Daily Devotional for Thursday December 13, 2012
The Similarities between Republicans and Christians and Why Both have Failed
(Proverbs 29:18)
***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, when attending church last Sunday I found out that my church is promoting Rick Warren's "40 Days in the Word" program for our church home study groups, After hearing all the New Age heresies he's bringing to the churches this got me pretty upset. Then I was watching Jack Van Impe and he showed a news report about Rick Warren calling God Allah and cozying up to Muslims. What should I do?
ANSWER: I have been warning people for the past decade about Warren's man-made Purpose Driven marketing scheme and subsequent "plans" that have destroyed many churches and is designed to fill pews with warm bodies, not converts. I have also detailed over the years his unGodly associations to enable him to pursue his global social agenda, including his fear of telling the truth about Islam. I find it sad that ANY church has to use materials from someone else. It simply tells me the pastor and staff are too lazy to get their own vision from God for their church. A church is NOT a McDonalds franchise, though people like Warren would like you to think so, and that they are the owner of the franchise! Pray, I know God will guide you what to do.
The similarities between the Republican Party and Christians, and why both have FAILED! This Devotional today has ZERO to do with politics, but in light of the recent election, I find many incredible similarities between the failures of the Republican Party and true Biblical Christians. Let me say that BOTH have failed because they have, 1) NO VISION, 2) their real goal is simply to make money and not see any real change, 3) they have turned into nothing but entertainment vehicles.
The Bible says in Proverbs that, "Where there is no vision, the people perish!" The biggest reason the Republicans lost the Presidential election and didn't take control of the Senate is because Mitt Romney and the party as a whole had NO VISION! Never once was there any sort of vision for the country articulated for people to hear, understand, and buy into.
The church has failed for the EXACT SAME REASON! There is not ONE national leader who has articulated ANY sort of vision for this nation to turn back to God and His Truth with a legitimate plan other than to pray. Prayer is a great first step, but at some point there has to be a true vision with a supporting plan to see that vision come to fruition!
Making money is the only real goal of any political party or entity. Sadly, that has now become the only real goal of the church. Churches and major ministries raise tens of millions annually in order to build and upkeep huge complexes of bricks and mortar, hire huge staffs of people, and in many cases, pay the top people incredible salaries and benefits. Private jets, multiple mansions, new Bentley's, are the norm in the world of big time Christendom. The world has correctly identified much of what is done as nothing but a "money hustle" and they are 100% correct!
Politics when I was growing up in the 60's and 70's was mainly about ideology. While that element still exists today, over the past 15 years politics has become largely about entertainment. The Republican Party really led the way in the world of "political entertainment," though the Democrats are quickly catching up. Never forget for a second that Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Michael Savage, Mark Levine, Fox News, Ann Coulter, Karl Rove, Dick Morris, new groups like Freedom Works, Newsmax and the rest of the conservative internet world, are first and foremost..ENTERTAINERS!
There are also many high profile Christian/political groups like Focus on the Family, The Family Research Council, men like Jay Sekulow, Ralph Reed, Mark DeMoss, all who have put politics ahead of the Gospel for money, power, and influence. These people and organizations make their millions REGARDLESS of who wins, of who is in office. The best example is this previous election, and how without shame they haven't changed a thing, and in most cases have doubled down!
Sadly, with the advent of Christian TV and radio over the past 40 years, much of Christendom is now nothing but "spiritual entertainment." Churches have been converted into great performing arts theaters where you are entertained for an hour each Sunday. The top names on Christian TV are treated like Hollywood celebrities. They use their influence over millions primarily to enrich themselves and further their own kingdom, NOT the Kingdom of God!
The results? Because the Republican Party chose a candidate with NO VISION, a man who had to lie that he was a Christian for fear people would find out what he and his cult really believed, who had a record of supporting the killing babies when it was politically expedient, than decided to be pro-life when that become politically expedient, who was all for gay marriage when that was politically expedient, than decided to be for traditional marriage with that was politically expedient, they lost to a man who has proven over the past 4 yrs to be the worst President in the history of this nation on top of being a true enemy of God on every spiritual issue of the day!
The results for Christians has been even more devastating since souls are at stake! Christians and our worldview are now marginalized and clearly no longer the view held by the majority in this nation. We have now been totally frozen out of the secular media, unless you are a gutless wonder like Joel Osteen trying to sell your latest book and they know you won't say anything they deem outrageous like "you will die and go to hell unless you come to know Jesus by faith as your Savior." Worst of all, we have clearly lost the culture and have virtually zero impact on the world around us any longer.
We now live in a nation where the legalized slaughter of an innocent baby is called a "woman's right." Gay marriage is called "marriage equality" and is the current law in many states. In the coming years it will be the law in virtually all states regardless of what the Supreme Court decides next June. The CHOICE of homosexual behavior is now viewed as normal and acceptable. In addition, boys can now become girls and girls can now become boys, and if you dare say anything negative you are labeled as a hate monger. Hosts on major TV networks openly root for a cheer for and promote the radical homosexual agenda and the legalized killing of innocent babies!
If you believe in the Bible you are called a hick, stupid, you don't believe in science, and are to be pitied. I guarantee you that if they made "A Charlie Brown's Christmas," "The Andy Williams Christmas Special," or "The Lawrence Welk Christmas Show" today, they would never have a chance to get on the air!
The better percentage of the last two generations who have never even been to a church. A majority of those who do are either in some liberal denomination that accepts and even glorifies sins like homosexuality and abortion, or in churches who are part of these man-made marketing strategies like Purpose Driven/Seeker/Emerging Church/Prosperity Gospel, which are designed to fill the pews with warm bodies not converts, that preach a soft, watered-down, motivational message so nobody is offended (and they come back next Sunday to put their money in the offering plate).
Those who have grown in influence due this void of true Christian leaders are false religions like Islam, the New Age universalism that people like Oprah and Deepak Chopra peddle which lie to people that everyone will get to Heaven, and satanic cults like Scientology and Mormonism. Probably the most dangerous man alive today is Glenn Beck. Not because of his political ideology, but because he uses his various media platforms to attract people through politics and than promotes "Christianity," God," Jesus," and the "Bible."
That sounds great, but what Beck doesn't tell his followers is that Mormon doctrine is 100% inconsistent with Biblical Christianity and he is no more a Christian than a Muslim is. Nor does Beck tell people that his "god" is NOT the God of the Bible, but was once a man and he and all Mormon men believe they too will die and become the god of their own planet. Nor does Beck tell you that the "jesus" he worships is NOT God incarnate, not a deity, but the result of a sexual union between their man/god and Mary and the brother of Lucifer!
While quoting the Bible like all of those in his cult do, Beck fails to mention that his cult believes the Bible is a flawed and incomplete book, superceded by the writings of his cults con-artist, polygamist, pedophile, racist founder Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrines and Covenants. Beck helps to perpetuate the lie he is a Christian by buying off modern day Judas' like David Barton, John Hagee, and James Robison, to give him undeserved credibility with ignorant Christians who fund a bulk of Beck's $100 million annual empire.
The answer my friend is simple. IF, and it is a big IF, Christians are going to reclaim the culture, reclaim our rightful place as the conscience of this nation, save this nation from God's wrath and judgment that has already began by leading this great land back to the Almighty and His Truth, we must do three things.
The first is VISION. As we are currently under God's wrath and judgment for the gross sins of this nation like the fact we slaughter over 4,000 innocent babies every 24 hours, we have perverted God's Holy Institutions of Marriage and the Family, and that we have bowed down and worshipped every false god and idol man has created in his evil imagination. The ONLY vision is to have a "Nineveh Moment" and turn this nation back to God and Biblical Truth.
Of course, Liveprayer not only has articulated that vision for several years now, but has put the pieces in place to see it happen thru the Jonah Project ( http://www.liveprayer.com/jonah/ ) and the Remnant ( http://www.liveprayer.com/remnant.cfm ). The key piece will become a reality this January with the Liveprayer TV program available in the US and around the world!
The second is a pure purpose. Money is NOT a pure purpose. Raising money is something many have been able to accomplish without any help from God. The pure purpose is clearly to see this nation turn back to God and Biblical Truth while bringing hope to the hurting and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ to the lost. This is what Liveprayer has been about for the 13+ years we have been online.
The third is a higher goal. There are MANY entertainers. They come and go. One is hot today, forgotten tomorrow. The higher goal is not to achieve fame and notoriety, but to advance the Kingdom of God. Since day one, Liveprayer has been about one thing, lifting up the name of Jesus so that all men will be drawn unto Him! That is our one and only goal!
I love you and care about you so much. Over the past 13 yrs I have warned people often this day would come. It is now here. We no longer have the numbers. What numbers we do have are woefully divided. We no longer drive the culture, the culture now drives the church. Our only hope, our only answer, is to get back to the basics.
There has to be a clear vision. While it takes money to operate, it is only to finance the vision in order to see that vision fulfilled. The only one who is to be glorified is the Lord. That is the answer and the only hope we have to see this nation saved from experiencing the full wrath and judgment of Almighty God!!!
In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller