GCB Must be Opposed Now!

Two months ago ABC launched the TV series “GCB,” floating this trial balloon to see if America would tune in to a show centered on a bigoted portrayal of Christianity.  For 10 weeks, each episode has offered viewers a mocking, cartoonish depiction of Christians that is about as far from true Christianity as one can get.

Last night ABC aired the season finale of “GCB.”  This week the network will make a final decision on whether or not the show will be cancelled or renewed for another season.

Now is our last chance to send a strong message to advertisers letting them know we are outraged by their sponsorship of a show that openly ridicules the Christian faith and depicts its followers as spiteful hypocrites.

Take Action! Click here to send a message to the companies empowering such Christian bigotry.  Also, forward this to your family and friends urging them to stand with us!

 

The show has garnered mediocre ratings and numbers of advertisers have withdrawn their sponsorship.  The ratings for last night’s finale episode were down in the key demographic of 18-49 year olds.  Now ABC has to decide if the show’s mediocre ratings are enough of a reason to continue to push their agenda through a show that belittles the beliefs of millions.  ABC will announce on May 15 whether or not “GCB” will be in their fall lineup or if it will be dumped on the cancellation heap.

Kristin Chenoweth, one of the lead actresses from “GCB,” describes herself as a “nonjudgmental, liberal Christian” and describes the premise of “GCB,” saying, “It’s so wrong, it’s right.” And that “The show is funny, it’s silly.”

She goes on to claim:  “I would never do anything that would make fun of my God, my Christianity.”

Really???  Yet that is exactly what the show does!  Christianity is portrayed as a joke and Christians as buffoons.

Before the show even aired Robert Harling, the creator of “GCB,” claimed: “Church is sacred…we will never, ever be disrespectful.”

Now he sings a different tune, stating in a recent interview:  “We knew it would be controversial. We knew it would be provocative.”

 

Help us send a clear message to the advertisers and to ABC that “GCB” will not be supported.

 

Take Action! Click here to send a message to the companies empowering such Christian bigotry.  Also, forward this to your family and friends urging them to stand with us.

http://www.americandecency.org/archives/gcb-must-be-opposed-now/#more-6646

Iranian pastor’s attorney arrested (OneNewsNow.com)

Iranian pastor’s attorney arrested (OneNewsNow.com).

Biden OK with equal rights for married gay couples (OneNewsNow.com)

Biden OK with equal rights for married gay couples (OneNewsNow.com).

The Daily Spurgeon: He considers your sins to be gone

The Daily Spurgeon: He considers your sins to be gone.

Building For Eternity

Building For Eternity.

Dare to Call Him “Dad”

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” Romans 8:15

Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis has a beautiful, stately auditorium. I’ll never forget the time I preached there. I was taken with the beauty of it all—the chimes of the carillon, the poetry of the liturgy, and even the majestic robes that the pastor Dr. Sandy Willson and I were wearing. It was all very ornate and regal.

I was soaking in the experience as I climbed the steps up to the platform, when I noticed something surprising—something that seemed strangely out of place. Perched on Dr. Willson’s robed lap was his four-year-old daughter! In the midst of all this majesty, my friend had welcomed his little girl to sit on the platform with him, right there in public. Incredible!

That wonderful picture is still etched in my mind.

I think about it when I read through our passage in Romans 8: 1-15. The apostle Paul has just reminded us that we are free from condemnation—that sin and death no longer have a claim on us if we have surrendered to Jesus (Rom. 8:1-2). Our minds are no longer held captive by sin and we are free to set them on what God desires (Rom. 8:5-8). And with the Holy Spirit now living within us, we are truly alive, able to live a life that better reflects Christ (Rom. 8:9-11). Then we get to the picture Paul paints in Rom. 8:15.

We no longer have to be slaves to fear, Paul says. Look at your world. People all around us are gripped by fear—fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of loss, fear of the future, and the fear of death. But in Jesus it’s all gone. Paul says that the Holy Spirit, living within the followers of Jesus, sets us free from our bondage to that fear.

And if that weren’t good enough, there’s more.

Paul then makes the staggering claim that we have the “Spirit of sonship.” We’ve been adopted into the family of God! He makes the claim explicit by giving us permission to call God—the Creator of the Universe—“Abba, Father.” In the language of Paul’s day, “Abba” was really the equivalent of “Daddy.” Imagine that! God says to you and to me, “You know what? Now that you’re my son (or daughter), I want you to call me Daddy!” Or, if you want a slightly more masculine metaphor, picture a father affectionately calling his son over and saying, “Give me a high five!” It’s intimate, close access with the Father because you’re a privileged child. He loves to be close to you. His own Son, Jesus, died to give you the privilege of being able to call the most important Person in the universe “Abba, Father”!

That’s why the picture of Dr. Willson with his daughter on his lap was so moving to me. Dr. Willson’s position hadn’t changed. He had a position of authority, of respect, and of honor. Nothing about that moment changed his position. But this little girl had immediate access to her father, and she felt safe with him. She was welcomed to his lap, and he was proud to be her daddy.

God’s position doesn’t change when we obey Scripture and call him our “Dad.” He is the ultimate authority, infinitely worthy of our honor and our respect. That never changes. But it makes the privilege of intimacy with the Father all the more incredible and all the more wonderful. Don’t waste another minute sensing that you are too small and insignificant to merit a special relationship with God. Jesus died to make you God’s child. Climb up on His lap and feel safe with Him.

Dare to call Him “Dad”!

YOUR JOURNEY…

• The privilege of calling God your Father is available to those who have placed their hope and trust in Jesus and His death and resurrection. Have you made that commitment and experienced His forgiveness and cleansing?
• List some of the privileges of being a child of God.
• How does being able to call the Creator of the universe “Dad” impact your attitude in prayer and in worship?

http://getmorestrength.org/daily/dare-to-call-him-dad/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GetMoreStrength+%28Strength+For+The+Journey%29

Word to the Wise

^“The king answered them harshly. Rejecting the advice of the elders, he followed the advice of the young men and said, ‘My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions’.” — 2 Chronicles 10:13-14

There was no great moment of drama when the kingdom of Israel was split into two. There was no spectacular event that caused the rift that had been prophesied years earlier. Though it came about suddenly, just after King Solomon died and his son Rehoboam began to rule, it was the result of unintended consequences.

The people of Israel had approached their new king with a request to ease the heavy burden of taxes that Solomon had levied upon them. Rehoboam’s harsh response had repercussions that he had not expected. Just like that, most of the kingdom broke away, leaving the new king with only Judah and Benjamin within his jurisdiction. This was a historical moment; one that would have ramifications for the rest of time.

If we zoom in on the defining moment that set the wheels in motion, we find at the heart of the matter a choice that Rehoboam had to make. It wasn’t about whether or not to lessen the burden of taxes, but whose advice to listen to and take. First, Rehoboam had consulted his elder advisers who had recommended that Rehoboam yield to the peoples’ request as a sign of goodwill and a promise of good things to come.

But then Rehoboam conferred with a group of young men who had grown up with him. Their recommendation was completely the opposite. Rehoboam’s decision to go with the advice of the young over the old is ultimately what led to the disastrous split in the nation of Israel.

There is a story told about a famous rabbi who found himself sitting next to an atheist on an airplane. The two had a very cordial conversation about evolution and creationism. All the while, the rabbi’s son kept coming to check on him, bring him water, and ask if he needed anything. The atheist couldn’t help but notice and he asked the rabbi how he had been able to raise such an unusually respectful child in today’s irreverent society. His own son was nothing like that!

The rabbi explained that because he and his son believed that the world was created by God who then revealed Himself to man, his son saw him as being one step closer to revelation, to wisdom, and one step closer to God. He gently explained to the atheist that since he and his son believed in evolution, his son saw him as one step closer to being an ape!

Rehoboam made a grave mistake when he discounted the wisdom of those with more years and experience than himself. It cost him dearly. We can learn from Rehoboam, and when given the opportunity, seek the advice of those who are older and wiser.

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/word-to-the-wise-2

Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets! Num 11:29 (R. V.)

This one saying proves the incomparable greatness of Moses‘ character. Little souls are monopolists. They like to be good and gifted, because it gives them a kind of superiority to others; but they dislike to see a levelling-up process at work by which the Eldads and Medads are lifted to stand by their side.             This was the mistake of Joshua. – When he heard that Eldad and Medad prophesied in the camp, he said, “My lord Moses, forbid them!” But he was immature, a saint in the process of manufacture, and smitten with jealousy, for the sake of his master and friend.

This was the complaint of John’s disciples, when they saw the crowds ebbing away from their great teacher.

This was the quarrel of the Pharisees, that Jesus made religion so cheap and accessible to all, that even the publicans and sinners received His priceless wares.

But when a man is really great and good, he longs that all should be as he is, and better; he takes a deep delight in the spread of vital godliness; he is glad when others are endowed with greater gifts than himself, that they may make the Gospel better known than he could ever do; he is content to decrease, if Christ may only increase; he is willing that affliction should be added to his bonds, if only Christ may be magnified; he prays that the Lord would put His Spirit on all His people. This is very unnatural to any of us; but God, the Holy Spirit, waits to baptize us even into this, and to make the glory of God the object of our life. Make haste, O blessed Paraclete, and do this for me!

http://devotionals.ochristian.com/f-b-meyer-devotional.shtml

Having No Fear of Death

Having No Fear of Death.

How Can We Stop Nursing an Ancient Grudge? by Mark D. Roberts

Ezekiel 35:1-15

Because you nursed an ancient grudge, you handed the Israelites over to the sword in the time of their distress, during their final punishment.

Ezekiel 35:5

Ezekiel 35 is a word of judgment against “Mt. Seir,” a geographic representation of Edom. In this chapter, the Lord judges the Edomites because they took advantage of the Israelites when they were being invaded by the Babylonians. The people of Edom even “exalted” themselves against the Lord and spoke against him (35:13).

Edom’s reaction to Israel’s plight reflected longstanding enmity between the two nations. In fact, the Lord identifies the source of Edom’s action in this way: “Because you nursed an ancient grudge, you handed the Israelites over to the sword in the time of their distress, during their final punishment” (35:5). The Hebrew of the beginning of this verse reads literally, “Because you had everlasting hatred [’evat ‘olam] . . . .” This is the same phrase that appears in Ezekiel 25:15, where it refers to the “old hatreds” of the Philistines. The “ancient grudge” of the Edomites was similar to the “old hatreds” of the Philistines. Both peoples let old rivalries and animosity govern their behavior, leading them to oppose not just Israel, but also the Lord.

The Daily Reflection on Ezekiel 25 asked the question: What will set us free from old hatreds? Today, I want to ask a similar question: How can we stop nursing an ancient grudge? Once again, I want to emphasize that the power to do this rests in God, the source of peace and reconciliation. God alone will help us forgive those who have wronged us.

This happens as we take to heart the merciful forgiveness God has given us. In Ephesians 4:31-32 we read: “Put aside all bitterness, losing your temper, anger, shouting, and slander, along with every other evil. Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to each other, in the same way God forgave you in Christ.” We are able to put aside all bitterness and forgive others when we take seriously the way God has forgiven us in Christ. We will stop nursing grudges when we allow our hearts and minds to be transformed by the forgiving grace of God.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: Do you have any ancient grudges? Are there people in your life whom you struggle to forgive? Have you spoken to God about this?

PRAYER: Gracious God, even as you have forgiven me, so may I forgive others. May your grace so permeate my being that I cannot help but be gracious to everyone in my life, even those who have wronged me. Set me free, Lord, from old hatreds and ancient grudges. May I live in the freedom of your grace each day, in each relationship, in every situation. Amen.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/how-can-we-stop-nursing-ancient-grudge