In light of another Calvary Chapel pastor making an appearance on TBN's Praise-the-Lord program, I thought it apropos to share a tape in my collection of how a Bible believer should behave when invited onto TBN or any of the other errant "Christian" network. What sort of message is communicated when a solid Bible teacher shares the platform with heretics and does not bring reproof? Certainly it gives the impression that the guest endorses the teaching of the hosts and /or founder of the Christian network.
Some argue that if they can't go on TBN due to its corruption, then they couldn't show up on ABC, NBC or CBS either. They don't understand the distinction between being salt and light to the unsaved world and practicing biblical separation from so-called Christians who are spreading false teaching against Jesus Christ. To the unsaved, we can use their media to spread the Gospel, but to the errant brother we are to bring correction and divide if they do not stop their false teaching. For a proof-text consider 1 Corinthians 5:11:
"But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person."
When Calvary Chapel Albuquerque's pastor Skip Heitzig went on TBN last week acting like he and his host Phil Munsey were old friends, it was a shame to the spirit of that passage. Phil Munsey and his brother Steve Munsey are two of the most infamous extortioners in the field of Christian television. Munsey has used new age ideas of paradigm shifts and panentheism to spread his unbiblical dominionist views.
In contrast to the compromisers, the late Walter Martin tried to bring correction the last time he made an appearance on TBN. This video tape has never circulated and has not been available anywhere until now that I have posted it to YouTube.
Back in 1985 my younger sister was Martin's secretary. She and my older sister and I all regularly attended his weekly Bible study. I used to share my research with him and also with my friend author Dave Hunt. Walter and Dave disagreed on many things regarding their styles of apologetics and discernment. Whenever there was a difference of opinion between the two of them, I usually agreed with Dave.
I had had some discussion with Dr. Martin over Dave's book, The Seduction of Christianity. Walter had been critical about it on the radio having never read it but based his criticisms upon what his personal editor had told him.
One day my older sister was watching Praise-the-Lord when Hal Lindsey was a guest. He was her pastor at that time. Back then Hal used to challenge the teaching of other TBN regulars and Paul Crouch put up with it. However, that got old with the Crouches and when Hal wouldn't stop criticizing the Kingdom Now doctrine, he was put on the shelf until he learned to kow-tow to them. When my sister heard Hal bring up Walter's name in the show, Paul and Jan agreed that he was a brilliant man and Hal said you should have him on some time. They both responded - oh sure we will.
So she informed our little sister who told Walter and Walter told her to call TBN and arrange it which she did. However, the Crouches wouldn't host him so they got prophecy teacher Doug Clark to do so. My younger sister called me on the day of the taping saying that Walter wanted me to go through Dave Hunt's book, The Seduction of Christianity and highlight things he would be in agreement with. I was happy to do so for him. He used that information to challenge TBN's blackballing of Dave Hunt and other whistle-blowers.
I stayed home to work the VCR I didn't know how to program, while my two sisters attended, one in the green room and one in the audience we had stacked with many friends. Walter gave it to them with both barrels. Not only was the program not replayed at its regular slot, but the tapes were not available when people followed up to request one. Back in those days any Praise-the-Lord program could be bought on audio cassette for a small fee. And both Walter Martin and Doug Clark were never invited back. We had heard years later from Doug Clark that during the interview he kept receiving notes via the stage manager from Jan Crouch calling in telling Doug to "shut that guy up" and other nasty comments.
I found a way to post the interview in its entirety to YouTube - so look at it before it gets cut. I had to put it into several parts due to space restrictions, but I completed the task. I honestly think this is the very best tape of Walter Martin that is in existence. When he talks about the things he disagrees with Hunt on, keep in mind Hunt was right.
Here are the links:
Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4-DFSFBeT8
Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0h0ya1DlD4
Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeAzrRcjFXA
Part 4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAs-Ypxdpxk
Part 5 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7AAvNhOvT4 - a surprise addendum
I actually went on a program on TBN back in 1986 called Joy in the Morning. I used to call the host whenever I saw any of his guests spreading error. He would thank me graciously and so I kept monitoring his show and called him when an infiltrator would slip in. We all had some hope for TBN back in that day, but at some time the Crouches went over the line, never to return to orthodoxy. I posted that interview on YouTube as well. Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w22d1pXjh4M
Enjoy the memories and spread the links.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
February 25 Show: Desperate 'Christian' Housewives
A girl I'll call Veronica showed up on my facebook singing the praises of prosperity teacher Paula White. She was posting some of Ms. White's shameful Youtube clips of her preaching. I warned Veronica and her other friends who commented favorably toward the clips not to listen to her as she is a false teacher. Several of these Pauliannas responded with hostility to my efforts to steer them away from danger.
They said that people like me who scoff at God's spokespersons were in danger of touching God's anointed - the usual spiritualized pat response. Veronica defended the prosperity gospel using Psalm 23 saying, "my cup overflows. What better prosperity gospel then that?"
After she defriended me, I looked at her facebook info page to see if this woman with over 2,000 friends in her social network was in some sort of ministry. Seems she attends Paula's church but it is unclear if she is on staff. What really surprised me was her listing of her favorite TV shows which included "Desperate Housewives." That is known to be one of the most immoral series on television. Why would this woman who seems to have a personality other women follow list an obscene program as a fave?
So I checked out the other women who stood up for "Pastor Paula" in that facebook thread, and though they each identified themselves as Christians on their info pages, they too linked to the strangest movies and television shows as their own personal favorites.
Kathy likes Psychic Kids, a program I've since found out is one that finds children who get visited by ghosts or have psychic abilities and tries to encourage them to engage the very things that haunt them, telling them they're special. This is spiritual child abuse and yet this 'Christian,' Kathy, recommends it to all her friends. She also likes the shows, Paranormal State, Twilight Movie, The Bad Girls Club, Ghost Hunters, Ellen Degeneres and Sid Roth's "It's Supernatural."
Wow! Can a person be committed to Jesus Christ and embrace the demonic like that? What a horrible contradiction.
Another girl, Jo (none are real names), posted to her info page that she is a "real Christian with a relinquished spirit, not a Sunday Church Faux with a religious spirit." Ok - that's impressive. So what are her favorite forms of entertainment? She loves Joel Osteen, Malcom X, Tyra Banks and Oprah Winfrey. You know, the sort of role models Christian women should have - not! Her favorite movies include one about a high-class prostitute, Pretty Woman. Other films she loves are Obsessed, Dirty Dancing, and The Hangover.
After looking through many of these cultural Christian women's facebook info pages, it dawned on me that this is the typical modern woman claiming the name of Christ if they discovered their "faith" on Christian television. This is the fruit of what the televangelists produce. This is the church of Laodicea in the flesh.
When today's churches have fashion shows instead of Bible studies for their women, or bring in cosmetic surgery consultants to speak to the ladies, you know we've entered the new era leading to the formation of the Great Harlot. I mean why not? Nothing like a whore on a horse to represent today's modern 'Christian' imitator of the likes of Paula White, Juanita Bynum and Jan Crouch.
As a woman, this grieves my spirit because I know the Holy Spirit grieves over this compromised carnal church. The teaching of holiness and sanctification in these circles is met with scorn and ridicule. One who brings the Bible message of holiness is told they have a religious spirit. These Pauliannas are the ones doing the mocking and stepping on what's holy.
Jesus wept.
They said that people like me who scoff at God's spokespersons were in danger of touching God's anointed - the usual spiritualized pat response. Veronica defended the prosperity gospel using Psalm 23 saying, "my cup overflows. What better prosperity gospel then that?"
After she defriended me, I looked at her facebook info page to see if this woman with over 2,000 friends in her social network was in some sort of ministry. Seems she attends Paula's church but it is unclear if she is on staff. What really surprised me was her listing of her favorite TV shows which included "Desperate Housewives." That is known to be one of the most immoral series on television. Why would this woman who seems to have a personality other women follow list an obscene program as a fave?
So I checked out the other women who stood up for "Pastor Paula" in that facebook thread, and though they each identified themselves as Christians on their info pages, they too linked to the strangest movies and television shows as their own personal favorites.
Kathy likes Psychic Kids, a program I've since found out is one that finds children who get visited by ghosts or have psychic abilities and tries to encourage them to engage the very things that haunt them, telling them they're special. This is spiritual child abuse and yet this 'Christian,' Kathy, recommends it to all her friends. She also likes the shows, Paranormal State, Twilight Movie, The Bad Girls Club, Ghost Hunters, Ellen Degeneres and Sid Roth's "It's Supernatural."
Wow! Can a person be committed to Jesus Christ and embrace the demonic like that? What a horrible contradiction.
Another girl, Jo (none are real names), posted to her info page that she is a "real Christian with a relinquished spirit, not a Sunday Church Faux with a religious spirit." Ok - that's impressive. So what are her favorite forms of entertainment? She loves Joel Osteen, Malcom X, Tyra Banks and Oprah Winfrey. You know, the sort of role models Christian women should have - not! Her favorite movies include one about a high-class prostitute, Pretty Woman. Other films she loves are Obsessed, Dirty Dancing, and The Hangover.
After looking through many of these cultural Christian women's facebook info pages, it dawned on me that this is the typical modern woman claiming the name of Christ if they discovered their "faith" on Christian television. This is the fruit of what the televangelists produce. This is the church of Laodicea in the flesh.
When today's churches have fashion shows instead of Bible studies for their women, or bring in cosmetic surgery consultants to speak to the ladies, you know we've entered the new era leading to the formation of the Great Harlot. I mean why not? Nothing like a whore on a horse to represent today's modern 'Christian' imitator of the likes of Paula White, Juanita Bynum and Jan Crouch.
