Daily Devotional for Wednesday April 10, 2013
Howard Stern
(Isaiah 55:11)
***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, when bad words or thoughts come to mind, how do you "cast these down" and should you feel guilty after you dismiss them?
ANSWER: Satan puts all kind of impure thoughts in our minds. The key is to simple rebuke those thoughts by the name of Jesus, and don't feel guilty, since it is a way the enemy attacks everyone.
***HOWARD STERN: One of the unique doors God has opened for me over the years is to meet, speak to privately, and appear over a dozen times on his radio program, with Howard Stern. Here is some of the audio, and be warned, it can be a bit graphic. ( http://www.liveprayer.com/stern1.cfm )
Howard Stern, the self-proclaimed "king of all media." Not much surprises me any more, so I wasn't shocked at the number of people who have chastised and lambasted me for going on Howard Stern's radio program. I was told not to cast my pearls before swine, that I had no business being on such a vile and filthy program, that I was wasting my time talking to a man who has cast his lot with satan, that I would only embarrass Christ by associating with such a person, and on and on. These are the same people who still don't understand why I "waste my time and lots of money" to reach people outside the four walls of the church via the Internet and through the Liveprayer TV program.
What these people forget or never understood in the first place, is that it is to the Howard Sterns of the world we have been COMMANDED to take the Gospel. These are the very people God has called us to reach out to with His Truth and the hope of Jesus Christ. What these people with no vision also never understood is that while I was happy to get a chance to witness to Howard, his on-air cohorts, and the behind the scenes production team, it is his 1 MILLION LISTENERS I am looking to reach!
Let me be very blunt with you. I would rather have 20 minutes on Howard Stern's program, reaching his 1 million listeners, than preach to a stadium or arena full of people bussed in by the local churches. I am just being honest with you. The people in that stadium or arena will love the message I bring, give a great offering, and buy whatever resources I sell. In appearing with Howard, the message and me personally will be ridiculed and scorned, there is certainly nobody who is going to give us any money, but it is to THOSE lost and hurting masses living without Christ and heading for the fires of hell that I live to reach each day!
Of course, it was the hand of God who orchestrated this great opportunity. Because of the sacrifice of many, during the last 6 weeks the TV program was on nationwide in November and the first 2 weeks of December in 2006, one of Howard's people began watching and recording the program every night. Even though he watched to mock, ridicule, and make crank calls to the program, HE WAS WATCHING!
I don't care why they are watching. The fact is, these are mostly people who are never going to church, never going to read the Bible, and are living their lives void of God's Truth and in rebellion to Him. These people are lost and heading to hell when they die, and most of them don't even fully comprehend that fact! THOSE ARE THE EXACT PEOPLE I AM OUT TO REACH! GOD'S WORD WILL NOT RETURN VOID! Regardless of the motives of those who watch, they are hearing the Truth of God's Word and they are hearing that Jesus loves them and without Christ, they will spend eternity in hell! Jesus is their only hope for this life and for all eternity!!!
"So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11
In early January of 2007, I began getting emails from people who said they heard me on Howard Stern's program. At first I thought they were confused or joking, but after several days of these emails I did some research and found out Howard was playing clips from my TV program of his people calling in with fake prayer requests, trying to see how I would answer their problems. I contacted my PR firm and told them to contact Howard's people, that they are free to use clips from my program even though they are mocking and demeaning what we do, but they need to tell their audience where they got the clips from. I also instructed them to tell Howard's people that he should invite me on his program.
Again, I could care less about being on Howard Stern's radio program, but I did care about being able to reach the 1 million people who listen to his program every day!!! So that is how the appearance on Howard's radio program came to be. Nothing but the hand of God at work. If you have not heard the 20 minute interview, here is the link: http://www.liveprayer.com/stern1.cfm
I had no illusions about what the interview would be like, the filthy and very personal nature it would take, the foul language, since that is what Howard's program is all about. He has made hundreds of millions of dollars by appealing to the lowest common denominator in men and women, reducing everything to sex. His program is about glorifying lives in complete rebellion to God and His Word. My conversation with Howard and his on-air cohorts was actually like the typical call I get every night on the Liveprayer TV program. Howard and his people, the vast majority who listen to him, are simply people who live their lives void of God's Truth since that would force them to be accountable to God and live by a higher standard. PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO ANYONE, NOR DO THEY WANT TO BE TOLD HOW TO LIVE!
It is instructive for those in the Liveprayer family to hear this interview. After much prayer, I purposely did not edit the interview, leaving the profanity in since people need to hear what much of the world finds acceptable conversation. There are too many who live sheltered lives, without fully comprehending that there are more people who believe like Howard Stern than believe like they do! In dealing every day with the lost and hurting outside the four walls of the church, people who love the Lord must understand this is where the vast majority of people in this nation and around the world live their lives. They barely acknowledge, if at all, the existence of Gold. They thoroughly reject the Absolute Truth of Gods' Word. The fact is, everyone has a family member, friend, or co-worker like this. Because they have rejected God's Word they also have rejected Jesus Christ and whether they understand it or not, are gong to die one day and spend eternity in hell!
This is why I preach to you all the time that we MUST get out of the comfort zone of our churches, quit doing nothing but preaching to ourselves, and get bold and aggressive in taking the message of Christ's love to these lost and hurting masses. Howard takes his message of debauchery and rebellion to God to the masses every day. He has no shame, no fear, and is bold and aggressive in marketing his rebellion to God while influencing millions of lives to also live in rebellion to God and His Truth.
*I ask you this question often. If a person who serves satan like Stern can lead the masses to hell, why can't those of us who serve God lead those same masses to an everlasting relationship with Jesus Christ? The answer is simple. Stern stops at nothing to reach the masses with his lies, while we do nothing to reach those same masses with the Truth! Pray about that statement today!!!
I love you and care about you so much. In the 48 hours after appearing for the first time on Stern's program, we received a little over 3,000 emails from his listeners. 40% were from people who agreed with Howard's worldview and sent the same profanity laden, hate-filled rhetoric you heard in my interview. However, the other 60% were people legitimately reaching out for prayer and help. They were hurting, dealing with the problems of life, and very appreciative someone was there to pray for them and give them a word of hope and encouragement. When people are hurting, going thru a difficult time, that is when they are open to prayer and open to the Gospel. That is why just being there and available is so critical.
Over 1 million people that first day heard God's Truth and the fact Jesus loves them and He is the only way to be saved. Millions of his listeners have heard His Truth since that time in subsequent interviews. Pray for them as the seeds have been planted in their lives that there is hope and answers if they will turn to the Lord. Please pray for Howard, his on-air cohorts, the people who work behind the scenes on his program. The same Jesus who died for you and me, died for them as well. Howard Stern may be the "king of all media" for the few years he is alive, but he will sadly find out when he dies there is only one King, His name is Jesus, and He is the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!!!
In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller