Category: Uncategorized

It’s raining, and very cool for August, only 65 degrees. I am watching a Japanese movie called Jiro Dreams of Sushi, and the cool weather has allowed me to make my first cup of hot tea for the season.

Some cool stuff

World’s First One-Person Restaurant Opens In Amsterdam
“An extraordinary pop-up restaurant will open doors in Amsterdam this Thursday. ‘Eenmaal’, as the place is called, claims to be the world’s first one-person restaurant. “‘Eenmaal’ is a restaurant like any other restaurant, but one thing is totally different: you only find tables for one person here. ‘Eenmaal’ is an exciting experiment for those who never go out dining alone, as well as an appealing opportunity for those who often eat alone at restaurants”, explains social designer and initiator Marina van Goor.”

It will only be open for two days, so book your table now.

If you’re not hungry then maybe you’re thinking of where you’d like to be sitting right now…in any of these 30 places perhaps?

Click on the link above for the other 26. They’re worth looking at!

Don’t forget the terrific link at Astronomy Picture of the Day, if you like looking up, that is!

Some sad stuff:

Church of England creating ‘pagan church’ to recruit members
“The church is training ministers to create “a pagan church where Christianity [is] very much in the centre” to attract spiritual believers. Ministers are being trained to create new forms of Anglicanism suitable for people of alternative beliefs as part of a Church of England drive to retain congregation numbers. Reverend Steve Hollinghurst, a researcher and adviser in new religious movements told the BBC: “I would be looking to formulate an exploration of the Christian faith that would be at home in their culture.”

“If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:9)

Or they should hate you.

In the Bible Belt, Offering Atheists a Spiritual Home
“It would have been easy to mistake what was happening in a hotel ballroom here for a religious service. All the things that might be associated with one were present Sunday: 80 people drawn by a common conviction. Exhortations to service. Singing and light swaying. An impassioned sermon. There was just no mention of God. Billed as Louisiana’s first atheist service and titled “Joie de Vivre: To Delight in Being Alive,” it was presided over by Jerry DeWitt, a small, charismatic man dressed all in black with slick, shiny hair.”

London’s First Atheist Church Opens
” The first comedian-founded atheist church in England is set to hold its first monthly service tomorrow. Pippa Evans (a “musical improv comedian”) and Sanderson Jones (just a regular talking comedian) came up with the idea together. “We thought it would be a shame not to enjoy the good stuff about religion, like the sense of community, just because of a theological disagreement,” said Mr Jones.”

Attend your church, hug your pastor close, pray for him, and serve well. Church is an endangered species!

Some cute stuff:

Speaking of species, here is a doggie.

 

When Adam was created, he was perfect. He was fully man, a human, created in the image of God. He had perfect communion with God, perfect knowledge of God, enjoyed perfect fellowship with God, was sinless, and lived on a perfect earth.

Paradise, Lucas Cranach the Elder: 1536

I can imagine the conversations Adam had with God as they walked in the cool of the day. In his sinless state Adam probably sought God in addition to walking with Him. God always draws close to the righteous and the righteous seek God. (Matthew 6:33, Isaiah 58:2, James 4:8). Just imagine the fellowship and intimacy as Adam, in his clear, diamond-like intellectual, non-sin stained mind, sought knowledge of God and was able to receive it, fully! And the more He learned of God the more Adam loved Him and the more Adam loved Him the more Adam brought glory to God.

But then Adam sinned. Sin entered His mind. When sin enters we become blinded, lost, and darkened in mind (Ephesians 4:18). It is then impossible to seek righteousness, the spiritual become lost to him (1 Corinthians 2:14). (Sculpture, “Adam and Eve expelled from Paradise” by Auguste Rodin)

We see this after the Fall, when the first thing God said to Adam was “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). This was not a location question. God knows everything. He knew where Adam was. He was asking because Adam didn’t know where he was. Adam was lost, blinded, and stumbling around in the spiritual dark.

