Daily Devotional for Thursday July 28, 2011
The Mentally Disturbed Man in Norway is NOT a Christian
(Jeremiah 6:10; Proverbs 29:18)
The mentally disturbed man in Norway who killed all of those people last Friday is NOT a "Christian" as the press has falsely saying he was!!! Anders Behring Breivik has been labeled by the press as a "fundamentalist Christian." While Breivik claims to be a Protestant Christian, his 1500 page manifesto says that he is not religious, doesn't pray, doubts the very existence of God, and embraces Darwinism over the Biblical account of creation, stating "that science takes an undisputed precedence over Biblical teachings."
I have done numerous press interviews this week about this issue, and took each opportunity to harshly condemn what Breivik did. These are not the actions of a true a follower of Jesus Christ or anyone who believes what the Bible teaches. Just because a mentally sick individual claims to be a Christian, it doesn't mean that he is.
It is clear from his voluminous writings, Breivik advocated killing Muslims. Right there, you know this man was not a Christian. That is what the followers of the false relgion of Islam are taught. Kill the infidels, those who won't convert to the lies of Islam. That is why his actions were not of the God of the Bible, but satan himself! For Breivik to encourage people to commit these violent acts, clearly means he is a follower of satan, NOT Jesus!!!
During the interviews I gave on this topic, I was asked about the difference between an act of terror committed by someone like a Breivik and those committed by someone who claims to be of the Muslim faith. I shared that when someone like this mentally unstable man in Norway, or a Timothy McVeigh, commit and act of terror, they are doing so in complete contradiction to the teachings of the Bible. When a Muslim commits acts of terror or "jihad," they are doing so in complete obedience to what the Qu'ran and their false relgion teaches.
I told them that when you see someone claiming to be a Christian bombing an abortion clinic, or killing an abortion doctor, or physically attacking someone who has chosen to engage in act of homosexuality, they are not following the teachings of Jesus and how the Bible teaches us to live. However, when a Muslim commits acts of terror, they are simply following the teachings of their false relgion. Islam has a 1400 year recorded history of violence, terrorism, and death."
In this politically correct society we find ourselves in, there is still one group of people that you can bash, make fun of, castigate, lie about, and make the butt of any joke without fear of repercussions . . . born-again Christians. I am always amused as I watch news reports that sports teams like the Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, and Washington Redskins may have to change their nicknames after all of these years due to the outrage of some Native American groups of how it puts them in a bad light. Many colleges that had Native American nicknames have recently capitulated and under pressure changed their name.
Women's groups are incensed when they feel people are not being "gender correct" in their speech. This has even been an issue in some of our churches with the anointed old hymns of our faith being rewritten to become "gender neutral." Even versions of the Bible are being changed to accommodate those offended by the masculine words used for God.
So you understand why Christians are such an easy target, you have to understand a couple of points. First, the Bible clearly tells us that the Gospel is offensive to the unbeliever. Regardless the stats Barna or any other pollster may tell us, people who are born-again, committed in their walk with Christ make-up a very small percentage of our society. There are lots of people who may sit in pews on Sunday morning, but the actual number of people who have committed their lives to Christ by faith is a small percentage of our society.
Secondly, Christians are one of the most ineffective "groups" in our society at getting their message out. The Christian community has been very weak in taking its message of hope and love through God's Son Jesus Christ to the public at large. We have broken ourselves off into so many different denominations and factions that our voice is little more than a whisper over the din of public debate. Because of the hardened hearts of sinful men, and our own ineffectiveness to articulate our message to the masses, we have become an easy target for the lost masses.
I love you and care about you so much. Pray for the people of Norway as they heal from this horrible nightmare perpetrated, not by a Christian, but by a mentally deranged man acting under the influence of satan himself. Hold in prayer the families of those who were killed and injured, that they may find the Lord's strenght during this difficult time. May those who know the Lord in that nation, rise up and help to bring healing to their nation.
While the world mocks and demeans Christians, we should be encouraged to be even more bold in our Christian lives. Many of you have caught the vision God has for Liveprayer. Using the modern technology that has primarily been used by the gods of this world, and having the simple message of hope and love in Christ to hurting people, over 12 years we have impacted millions of lives around the world. Now, this ministry God has raised up in these last days has been called to be a gathering place for His remnant in these last days and to lead this nation back to the Almighty and His Truth, while leading the lost to faith in Christ.
That is why, now more than I ever, I need your prayers and support of this work. The window is open, NOW is the time to take this message to the world at large in ways never done before. The world has developed a sophisticated way to get their message out through the media and advertising. With your help, Liveprayer has tapped into that same world system to share the hope and love of Christ with the lost and hurting masses.
Many of you get so upset about the way Christians are falsely characterized and treated. Be of good cheer, our Lord has overcome this world. We have a higher calling. Being ridiculed, even persecuted for our message is part of it. Jesus was crucified for simply sharing the love of God. Stephen was stoned for simply telling people Jesus was the way, the truth, the life! As both Jesus and Stephen did, let us pray for those who bash Christians, since they simply don't know what they are doing. At the same time, let us be even more diligent about taking our message of life to this sin-filled and dying world. The more they bash us, the better we must be doing. If we were not being effective, the enemy would not be concerned.
In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller