Fearing God

My wife Paige has an uncle and aunt--Bill and Naomi Hayes--who are traveling ministers/evangelists. We were blessed last year to have been able to spend some time with them while they were here ministering to churches in the Valley of the Sun. While Bill preaches mostly within Assembly of God and Pentecostal circles, he is the first to admit that his message is not typical among many Pentecostal preachers. He preaches themes like "Sin," "Repentance," and "Fearing God." He cuts away the fat to get to the meat and preaches the raw truths of Scripture to people, many of whom are used to having their ears tickled with positive, self-esteem-building words.

The following is an email I received last week from Bill on the topic of Fearing God.

Here we are in the Bahamas, more precisely Nassau, where all the hoopla of the Anna Nicole Smith saga is being acted out. I can hardly get any other news on TV than endless reporting of the body and the baby. Who has the jurisdiction of the body and who is the father? It was reported on one of the cable networks that this is what the people want to see and hear in the news; in fact it has doubled some of the stations’ ratings. One network said 80% of Americans are deeply interested in this story. Does that tell us something about our culture today in America?

A repeated statement by news outlets, “Let her be buried next to her son in the Bahamas, so she will find that rest and peace in death that alluded her in life.” What a pagan way of looking at life and death. Jesus gives no such comfort! In Luke 12:18-21 Christ gives us a glimpse of the result of a wrong connotation placed on prosperity,

“And he told them this parable…a certain rich man said, this is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I'll say to myself, 'You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.' 20 But God said to him, 'you fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' 21 This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." (NIV)

Here is another example from Luke 16:19ff-- "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day… 22 the rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away.” Rest in peace! How is it possible? Too late! As the writer of Hebrews states in Heb 9:27 “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (KJV)

Is it surprising how easy we have made it for men to enter the kingdom of God in modern times? No need for a radical new birth, “Except a man be born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” No need for “REPENTANCE.” Jesus said, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” The first word of the Gospel! What we have today is a new version of “Cheap grace,” a phrase used by Dietrich Bonhoeffer in describing the German evangelical posture during the rise of Hitler. Here is a quote from Bonhoeffer:

“The only man who has the right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ. Such a man knows that the call to discipleship is a gift of grace, and that the call is inseparable from the grace. But those who try to use this grace as a dispensation from following Christ are simply deceiving themselves.”

Here in the Bahamas the church, the nation, and even the schools are very religious, “evangelical religious.” They can even pray and read the Bible in the public schools and do! But what do they have to show for it? A nation where crime is even higher then America, the murder rate nearly four times higher then the U.S. Sunday morning a pastor of a Baptist church, four robbers kicked open his door, took everything he had, shot him through the heart while his wife and twin daughters watched. Here is a country where STD’s are rampant and HIV is one of the highest in the west. Where single parented families are the norm, the fathers are not deadbeat dads but “Millstone men,” and yes “Millstone women” too. (Read what Jesus said a millstone man is in Matt. 18:5 & 10.) We in America are embracing a similar “cheap grace” Christianity. The most popular preaching centers in, “Your Best Life Now.” Barbara Walters, in a recent interview with a pastor who proclaims this narcissist Christianity stated, “Your gospel has no sin, suffering or sacrifice in it.” And I might add “And we Christians now love to have it so!” Self-help Christianity centers in, “It’s all about me.”

This book and minister are not the only offenders (he merely sits at the top). Leading Pentecostal magazines have almost nothing about a God who is to be greatly feared by his people and the inhabitants of planet earth, – nothing!! Am I being too hard? I tell the congregations where I minister, “I’m not the hard one; it is you that have no fear of God in your message and life; that is hard!” Then I quote Proverbs 28:14, “Happy is the man who fears the Lord always but he who hardens his heart shall fall into trouble.” Isn’t that where we in the evangelical church find ourselves these days: “IN TROUBLE.” Our families disintegrating, divorce higher among people of faith than those with no faith at all, drugs and alcoholic addictions, STD’s spreading like wild fire and every dilemma of a postmodern era has found itself in the heart of the church. Why? Where is the “Keeping power of His Grace?" Where is the power of the cross?

THE CAUSE FOR THIS TRAGEDY IS...
“The way of peace they have not known, (why?) there is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Rom. 3) Paul the Apostle says this of the world. Today it is characteristic of the church. I am not the only one who is saying this! Henry Blackaby states “The distinguishing characteristic of the church today in America is no fear of God.”

THE CURE...
A revival of the fear of the Lord; God showing up in our churches. A cry from our hearts, “Restore unto us a holy fear of the Lord,” but for that to happen we must have a change of thinking, a realization that indeed God is to be greatly feared.

[bold & italics mine]

BLOGWORTHY

I apologize for the recent lapse in posts. I hate when that happens! But as we all know, sometimes the important circumstances life hit with avengence and one must recognize his priorities.

Since it has been awhile since my last substantial blog, I thought I would make up for it with the following uber-post. As ecclectic it may be, hopefully you will find some interesting reading below. Enjoy!


Hillary: "I'm with Him!"

As we all by now know, Hillary is a frontrunner for the Democratic Presidential nomination. The question that has been begged for some time now, though, is, "What will Hillary do with Bill?"
(Read Michael Medved's thoughts on this matter!)

Now, finally, after weeks of campaigning, Hillary has finally drawn the "King of Hearts" card: her husband.

Read the story.


Obama: "Prince of Peace?"

Another Presidential hopeful, Illinois Senator Barak Obama, is looking to be Hillary's biggest competition in 2008. He's likeable, Liberal, and black! What more could we ask for?

According to DesMoinesRegister.com, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said this of Obama: "Imagine President Barack Obama in the world, as a world leader . . . Diplomacy would work, the world would be more peaceful, and more safe, and a better place to live."
How nice.


But I know for a fact that Australian Prime Minister John Howard isn't too excited about an Obama Presidency! Howard recently expressed his fears of a "President Obama" with regards to the present War in Iraq. Australia has approximately 1,400 troops in the country and would lose its closest military ally if America pulled out as Obama promises to do if he wins in 2008.

In a nationally televised interview on Sunday, Howard said Obama’s plan meant
al-Qaida leaders in Iraq should “be praying as many times as possible for a victory, not only for Obama but also for the Democrats” at presidential elections in November 2008. MSNBC

Here was Obama's response:

“So if he is ginned up to fight the good fight in Iraq, I would suggest that he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them to Iraq, otherwise it’s just a bunch of empty rhetoric.”

Sounds like the would-be U.S. President already has a great start in the international diplomacy department!


Anna Nicole Smith

[I wasn't even going to mention this until I came across a good blog on the subject.]

As you know, she died. My first reaction: "So what?"

But here is a great article to remind us of the dangers of Vanity Fair and our desperate need of a God's grace. Here's a sneak-peak:

Everything that she wanted she had, and everything that she had led to her
death. Such is the story of a life wasted by the world, ruined by its supposed
benefits, duped by its fleeting promises. What did Anna Nicole need?
She needed the gospel.
She needed forgiveness of sins.
She needed a man who could tell her all that she ever did.
She needed to hear the words, “Go and sin NO more.”
She needed Jesus.

Romney's Announcement

And here's another one.

Massachusetts' Republican Governor Mitt Romney gave the official word yesterday that he will be one of many other Republican candidates running for President in '08.

But he's Mormon. Will that matter?...You bet!

I'm anxious to see what becomes of this guy!

50 Most Influential Christians in America

Thanks to Kevin Cawley for sharing this *interesting* article.

Quick question: Doesn't the title "The 50 Most Influential Christians in America" lead you to believe that everyone on this list is a Christian?...

Hmmmm. Doesn't look that way!

(I don't know what morons were surveyed to come up with this list, but I know that I certainly wasn't asked my opinion!)

Guess who's #1?....
Good Idea of the Day: Use this list to play some games with the family: "Spot the Wolf" or "I Spy a Heretic."

Mr. First Amendment?

Can someone PLEASE keep this man away from the microphone?!

Ya know, Sean Penn--no matter what anyone thinks of him as an actor--reminds me of a rebellious and ignorant 14 year old who thinks he knows more than mom and dad.

His latest public episode came at the Creative Coalition's 9th annual Christopher Reeve Awards Gala on December 18th in New York City. Penn was honored by the Creative Coalition as the spotlighted recipient of the Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award. To read his entire acceptance speech, go to huffingtonpost.com. (Warning: Be sure to have a barf-bag close by!)

In typical Sean Penn style, he spewed what may sound like great, passionate political rhetoric to the common Leftist's ear. However, the Oscar-winning actor's not-so-subtle feelings toward Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield, and crew came across as loud and abnoxious as a giant-size chihuaha barking into a megaphone at 4 in the morning! And similar to the bark of a chichuaha, it's really difficult to understand what Sean Penn is really saying.

Yes, I know that he's pissed off about the war in Iraq. In fact, I think Sean Penn is the President of the anti-war club, a.k.a. "Hollywood."

And yes, he absolutely hates "Dubya" and "Trigger-finger Cheney" and the rest of the current administration.

And yes, he feels like a victim; most Lefties do.

But when it comes down to it, I don't think Sean Penn has a clue! He's all words--99.99% of which are based on conspiracy theories and personal opinions.

And who made Hollywood celebrities the political spokespersons of the Democratic party, anyway? To tell you the truth, if I was a sensible Democrat, I would cringe every time I saw another celebrity step up to a microphone to try to talk about politics. Especially Sean Penn! (If you're still confused about that which I write, just read for yourself: huffingtonpost.com.)

My conclusion is this: Sean Penn needs to leave!...

...(We just need to figure out how to get Michael Moore, Tim & Susan, and Cindy Sheehan to go with him!)

So what do YOU think?

Peter Boyle/"Frank Barone" Dead at 71

This guy really made me laugh!

Here's the full story:
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/am-boyleobit1213,0,4889956.story