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Showing posts from 2011

Go, Tebow!

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One of the biggest surprises of the current National Football League season is the success of Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. Ever since the Heismann Trophy winner became the starter this year, the Broncos have lost only one game. What makes Tim’s success even more amazing is his statistics haven’t been that impressive for an NFL quarterback. Yet the Broncos have pulled off a string of last-minute comebacks. Unfortunately for me, one of those wins was against my favorite team (the Minnesota Vikings). People have debated if God involves Himself in the outcome of sporting events. One thing to keep in mind is when two teams are playing, there are usually Christians praying on both sides of the ball. Still, only one team can win. Nonetheless, I believe the Lord will bless athletes who give Him the glory and aren’t ashamed to praise His name in public. In January 2000, Kurt Warner put “first things first” and thanked Jesus on national television after leading the St. Louis Rams to a

The Name of the Game

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I enjoy watching football and baseball games on TV…especially if the Vikings and Twins are playing well.   But one thing I loathe is the increasing number of sporting events and stadiums named after businesses.   During the 1980’s, organizers of college bowl games started giving corporate sponsors “naming rights .”   All these games used to have simple names like the Rose Bowl and the Cotton Bowl.   Now we have games such as the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl and The Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas .   What’s really confusing is many of these games change their name every few years.   For example, this year’s Belk Bowl (to be played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina) was previously called the Meineke Car Care Bowl, the Continental Tire Bowl, and before that the Queen City Bowl. Nowadays, most major league teams play in venues named after a corporate sponsor.   In 1990 when the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves announced their new arena would be called Targ

Save With Fear

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This past week while walking by a table at a coffee shop, I noticed a Time magazine from earlier this year with the cover story “What If There’s No Hell?” My initial reaction was the title should instead read, “What If There IS a Hell?” Christians have nothing to lose by following the Lord except for their sin, sickness, and poverty. The heathen risk spending eternity in the lake of fire. I posted my thoughts about this magazine cover on my Facebook page. One friend responded with her belief that using hell for a fear tactic is satanic. Romans 2:4 does say it’s the goodness of God that leads one to repentance. Personally, I prefer to hear more about the love of God than “fire and brimstone” preaching. On the other hand, Jesus gave many warnings in the gospels about hell.  A fellow minister shared an interesting analogy with me. If you saw your children playing on a busy street, wouldn’t you immediately holler at them to come back into the yard? Of course, you would. A car mig

Occupy Till He Comes

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Much has been in the news lately about Occupy Wall Street. According to Wikipedia, “Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations in New York City based in Zuccotti Park in the Wall Street financial district. They are mainly protesting social and economic inequality, corporate greed, corruption and influence over government—particularly from the financial services sector—and lobbyists.” What began two months ago as a protest in New York City has spread to cities throughout the United States and other countries. How should Christians respond to this whole Occupy movement? It’s interesting that Jesus Himself said in Luke 19:13 (KJV), “Occupy till I come.”  But that doesn’t mean the Lord wants us just sitting around until He returns. The New King James Version of Luke 19:13 reads, “Do business till I come.”  Jesus went on to say in verse 23, “Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?”  This would counter claims b

Coexisting with the "Tolerant"

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One objection to Christianity I sometimes hear from non-believers is that religious differences have supposedly caused more wars than anything else. As a result, we are now seeing similarly designed bumper stickers urging people to “coexist” and have “tolerance” of one other. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines coexist as “exist in mutual tolerance despite different ideologies or interests.” Ironically, many people who advocate tolerance are in reality intolerant of Christianity because of Scripture that won’t condone their lifestyle choices. Ronald Reagan once said, “The frustrating thing is that those who are attacking religion claim they are doing it in the name of tolerance. Question: Isn’t the real truth that they are intolerant of religion?” Jesus did pray for unity in John chapter 17 but only amongst believers. The Lord doesn’t like strife and division within His body. Psalm 101:5 (NLT) says, “I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not

For the Asking

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Some Christians don’t like seeing me asking non-believers to pray with me to get saved. They seem to think if a sinner is ready for that, he or she will initiate their own salvation. But not every sinner who feels convicted of the need to get right with God will immediately know what to say. One example in Scripture is the Philippian jailer who asked Paul and Silas, “ Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30)  On the night of my conversion, I didn’t become born again until I responded to my brother-in-law’s offer to pray with me. There have been occasions when strangers approached me asking for prayer but that doesn’t happen very often. Jesus said in John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” God is the One who saves people but He still needs a willing vessel to be His mouthpiece. I’ve seen some Christians take a lot of time telling sinners how to be saved without inviting them to receive salvation. This would be like a salesman talking abou

Coming Out From vs. Going Into the World

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Sometimes Christians are presented with opportunities to be a witness for the Lord in unconventional places.   One of them might be a secular television program.   Back in 1969, Billy Graham appeared on “Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In”, a show that often featured humor with sexual innuendos.   Billy issued a statement in response to inquiries from concerned Christians by pointing out, “ Jesus moved among the publicans and sinners.” L ast year Welsh minister Dave Vaughan was the runner-up on the U. K. reality show, “Big Brother.”   Dave later shared with me how that opened many doors for him to reach non-believers with the gospel. Then this past week, it was announced Pastor Ted Haggard would appear with actor Gary Busey on the reality show “Celebrity Wife Swap.”   When I first heard about this, I was a bit stunned.   The dictionary defines wife swapping as “the practice within a group of married couples of exchanging sexual partners on a casual basis.”   Some Chr

A Vow to Cherish

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Christian television can be beneficial to one’s spiritual growth in addition to attending regular church services. Nevertheless, one shouldn’t blindly accept everything said by any preacher. We must be like the Bereans who “…searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11) Recently one well-known minister was asked on TV for his counsel regarding a man whose wife suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Because the wife didn’t recognize her husband anymore, this man started seeing another woman. The minister replied by saying, “I know it sounds cruel, but if he’s going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her.” The minister’s co-host reminded him that marriage vows include taking care of each other “for better or for worse” (the marriage vow also specifically mentions “in sickness and in health”). His immediate response to that was, “If you

Raised From the Dead

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Recently I got together with an old friend for coffee. Her expressing interest in going to Germany inspired me to show her photos on my laptop from the times I went there. A few of the photos were from a Reinhard Bonnke meeting at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. During which, a Nigerian pastor testified of being raised from the dead after receiving glimpses of both heaven and hell. My friend’s attitude suddenly changed as she called that “satanic” and said, “I’ll bet you a million dollars this is not true!” When I mentioned Jesus’ commandment in Matthew 10:8 to “raise the dead” , she said that was for the Jews only. I found out my friend believes “Paul’s gospel” and claimed the apostle didn’t raise anyone from the dead. In response, I reminded her of the incident of Eutychus falling out of a window. My friend insisted it was Peter who God used to bring that dead man back to life. Not wanting to debate doctrine with my friend, I changed the subject. But when I got home, I

What’s Your Crutch?

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While he was governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura made this statement; “Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers. It tells people to go out and stick their noses in other people's business.” In the New Oxford American Dictionary, one of the definitions of crutch is “a thing used for support or reassurance.” An example cited by the dictionary is “they use the Internet as a crutch for their loneliness.” Everybody has a crutch. For some it is cigarettes. How many of you know people who cannot go a short period of time without smoking? During winter, I’ve seen workers willing to brave freezing temperatures outside just so they can smoke on their breaks. For other people, their crutch is alcohol. Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx once told Hit Parader magazine, “The thing that inspires me the most is my bottle of Jack Daniels. It's my best friend in the world. Ol' Jack will never let you down. He's always there

A “Ministry” of Criticism

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This past Tuesday, a young man from the Netherlands sent me an email requesting permission to post a video I made with John Crowder on his own YouTube page (for personal reasons I had removed the video from public view). When I examined this Dutchman’s account, I noticed it only contained videos critical of other ministers. This man believes his purpose in life is to warn people of “false prophets.”  During an ensuing exchange of emails, this man suggested I look up two passages of Scripture. One of which was 2 Timothy 4:1-5. I noticed verse 2 says, “Preach the word!” Verse 5 exhorts us to “do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” Constantly criticizing other preachers is not a ministry nor does it advance the kingdom of God. It only brings division amongst the body of Christ. Certainly I agree rebuke is necessary when a fellow believer is living in blatant sin or preaching false doctrine (in my July newsletter I wrote against those proclaiming "universal rec

Death and Life at 27

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Just before I logged off the Internet yesterday morning, I decided to check the headlines one last time. The news was already full of reports about the mass shooting and bombing in Oslo, Norway the day before. Still I had a hunch another tragedy had just occurred. On the home pages of Yahoo and CNN, I read “Breaking News” that British singer Amy Winehouse died in her London home. What stood out to me in those headlines was that Amy was only 27 years old. Immediately I thought of other rock stars who died at that very same age: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain. Like Amy, all of them had a history of drug abuse. I first became familiar with Amy Winehouse while watching the 2008 Grammy Awards on TV. The singer was nominated for six awards and won five of them, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year for her hit “Rehab.” Amy made more headlines with her erratic behavior and run-ins with the law. Although I wasn’t a big fan of the singer, I occasio

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

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What if you’re facing a situation that in the natural seems impossible? Because the Bible says, “Faith without works is dead” (James chapter 2), you might ask yourself, “When do you take action and when do you cast all your care upon the Lord?” (1 Peter 5:7) Here are some guidelines to help you determine when to step out and when to ‘let go and let God’… 1) Ask God for direction . James 1:5 in the New Living Translation says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” Sometimes God allows people to get into difficult situations as a reminder that we are to look to Him as our source. 2) Obey whatever the Lord leads you to do. He might instruct you to do something that seems ridiculous but will ultimately lead to victory. In Joshua chapter 6, the children of Israel silently marched around the walls of Jericho for six days and then shouted on the seventh. The walls then fell flat and God gave them the city. 3) “Let

Setting Soul Goals

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Once in a while I get criticized for sharing praise reports on the number of people I lead to Christ during evangelism outings. Some Christians think that’s being prideful. My intent is not to brag about myself but what the Lord did through me. As 2 Corinthians 10:17 (NIV) says, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” One evangelist I know often points out God is into numbers. The book of Acts specifically mention groups of 3,000 and 5,000 people that gave their lives to the Lord as well as individuals and an entire household in Acts 16:34. There’s even a book in the Bible called “Numbers.” Before I go out street witnessing, I pray and ask the Lord to direct my steps and for His angels to set up divine appointments for me. God often gives me a number of salvations to aim for. One day as I was about to evangelize at a college in Ashland, Virginia, the Lord told me to aim for 20 salvations. At first I thought this number was too high since I hadn’t prayed with la

Crossing Into Eternity

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A minister known worldwide for writing the best selling book “The Cross and the Switchblade” and starting up Teen Challenge has gone home to be with the Lord. David Wilkerson was killed last Wednesday when the car he was driving on a Texas highway swerved into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a tractor-trailer. David was 79 years old. Back in 1958 while pastoring a small church in Pennsylvania, the Lord compelled David Wilkerson to go to New York City. He later wrote “The Cross and the Switchblade” about his early years in the Big Apple ministering to drug addicts and gang members. Over 15 million copies of that book have been published in numerous languages. David’s story was made into a movie starring Pat Boone as David and Erik Estrada as Nicky Cruz, a gang leader who later became an evangelist. David also founded Times Square Church in an area of Manhattan that had been infested with X-rated movie houses, strip clubs, prostitution and drugs. The chur

Witnessing Is Not Soliciting

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Last week I went to Best Buy to return a camcorder purchased two days before. Standing outside the store were four college-aged men. Feeling led to witness to the men, I approached them asking if they would take part in a “survey.” All four were receptive and eventually told me they thought they were going to heaven but for the wrong reasons. Soon I led them all in a prayer to receive salvation. By this time, the Best Buy manager was standing next to me. She informed me that someone complained because they “felt uncomfortable” with me ministering. I told the manager that I hadn’t witnessed to anyone else there! Whoever complained must have felt conviction by the Holy Spirit while walking by me. (I have since prayed that this person continually feels uncomfortable until he or she becomes born again.) According to Christian Law Association attorney David Gibbs, Jr., shoppers have the freedom to talk to each other about various subjects. One person might discuss vacations

Who’s Your Daddy?

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One day at the Mall of America in suburban Minneapolis, I had a witnessing opportunity with three kiosk employees who were all Jewish. When I mentioned Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of the Messiah coming from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10), one of the women objected because He wasn't born of a human father. A friend of mine later reminded me of Isaiah 7:14, which says that the Messiah must be born of a virgin woman. The Holy Spirit probably didn't bring that Scripture to my remembrance because this Jewish woman was quite contentious and said she had to “get back to work.” The fact that Jesus had one earthly parent and one divine parent is proof He fulfilled Isaiah 7:14. He had to be born of a virgin woman (not man) so his father had to be God and not a man. This fact speaks for Him and not against Him. Who else could fulfill it? My friend also pointed out to me that according to Orthodox Judaism the Jewish lineage is inherited through the mother. If the

Unequally Yoked

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For over a decade now, I have traveled as a missionary lodging at various places where I usually didn't have to pay rent. At the time of this writing, I am seeking a home of my own instead of constantly living out of a suitcase. One day I browsed through the website Craigslist thinking I could find a fellow believer who already has a home and is looking for a roommate. However, I noticed this disclaimer at the top of the Craigslist housing ads… “Stating a discriminatory preference in a housing post is illegal - please flag discriminatory posts as prohibited.” One example cited by the Federal Fair Housing Act as a “discriminatory advertisement” is stating the religious preference of a desired applicant. This means if I had my own house or apartment and sought a roommate, I couldn’t legally advertise my wanting another Christian living with me. This reminds me of an incident that occurred last July where a Michigan woman faced a civil rights complaint after posting an ad on h

Universal Reconciliation

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There are Christians so afraid of offending non-believers that they avoid talking about hell. Some of who are buying into the doctrine of Universal Reconciliation. This is a belief that everyone will have eternal life and even Satan will someday be reconciled to God. The latter concept should immediately r aise red flags since Revelation 20:10 says the devil will be “…cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”  Verse 15 from the same chapter says, "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."  These Scriptures make no room for parole for the condemned. It’s true that God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of th e truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4) But two chapters later, it says in verse 1, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines

Laughing Together

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One of my favorite preachers is Jesse Duplantis. Pastor John Hagee once introduced this evangelist from Louisiana as “the Apostle of Joy.” A few weeks ago I purchased a download of “A Merry Heart Doeth Good Like a Medicine, Volume 3”, a video that contains 16 of Jesse’s funniest stories. I bought this video specifically to hear Jesse imitating a monkey while poking fun at evolutionary theory, something I’ve seen him do live a couple of times before. Last night I started watching the video again in my bedroom but then decided to share it with the men I’m staying with. As the four of us watched the “Ragin' Cajun” while relaxing in the living room, I noticed I laughed a lot more than when I watched it the first time by myself. As I pondered why this happened, two Scriptures came to my mind. Jesus said in Matthew 18:19, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” It also says in Psalm 16:11, “In Your presence is fullness of

Truths About Tithing

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Some Christians don’t like to talk about money even though there are numerous Scriptures on the subject. One area in particular that has split a few hairs amongst believers is tithing. According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, a tithe is defined as, “The tenth part of any thing; but appropriately, the tenth part of the increase annually arising from the profits of land and stock, allotted to the clergy for their support.”   Whenever I meet Christians who complain of financial problems, I often ask if they have been tithing. Many times their answer is “no.” I don’t believe this is a mere coincidence. Malachi 3:8-9 says, “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation.” The next two verses in Malachi talk about the blessings that result from tithing… “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house,

Born This Way?

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Since I’ve worked as a disc jockey and keyboard salesman plus owned my own recording studio, I still have an interest in what’s going on with the secular music industry. During last night’s Grammy Awards, Lady Gaga hatched out of a giant egg as she performed her new release, “Born This Way.” The song’s lyrics (inspired by the old Whitney Houston hit “Greatest Love of All”) promote a message of loving one self. Sorry to say, “Born This Way” also endorses homosexuality and people who live a “transgendered life.” Surely God wants everyone to have a positive sense of worth and not live in condemnation. But apart from the lordship of Jesus Christ, self-esteem can take people down a destructive path. 2 Timothy 3 says that in the last days “…men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Psalm 139:14 does say that we are all “…fearfully and wonderfully made.” However, we live in a fallen world resulting in some individuals