The Daily Spurgeon

The Daily Spurgeon.

Family beats filth

ABC’s Christian-bashing “GCB” did not air Sunday night.  Scheduled instead was a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie on ABC.  Hallmark Hall of Fame movies have a long reputation of being family-oriented, inspirational, and uplifting – everything “GCB” is not.

With the second hour of the Hallmark movie airing in the regular timeslot (10 pm EST) for “GCB,” how did the ratings compare between ABC’s regular showing of “GCB” and ABC’s Hallmark special airing in place of “GCB”?  Two weeks ago (April 15) ABC’s “GCB” scored poor ratings and came in last among the three major networks during its timeslot.  Last night, ABC came in first place with the airing of the Hallmark movie, instead of “GCB.”

Shouldn’t that send a message to ABC?  Heart-warming, inspirational movies are much more of a draw than salacious shows that make a mockery of the Christian faith.  “GCB” was at the bottom of the ratings heap the week before with 4.4 million viewers, but the Hallmark movie drew well over three million more viewers (7.8 million) winning the timeslot for ABC in the ratings war and making the Hallmark movie the most watched program for that hour.

 

Not only did ABC win in overall ratings with the inspirational Hallmark movie, they also won in the coveted key demographic rating of 18-49 year old viewers and also drew the most women viewers – also a closely watched and desired demographic.

As one ratings report indicated:  “Firelight” Emerges as ABC’s Top “Hallmark Hall of Fame” Movie and Draws the Network’s Biggest Audience in the Time Period in 5 Weeks.

 

What aired in that time period the previous five weeks?   “GCB.”

 

Will ABC take notice of what viewers obviously want?  Sadly, I highly doubt it.  Instead they seem bent on continuing to push their agenda which includes undermining faith, family, and morality.

But when it comes down to it, a show has to sell to remain on the air.  With falling ratings and advertisers pulling their ads from the controversial “GCB,” ABC may be hard pressed to justify renewing the show.

That is why we must keep up the pressure on those advertisers who continue to empower “GCB!”

Below is a link to contact the “hardcore” advertisers – those who have sponsored “GCB” repeatedly in recent weeks.  Let’s remind these corporations that if they desire to draw viewers to their ads and their products, television shows that encourage rather degrade and belittle are what will draw customers.

Take Action! Click here to send a message to the “repeat offenders” sponsoring “GCB.”

http://www.americandecency.org/archives/family-beats-filth/#more-6604

Do You Support “Anyone But Obama”?

Let’s assume that you stridently oppose the reelection of President Obama but you are just not sold on Governor Romney, the presumptive Republican candidate. Do you vote for Romney, since “anyone is better than Obama,” or do you chart a very different course, even sacrificing this election for the long term sake of the country?

Obama’s critics would tell us that we simply cannot afford four more years of his presidency, that his policies are destroying the very fabric of what makes America great, that he is undermining the economy, weakening the military, hurting us internationally, waging war against the Church, and attacking our moral, family values. Four more years of an Obama presidency would also mean the selection of least one, if not two or even three new Supreme Court justices, which would have major implications for decades to come.

The choice, then, for many is simple: “I’m voting for anyone but Obama. The only thing that matters is getting him out.”

Conservative critics of Gov. Romney would say, “Yes, it’s true that we need to defeat Obama, but there’s hardly any difference between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. And a vote for Romney is not a vote for change.”

Amy Contrada, founder of MassResistance, is one of Romney’s staunchest critics, documenting her concerns in meticulous detail in her 600-plus page book Mitt Romney’s Deception. (Needless to say, this does not appear to have been on Ann Coulter’s reading list.) The book’s subtitle says it all, speaking of “His [Romney’s] Stealth Promotion of ‘Gay Rights’ and ‘Gay Marriage’ in Massachusetts.” (Gay activists recently reported with approval that, “Richard Grenell, an openly gay former official in the administration of President George W. Bush, has been tapped to serve as a spokesman for Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign on issues pertaining to national security and foreign policy.”)

Conservative author Gregg Jackson states that Romney is responsible for the “$50 co-pay tax payer funded abortion” and calls him “the most uber-leftist governor in our nation’s history.” And then, of course, there is the issue of RomneyCare.

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, would not commit to supporting Gov. Romney during an April 11th appearance on MSNBC, while Orthodox Jewish rabbi Yehuda Levin has recently argued that “it is far more acceptable religiously, spiritually & morally not to vote for Romney & have a loyal opposition, G-D willing, in the Senate & the House.” Not surprisingly, Gregg Jackson is among an increasing number of conservatives who are asking, “Time for Christians and conservatives to break ranks with the GOP?” Could it be?

Could it be time to send a loud message to the Republican establishment? Could it be time for a third party to form with its sights set on future elections? (Let’s not forget that the Republican Party was once the new kid on the block.)

For the “anyone but Obama” camp, this kind of reasoning is as foolhardy as it is off limits. In four more years, they would argue, America will be unrecognizable and broken beyond the point of recovery, at least for the immediate future. And, they would be quick to remind us, Obama himself told President Medvedev of Russia that in his next term, he will have “more flexibility,” a chilling prospect, to be sure. And what about those Supreme Court justices Obama will appoint?

On the other hand, if America needs a radical course correction, what’s the use of electing another status quo (or worse) president, if, in fact, that’s what Romney would be? If the political establishment is a big part (the biggest part?) of the problem, then the only way to bring about real change is to challenge the establishment or to work outside the establishment. If not now, then when?

The question becomes even more acute when it comes to conservative Christians, especially the large block of Evangelicals who vote Republican. Year after year and election cycle after election cycle we are promised the moon by the latest “savior” candidate, only to be disappointed four years later. (My article on “Don’t Put Your Trust in a Political Savior” is relevant here.)

And, as people of faith, when we see ongoing moral decline in our nation (the fault, we would be quick to add, of the evil Democrats), we pray like crazy for revival and reformation, only to take our foot off the gas once the latest and greatest Republican becomes president.

Perhaps we conservative Christians need the bottom to drop out before we really get serious? Perhaps we need the worst case scenario to unfold before we realize that the kind of change we desire will not come from the White House or the Congress as much as it will come through each of us living out our faith without compromise or shame?

I understand that talk like this is completely sacrilegious in most conservative circles, but it’s talk that needs to take place.

So what do you think: Is anyone better than Obama or is this the time to chart a far more radical course for change?

Michael Brown

Michael Brown holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from New York University and has served as a professor at a number of seminaries. He hosts the nationally syndicated, daily talk radio show, the Line of Fire, and his latest book is The Real Kosher Jesus.

http://townhall.com/columnists/michaelbrown/2012/04/23/do_you_support_anyone_but_obama/page/full/

Scratch ‘Bible’ off the list #OneNewsNow.com#

Scratch ‘Bible’ off the list #OneNewsNow.com#.

Horror film about dangers of pornography (OneNewsNow.com)

Horror film about dangers of pornography (OneNewsNow.com).

Oil and our own worst enemy (OneNewsNow.com)

Oil and our own worst enemy (OneNewsNow.com).

Another abortuary down, thanks to inspection (OneNewsNow.com)

Another abortuary down, thanks to inspection (OneNewsNow.com).

Stewart’s anti-Christian ‘joke’ (OneNewsNow.com)

Stewart’s anti-Christian ‘joke’ (OneNewsNow.com).

THE CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS by Ray Spellbrink

A man had a dream one night. In his dream he died and went to heaven. When he got to heaven he seen a number of doors and a line of people at each door. As he took a closer look, he noticed there was a sign above each door. Each sign represented a different denomination. Above one was “Baptist“. Above another was “Presbyterian“. The sign above the door next to that one had “Assembly of God” written on it. The man got in the line to the door representing the denomination of the church he was a member of. He was intrigued to think that each denomination would have their own place in heaven. As he walked through the door he looked both to his right as well as to his left. Imagine his amazement when he looked and seen every Christian from each denomination entering the same heaven! There was no division in heaven after all!

Today, there are more denominations than you can shake a stick at. Depending upon the source, there are between 35,000 – 40,000 denominations! Can you imagine that? Where did all these denominations come from? Looking back at history, some denominations were formed when a group would split off from another denomination. These splits would often be the result of disagreements over insignificant things. Some denominations were formed as a result of someone wanting to be “in charge” or wanting things their way.

In reality, you can see that denominations are man-made.  I don’t believe for a minute that God is in to denominationalism. All denominations do is divide the Body of Christ. They simply divide the church. No wonder so many look at the church world with such disdain. I’ve been to meetings as well as district meetings of denominational churches. What I witnessed was a building up of the denomination and the leaders extolling the virtues of their denominations. There was very little mention of Jesus or His church. How very sad.

It is estimated that approximately one million – that’s ONE MILLION – people leave the institutional denominational church each year. One MILLION! Can you wrap your mind around that? Statistics tell us that the largest percentage of those leaving the “church” are young people. You see, people between the ages of 18-39 are simply not attending church like they used to. They’ve opted to stay outside the brick and mortar walls of a church building. The majority of those leaving are not giving up on God – they are giving up on “churchianty”.  They are tired of the nonsense that goes on in so many of today’s churches. Most of these folks say they are leaving this organization man calls “church” for their own spiritual welfare! Many of them thrive outside the four walls of the church building and the bondage that so many churches put upon the people.

Listen, the church - God’s church – transcends denominational walls! God’s church doesn’t concern itself with the division of the sign that’s over the door. The church – God’s church – is not an organization – it’s a living breathing organism that’s alive and well.  Let’s break down dividing walls!  If we can agree on the fundamentals of the faith, we have a basis for fellowship. Let there not be a “big I” or “little you” among us. Let’s come together as God’s people and break dividing walls!

As David so eloquently put it, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)

Enjoy the journey!

Ray

http://blogs.christianpost.com/musings/the-church-without-walls-9488/

Son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker Speaks Out Against NC Marriage Amendment By Paul Stanley

Jay Bakker grew up in North Carolina in the limelight of his parents’ Praise The Lord ministry before it crumbled in the 1980s after his father pled guilty to fraud charges. Now the young minister is opposing the state’s efforts to pass a marriage amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

The tattooed-laden Bakker, 36, now lives in New York City and is the co-founder of Revolution Church, which meets on Sundays in Pete’s Candy store, a bar. He was featured in a 2006 documentary “One Punk Under God.”

Since he is no longer a resident of North Carolina, he cannot vote on the issue but still felt moved to join the efforts opposing it.

On Sunday, Bakker led some 75 people in a rally against the marriage amendment.

“I ignored all these amendments being passed and passed until it hit my hometown and I was like…When I heard about it, I called down here and offered to help,” Bakker told WNCT News.

North Carolina is one of three states where voters will decide how to define marriage. The May 8 election is generating substantial attention on both sides of the issue, but recent polls show that a majority of North Carolinians are expected to cast their ballots in favor of the amendment.

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A Public Policy Polling survey of 1,191 likely voters conducted in late March showed voters favored the amendment 58 to 38 percent. A similar poll conducted by SurveyUSA showed almost the same numbers.

“My parents taught me to love people across the board and always be open to people,” said Bakker. “They were always into equality and reaching out to the marginalized and things like that.”

The debate surrounding the amendment has become so heated that it has sparked vandalism against some churches that are speaking out in support of the issue.

A sign in front of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Hickory, N.C. that reads “Marriage Sunday April 22″ was vandalized late last week when someone painted over the sign, “Hate Speech Sunday April 22.”

“Well I just believe what the Lord says about the marriage amendment,” church member Greg Sullins told the Hickory Daily Record. “We don’t hate people – we love them. But we serve a loving God who has rules.”

Pastor Scott Hooks said it was obvious that those who are in favor of same-sex marriage were responsible for the graffiti, but that he welcomes anyone who wishes to attend his church, which he describes as a “conservative and Bible preaching and Bible believing church with an independent congregation.”

“The Bible says any sex outside of marriage is a sin,” Hooks also told the Hickory Daily Record. “We’re not trying to single out any group in particular except on this one issue where we have a chance as a state to tell people how we feel.”

http://www.christianpost.com/news/son-of-jim-and-tammy-faye-bakker-speaks-out-against-nc-marriage-amendment-73712/