As a woman, this grieves my spirit because I know the Holy Spirit grieves over this compromised carnal church. The teaching of holiness and sanctification in these circles is met with scorn and ridicule. One who brings the Bible message of holiness is told they have a religious spirit. These Pauliannas are the ones doing the mocking and stepping on what's holy.
Jesus wept.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
February 18 Show: Teachers I've Treasured
A Tribute to my Teachers
In the past thirty years since the Lord called me out of the darkness, He has utilized several Christian leaders to help me along. I want to honor them today and summarize the important lessons I learned from each of them. Keep in mind, though, that they are all mere men with clay feet. Perfection is found only in Christ. Here they are in chronological order:
Chuck Smith, pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa.
Chuck’s love for Jesus and the expectancy of His soon return is contagious. The last major revival in America known as the Jesus Movement can be traced back to Chuck’s gifting as a teacher of the whole counsel of God. His enthusiasm for teaching the signs of the times heralding the return of Christ struck a chord with the young generation of baby-boomers who were rebelling against the war strategy of Nixon and Johnson. God was pouring out His Spirit on those hippies who were crying out to Him and gave them new songs of love for Jesus on acoustic guitars. I was part of that lost generation singing along with songs like The Eve of Destruction and For What It’s Worth. We all knew something significant was up - that the world could not survive long on the course it was taking. Chuck told us there was hope in spite of the doom and gloom we couldn't ignore. That is the Blessed Hope of the Lord’s soon return. I was a bit late behind my contemporaries, but that was the Lord’s timing. CCCM was there to respond to me when I quit running from God.
Hal Lindsey, author of The Late Great Planet Earth.
As a new believer, I read everyone of Hal’s books. The Late Great Planet Earth gave me a good understanding of Bible prophecy and dispensationalism and the scriptures that backed it up. Hal’s writings helped me to take the Bible literally knowing it could be trusted. I learned how the first coming of Christ was prophesied and fulfilled and how His second coming would happen in the same way. I had the fortune to go on a tour to the Holyland led by Hal and hear him teach at all the sites, bringing the Bible alive in a powerful way. Hal also watched Israel in the news and helped me to see how the signs of the end times focused on the return of the Jews to Israel. In spite of Hal’s faults, and his compromise with TBN, he still interprets the news through the prism of Bible prophecy - he keeps on the alert.
David Hocking, Bible teacher and radio host.
In the early 80s our local Christian radio station had a line-up of good teaching programs one right after another. The Biola Hour with David Hocking was one of my favorites. Hocking still has a radio show called Hope for Today, and I have learned much from him over the decades. David is dogmatic. That bothers some people, but where God’s word speaks clearly, it’s right to be dogmatic. When teachers hem and haw about a passage and think up many ways in which it could be taken, it’s refreshing for a voice like Hocking’s to say it like it is. He taught me that saying, “God said it, I believe it, and that settles it whether you believe it or not.” No wishy-washy spineless teaching from him.
John MacArthur, Pastor/teacher/educator/Spokesman for the Faith.
Grace to You is the name of MacArthur’s radio program. He may be famous for founding a seminary, pastoring a mega-church, or being seen on television, but it was his radio outreach that has blessed me over the years. His radio show would be in the line-up along with Hocking and the original Bible-Answerman Walter Martin, and I absolutely loved MacArthur’s gift of exhortation. He believes in the Lordship of Christ - you can’t say Christ is your Savior if He isn’t your Lord. MacArthur reflects the spirit of the Apostle James in his epistle. I learned from John the principles of godly living and being a doer of the Word and not a hearer only. He taught me how to apply God’s word to every area of life and have Scripture interpret my view of the world. I respect him so much for not being afraid of saying it like it is when a guest on Larry King Live or any other secular program. He isn’t afraid to be unpopular and he is a good example of speaking the truth and letting the chips fall where they may. I learned from him that it’s okay not to be a people-pleaser but an ambassador of Christ.
Walter R. Martin, Christian Apologist, the late Bible-Answerman.
I attended Dr. Martin’s Bible studies at both Melodyland and Newport-Mesa Christian Center. He taught us how to defend all the major doctrines of the faith. I learned from him that evangelism is a two-sided coin: proclaim the faith and defend the faith and you can’t witness to people without doing both. He showed from Scripture that the baptism in boldness is an essential part of the born-again experience and the work of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life. I learned from Dr. Martin the teachings of the major cults and even some of the lesser ones and how to refute their main errors. He also taught me that the errors in the cults show up within the church dressed up in Christianeze. He demonstrated in his life and ministry how to do one’s best to reach the brother teaching error before exposing him/her to the rest of the church. He was a good example of doing apologetics with love and correction.
Dave Hunt, Author, Defender of the Faith, Conference speaker.
What a tireless worker in the Kingdom Dave Hunt is! I consider him one of my dearest friends in the ministry. He is such an encouragement for me to set my hand to the plow and not look back. He taught me to love the Truth - God’s word is Truth. Throughout the decades Dave has exposed the workings of the enemy in the attack against God’s word from many quarters. His book The Seduction of Christianity should be read by every Christian because he uncovers the M.O. of the devil’s work of deception in the highest places. A Woman Rides the Beast was another one of Dave’s masterpieces in showing the place of the Roman Catholic Church in history and prophecy. A backpacking trip I went on that he led back in 1985 showed me a man passionate for the Truth, deeply in love with Jesus, and dedicated to help others keep on the narrow track. He taught us little group of young people the great old hymns around the campfire and inspired us to be fully committed to the Lord and warned us of the coming apostasy of the church.
Gene Scott, the late pastor/teacher of Faith Center
I attended the late Dr Gene Scott’s Faith Center in Glendale for most of 1983 before he went off the deep-end in his battle with the FCC. I learned about the grace of God, according to Scripture, from a man who presumed upon God’s grace routinely. He taught outside the box, that’s for sure. He touched on things that most respectable Christians don’t dare examine, such as God’s promises to the ten tribes of Israel and His promises to the southern tribes of Judah. He shows there is a distinction, something others simply gloss over. He was an expert on conspiracy theories, and even if he went overboard on some of that, I learned who’s who. I was familiarized with the Illuminati, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the Bilderbergers, and the Trilateral Commission, to name just a few. Jesse Ventura is a boyscout in comparison.
Joe Focht, pastor of Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia.
My pastor from 1987 to circa 1997 under whose study through the Bible every Sunday morning and Wednesday night built me up in my knowledge of the Word. I also listened “religiously” to his Straight from the Heart radio broadcast. His voice was comforting because I knew I could sit back and listen to him teach without my heresy-detector antennae up. I also learned some sad lessons about church politics from Joe, but God uses the good and the bad in one’s life experiences - or as they say - “iron sharpens iron.”
J. Jacob Prasch, Hebrew scholar, founder of Moriel Ministries.
Jacob has a better knowledge of the Old Testament than any teacher I know. His understanding of Jewish Midrash as taught by Jesus and the apostles in their use of biblical symbols and analogy is often scoffed at yet no one can refute it. Jacob always makes it clear that one cannot get their doctrine from Bible typology, but it is useful for a deeper understanding of the clear doctrine taught in Scripture. When Jacob preaches, no one’s head is bobbing from falling asleep. When the unction from the Holy Spirit comes upon him, the insights from his Bible studies blow people’s minds. It’s common to hear collective oohs and aahs in the congregation when Jacob takes the pulpit. One thing Jacob has taught me is how to see things from God’s perspective. When righteous indignation comes up in Jacob, it is a small picture of God’s wrath toward rebellion and spiritual adultery. One just has to discern the difference between the wrath of God and the wrath of Jacob. I love the analogy of the Bible as a loaf of bread he uses. They look the same on either end; Genesis and Revelation clearly display the end from the beginning with many similarities. Jacob digs deeper.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
February 11 Show: UFOs - Supreme Being or Superior Beings
Recently an episode of the UFO Sci-Fi series, "V", featured Vatican City. The "visitors" in the story are from another galaxy and their leader, Anna, says they are here to help Earth and bring in an era of peace. However, secretly she is a sinister reptilian who intends to use human women to breed with their own species. Her alien crew has divided loyalties. Those who have contact with humanity develop man's emotions and with their newly found compassion are trying to overturn Anna's control.
Her opponents, the Fifth Column, are in collusion with discerning humans who see through Anna's facade and are trying to warn others not to trust her. Most earthlings believe her promises and are agreeing to board the alien ship, not knowing they won't come back alive. One of the human conspirators is a priest who preaches against trusting the "visitors" from the pulpit. Anna wants him silenced, thus her purpose in going to the Vatican.
When the college of cardinals welcome Anna, she requests that they order all their clergy around the world to refrain from speaking out against the visitors. They told Anna they could not do that to which she responded, "Our gifts to the people of Earth, the healing centers, blue energy, red rain - are merely products of highly advanced science, but also viewed as miracles by many. It would be tragic for centuries of faith to suddenly turn from you to me, all because I can be mistaken as someone with answers...How many more miracles do you think it would take for your followers to look to me?"
Then she demonstrated her powers by rubbing two crystals together and out came streaks of blue energy swirling around the room and around a white statue of Mary who then cries blue shiny tears. The cardinals then capitulate to her demands and censure all priests threatening violators with expulsion.
This scenario is not as far-fetched as some might think. Many books have been written speculating that the coming Antichrist may indeed step off the deck of a UFO and perform great signs in wonders so that the entire world "wonders after the beast." Certainly nothing that has been seen thus far in the lying signs and wonders movement of charlatans like Benny Hinn or Todd Bentley has impressed many people. No one wonders after those beasts. But the Antichrist and false prophet will certainly amaze the world - today's religious illusionists merely pave the way for acceptance.
The blue ball of energy demonstrated by Anna reminds me of something written in my husband Bill's 1993 book, UFOs in the New Age: Extraterrestrial Messages & the Truth of Scripture. "Many UFOlogists speculate that the famous apparition of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917 could have been an alien, and the three children...contactees. The apparition bears no resemblance to Bible accounts of angelic messengers. The entity was described as a 'celestial being' that came from the sky in a globe of light. One witness was quoted as saying that 'it looked like a disc, of a very definite contour...it possessed a clear, changing brightness, which one could compare to a pearl. The globe of light in these accounts is reminiscent of the way the good witch Glenda looked in the movie, The Wizard of Oz."
There seems to be a history of the Roman Catholic Church being contacted by these alien (demonic) entities masquerading as Marian apparitions. Their messages always affirm the errors of Rome and the false worship of idols and the eucharist - both traits of the Mother Harlot in the book of Revelation.
Are people being conditioned to welcome the space brothers? The trend in religion to look within to find the inner self, AA's exhortation to find the higher self, and even Glenn Beck's encouragement to find your inner power all point to the acceptance of a "superior being." The idea of a Supreme Being seems to be archaic to those who have not a love for the Truth.
When the problems on this planet increase to where distress of nations with perplexity hits its zenith, the space brothers may seem to be man's only way out of the mess they've created. What is happening today is in advance of the landing. Then they will be ready for the one with all the answers.
Her opponents, the Fifth Column, are in collusion with discerning humans who see through Anna's facade and are trying to warn others not to trust her. Most earthlings believe her promises and are agreeing to board the alien ship, not knowing they won't come back alive. One of the human conspirators is a priest who preaches against trusting the "visitors" from the pulpit. Anna wants him silenced, thus her purpose in going to the Vatican.
When the college of cardinals welcome Anna, she requests that they order all their clergy around the world to refrain from speaking out against the visitors. They told Anna they could not do that to which she responded, "Our gifts to the people of Earth, the healing centers, blue energy, red rain - are merely products of highly advanced science, but also viewed as miracles by many. It would be tragic for centuries of faith to suddenly turn from you to me, all because I can be mistaken as someone with answers...How many more miracles do you think it would take for your followers to look to me?"
Then she demonstrated her powers by rubbing two crystals together and out came streaks of blue energy swirling around the room and around a white statue of Mary who then cries blue shiny tears. The cardinals then capitulate to her demands and censure all priests threatening violators with expulsion.
This scenario is not as far-fetched as some might think. Many books have been written speculating that the coming Antichrist may indeed step off the deck of a UFO and perform great signs in wonders so that the entire world "wonders after the beast." Certainly nothing that has been seen thus far in the lying signs and wonders movement of charlatans like Benny Hinn or Todd Bentley has impressed many people. No one wonders after those beasts. But the Antichrist and false prophet will certainly amaze the world - today's religious illusionists merely pave the way for acceptance.
The blue ball of energy demonstrated by Anna reminds me of something written in my husband Bill's 1993 book, UFOs in the New Age: Extraterrestrial Messages & the Truth of Scripture. "Many UFOlogists speculate that the famous apparition of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917 could have been an alien, and the three children...contactees. The apparition bears no resemblance to Bible accounts of angelic messengers. The entity was described as a 'celestial being' that came from the sky in a globe of light. One witness was quoted as saying that 'it looked like a disc, of a very definite contour...it possessed a clear, changing brightness, which one could compare to a pearl. The globe of light in these accounts is reminiscent of the way the good witch Glenda looked in the movie, The Wizard of Oz."
There seems to be a history of the Roman Catholic Church being contacted by these alien (demonic) entities masquerading as Marian apparitions. Their messages always affirm the errors of Rome and the false worship of idols and the eucharist - both traits of the Mother Harlot in the book of Revelation.
Are people being conditioned to welcome the space brothers? The trend in religion to look within to find the inner self, AA's exhortation to find the higher self, and even Glenn Beck's encouragement to find your inner power all point to the acceptance of a "superior being." The idea of a Supreme Being seems to be archaic to those who have not a love for the Truth.
When the problems on this planet increase to where distress of nations with perplexity hits its zenith, the space brothers may seem to be man's only way out of the mess they've created. What is happening today is in advance of the landing. Then they will be ready for the one with all the answers.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
January 28th Show: Family Ties
FAMILY TIES
A recent blog article caught my attention the other day. It is called "The Monarchy of the Church" by an unknown author at pimppreacher.com. The writer took issue at the abuse of nepotism in the church. He wrote in part:
A recent blog article caught my attention the other day. It is called "The Monarchy of the Church" by an unknown author at pimppreacher.com. The writer took issue at the abuse of nepotism in the church. He wrote in part:
"In a church that was built by the financial support of its members, a disturbing development of leadership or dictatorship has risen and taken over like that of an old Egyptian Pharaoh who has the power to pass on the throne to his heirs....In a church organization which promotes high standards of ethics and morality, is the practice of nepotism beneficial or used as means of protecting ones legacy. Nepotism is not new in the church, in fact it gained its name in the Middle Ages when some Catholic Popes and Bishops who had taken vows of chastity and therefore usually had no children of their own would give their nephews positions of preference, as a father would a son...
The issue of passing on the Throne / Pastoral Leadership to a son of a pastor rather than considering more qualified associate pastors has been a practice that has gone unchallenged in congregations across this country. The main question that has arisen is simply this; just because he is your son does that mean that God called him to pastor this congregation?
We have witnessed the passing of a church to “ Junior” on several other occasions and some have gone off without a hitch. Others have proven disastrous as the son has tried to continue the legacy of the father, but lacked the anointing that was vital to building that congregation. Such was the case with Pastor Robert H. Schuller.
For pastors to place their sons in the pulpit when God has called another member of the leadership into that position is arrogant and speaks volumes against the senior pastor. It is a sign of possible ego problem. it is symptomatic of a wrong view of church in the modern world, A pastorship is a calling and a trust. A pastor should be accountable to his congregation. When any pastor is replaced in a church without the approval of the members and board of elders, it has lost its way.
That doesn’t mean that the son of a pastor is disqualified just because he is related to the pastor either. There needs to be balance. For instance, Donnie Swaggart has proven to be a powerful preacher. Much as I do not care for Joel Osteen, since he took over after the death of his dad John Osteen, his church has exploded with goats - not sure what sort of professing Christians his father attracted.
God has no grandchildren. And it is wrong to look at an Old Testament patriarchal model of leadership for a pattern. Some point to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to say nepotism is biblical - but that was for the generational promises - not the priesthood. If you want to go back to the OT to justify nepotism, a better example would be Moses and Joshua. The choosing was up to God who did choose Moses’ brother Aaron for priestly duties - but that was God’s choice.
One messianic church in Philadelphia had a practice of only allowing those with Jewish blood to be in positions of leadership. If a gentile believer showed God’s call he was not acceptable, Certainly this does not please God.
What about in the case of para-church ministry? Christian television networks have become dynasties that are family owned and operated even though they have a Christian public trust since it was the millions donated by believers that paid for them. TBN and CBN are both family owned and operated. Time will tell if they survive after the demise of their founders when the sons take over the dynasty.
That doesn’t mean that the son of a pastor is disqualified just because he is related to the pastor either. There needs to be balance. For instance, Donnie Swaggart has proven to be a powerful preacher. Much as I do not care for Joel Osteen, since he took over after the death of his dad John Osteen, his church has exploded with goats - not sure what sort of professing Christians his father attracted.
God has no grandchildren. And it is wrong to look at an Old Testament patriarchal model of leadership for a pattern. Some point to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to say nepotism is biblical - but that was for the generational promises - not the priesthood. If you want to go back to the OT to justify nepotism, a better example would be Moses and Joshua. The choosing was up to God who did choose Moses’ brother Aaron for priestly duties - but that was God’s choice.
One messianic church in Philadelphia had a practice of only allowing those with Jewish blood to be in positions of leadership. If a gentile believer showed God’s call he was not acceptable, Certainly this does not please God.
What about in the case of para-church ministry? Christian television networks have become dynasties that are family owned and operated even though they have a Christian public trust since it was the millions donated by believers that paid for them. TBN and CBN are both family owned and operated. Time will tell if they survive after the demise of their founders when the sons take over the dynasty.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
January 21st Show: Prayers to John Paul II for miracles
The late Pope John Paul II is on the fast-track to sainthood. His successor, Pope Benedict XVI has authenticated a miracle, one of two required in order to complete the canonization process. JP will be beatified on May 1st. That ceremony will confer upon him the title, “Blessed.”
The testimony of a miracle came from a nun, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, an ailment that JP also suffered from. Two months after his death, she and her friends began praying to the dead pope for a miracle and then he appeared to her in a dream and a voice in her head told her to grab a pen and write. She woke up without having the usual shaking.
ABC News reported the story. “Sister Marie prayed that Pope John Paul intercede in her life,” said ABC reporter Miguel Marquez . “The Church now believes he did, proving both God’s existence and that John Paul is in heaven.”
This brings up the question: if it is valid to pray to a saint one knows made it to heaven, how can the Catholic Church instruct Catholics to pray to someone whose final destination is uncertain? What if no miracles ensued, does that mean they were praying to someone in hell? You see it is Roman Catholic teaching that no one can be assured of making it into heaven; for that is the sin of presumption. Catholics cannot sing the old Fanny Crosby hymn, Blessed Assurance.
Now Catholics everywhere are encouraged to direct their petitions to JP so that the other needed miracle can be achieved. The ABC News report said that the pope’s body will be exhumed when he is beatified in May and moved into the chapel of St. Sebastian in the Vatican. What they failed to mention is that exhumation of the targets for canonization is standard procedure to determine if the body or any body parts have remained intact. If so, that in and of itself would be the second miracle they’re seeking -- what they call “incorrupt bodies” that miraculously failed to decay.
Cathedrals in Europe are filled with these so-called incorrupt body parts of the saints for the veneration of “the faithful.” They are considered relics and are placed into bejeweled reliquaries behind glass where they are venerated and become the focal point of prayers to the saints - a ghoulish idea to the modern un-Catholic mind.
And if that isn’t morbid enough, the late pope’s blood specimen taken in a hospital before he died is about to be placed in a Catholic church in Poland, JP’s homeland, after the beatification. Published reports say “the vial would be encased in crystal and built into the altar of a church in the southern city of Krakow that is opening in May.”
The spokesman for the John Paul II Centre, Piotr Sionko, said this was the idea of Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the Archbishop of Krakow, an old friend of JP’s.
“'It was the cardinal's proposal,'' Mr Sionko said. ''He is of the opinion that this is the most precious relic of John Paul II and should be the focal point of the church.''
If the blood specimen is to be the focal point of the church, it will have a lot of competition with the statues in the alcoves, the crucifix over the altar, and the host within the tabernacle. All these church-approved items of veneration and worship must make it a difficult choice for the miracle-seeker to focus upon.
The Catholic Church has totally twisted the biblical teaching on prayer. Every time we pray, do we ask for a miracle? Where is that in the model prayer known as the Lord’s Prayer? Prayer is a devotion to God that includes petition, but also praise and confession and seeking of His will. To try and take that spiritual practice and direct it to a dead person, even one who made it into heaven, is nothing short of blasphemy and idolatry.
The testimony of a miracle came from a nun, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, an ailment that JP also suffered from. Two months after his death, she and her friends began praying to the dead pope for a miracle and then he appeared to her in a dream and a voice in her head told her to grab a pen and write. She woke up without having the usual shaking.
ABC News reported the story. “Sister Marie prayed that Pope John Paul intercede in her life,” said ABC reporter Miguel Marquez . “The Church now believes he did, proving both God’s existence and that John Paul is in heaven.”
This brings up the question: if it is valid to pray to a saint one knows made it to heaven, how can the Catholic Church instruct Catholics to pray to someone whose final destination is uncertain? What if no miracles ensued, does that mean they were praying to someone in hell? You see it is Roman Catholic teaching that no one can be assured of making it into heaven; for that is the sin of presumption. Catholics cannot sing the old Fanny Crosby hymn, Blessed Assurance.
Now Catholics everywhere are encouraged to direct their petitions to JP so that the other needed miracle can be achieved. The ABC News report said that the pope’s body will be exhumed when he is beatified in May and moved into the chapel of St. Sebastian in the Vatican. What they failed to mention is that exhumation of the targets for canonization is standard procedure to determine if the body or any body parts have remained intact. If so, that in and of itself would be the second miracle they’re seeking -- what they call “incorrupt bodies” that miraculously failed to decay.
Cathedrals in Europe are filled with these so-called incorrupt body parts of the saints for the veneration of “the faithful.” They are considered relics and are placed into bejeweled reliquaries behind glass where they are venerated and become the focal point of prayers to the saints - a ghoulish idea to the modern un-Catholic mind.
And if that isn’t morbid enough, the late pope’s blood specimen taken in a hospital before he died is about to be placed in a Catholic church in Poland, JP’s homeland, after the beatification. Published reports say “the vial would be encased in crystal and built into the altar of a church in the southern city of Krakow that is opening in May.”
The spokesman for the John Paul II Centre, Piotr Sionko, said this was the idea of Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the Archbishop of Krakow, an old friend of JP’s.
“'It was the cardinal's proposal,'' Mr Sionko said. ''He is of the opinion that this is the most precious relic of John Paul II and should be the focal point of the church.''
If the blood specimen is to be the focal point of the church, it will have a lot of competition with the statues in the alcoves, the crucifix over the altar, and the host within the tabernacle. All these church-approved items of veneration and worship must make it a difficult choice for the miracle-seeker to focus upon.
The Catholic Church has totally twisted the biblical teaching on prayer. Every time we pray, do we ask for a miracle? Where is that in the model prayer known as the Lord’s Prayer? Prayer is a devotion to God that includes petition, but also praise and confession and seeking of His will. To try and take that spiritual practice and direct it to a dead person, even one who made it into heaven, is nothing short of blasphemy and idolatry.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
January 14th Show: Atheism: “The Fastest Growing Religion”
One of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes starred the late character actor Burgess Meredith. No, I’m not referring to the one where he survived the atom bomb and broke his glasses before he could sit down to read his piles of books from the devastated library. I’m talking about the 1961 episode called “The Obsolete Man” in which he stands trial for his life as a librarian since the totalitarian State considers it a useless occupation. He is sentenced to death for being “obsolete” because he loves books, owns a Bible, and believes in God Whom the State has declared does not exist. [See Wikipedia synopsis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Obsolete_Man ]
Back in the early ‘60s, it was unthinkable that a government could declare that there is no God. We thought only a communist country like Russia or China could dare to outlaw religion and persecute believers. After all, the United States has “In God we trust” on their dollar bills.
Sadly, it looks like forces of God-haters are rising up in power in our country to lobby for their collective belief in atheism. They have a public relations campaign to win others to their views and even have celebrity endorsements to spread their message of the supremacy of man in the universe. Now they have a well-attended annual convention (next one in April in Des Moines, Iowa) to help them galvanize the godless masses into a powerful special interest group who can campaign for change in Washington. [ http://atheists.org/ ] They want to remove “one nation under God” from our Pledge of Allegiance and ban prayer in any public place. Instead of trusting God, they only have themselves to trust in. What a miserable position to take.
These atheists have the zeal of evangelists in spreading their message that God is a bad invention of man and responsible for all the wars and hardships throughout history. They have especially targeted the Evangelical Church as public enemy number one.
Since atheism is indeed a negative and hopeless ideology, their PR machine is putting a positive spin on their message. Comedian/magician Penn Jillette, for example, has been interviewed all over television testifying that his acceptance of atheism has brought joy and hope to his world.
Other celebrities that inspired him to come out of the atheist closet were Martin Mull, Randy Newman, and Frank Zappa. Jillette says they are just behind the Gay Lobby in coming into prominence and influence. The YouTube clip of his testimony can be seen here: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFdOGQbP1i0] At the end of his tape, Jillette rejoices in the fact that if atheism were a religion, he is part of the fastest growing religion in America.
Former Saturday Day Night Live not-ready-for-prime-time-player, Julia Sweeney, has taken her atheist one-woman-show on the road to packed audiences. Her “Letting God of God” routine is now on film and is also popular on YouTube. One clip shows the audience response and the people sound as if they’re talking about an inspirational gospel message in how much it meant to them. [see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_FLLzbRVT8 ]
Could the atheist lobby be a portent of things to come and a rise in persecution of Christians in America? Certainly this movement is not surprising when we consider it as just another sign of the times. The Bible tells us that before Jesus returns iniquity would abound. So this should not surprise us. However, it does sadden us to see how the Creator of all is being lampooned by His creatures. One day these very people may be the ones of whom it is written prophetically that will shake their fists at God when judgment falls.
Back in the early ‘60s, it was unthinkable that a government could declare that there is no God. We thought only a communist country like Russia or China could dare to outlaw religion and persecute believers. After all, the United States has “In God we trust” on their dollar bills.
Sadly, it looks like forces of God-haters are rising up in power in our country to lobby for their collective belief in atheism. They have a public relations campaign to win others to their views and even have celebrity endorsements to spread their message of the supremacy of man in the universe. Now they have a well-attended annual convention (next one in April in Des Moines, Iowa) to help them galvanize the godless masses into a powerful special interest group who can campaign for change in Washington. [ http://atheists.org/ ] They want to remove “one nation under God” from our Pledge of Allegiance and ban prayer in any public place. Instead of trusting God, they only have themselves to trust in. What a miserable position to take.
These atheists have the zeal of evangelists in spreading their message that God is a bad invention of man and responsible for all the wars and hardships throughout history. They have especially targeted the Evangelical Church as public enemy number one.
Since atheism is indeed a negative and hopeless ideology, their PR machine is putting a positive spin on their message. Comedian/magician Penn Jillette, for example, has been interviewed all over television testifying that his acceptance of atheism has brought joy and hope to his world.
Other celebrities that inspired him to come out of the atheist closet were Martin Mull, Randy Newman, and Frank Zappa. Jillette says they are just behind the Gay Lobby in coming into prominence and influence. The YouTube clip of his testimony can be seen here: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFdOGQbP1i0] At the end of his tape, Jillette rejoices in the fact that if atheism were a religion, he is part of the fastest growing religion in America.
Former Saturday Day Night Live not-ready-for-prime-time-player, Julia Sweeney, has taken her atheist one-woman-show on the road to packed audiences. Her “Letting God of God” routine is now on film and is also popular on YouTube. One clip shows the audience response and the people sound as if they’re talking about an inspirational gospel message in how much it meant to them. [see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_FLLzbRVT8 ]
Could the atheist lobby be a portent of things to come and a rise in persecution of Christians in America? Certainly this movement is not surprising when we consider it as just another sign of the times. The Bible tells us that before Jesus returns iniquity would abound. So this should not surprise us. However, it does sadden us to see how the Creator of all is being lampooned by His creatures. One day these very people may be the ones of whom it is written prophetically that will shake their fists at God when judgment falls.
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