Daily Devotional for Wednesday April 2, 2008

McDonalds, John Edward, Obama, and FITNA

(Romans 1:26-32; Leviticus 19:31; John 14:6; Matthew 24:11)

McDonalds, John Edward, Obama, and FITNA. Today is an interesting day since there are several different news items that I want to share with you. Each is important since they all represent critical issues I have been dealing with for years in the Daily Devotional. They are the mainstream acceptance of homosexuality, those who claim to talk to the dead and people who claim to be psychics, the lie that many think there are many roads which lead to God, and the false religion of Islam. These news items simply reinforce that these issues are not going away and how important it is to have a voice in the marketplace to tell the Truth about each one.

It was recently announced that McDonalds Vice President of Communications, Richard Ellis, has been named to the Board of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. McDonalds is listed on the website of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce as a "corporate partner and organization ally" for an undisclosed financial contribution. Ellis state, "I'm thrilled to join the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce team and ready to get to work. I share the NGLCC's passion for business growth and development within the LGBT community and I look forward to playing a role in moving these important initiatives forward."

Last week, I shared a Devotional with you that made the claim we have lost the war to stop the sin of homosexuality from becoming accepted by the mainstream. You don't get any more mainstream than McDonalds, and it is clear that the hamburger giant is more worried about having a relationship with those who choose to engage in deviant forms of sex than with people of faith. This stamp of approval by one of the world's most visible corporations, is another clear example of the fact that homosexuality is now viewed by society as an acceptable choice. Like I have told you many times, nobody fears the Christian community any longer since we are so fragmented and have no unifying voice.

Our buddy John Edward is back. He is like Jason in those horror movies. Edward has resurfaced in the strangest of places, the Home Shopping Network. I have warned people for years about this charlatan who claims to be able to talk to the dead. John Edward is at best a highly polished carnival act, and at worst, operating in demonic powers. He is now on HSN, hawking 10 DVDs of his lies for $90. How sad it is to see people who are searching for answers, looking for true hope, fall into the clutches of this con man who leads them away from the real Truth, the Bible, and the real answer, Jesus.

My friend, the Bible condemns those who claim to be psychics, since only God knows the future. The Bible tells us to not turn to mediums or seek out spiritualists, or you will be defiled by them. We know that satan is an "angel of light" and can do many deceptive things. However, the Word of God tells us the dead no longer have any part of this life. John Edward and those like him are NOT of God, they are enemies of God and tools of satan. They are spiritual frauds who God speaks harshly against in the Bible. As a matter of fact, in the OT people like Edward were commanded to be put to death. This is how dangerous they are to others in the eyes of God.

Our friend, Senator B. Hussein Obama (for the record, it is his name, I didn't give it to him, his parents did), certainly didn't even learn in 20 years of sitting in the pews at Trinity United Church of Christ what most elementary school Sunday School students are taught. In a campaign stop recently in Greensboro, North Carolina, Senator Obama told the audience that he believes he "can have everlasting life" because Jesus Christ died for his sins. But he then told a questioner that he believes Jews and Muslims who live moral lives are just as much "children of God" as he is. He went on to add that his late mother didn't share his faith but was a kind and generous person, so he's "sure she's in heaven."

Sen. Obama has sadly bought into this universalistic lie from hell I warn you about often, the dangerous lie the New Age gurus and the high priestess of the New Age movement Oprah is telling millions, and that there are many roads that lead to God, that faith in Jesus is NOT the only way to be saved. I hate to break this to the Senator, but if his mother died without accepting Jesus into her heart and life by faith, then like all who reject Christ she is NOT in Heaven, but in the flames of hell for all eternity. This is not a game! I try to tell people all the time that what we do each day is literally battle satan for the souls of men. Satan wants people to believe this lie that you can get to Heaven without Jesus, but he knows it is a lie and that those who buy that lie will be with him in hell for all eternity.

This is so critical since now this lie is being preached from many pulpits. You have Christian churches now who endorse this notion that God will understand and as long as you are a "good person" and do your best, you will make it to Heaven. The Bible proclaims that there is NONE that is good, no not one. It says that we have ALL sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. God has given us His plan, His ONLY PLAN for salvation, and that is by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, since it was Jesus who died as the payment for our sins. There are not many roads that lead to God, only one, faith in Jesus Christ. There is no other name by which men are saved!

Lastly is FITNA, the movie about Islam produced by Dutch politician Geert Wilders. I have done dozens of press interviews the past few days after the UK video hosting company LiveLeak chose to pull the movie from their servers due to the death threats their employees were getting. Liveprayer had a copy and I had it on my website, on my servers, the only website in the world that had the movie in its entirety. The press all wanted to know why I would put such a movie on a Christian website, a movie that many claim is anti-Muslim.

What Wilders did was excellent, in that he took the very words Muslims follow in their teachings, and showed them following those words as they carried out their acts of hatred and killing. These are not a few isolated acts of terror, but how Muslims worldwide operate. It is visual proof of what this false religion of hate and death is really all about, and that is why they are doing everything they can to hide it from the world. It has only been in the past few years with the advent of 24/7 cable news, advanced satellite technology, and the Internet, that people around the world, especially here in the United States, are being exposed to how this false religion has operated during its 1400 year history.

Let me give you a great contrast between the false religion of Islam and the Christian faith. People are born into or intimidated into joining the false religion of Islam. People CHOOSE to become a follower of Christ. Islam is about hate and death. Christianity is about love and life. People need to wake up and understand the nature of this very real threat to not just the Untied States, but to the entire world.

I love you and care about you so much. Today is a great reminder of a number of issues I have been talking to you about for many years now. As you can see, they are still pressing issues since the church has chosen to ignore them and continues to focus mainly on preaching to the choir in the comfort, safety, and profitability of the "Christian trough," while the world around us is dying and going to hell. Homosexuality is now mainstream because the church didn't have the guts to speak out against this sin. Sadly, you now have many churches who instead of speaking the Truth about this sin, have simply accepted and condoned homosexuality to be like the rest of our fallen world.

Hurting people continue to turn to scam artists and false hope merchants like John Edward in their time of need, because he at least acts like he cares about them and is part of their world. High profile Christians like B. Hussein Obama propagate the lie from hell that you don't really need to accept Jesus as your Savior by faith to make it to Heaven. People are asleep or totally apathetic about the real threat Islam is to this nation and world, and have been bullied into believing that there are simply a handful of Muslims who perpetrate all of these violent acts of terror around the world. The fact is, all Muslims read from the same holy book and follow the teachings of their murdering pedophile false prophet Muhammad.

I pray today that you are stirred to take your stand in this lost world for Christ. God has called each of His children to do their part where He has you planted for this season. Staying silent is no longer an option, since that is how this nation has turned from Biblical Truth to the lies of the world and from honoring the God of the Bible to rejecting Him for the false gods and idols of the world. May the Lord give you a spirit of boldness and fearlessness as you declare His Truth to the lost and hurting, and tell everyone you know that their only hope for this life and all eternity is faith in Jesus Christ!