your own desires.” [James 4:3 Phillips trans.]

The Christian philosopher and apologists William Craig illustrates this quite well when he writes,

"If we are ruthlessly honest with ourselves, every one of us knows that sometimes God does not answer our prayers." [Indeed, he continues, sometimes God] "cannot answer our prayers because Christians are praying for contradictory things."

He then asks us to imagine:

 "two Christian athletes playing on opposite sides in the Super Bowl . . . . Each would naturally be disposed to pray that his team would win, and yet both prayers could not be answered, for the two athletes would be praying for contradictory results."

The better prayer would be to ask for clarity of thought so that they could play their best games.

Ah, Jim, that’s too technical, you say, I need a better answer than that. Well, I’m not saying that this is the only reason, just a very common reason that our prayers are not answered.

Another good reason is that our prayers are often in conflict with the order of things. Let’s face it, there are some things just too big for God to change. For Him to do so would be a violation of His will and purposes. God can, but He won’t wipe out any and everything that opposes His purposes. No, in His wisdom He has decreed freedom which includes a choice to do evil—as in Satan’s case and Adam’s as well as ours.

So, brace yourself. As long as Satan and his cohorts (including, of course, evil men) are free to roam this planet we will face the formidable force of the powers of evil. That also means, disappointingly, at times that God may choose for us to weather the storm. The storms of war, of disease, injustice, all the storms of life. At other times He may step in and right the wrong. In each and ever event, however, He know what is best for us. So, in the midst of each storm there is hope. Hope of a better day. Hope for a bright tomorrow. And, there is the assurance of His undying love for us.

There is also confidence. The confidence of knowing that whatever comes our way is with the clear understanding that:

“[We] know that to those who love God, who are called according to his plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good. God, in his foreknowledge, chose them to bear the family likeness of his Son, that he might be the eldest of a family of many brothers. He chose them long ago; when the time came he called them, he made them righteous in his sight, and then lifted them to the splendor of life as his own sons.” [Romans 28-30 Phillips trans.]

Sometimes, as Garth Brooks sang, we should thank God for unanswered prayers! How many times do we all remember that we desperately prayed for something—perhaps, that some young man or girl would take a shine to us, only to find out years later that what looked so good on the outside was rotten on the inside?

So, take heart and wise up. We need to pray, because we are commanded to do so and then take it for granted that God always knows what is best for us.

Let us therefore pray, knowing that He hears us and since,

“We have such confidence in him that we are certain that he hears every request that is made in accord with his own plan. And since we know that he invariably gives his attention to our prayers, whatever they are about, we can be quite sure that our prayers will be answered.” [1 John 5: 14-15 Phillips trans.]

And, that's Bible!

Yours For A Greater End Time Harvest,

P.S. Please continue to pray for and support our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia. 

For The Zealots Among Us . . .

Personally, I am literally amazed at the vindictive mean spirited attacks that some Christians launch against those with whom they disagree, theologically.

Let me give you a couple of examples, not every Muslim I know is full of the devil and consciously in a secret conspiracy to undermine our democracy.

Some are, that’s for sure; however, throwing a big blanket over the whole community and Talibanizing them as just more of the same in not only wrong but unwise. It is wrong because it is not true, and unwise because it quickly ostracizes someone for whom Christ died and longs to see become members of His Kingdom.

Here’s another one. Catholicism for sure is not Protestantism; however, that doesn’t just ipso facto make Catholics target for a zealous fundamentalist righteous indignation. Why should it? The scripture clearly states,

“A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1)

Yet, some in their unholy outrage tend to ignore that good advice and opt for God’s role. And, play it they do. They blast every sinner within driving distance of the church and put such fear into them that they dare not expose themselves to such hostility even if they have a Godly interest in attending church some Sunday.

Sure practicing gays, married or unmarried are on their way to perdition—at least in the Bible I read; but so are adulterers, and fornicators, along with cheats, swindlers, pedophiles, and … woops … gluttons. However, I have never felt that it was my job or that of my fellow Christians to stuff those that practice such things into a gunny sack, tie the top and drop them into the fiery furnaces of Hell. My job is to rescue them from that awful fate, and attacking them will not do that. It will only push them farther away from the Kingdom.

Now, I am not so naïve to say that every Fundamentalist, Conservative or Evangelical that I know is guilty of dishing out God’s wrath before His time; however, unfortunately quite a few seem to be itching to do so.

Relax, I say to them, the world is going to Hell in a hand basket. We all know that. Men and women on the whole are not getting any better—and, of course, that goes for governments also. North Korean President Kim Jong-un may die tomorrow, but someone else just a terrible is ready to step in tomorrow. The same goes for any other dictator as we have seen all the way from the likes of Saddam Hussein to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, not to mention a host of others. So,

If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone. (1 Corinthians 15:19 HCSB)

Really! Yes, really. So, instead of fuming and fussing, we should all take time to reflect on the true meaning of Christ’s admonition when he said,

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)

If we spent as much time praying as we do fuming and fussing over things that are bigger than all of us combined and start praying over these formidable obstacles and turning our concerns over to a God that is big enough to handle them the world as well as the rest of us would be a whole lot better off.

This is not escapism, either; nor is it shirking our Christian responsibility to do something to make the world a better place by offering Christ as the answer to these frightful potentialities. It is a simple act of obedience. Pray always is.

So, the next time we get the urge to tell that gay or lesbian couple that moved in next door go straight to “you know where” we should step back and take a deep breath and pray for them. Their gayness is too big for us to handle anyway. So why don’t we just relax and pray for them and a little wisdom on how to witness to them. The same goes for that Muslim or Buddhist or Hindu, and yes even a nominal Christian, too.

Now, I wish to close with these words written by Paul some two-thousand years ago,

I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings, be made for all men; for kings and all that are in high place; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all; the testimony to be borne in its own times; whereunto I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I speak the truth, I lie not), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputing. (1 Timothy 2:1-8 ASV)

Pretty good advice. And, believe me, it works.

Yours For A Greater End Time Harvest,

P.S. Please continue to pray for and support our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia. 

The God who listens . . .

Dear friends and faithful prayer partners,

Psalms 88 and the Book of Esther have always fascinated me.

The Book of Esther as you know does not mention the name God once, so you are left with only an assumption that He is there behind the scene pulling on the strings of history.

Psalm 88, however, leaves you with frustration that He’s not pulling the strings at all. You are just left there alone to dangle.

Below are a few verses of that psalm that captures the essence of this one sided dialogue. (Yes, I know that that is an oxymoron; how can a dialogue be a dialogue and be one sided? Well, after you read these verses I will suggest why it is.) 

Here are the verses:

1 Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you.2 May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.3 I am overwhelmed with troubles and my life draws near to death.5 I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.6 You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.8 . . . I am confined and cannot escape;9     my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, Lord, every day; I spread out my hands to you.13 . . . I cry to you for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you.14 Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?16 Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me.17 All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me.18 You have taken from me friend and neighbor— darkness is my closest friend.

Some pretty straightforward talk here. The psalmist is not only bearing his soul but he is letting God have it with both barrels. Read it, he blames God for not showing up when he needed Him and furthermore he accuses God of getting him in the mess he is in. 

Now, if you come from the religious tradition I was raised in that is one of the things that you just do not do—that is talk back to God and blame Him for your troubles. You might think it but you sure wouldn’t publish it. However, talking back to God is precisely what this psalmist did. 

And, what does God do? Nothing. God just listens. 

Now, let’s fast forward to today. What’s your beef? An incurable disease? Or is it financial problems? Maybe a cheating husband or wife? It could be a child that has gone bad. Whatever it is, Psalms 88 is a good example of a listening God, and The Book of Esther let’s us know that He is working behind the scenes to work out His purposes in our life. 

That is not to say that we don’t suffer a whole lot just because we are creatures living in a hostile environment. The world is fallen. Evil. Under the almost overwhelming influence of the old Devil himself. He does walk around like a roaring lion in places like Afghanistan and the streets of Chicago, and in the very city where you live. He’s there. We cannot deny that. 

But, I can assure you God is listening and working to fulfill His purposes. How can I be so sure. Well, that’s easy—it’s all because of Calvary. 

Calvary assures me that God was listening, and the Resurrection assures me that He is working, as it were, behind the scenes to accomplish his purposes in my life. 

The Pietà by Michelangelo I feel captures the essence of Calvary. So at the risk of you thinking that I have suddenly become Catholic I am suggesting that you click onto the image above and watch the short video about this marvelous sculptor. Listen to the commentary. It is moving. 

So, yes, I can say, without hesitation that Calvary tells me that God is listening and that He cares enough to identify with us in our suffering. He is there and He is not silent. 

So, let’s make it a habit to listen to Him also.  

Yours For A Greater End Time Harvest,
 


Jim M. Roane
P.S. Continue to pray for our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia.

What We're Doing

Teaching in Sri Lanka and Russia
What We Need
We must pay for all travel expenses, room and board in route.
This amounts to:

Sri Lanka—$3,449 for travel and other incidental expenses
Russia—$1,900 in travel expenses while in the former Soviet Union
Total $5,349 covers the primary costs.

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Please keep in mind that we minister entirely by faith.
We are not underwritten by any church or organization.

Also, remember to enter:
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 Thanks!

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