(2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21)I listened with a heavy heart as I heard FOX NEWS personality Bill O'Reilly
use his opening Talking Points Friday night to HAMMER those that HE called
the "religious right" for having the audacity to speak out that
homosexuality is a SIN, and that there are NO CIRCUMSTANCES that those
engaged in that lifestyle should be able to adopt children.
HE ACTUALLY COMPARED THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO BELIEVE GOD'S WORD WITH THE
TALIBAN!!
It seems now that he has a hot TV program, Mr. O'Reilly has determined that
God is wrong and HE is right. Those that are "foolish" enough to believe
what God says may not be fashionable in today's society, but the choice is
we either believe what the God who created the universe told us in HIS WORD,
or we don't! THAT is a question that we must answer each and every day in
the course of our daily lives!!!
God says over 100 times in the Old AND New Testament that homosexuality is a
sin. The world says that it is an "alternative", and a perfectly acceptable
lifestyle. God says that we are to speak up and call SIN . . . SIN. The
world says that we should be "tolerant" and just accept the way people
choose to live their lives. God says to love everyone, even if they don't
love us. The world says to love those who think like you do and look to
destroy those who don't. God says that HIS plan for a FAMILY is a man and
woman who are married! The world says that YOU can decide whatever YOU want
a family to be. God has given us HIS inspired, inerrant Word that represents
ABSOLUTE TRUTH, that is the final authority in ALL matters. The world says
each person can decide for themselves what is right and wrong and the
beliefs of each person's thoughts become the final authority for that
person. Either God is right or the "world" is right,
BUT THEY BOTH CAN'T BE RIGHT!!!
Each day, this Devotional goes to over 2.4 million subscribers worldwide. I
know MANY forward these to all of the people in their address books, and
post this Devotional on numerous message boards each day. So every day . . .
well over 3 million all over the world read the words that God inspires me
to write. I know from research that we have done, about 1/3 of those who
read this each day are NOT Christians, NOT in church, but simply people
struggling with the day-to -day issues of life and have found some hope and
comfort in what God leads me to share. I say that to say this: I speak to a
very BROAD audience every day on the issues that God puts on my heart to
share, the real-life day-to-day issues that we all face, putting them in the
context of our faith. I get an average of 3-5 death threats every month.
Most of those come on the heels of a Devotional that I have written on the
fact GOD says, NOT BILL KELLER, that homosexuality is a sin, or that
abortion is murder! So I know first-hand that many people who read what God
has to say about the issues, like to attack me personally; when in fact,
they are simply rebelling against what God has clearly stated. Taking a
stand for what GOD clearly says is NOT POPULAR in our culture!
Mr. O'Reilly has had an ongoing vendetta against Jesse Jackson. I want to
say up front that I do not agree with Rev. Jackson's theology or his
practice of using race to extort money from corporations. However, Rev.
Jackson has used HIS position to accomplish some positive things, making him
a powerful person. Mr. O'Reilly practices the SAME tactics, although his are
tied to the popularity of his program by picking and choosing "hot button
events" to HAMMER on his program. I have seen this evolution over the last
year to make what he does "significant" in the eyes of his viewers and have
a "purpose", other than what his program is . . . news entertainment.
However, his limited success has gone to his head, and he is now calling out
those who choose to believe the "foolishness of the Bible", those who have
the audacity to call sin, sin, simply to promote the O'Reilly view of the
world. A study of Herod's death after he proclaimed himself a "god" (Acts
12:20-23) would be relevant for Mr. O'Reilly. He may be able to fight those
who disagree with his views in Hollywood, and he may be able to fight the
"rap" music business, but he will LOSE trying to fight God. God knows how to
bring the "haughty" to their knees, ask his nemesis Rev. Jackson!
My purpose today is not to bash Bill O'Reilly for his anti-Biblical views of
life. He is just one of many who choose to view the world as THEY see it, as
opposed to how GOD sees it. That is their God-given free-will right to do.
The important issue, however, is how YOU see the world. My concern today is
that YOU do not allow the world to captivate YOUR VIEW of life, but that YOU
hold fast to keep this life in the context of how God put it. We are simply
to serve and glorify Him during our brief stay here. The most important
choice that you will make in this life is your eternal destination. By His
grace, He has made it possible for YOU to be forever in fellowship with God,
your Creator, by putting your faith in His Son Jesus Christ. However, IF you
choose to make that choice, you have to realize that what God said about
salvation, what God said about eternity, is true. Just as true, however, is
what God says about the brief journey we are all on called life. He clearly
gave us in His Word, the road map to follow on this journey, to enable us to
have a life of abundance and purpose!
IF WE CHOOSE TO ACCEPT INTO OUR HEARTS JESUS CHRIST BY FAITH, IF WE CHOOSE
TO BELIEVE WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY ABOUT SALVATION, WE MUST ALSO BELIEVE
EVERYTHING ELSE THAT GOD HAS TOLD US IN THE BIBLE. YOU CAN'T PICK AND CHOOSE
WHAT YOU MAY NOT AGREE WITH.
I love you and care about you so much. In this life, each day, we have to
make choices to follow God or to follow the world. If our faith is in His
Son Jesus Christ, the choice is simple. Those who only see life as this
brief existence will buy into the world's view on issues, since it makes
them "enlightened" and part of the "mainstream". However, the people of God
must never forget that our citizenship is in another country. Our hope is
not in this life but in God's PROMISE. Our future is not in this temporary
place but in the eternal home God has prepared for us. The sad fact is, if
people would live this life as God tells us to, so many of the problems and
issues that we face would not exist. But man is a rebellions creature. God
by design gave us free will to choose to love Him or rebel against Him. We
make that choice each and every day. We can either choose God . . . or
choose this world.
Many may call me crazy, stupid, or 'brainwashed". I am "crazy" enough to
believe that what God said in His Word is true. I am "stupid enough to
believe God is my Creator and all that He said is true, and I am
"brainwashed" enough by the Word of God to believe that He gave us the
ABSOLUTE TRUTH to live by in this life!!! In the end, either God is right or
this "world" is right.
THEY BOTH CAN'T BE RIGHT. I CHOOSE TO LIVE MY LIFE, THAT GOD IS!!!
In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller
