This past week has been very sad and eye opening.  I can understand why Jeremiah was the weeping prophet.

1. No one seems concerned about the porn on the Windstream ad. I only know of one other local person who has done anything about it. Windstream has refused to do anything. BSafe Online our internet security filter just suggested blocking the website. Blocking our own phone and internet service website, doesn’t seem reasonable, it isn’t like we have another local phone service. First of all, I should have never had to see the naked man in the first place. What good does it do to have a service that requires the individual to block each site?

2. I had a very eye opening chat with a seminary student at my church. I worry about what the seminaries are teaching if his ideas are any indication.

3. Several church members have My Space pages and I was shocked by the information on them. These are teachers, children’s leaders, staff members, etc. One particular site was one click away from porn! A “friend” on that church member’s site when clicked on her site had full body pictures of women clothed only with body paint!

4. Alcohol consumption is on the increase in Southern Baptist Churches. The younger generations see no problem with being a “Christian” and consuming alcohol. I understand that not all denominations feel that drinking alcohol is wrong, but last I checked the Southern Baptist did. When did that change? Wake Forest has the policy of no alcohol on campus for the seminary students but no rules about off campus use. Before you get upset with me, I did not say, “Drinking alcohol is a sin.” Nevertheless, prove to me how it helps your Christian walk. (I’ll give more research about alcohol later.)

5. As the result of researching “The Shack” I responded to a young Christian Women’s blog that was gushing over how great the book is:

“Please read this book with much discernment and “be Berean” and compare it to the scriptures. (Acts 17:11 “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” NIV)

Eve was the one deceived and we as women will often let our emotions rule our beliefs.  Just because something appeals to our emotions does not make it worthy.

Fiction either reveals the truths of the Bible and lines up totally with the Bible or it takes away from or adds to the Scripture and teaches falsehoods.”

I did not feel that was rude or offensive but my comments were blocked!  I then emailed the blog owner and asked why and to date have received no response.

6. Darth Vader is considered an appropriate carving for the exterior of the Washington National Cathedral. Taxpayer dollars and presidents have supported the blasphemy.

7. We have a presidential election coming up and both claim to be Christians, but they do not even know what Scripture teaches.

8. I actually heard someone this week say, “I don’t want to mess up my ‘ticket to heaven’”

9. I received a forwarded email, that had been forwarded to many, many people. It was pointing out that several adamant blasphemers of God had died early and often tragic deaths. No problem there. Then the end of the email included the following:

You are my 8 in 8 seconds.  I am not breaking this. No way!

I’M TOLD THIS WORKS!!!!! Bishop T.D. Jakes ‘8 Second Prayer.’  Just repeat this prayer and see how God moves!!

‘Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus’ name. Amen.’

Pass this message to 8 people {EXCEPT YOU AND ME}.  You will receive a miracle tomorrow.  I hope that you don’t ignore and
let God bless you.

I could not believe that Christians would believe this enough to pass it along to others.  Several of the forwards were family members.  So we ‘replied to all’ the following:

I got this email and I agree that:

Gal 6:7-10

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature a will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. NIV

However, the conclusion is a travesty.  There is no prayer, 8 seconds, 8 minutes, 8 hours, or even 8 days in length that can save a person that does not recognize personal sinfulness, a complete repentance for those sins, and a complete surrender of one’s life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  T.D. Jakes is preaching a prosperity gospel which tells the “Christian” that the gospel is about having a “blessed” life.  This gospel ignores two facts:  1) bad things happen to Christians, and 2) Christians must not love the world.  Yes, we are blessed in this world – provided we can recognize what God calls blessings, but the real power of the gospel is in the fact that it saves us from an eternity in hell.

We have spent a lot of time working through the problem in the modern church, which presents a gospel message that does not begin with the conviction of sin.  You can read a summary of our work and thoughts by clicking on the following link, Lawless Gospel. You might also like to read the sermon “Hell’s Best Kept Secret” by Ray Comfort.  It is also linked.  This is the sermon that started the thought wheels turning.

 No response back on that yet either.

I could go on but you get the idea.  So, last night when I should have been asleep, I am up praying and weeping for the world at large and individuals in particular.  At 12:40 AM, I received an encouraging note from Isaiah of Word And Verse in Singapore.  That was the first time he had seen my blog and I had never seen his, but his note was refreshing to my soul.  There are others out there with the same burdens for the lost and sharing the true word of God.  After that, I could leave the world in the hands of the Christians around the world, they can pray while I refresh my body, and in the hands of the all-knowing, all-powerful Lord.  I look forward to reading more of Isaiah and Karen’s site.

Jeremiah wrote the following, which sounds fitting for today:

Jeremiah 2:5  “What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me?  They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. NIV

Jer 2:11 Has a nation ever changed its gods?  (Yet they are not gods at all.)  But my people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols. NIV

Jer 2:19 Your wickedness will punish you;  your backsliding will rebuke you.  Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty. NIV

Jer 2:23 “How can you say, ‘I am not defiled; I have not run after the Baals’?   NIV