Daily Devotional for Saturday September 2, 2006

The Real Message of "Brokeback Mountain"

(2 Peter 2:10)

"But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities." (2 Peter 2:10 KJV)

The real message of this movie was nothing more than Hollywood lifting its middle finger in the air to God and to anyone who chooses to love God and live in obedience to His Word. This past March, Hollywood spent an evening patting themselves on the back at their annual awards gala we know as the Oscars. The reality is, the Oscars are nothing more than Hollywood insiders recognizing each other in a highly political process that doesn't even consider the public who consumes what they create.

The reason I am dealing with this today is because we now live in a very secular society, no longer guided by God's Word but by our culture. The better percentage of 2 full generations have never even been to church, live their lives void of God and His Word, and the culture, things like the movies, actually guide their lives. This is exactly what I have talked to you about for 7 years now, how damaging it has been for Christians to withdraw the salt and light from the culture we live in and hide behind the four walls of our churches and the Christian subculture we have created for ourselves.

Please don't think that "Brokeback Mountain" was an accident. One of the great symbols of our nation is the American cowboy. Portrayed for decades by men like John Wayne, the American cowboy has always stood for what it is to be a man. A movie about cowboys who choose to commit homosexual acts is a direct attack on that symbol and another attempt by the pro-homosexual community to brainwash people into believing that their sinful choice of deviant sex is normal, attractive, and mainstream. I tell you all the time how sad it is the people of God are so passive with the Truth, yet satan is so bold with a lie!

Look at our media today. Logos, a 24/7 cable network that caters to the homosexual community with programming that glorifies and promotes their sinful choice of sex. How many prime-time TV programs on major network affiliates DON'T have a gay character? The "Oscars" in March was a showcase for people who choose to commit this sin. In addition to the Oscars won by "Brokeback Mountain," the Oscar for Best Actor went for the portrayal of Truman Capote who was gay. Nominated for many awards was a movie about a transgendered person. All night, one winner after another weren't thanking Jesus, they were thanking their "life partner."

(Note: The Oscar for the best song went to, "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp" by the group Three 6 Mafia. So in between glorifying the sin of homosexuality, Hollywood honored pimps!!!)

THE DRIVE TO MAKE THE SIN OF HOMOSEXUALITY MAINSTREAM IS WORKING! If you ask 100 kids between 12-18 about the sin of homosexuality, first, they don't think it is a sin, and second, they don't think there is anything wrong with two people of the same sex being together. This goes back to the better percentage of two full generations having never been to church and having their views of life influenced and shaped by our culture. Speaking out against the sin of homosexuality, even quoting the Bible, is now considered "hate speech" in many countries. As I have told you, don't be surprised when it becomes hate speech in the U.S. as well!

So what is the answer to the all-out assault by Hollywood and the rest of our culture that rejects God and Biblical Truth? It is a two-part answer that works together, evangelism and competition. The first part of the answer, evangelism, is something God has called ALL of His children to do. Seeing people come to faith in Christ means their hearts and lives are transformed by His power and they turn from the lies of this world and to the Truth of God's Word. It is time to be about the work of our Father as we share the Gospel with the lost in our family, our neighborhood, at school, at work, in addition to those people we encounter during our day.

The second part of the answer, competition, is actually a way to reach the lost and hurting masses. We need to step up and compete with the world on TV, in the movies, on the Internet, through music, in books and magazines, and all other forms of media. Liveprayer is a tiny internet ministry, started and still operated in back of a used-car lot in St. Petersburg, Florida. Yet "live" for an hour every Monday thru Friday we have the top-rated TV program in the overnights in Tampa, the twelfth TV market in the nation, competing each night with major network programs that have multi-million dollar budgets!

The point is, I am nobody. Just an average man simply trying to serve God. I have no money, we literally survive month to month and operate our current TV ministry for less the $2 million a year. Other programs we compete with spend that much in a month! There are people out there with tremendous talent, connections to tens, even hundreds of millions of dollars that could be competing with the world by making Christ-honoring movies, TV programs, music, books and magazines, and websites, geared to reach the masses who are lost and without the hope of Christ in their life.

Rather than compete with the world for the souls of men, too many of God's children have opted to do very little, or stay in their own "neighborhood" and minister to other Believers. Meanwhile, the culture feeds the masses "Brokeback Mountain," over 4,000 new porn movies each year, "Will and Grace," "Desperate Housewives," Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, and other rappers, endless websites of porn, Maxim and People, and everything you can imagine that mocks God and is in rebellion to the Truth!!!

I love you and care about you so much. "Brokeback Mountain" is nothing more than an example of a culture that no longer has any fear and is boldly and without a hint of conscience polluting the hearts and minds of the masses. A reoccurring theme I have shared with you for 7 years now is that we are in an all-out war for the souls of men. Satan is NOT playing games, and he is serious about taking as many with him into the Lake of Fire while he still can.

Now is the time for the people of God to rise up and take a stand for righteousness. I could care less if the world gets upset with the Truth. I get upset, more importantly, God gets upset when they are out there telling lies that are destroying people's lives. "Brokeback Mountain" is not a touching love story. It is simply the story of two confused men who have succumbed to ungodly lusts and are in sin.

They need to both get saved, ask God to forgive them for their sins, and allow Him to deliver them from their bondage to the sin of homosexuality and be set free for the glory of God! It will no longer be "Brokeback Mountain," it will be "HEALED-BACK MOUNTAIN!!!!"