This is evidenced by the fact that Adam’s answer was, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:10). The natural man is in the flesh and Adam’s answer was not a spiritual answer but a fleshly one. “I was naked.” No more spiritual conversations with God in the cool of the day, no response like, “I am overwhelmed by Your glory and might and deemed it necessary to hide myself from you because I sinned.” Rather a fleshly, child-like clumsy answer. This is because “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

As a matter of fact, the moment Adam heard God coming, he fled. Adam went the opposite direction and

hid from God. Indeed, that is what all sinners do, because they are afraid, naked, opened to God who sees all and so they hide in the dark to conceal their sins. Adam couldn’t go to God and say, “Help me Father, I’ve sinned and I need to get back to right relationship with You!” This is because no man seeks after God. No one understands. (Romans 3:11). It’s why Adam hid. (“Adam and Eve”, George Frederick Watts c.1865)

You see that it was God who took the initiative to seek Adam. He covered Adam in garments, (Genesis 3:21), later to be turned into garments of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10) after the work of Jesus on the cross (Revelation 3:5).

I praise God that he seeks us while we are still sinners, that He clothes us to cover our shame, and that He comforts us with His presence and friendship. Most of all He gives us His grace, Himself, and eternal life in righteous robes. We can finally answer Him, “Where am I? I am right here, with you, O Glorious God.”

Machias river and lupines. Something pretty for you today.

Globe Cove, Lubec Maine

Get ready for 2013’s first lunar eclipse. This year there are two upcoming solar eclipses and three lunar eclipses for the year 2013.

Meteor shower, partial lunar eclipse visible this April

A meteor shower and a partial lunar eclipse will highlight the treats for stargazers this April, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Wednesday. PAGASA OIC Vicente Malano said the Lyrids meteor shower will peak on April 22, and a partial lunar eclipse will be visible in the Philippines on April 26. He said the umbral eclipse magnitude will be 1.47 percent and will also be visible primarily in Australia, most of Asia, Africa, Europe and Antarctica. “The shower typically generates a dozen meteors per hour under optimal conditions with a brief maximum that lasts for less than a day,” Malano said. “The Lyrids meteor shower has been observed for more than 2,600 years. Chinese records show that ‘stars fell like rain’ during the meteor shower of 687 B.C. However, in recent times, the Lyrids have generally been weak,” he noted. An article on EarthSky.org recommended that the “hour before dawn is best” to view the shower.

Here is NASA’s graphic as to how much of the moon will be covered and where on earth you can see it:

Meanwhile NASA tells us that the Lyrid meteor shower peaks this weekend

Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks this Weekend
“An annual meteor shower is set to peak this weekend, but the showing likely won’t be as strong as it has been in years past. The Lyrid meteor shower should give skywatchers in darkened parts of the world a decent show late Sunday night (April 21) and early Monday morning (April 22), but the glare from a nearly full moon will probably impede the view for many stargazers.”

I’d still go out and look up if I were you.

A news update for you. News from the last few days–

North Korea may be preparing to test missile
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A top South Korean national security official said North Korea may be setting the stage for a missile test or another provocative act with its warning that it soon will be unable to guarantee diplomats’ safety in Pyongyang. But he added that the North’s clearest objective is to extract concessions from Washington and Seoul. North Korea’s warning last week followed weeks of war threats and other efforts to punish South Korea and the U.S. for ongoing joint military drills, and for their support of U.N. sanctions over Pyongyang’s Feb. 12 nuclear test.”

They beleive this to be an upcoming test, not an attack. All indications point to Wednseday for a launch. They expect the missiles to arc over Japan. Hence…

Japan deploys missile-defense batteries
“Japan deployed missile-defense systems at three sites around Tokyo early Tuesday ahead of a possible missile launch by North Korea, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said. The Patriot missile batteries were set up in the central district of Ichigaya and in the suburbs of Asaka and Narashino, Suga told reporters Tuesday. The deployments come as U.S. and South Korean officials warn Pyongyang could be preparing for another provocative move after weeks of belligerent rhetoric. Monday, Suga had said the government would not publicize any missile-defense deployment, saying “It would show our strategy to North Korea.”

China seemed to get irritated with Korea’s antics this week, sparking a plethora of articles speculating on China’s relationship with their little brother.

Is China ready to abandon North Korea?
“China’s new President Xi Jinping appeared to be in sociable mood at the BOAO economic forum in the southern Chinese island of Hainan. China’s state media has published dozens of photos showing Mr Xi glad-handing his counterparts from Australia, Cambodia and even Algeria. In contrast, China’s supposed ally, North Korea, received the rhetorical equivalent of a rap on the knuckles. “No one should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gains,” Mr Xi warned during a speech at the opening of the forum. The Chinese president did not mention any country by name, but it is widely believed that his words were aimed at Pyongyang.”

Or, is China’s seeming irritation with their lesser ally actually subterfuge for its grander plan to conquer the US? An Op-Ed in Forbes three days ago:

China Helped North Korea Target American Cities
“Today, Kim Jang-soo, South Korea’s new national security director, said North Korea may fire off a missile as soon as Wednesday. The launch will undoubtedly be a test of an intermediate-range missile, not an attack. North Korea last week moved two missiles, which were subsequently loaded onto mobile launchers, to its east coast. Many expect the missiles, which have been subsequently moved to hidden locations, will be fired in trajectories arcing over Japan.”

“The Pentagon is not at the moment especially concerned about Pyongyang’s longest-range missile, the Taepodong-2, a variant of the successfully tested Unha-3 rocket. It takes weeks to transport, assemble, fuel, and prepare the Taepodong-2, giving U.S. forces many opportunities to destroy the missile on its large launch pad. The Pentagon, however, is worried about Pyongyang’s mobile missiles, even though they have shorter ranges. It is telling that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on March 15 cited the North’s newest launcher, the KN-08, as a reason for the administration’s decision to deploy 14 additional interceptor missiles in Alaska.”

“The KN-08 sits on an eight-axle mobile vehicle—a transporter-erector-launcher in military lingo—that can hide and shoot, so America’s costly missile defense system is considered necessary because of the hard-to-find KN-08s. China transferred to North Korea at least six of those mobile launchers, a clear violation of Security Council sanctions.Washington policymakers have been reluctant to confront the implications of the Chinese effectively using the North Koreans to target U.S. cities. Beijing, by supplying the mobile launchers, substantially increased the North’s ability to attack the American homeland.”

China has been aggressive in incrementally chipping away at the US in various spheres, including financial and economic. Over the last 20 years, they have bought up much US property. Now this:

Sorry, Mates, Strictly Business: Australia Wants To Cut Out US Dollar In Trade With China
“Australia is seeking to bypass trading in U.S. dollars with China in an effort to avoid the commercial uncertainties that come with the recent fluctuations in the greenback. For example, just a half a year ago, the dollar traded at about $1.20 to the euro; by February, it had weakened to $1.34 per euro and now it is going for $1.27. Eliminating the dollar in trade will be the focus of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s trip to Beijing next week. Trade with China, Australia’s primary trading partner, totaled $120 billion in the last fiscal year. China buys nearly one-third of Australian exports.”

The deal was successful!

Westpac, ANZ secure deal to trade Australian dollar and Chinese Yuan
“WESTPAC and ANZ have been granted the rights to directly trade Australian dollars and Chinese Yuan as part of an agreement to directly trade the two currencies on the Chinese mainland. The currency deal, which will be formally announced tomorrow, will make the Australian dollar only the third major currency to be directly traded with the Yuan on the Chinese mainland.”

The other two currencies which trade directly with the Chinese yuan after the new deal with the Australian dollar are the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen. This direct trade begins next week.

It is hard to know what they are all up to.

In the last days during the Tribulation, there are three sets of verses which depict a ten-nation confederacy which the antichrist overthrows, and he ends up ruling the world alone. Revelation 17:12, Revelation 13:1, Daniel 7:16-24, and Daniel 2:41-42. Here they are:

“And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast.” (Revelation 17:12)

“And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.” (Revelation 13:1)

“I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’

1“Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, There shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. (Daniel 7:16-24).

“And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle.” (Daniel 2:41-42). (It is interpreted that the ten toes are the ten nation confederacy.)

It stands to reason that one or more of the “Kings” is from the geo-political area of the Orient, particularly since a call is made in Revelation16:12 to make way for them. MacArthur explains,

“There needs to be access for the oriental leaders who will come to the land of Palestine. The millions of Asia, literally the Greek says here, “The kings of the rising of the sun,” anatole, the kings of the rising…the sun rising in the east. God dries up the Euphrates River so these kings from the great empires, India, China, Japan, whatever great empires will be at that time, can come to Palestine.”

It seems to me, a person aged 52, that the world has been moving toward authoritarian control for a long time. The world has been made to accept more and more authoritarian intrusion into our lives, while dismissing their own egregious excesses. That the bible states that by the end of the end the world will be gathered into ten geo-political arenas so it will be. That we can see the trend so vividly in these present days does not astound me, either.

I can’t predict how the LORD will bring these things about, the details are left blank in the bible. We read only of the broad strokes on this particular prophecy. But I am daily watching in wonder and breathless expectation of the LORD’S work in the world. The signs are unmistakable.

How do I know the word is living and active? How do I know that the word is true and stands the test of time? First, because the Lord said so. (Luke 16:17, Luke 21:33).

Also because the word proves itself over and over. When we have good preachers who rightly divide the word, it is a glorious thing! I started listening to Pastor Jim McClarty’s preaching through the book of Hebrews yesterday. And because it is spring break from school and I have all the time in the world to bathe in the word and also because I am a raving fundamentalist geek who can’t get enough of His truth, I listened to Pastor John MacArthur’s treatment of the same book right after. MacArthur’s sermon was delivered in 1972. McClarty’s was delivered this year (no specific date is given).

Both men came to the same conclusions regarding the text. Two men, a continent apart, 4 decades apart, arriving at the same conclusion. That is because there is ONE Holy Spirit teacher who illuminates the word. (John 16:13). There is ONE Holy Spirit who gives wisdom in the knowledge and revelation of Him (Ephesians 1:17). There is ONE Holy Spirit who helps us compare the spiritual with the spiritual (1 Corinthians 2:12-13).

Topical preaching is OK, certainly. Sometimes it suits to listen to a sermon or a series for a short time on a subject that the Holy Spirit is impressing upon the preacher as a prophetic voice unique to his congregation. But a steady diet of that diminishes the higher truth that the Word properly explained verse by verse, book by book, is for all the saints for all time. That should be the main diet. We read in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”.

The word is timeless, and eternally plumb-able. We who have been saved by grace have the inexpressible
privilege of what the Apostles and the men from Emmaus experienced, personal teaching directly to us by Jesus. (Luke 24:27). His Holy Spirit is the teacher now and in glory we can approach our King and learn from Him in person. So what are you waiting for? Even though the word is timeless, the time is now to read it.

I bring your attention to this article from One News Now/Christian Press. It is a young earth, brethren. It makes a difference.

Noted Apologist Calls Out Evangelical Leaders Who ‘Undermine the Word of God’

A noted biblical apologist and expert on creationism is calling out several of his colleagues. An audience of some 300 people at the recent National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) convention in Nashville were shocked to learn of the number of evangelical leaders who don’t believe in a literal 6 days of creation narrative.

At the recent NRB convention Ken Ham, president and founder of Answers in Genesis and the Cincinnati-based Creation Museum, gave a lecture entitled, “The Age of the Earth, Biblical Authority, and the Downfall of the USA.”

During his presentation Ham showed video clips of prominent evangelicals to illustrate how some modern Christian theologians are, what he calls, compromising the Word of God.

He believes in a literal interpretation of the creation account found in the Book of Genesis.

“I’m not attacking these people personally and I’m not saying they aren’t Christians or preach the Gospel or I don’t respect them,” Ham told Christian Press News. “I’m dealing with a particular issue that is important in which God’s Word is being undermined. Wittingly or unwittingly many of these famous Christian leaders are really undermining the authority of the Word of God.

Ham mentioned, in particular, John Piper, founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary, co-pastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla. Dr. R.C. Sproul and Mark Driscoll, founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington, as Christian leaders who have drifted away from teaching a young earth perspective.

“Many Christian leaders today will say ‘who cares what Genesis says and what does it matter about the age of the earth as long as you trust in Jesus. We need to go out there and preach the Gospel,’” said Ham. “But the point we need to understand is the Gospel comes from this book called the Bible and if generations of people have been led to believe they can’t really trust the Bible or lead to doubt that you can trust its authority or doubt its history – eventually they will reject the Bible and won’t listen to the Gospel.”

During a recent interview on the Bill O’Reilly show, Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, acknowledged his belief that the earth could have been created 13.7 billion years ago.

“I think it very well could have been,” Jeffress told O’Reilly. “One of the things fundamentalist Christians mess up on is they try to say the earth is 6,000 years old. The Bible never makes that claim.”

Ham denounced Jeffress statement maintaining the Bible makes no such claim that the earth is billions of years old.

“Pastors need to be told that when you do that, you undermine the authority of Scripture,” Ham said. “They are helping atheism by undermining the authenticity of the word of God.”

A few weeks ago, the Spirit began pricking me over Joel Osteen. I’ve written about him many times and in fact I thought it was obvious that Osteen is a false teacher who brings a different gospel and I moved on to other discernment topics. But in the last few weeks, I’ve prepared in draft several blog essays about him, aggravated in my spirit over this man’s teachings but not feeling the go-ahead from the Holy Spirit yet.

Then in the last few days I have had some conversations about Joel Osteen. More than a few people have said to me, “Oh, I like Joel Osteen.” And now the news that Osteen was one of the paid consultants to the  producers of the History Channel’s mini-series, “The Bible”, my mind and heart went “Aha!”

Osteen has been successful to insert his erroneous theology into our faith. But it is not enough for me to say “He is wrong,” I need to offer you some examples of how or why as talking points so that when you have conversations yourself about the man, you can use them, as will I. I give these to you as food for thought, because right now if you like Joel Osteen, I am contending for you in the faith.

Osteen’s appeal is always the same as satan’s. What satan offered Eve in the garden, Osteen offers us today. The danger of a man like Osteen, who in fact was raised up as our judgment, is that not ALL he teaches is wrong. Not ALL of it is totally off. He has successfully melded false and true in a seamless way that the tickled ears often has a hard time discerning.

What did satan offer to Eve? Health, wealth, god-hood, success, and prosperity.

“But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate…” (Genesis 3:4-6a)

What Joel Osteen preaches is the same, including that we are little gods. Here is how.

In a sermon from Lakewood, Osteen was speaking as to how much our words have power over God. He fleshed this concept out in his recent book, “I Declare”. In this pulpit example, Osteen is talking about the power of our words, and gave a ‘biblical example’ of Zechariah as the angel prophesied to him that he and his wife Elizabeth were going to birth the Messiah’s forerunner, John the Baptist. Zechariah didn’t believe the angel, and God shut Zechariah’s mouth. Osteen explained why God did this:

“See, God knows the power of our words. He knows we prophesy our future, and He knew Zechariah’s own negative words would stop His plan.”

Quote. Unquote.

“Osteen is giving more power to the creature — us — than to the Creator. As sons and daughters of God, we reflect the communicable attributes of God, such as love and intelligence, but we don’t reflect His incommunicable attributes, such as omnipotence. Our words don’t contain any magical power that can upset God’s plans.” (source)

Osteen has no knowledge of the sovereignty of God, but preaches that we are in fact in control of Him, and we are in fact in control of our lives, and thus, He is not in control of the universe. If He is not in control of the universe, He is not sovereign.

These kind of preachers do not know the real God and His sovereign will. He hates God, because he continually masks Him from his followers. As a matter of fact, Osteen declared his intention to hide the God of the universe from his followers in this quote from an interview with CNN’s Soledad O’Brien:

“She then said, “When you say homosexuality is a sin and there’s a bunch of people who clearly are gay in your church. You’re calling them sinners. I mean, that’s the opposite of uplifting, I would think.” She established the perfect platform for Osteen to respond with the gospel of Jesus Christ, but he did not. “Well, Soledad, I don’t necessarily focus on that. I only talk about that in interviews,” he said.” (read more here on Osteen from Al Mohler). Refusing to preach sin, masks God and dilutes the necessity for Jesus.

Other examples of Osteen’s preaching that is directly contrary to God’s word:

He has said, “99.9% of people are good people, they just make bad decisions.” You veritably heard Osteen’s voice saying the same thing through Noah’s narration in the recent mini-series segment from the History Channel called ‘The Bible’. Osteen was listed as one of the paid bible consultants for the series. You heard the same theme bad choices, bad decisions theme, when Noah said the reason for the flood was “Wrong choices, wrong decisions, that’s why this [the flood] is happening.” Osteen brought us from the biblical presentation of man as totally corrupt and evil continually (Genesis 6:5), to, “oops, bad choice,” like it was a decision between sauerkraut or no sauerkraut on your hot dog. Saturating sin and total depravity is not a mistake, it is a condition.

Osteen minimizes sin and the necessity for Jesus and instead preaches using the bible as a ‘how to get through life manual’ rather than instruction as to the revelation of who God is. He says, “What I do,” evangelist Joel Osteen told CNN’s Larry King in 2005, “is just try to teach practical principles. I may not bring the Scripture in until the end of my sermon, and I don’t feel bad about that.”

Yet Romans 3:12 states there is none good, no, not one. I can give a statistic, 100.00% of people are bad. You are bad. I am bad. Yet Osteen’s constant preaching that we are essentially good people undermines the necessity for Jesus to go to the cross. If we are essentially good, that we just make bad decisions, then we have the power in our selves to change that by speaking words, therefore we do not need Jesus.We just need to shape up a little. In Osteen’s world, all we need is to adjust our athletic cup or fix our slip, and we’re good to go. Ahhh, that’s better. But the adjustments he tells us to make are all minor, external and end up just being whitewash on the tomb. (Matthew 23:27).

Look how pretty and white! Oops, they’re still dead, though…

Osteen’s job as pastor IS to preach scripture, not just as a footnote but as the entire reason for being. What are pastors supposed to do? Give us a pep talk on how to avoid negative thoughts and get a good parking place at the mall? (as stated in Your Best Life Now). No.

“[W]hat then are pastors supposed to do? Quite simply, they are called to equip the holy believers to do all those things (see Eph. 4:11-12). They are called to teach those holy believers to obey all of Christ’s commandments (see Matt. 28:19-20) by precept and example (see 1 Tim. 3:2; 4:12-13; 5:17; 2 Tim. 2:2; 3:16-4:4; 1Pet. 5:1-4).

Scripture couldn’t make this clearer. The biblical role of the pastor is not to gather as many people as possible at Sunday-morning church services. It is to “present every man complete in Christ” (Col. 1:28). Biblical pastors don’t tickle peoples’ ears (see 2 Tim. 4:3); they teach, train, exhort, admonish, correct, reprove and rebuke, all based on God’s Word (see 2 Tim. 3:16-4:4).”

Comparing these qualifications with those that are often listed by institutional churches that are searching for a new pastor reveals the primary problem with so many churches. They are looking for an employee manager/entertainer/short-speech-giver/administrator/ psychologist/activities and program director/fund-raiser/friend-of-everyone/work horse. They want someone to “run the ministry of the church.” The biblical overseer, however, above all else must be a man of great character and commitment to Christ, a true servant, because his goal is to reproduce himself. He must be able to say to his flock, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). (source)

John MacArthur also wrote an introduction to a new blog series on The Role of the Pastor.

Osteen has also said–

“Hindus love God. I’ve seen their sincerity.” Larry King live, 2005, and many times afterwards. Yet, Hindus do not know God. No matter how sincere a person is, if they do not have the Son, they do not have the Father. (1 John 2:23). Yes, look how sincere this Hindu is worshiping idols at his home shrine.

Osteen has said that Mormons are Christians. “The Texas pastor did say that the Mormon faith was “not traditional Christianity,” but that Mormonism still falls under the umbrella of Christian tenets. “Mormonism is a little different, but I still see them as brothers in Christ,” said Osteen.

Yet Mormonism teaches that God used to be a man on another planet.

Osteen has said- “I know when Victoria and I used to travel with my father overseas, a lot of times we would go over a few days early, and it was amazing how many times we would get upgraded to first class. When I’d go up to that counter I’d kid with Victoria and I’d say ‘Watch this! We’re going to get upgraded.’ And I’d go up there expecting to get preferential treatment. I’d go up there knowing that I have an advantage, I’ve got the favor of God….when I’d go up there I’d just smile real big and be real friendly and that whole time under my breath I’d be saying ‘Father, I thank you that I have your favor. I thank you that you’re causing me to stand out in the crowd. I thank you that your light is shining down on me.’ And Victoria will tell you time after time, for no reason at all, they’d bump us up to first class. See, that’s the favor of God… That’s God’s favor giving us preferential treatment.”

Does that sound like the Pharisee in Luke 18:11, or what?! “The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.”

Worst of all- Osteen denies the exclusivity of Jesus: saying in January of this year-

“Well, I believe Oprah that there, I believe that Jesus is the way to the one God, but there are many paths to Jesus.” He has said many times on Larry King & other places that Jesus may not be the only way. Many times.

Osteen’s Prosperity theology is a cauldron of cultish doctrines that have been cloaked in Christian terminology so it will fly in under spiritual radars. Osteen and preachers like him are not wrong on just minor theological differences, they are wrong on many of the fundamentals of the faith. It is not a matter of style or delivery or segment of ministry. It is about satan versus Jesus, wrong doctrine vs truth.

I hope these quotes and facts open your eyes to the fact that Osteen is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, Satan is subtle, he is not going to come in with a pitchfork and all ugly. He will smilingly lead you to hell. Osteen sows corruption (Galatians 5:9) & confusion but God is not a God of confusion but of peace (1 Cor 14:33). Osteen is the very definition of this verse:

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3)

Look at his book covers. It’s obvious who Osteen cares about most.

Can you watch a preacher who teaches the unwary that our words are more powerful than God’s plan? That we have the power to declare and create over our own lives? That Jesus is not the only way and that Mormons and Hindus if they are sincere, will also attain heaven? That your best life is now? Are you are essentially saying to Jesus that you disagree with Him and agree with Osteen that you will trade health, wealth, prosperity, and success as your best life now? Yet Jesus offers so much more. Osteen’s Jesus only offers us sin for a season – but Jesus offers eternal life. The two are mutually exclusive.

I don’t have a formal comment policy, per se. I figure, just be normal and nice and it will all work out.

However I have had to slightly change several comments recently and I will tell you why. If you choose to comment and leave a link within your comment, several thing are going to happen.

First, I always check out each link. I will not post a comment that has a link to an unscrupulous or otherwise bad website or blog. I have ‘Web of Trust” as an add-on. This is a website rating system which makes a color appear at the end of a link. There’s dark green, light green, yellow, and red. I won’t allow websites with red to go through. If it is any other color, I read the webpage you linked to, or watch the video. If the site being linked to or referred to is doctrinally unsound, I will not put that up. It is a stumbling block to the babes in Christ and I won’t be a part of passing along bad information. There is enough bad information out there already without me helping it along.

But sometimes the comment itself is good enough to go thru. It is germane, or it is pointed, or displays a fervor on the part of the person commenting. It didn’t have vulgarity or wasn’t disrespectful. These comments have a bad link but otherwise would make it through (and usually this is a comment that disagrees with the post). I don’t want to delete it all, because I’m sensitive to the fact that someone took time to read, respond, and type. In these cases, I excise the link when I put the comment in.

I don’t change any comment or otherwise edit it. In the cases I’m speaking of, I simply take out the hyperlink and leave the rest.

Just wanted you to know.