Our Lord taught repeatedly that sin bottled up on the inside, concealed from everyone else’s view, carries the very same guilt as sin that manifests itself in the worst forms of ungodly behavior. Those who hate others are as guilty as those who act out their hatred; and those who indulge in private lusts are as culpable as wanton adulterers (Matt. 5:21-30).

So Christians are not to think of secret sins as somehow less serious and more respectable than the sins everyone sees. Here are three reasons secret sin is especially abhorrent:

1. Because God sees the heart.

Scripture tells us “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). No sin–not even a whispered curse or a fleeting evil thought–is hidden from the view of God. In fact, if we realized that God himself is the only audience for such secret sins, we might be less inclined to write them off so lightly.

The Bible declares that God will one day judge the secrets of every heart (Rom. 2:16). He “will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (Eccl. 12:14).

Not only that, secret sins will not remain secret. “The Lord [will] bring to light the things hidden in the darkness” (1 Cor. 4:5). Jesus said, “There is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops” (Luke 12:2-3). Those who think they can evade shame by sinning in secret will discover one day that open disclosure of their secrets before the very throne of God is the worst shame of all.

It is folly to think we can mitigate our sin by keeping it secret. It is double folly to tell ourselves that we are better than others because we sin in private rather than in public. And it is the very height of folly to convince ourselves that we can get away with sin by covering it up. “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper” (Prov. 28:13).

All sin is an assault against our holy God, whether it is done in public or in secret. And God, who beholds even the innermost secrets of the heart, sees our sin clearly, no matter how well we think we have covered it.

2. Because sin in the mind is a fruit of the same moral defect that produces deeds of sin.

When Jesus said hatred carries the same kind of guilt as murder, and lust is the very essence of adultery, He was not suggesting that there is no difference in degree between sin that takes place in the mind and sin that is acted out. Scripture does not teach that all sins are of equal enormity.

That some sins are worse than others is both patently obvious and thoroughly biblical. Scripture plainly teaches this, for example, when it tells us the sin of Judas was greater than the sin of Pilate (John 19:11).

But in His Sermon on the Mount Jesus was pointing out that anger arises from the same moral defect as murder; and the one who lusts suffers from the same character flaw as the adulterer. Furthermore, those who engage in thought-sins are guilty of violating the same moral precepts as those who commit acts of murder and adultery.

In other words, secret sins of the heart are morally tantamount to the worst kind of evil deeds–even if they are sins of a lesser degree. The lustful person has no right to feel morally superior to a wanton fornicator. The fact that she indulges in lust is proof she is capable of immoral acts as well. The fact that he hates his brother shows that he has murder lurking in his heart.

Christ was teaching us to view our own secret sins with the same moral revulsion we feel for wanton acts of public sin.

3. Because hidden sin involves the compounding sin of hypocrisy.

Those who sin secretly actually intensify their guilt, because they add the sin of hypocrisy to their offense. Hypocrisy is a grave sin in its own right. It also produces an especially debilitating kind of guilt, because by definition hypocrisy entails the concealing of sin. And the only remedy for any kind of sin involves uncovering our guilt through sincere confession.

Hypocrisy therefore permeates the soul with a predisposition against genuine repentance. That is why Jesus referred to hypocrisy as “the leaven of the Pharisees” (Luke 12:1).

Hypocrisy also works directly against the conscience. There’s no way to be hypocritical without searing the conscience. So hypocrisy inevitably makes way for the most vile, soul-coloring, character-damaging secret sins. Thus hypocrisy compounds itself, just like leaven.

Beware that sort of leaven.

No matter who suggests to you that appearances are everything, don’t buy that lie.

As a matter of fact, your secret life is the real litmus test of your character: “As he thinks within himself, so he is” (Prov. 23:7). Do you want to know who you really are? Take a hard look at your private life–especially your innermost thoughts. Gaze into the mirror of God’s Word, and allow it to disclose and correct the real thoughts and motives of your heart.

By Pastor John MacArthur (Original Post)

- Winston Churchill, Nov. 21, 1943

Since 9/11, and seemingly without the notice of most Americans, the federal government has assumed the authority to institute martial law, arrest a wide swath of dissidents (citizen and noncitizen alike), and detain people without legal or constitutional recourse in the event of “an emergency influx of immigrants in the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs.”

Beginning in 1999, the government has entered into a series of single-bid contracts with Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) to build detention camps at undisclosed locations within the United States. The government has also contracted with several companies to build thousands of railcars, some reportedly equipped with shackles, ostensibly to transport detainees.

According to diplomat and author Peter Dale Scott, the KBR contract is part of a Homeland Security plan titled ENDGAME, which sets as its goal the removal of “all removable aliens” and “potential terrorists.”

Fraud-busters such as Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, have complained about these contracts, saying that more taxpayer dollars should not go to taxpayer-gouging Halliburton. But the real question is: What kind of “new programs” require the construction and refurbishment of detention facilities in nearly every state of the union with the capacity to house perhaps millions of people?

Sect. 1042 of the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), “Use of the Armed Forces in Major Public Emergencies,” gives the executive the power to invoke martial law. For the first time in more than a century, the president is now authorized to use the military in response to “a natural disaster, a disease outbreak, a terrorist attack or any other condition in which the President determines that domestic violence has occurred to the extent that state officials cannot maintain public order.”

The Military Commissions Act of 2006, rammed through Congress just before the 2006 midterm elections, allows for the indefinite imprisonment of anyone who donates money to a charity that turns up on a list of “terrorist” organizations, or who speaks out against the government’s policies. The law calls for secret trials for citizens and noncitizens alike.

Also in 2007, the White House quietly issued National Security Presidential Directive 51 (NSPD-51), to ensure “continuity of government” in the event of what the document vaguely calls a “catastrophic emergency.” Should the president determine that such an emergency has occurred, he and he alone is empowered to do whatever he deems necessary to ensure “continuity of government.” This could include everything from canceling elections to suspending the Constitution to launching a nuclear attack. Congress has yet to hold a single hearing on NSPD-51.

U.S. Rep. Jane Harman, D-Venice (Los Angeles County) has come up with a new way to expand the domestic “war on terror.” Her Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 (HR1955), which passed the House by the lopsided vote of 404-6, would set up a commission to “examine and report upon the facts and causes” of so-called violent radicalism and extremist ideology, then make legislative recommendations on combatting it.

According to commentary in the Baltimore Sun, Rep. Harman and her colleagues from both sides of the aisle believe the country faces a native brand of terrorism, and needs a commission with sweeping investigative power to combat it.

A clue as to where Harman’s commission might be aiming is the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, a law that labels those who “engage in sit-ins, civil disobedience, trespass, or any other crime in the name of animal rights” as terrorists. Other groups in the crosshairs could be anti-abortion protesters, anti-tax agitators, immigration activists, environmentalists, peace demonstrators, Second Amendment rights supporters … the list goes on and on. According to author Naomi Wolf, the National Counterterrorism Center holds the names of roughly 775,000 “terror suspects” with the number increasing by 20,000 per month.

What could the government be contemplating that leads it to make contingency plans to detain without recourse millions of its own citizens?

The Constitution does not allow the executive to have unchecked power under any circumstances. The people must not allow the president to use the war on terrorism to rule by fear instead of by law.

Lewis Seiler is the president of Voice of the Environment, Inc. Dan Hamburg, a former congressman, is executive director.

This article appeared on page B – 7 of the San Francisco Chronicle

President Barack Obama is wasting no time destroying the rights of unborn babies. Using warm-and-fuzzy buzzwords like “choice” and “women’s health,” as well as taxpayer dollars, he and those in his administration are working hard to promote the “slaughtering of innocents.” Here are 15 truths about the abortion holocaust taking place in America.

“These …things doth the LORD hate…a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood.” Proverbs 6:16-17

1. Existing fetal homicide laws make a man guilty of manslaughter if he kills the baby in a mother’s womb (except in the case of abortion).

2. Fetal surgery is performed on babies in the womb to save them while another child the same age is being legally destroyed.

3. Babies can sometimes survive on their own at 23 or 24 weeks, but abortion is legal beyond this limit.

4. Living on its own is not the criterion of human personhood, as we know from the use of respirators and dialysis.

5. Size is irrelevant to human personhood, as we know from the difference between a one-week-old and a six-year-old.

6. Developed reasoning powers are not the criterion of personhood, as we know from the capacities of three-month-old babies.

7. Infants in the womb are human beings scientifically by virtue of their genetic make up.

8. Ultrasound has given a stunning window on the womb that shows the unborn at eight weeks sucking his thumb, recoiling from pricking, responding to sound. All the organs are present, the brain is functioning, the heart is pumping, the liver is making blood cells, the kidneys are cleaning fluids, and there is a fingerprint. Virtually all abortions happen later than this date.

9. Justice dictates that when two legitimate rights conflict, the limitation of rights that does the least harm is the most just. Bearing a child for adoption does less harm than killing him.

10. Justice dictates that when either of two people must be inconvenienced or hurt to alleviate their united predicament, the one who bore the greater responsibility for the predicament should bear more of the inconvenience or hurt to alleviate it.

11. Justice dictates that a person may not coerce harm on another person by threatening voluntary harm on themselves.

12. The outcast and the disadvantaged and exploited are to be cared for in a special way, especially those with no voice of their own.

13. What is happening in the womb is the unique person-nurturing work of God, who alone has the right to give and take life.

14. There are countless clinics that offer life and hope to both mother and child (and father and parents), with care of every kind lovingly provided by people who will meet every need they can.

15.Jesus Christ can forgive all sins, and will give all who trusts him the help they need to do everything that life requires.

The president plans to officially lift the ban and explain his actions in a Rose Garden statement, White House press secretary Dana Perino said.

There are two prohibitions on offshore drilling, one imposed by Congress and another by executive order signed by former President Bush in 1990. The current president, trying to ease market tensions and boost supply, called last month for Congress to lift its prohibition before he did so himself.

But Perino said Bush no longer wants to wait. She pinned blame on the leaders of the Democratic Congress for inaction.

“They haven’t even held a single hearing,” Perino said. “So we are going to move forward, and hopefully that will spur action by the Congress.”

Asked if Bush’s action alone will lead to more oil drilling, Perino said, “In terms of allowing more exploration to go forward? No, it does not.”

The president, in his final months of office, has responded to record gas-prices with a series of proposals, including more oil exploration. None would have immediate impact on prices at the pump, according to White House officials, who say there is no quick fix. But starting action now would help, they say.

“The new law is seen as a logical step in carving up family rights after a federal court had decided that homeschooling was an abuse of custody,” said a letter from Jurgen Dudek to officials with the U.S.-based Home School Legal Defense Association, an international advocacy organization in support of homeschooling.

It was about a year ago when WND reported a prosecutor in the German state of Hesse was seeking three-month prison terms for the Jurgen Dudek and his wife, Rosemarie, the parents of six children, even after they already had paid a series of fines.

Officials with Netzwork-Bildungsfreiheit, a German homeschool advocacy group, said the prosecutor, unsatisfied with the fines, wanted 90-day terms in custody for the parents.

The latest letter from the family described the new law as granting various local social services agencies vast new powers, especially the “Jugendamt” offices, which are responsible for looking into situations if there are allegations of “child abuse.”

“They have in effect been authorized to give expert evidence in court which the family judge has to follow … The withdrawal of parental custody as one of the methods for punishing ‘uncooperative’ parents thus is made even easier,” the letter said.

In recent years Germany has established a reputation for cracking down on parents who object, for reasons ranging from religious to social, to that nation’s public school indoctrination of their children.

WND has reported several times on custody battles, children being taken into custody, and families even fleeing Germany because of the situation.

Now comes the new law that, according to Dudek’s letter, has, “understandably, led to a kind of panic among the homeschool community in a country where ever since Hitler’s times it has been against the law to educate your offspring completely without the state.”

Mike Donnelly, a lawyer for the HSLDA who has worked on situations that have developed in Germany, said it’s not exactly clear how the law will affect the situation.

However, “the fact that Germany’s Federal Government would pass a law taking away due process when it comes to taking children away from their parents just because they are not attending school points to the sheer hostility of the German government towards homeschooling,” he told WND.

“The German Jugendamt system is under increasing scrutiny by the European Union as well as other international organizations because of the sheer numbers of custody cases in proportion to actual substantiated abuse and in relation to the overall population,” he said. “For homeschoolers, the Jugendamt represents the tip of the spear in the government’s persecution of parents who simply wish to educate their children privately at home – a freedom protected by governments of virtually all free societies.”

He said as a result of the combination of last year’s German court ruling that it is an abuse of parental rights to keep children away from public schools and the new plan, “the Jugendamt is now the most powerful and frightening force in repressing homeschooling in Germany.

“Families in Germany are being put under increasing pressure to stop homeschooling or face losing custody of their children just because they homeschool – instead many families flee the country. This reprehensible behavior violates the natural rights of parents and children and must be opposed by all free societies,” he said.

Practical Homeschool Magazine has noted one of the first acts by Hitler when he moved into power was to create the governmental Ministry of Education and give it control of all schools, and school-related issues.

In 1937, the dictator said, “The Youth of today is ever the people of tomorrow. For this reason we have set before ourselves the task of inoculating our youth with the spirit of this community of the people at a very early age, at an age when human beings are still unperverted and therefore unspoiled. This Reich stands, and it is building itself up for the future, upon its youth. And this new Reich will give its youth to no one, but will itself take youth and give to youth its own education and its own upbringing.”

Dudek told the HSLDA that, “Without wanting to overdramatize things this move by the justice ministry … can be compared to Hitler’s law of empowerment … That law gave him a free hand to turn Germany into the dictatorship it has become so ‘famous’ for.”

“Homeschoolers will be among the first to feel the wrath of our quasi-GESTAPO for the young: there is an explicit paragraph in the law dealing with the Jugendamt’s duty to enforce ‘schulpflicht,’ the ‘punishment’ for [homeschooling] automatically being the withdrawal of parental custody,” he wrote.

He said although some officials had not yet signed the law, it appeared unstoppable.

In his own family’s case, he must appear in court on June 18.

One of the higher-profile cases on which WND has reported was that of a teen who was taken by police to the psychiatric ward because she was homeschooled.

The courts ruled it was appropriate for a judge to order police officers to take Melissa Busekros, 15 at the time, into custody during January 2007.

Officials later declined to re-arrest after she simply fled state custody and returned to her family.

Wolfgang Drautz, consul general for the Federal Republic of Germany, has commented on the issue on a blog, noting the government “has a legitimate interest in countering the rise of parallel societies that are based on religion….”

Drautz said schools teach socialization, and as WND reported, that is important, as evident in the government’s response when a German family wrote objecting to police officers picking their child up at home and delivering him to a public school.

“The minister of education does not share your attitudes toward so-called homeschooling,” said a government letter. “… You complain about the forced school escort of primary school children by the responsible local police officers. … In order to avoid this in future, the education authority is in conversation with the affected family in order to look for possibilities to bring the religious convictions of the family into line with the unalterable school attendance requirement.”

“It is increasingly clear that the outlook for oil supply signals a period of unprecedented scarcity,” said Rubin. “Despite the recent record jump in oil prices, oil prices will continue to rise steadily over the next five years.”

The front-month crude contract slid Thursday to $116 a barrel, after hitting a historic high of $119.90 a barrel Tuesday. Retail gas prices averaged $3.56 a gallon Thursday, according to AAA, a new record high. See Futures Movers.

Some analysts, however, said crude prices could turn lower. Standard & Poor’s predicted Thursday that crude prices could tumble to about $90 a barrel by the end of this year with the U.S. economy struggling in recession, though the range of that forecast is plus or minus $50. See full story.

Overstated estimates

CIBC based its prediction on an analysis of crude-production estimates by the International Energy Agency, which the investment bank says has overstated supplies because the agency counts natural-gas liquids as part of the output. Stripping out natural-gas liquids, the global oil market is much tighter, and oil production will hardly grow, they added.

“While natural-gas liquids only account for 10% of total supply, they account for virtually all of the increase in petroleum-liquids production since 2005,” said Rubin in a news release.

“Stripping out natural-gas liquids, oil production has not grown for over two years, which certainly goes a long way to explaining why oil prices have doubled over that period,” he added.

The portion of natural-gas liquids in total oil production is increasing, from about 4% in the 1970s to an estimated 10% by 2012, CIBC said. Natural-gas liquids are not a viable substitute for oil and cannot be economically used as a basis for gasoline, diesel or jet fuel.

Latest data from the Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of U.S. Energy Department, indicated domestic drilling of natural gas liquids was increasing, while domestic oil production was falling.

Natural gas liquids production averaged 2.4 million barrels a day so far this year, gaining 4% from the same period of the last year, while crude output fell 1.9% from a year ago to 5.1 million barrels.

More natural gas comes with oil

Beyond methane which is what the home consumers burn, natural gas at the well contains a range of readily liquefiable gases, which agencies like the IEA have traditionally included in total oil supply.

IEA, a Paris-based energy adviser to 27 developed countries, said in its April monthly report that global oil production stood at 87.3 million barrels a day in March.

While natural gas can occur on its own, much of the world’s natural gas is found together with oil.

James Williams, an economist at WTRG Economics, an energy research firm, agreed that natural gas liquids found together with crude oil have been increasing, while “there isn’t much growth in oil,” he said. “The lack of oil growth has been due to the lack of investment.”

Accelerating depletion of existing oil fields and a lack of investment in new fields have resulted in a rising ratio of natural gas to oil in drilling in mature oil fields.

Some oil producers have been promising to invest more to increase production capacity. Abdalla Salem el-Badri, secretary general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, said early this week the cartel is planning to spend $160 billion over the next four years to boost oil production capacity by 5 million barrels a day. See full story.

Demand in non-OECD countries to exceed OECD

While supplies are seen tight, there is little evidence to suggest that there will be any reduction in oil demand, CIBC predicted, as demand growth outside the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development offsets slowing demand in OECD countries.

Countries such as Brazil, China and Russia have seen surging sales of automobiles, while car sales in the United States and Europe have been declining or flat. Gasoline, diesel and other transportation fuels account for about half of the world’s oil consumption.

CIBC predicted that by 2012, oil consumption in the rest of the world will exceed OECD. OECD countries currently consume about 50 million barrels a day of crude, 13 million barrels a day more than non-OECD countries.

Demand from major oil producers and exporters is also seen rising. Over the last three years, oil consumption in OPEC members has grown an average of over 5% a year. Combined demand from OPEC members, together with Russia and Mexico, already stood at about 13 million barrels a day, the world’s second largest after the U.S.

“With production faltering, soaring rates of domestic fuel consumption will soon cannibalize export capacity,” adding more pressure to the world energy market, said Rubin in the report.

Fuel consumption in some oil producing countries was partly boosted by extremely low prices. Retail gasoline was only about 25 cents a gallon in Venezuela and 60 cents a gallon in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iran.

Statements about the Company’s future expectations, including growth of the business, future revenues and earnings, and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, and the Company’s actual results could differ materially from expected results. Information about factors that could affect the Company’s business is set forth in the Company’s various filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those set forth in the Company’s 10-K filed on March 28, 2008, under the caption “Risk Factors.” The Company undertakes no obligation to update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this statement or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

WASHINGTON – World Net Daily is already being denounced as a hate site by radical Muslims in anticipation of its release next Tuesday of “Why We Left Islam,” the first U.S. book ever to feature an image of Muhammad on the cover.

“This book is put out by World Net Daily Publishing (sic), which promotes hate every day on its extremist anti-Muslim hate site,” Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told the New York Daily News. “The editor is a guy who suggested air-dropping pig’s blood over Afghanistan. There are 7 million American Muslims and over a billion worldwide who love Islam and practice it peaceably on a daily basis.”

Joseph Farah, an Arab-American and the only person ever to serve as editor of World Net Daily, said, in response, he has never advocated air-dropping pig’s blood over Afghanistan.

“CAIR can always be counted upon to make wildly untruthful and reckless claims about others, while maintaining a hypersensitivity about its own concerns,” said Farah. “Here, for example, Hooper makes this claim that World Net Daily promotes anti-Muslim hate on its site every day, offering only one example – and that one is totally untrue. Why other responsible media outlets continue to offer CAIR a platform for making such outrageous statements is beyond me. How many CAIR staffers and officials need to be indicted and convicted before my colleagues recognize these people as the extremists they are?”

But it’s not just the cover of the new book, which sports a 10th century mosaic image of Muhammad, that has the Islamist lobby apoplectic. “Why We Left Islam” also contains brutally honest testimonies from former Muslims who have left the religion despite the threat of death. “Why We Left Islam” shows the potentially ugly realities of living under the Islamic yoke.

The book is edited by British journalist Susan Crimp and Islam expert Joel Richardson, using a pseudonym because he already has had death threats against him.

“If Muslims rioted around the world after a Danish newspaper published a political cartoon making fun of Muhammad, what will they do in response to this?” wonders Farah, himself a former Middle East correspondent of Lebanese and Syrian ancestry.

The book is filled with first-person stories of former radicals who began to question the Quran and ultimately changed their lives.

Khaled Waleed, for instance, said he was indoctrinated with the same type of teaching as fellow Saudi Arabian Osama bin Laden.

“Our teacher and other Islamic scholars told us that as Muslims, we are the best people in the world,” he writes. “I listened to my imams and was disturbed when they used abusive language to describe non-Muslims as the grandsons of monkeys and pigs … [they] told me that it was my duty to revile and ridicule non-Muslims.”

Waleed says the attack on the World Trade Center changed him: “On Sept. 11, 2001, I saw the real face of Islam. I saw the happiness on the faces of our people because so many infidels were slaughtered so easily. I saw many people who started thanking Allah for this massacre.”

]]> http://christiannewsbulletin.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/will-muhammad-image-ignite-holy-war/feed/ 0 Admin http://christiannewsbulletin.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/tbn-youth-host-now-a-gay-christian/ http://christiannewsbulletin.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/tbn-youth-host-now-a-gay-christian/#comments Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:40:30 +0000 Cody http://christiannewsbulletin.wordpress.com/?p=120 Continue reading →]]> That’s right folks. The Trinity Broadcasting Network, America’s #1 religious show, has produced (no surprise) another whopper of a story, although not for the glory of God.

The internet is ablaze thanks to the secular homosexual community about Azariah Southworth of Nashville (google his name for the rundown), who has announced he is now a homosexual christian.

Due to the fact that I watch very little TBN programming, I had never heard of Southworth, neither his “popular” youth show REMIX which consisted of showing videos and having religious rock personalities on as guests.

Those who are now applauding his open sin probably had never heard of him for the same reason. But now he is a star, a hero because he is one of them.

Words like brave, honest, genuine, authentic, courageous are being used to describe Southworth’s actions.  He has said that he knows he will be (watch the choice of words) “I know I will be cut off from many in the Christian community”.  There’s no mention of his sin cutting him off from God.

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:2 This scripture lets us know that sin will indeed separate you from God. His love is steadfast, but unrepentant sin will cut off your relationship and fellowship with God. Look at the lexicon of this verse.

On his way out into the open Southworth makes an interesting claim, which is true.

“We all know there are so many other gay people in the Christian industry; they’re just all scared. I was scared, but now I’m no longer afraid.”

All of the major genres of “Christian” music and entertainment are chocked full with —not strugglers– but people who are reveling in their sin privately. They are only waiting for an opportunity like Southworth, to announce that they are now comfortable with sexual immorality and their so-called faith. They are waiting for the further desensitization of the church to sin.

No word from TBN whether the show will be cancelled. Its doubtful. TBN’s founder Paul Crouch, Sr. was at the center of a homosexual controversy himself. Paul Jr. recently divorced his wife after adulterating with new age religious profitess Pastor Melissa Scott [more info]. The network regularly features numerous false prophets and money-mongers so Southworth most likely has nothing to worry about. At least from the “Christian community”.

UPDATE: According to About.com Southworth’s show actually debuted on NRB (National Religious Broadcasters) but was later picked up by TBN’s Youth Network. Southworth also “cooked and shopped” with his guests.

]]> http://christiannewsbulletin.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/tbn-youth-host-now-a-gay-christian/feed/ 1 Admin http://christiannewsbulletin.wordpress.com/2008/04/07/is-your-eye-clear/ http://christiannewsbulletin.wordpress.com/2008/04/07/is-your-eye-clear/#comments Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:08:09 +0000 Cody http://christiannewsbulletin.wordpress.com/?p=118 Continue reading →]]> By Paul Washer

<quote>”Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where

moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither

moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or

steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear,

your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad,

your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that

is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can

serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the

other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You

cannot serve God and wealth.

Matthew 6:19-24 </quote>

The previous is one of the most important passages in the

Scriptures with regard to Christian priorities and missions.

According to this Scripture, the Christian is to be on constant

guard in order not to stray from eternal priorities. Two

choices are always before us. One choice offers immediate

rewards that are temporal and deceptive. The other is a narrow

road which may cost us everything, but the rewards

are eternal and beyond the ability of even Scripture to describe.

God’s Treasure

If we know that which is most treasured by God, then we will

know that which should be most treasured by us – God’s treasure

and ours should be the same. This is the very thing that

made the life of Jesus so different from the life of every other

man. He treasured only what His Father treasured. May God

grant us the grace to do the same.

What is it that God most treasures? With only a cursory reading

of the Scripture, we quickly discover that God’s priority

is His own Glory. He desires that every aspect of His being,

attributes, and works be made known to creation and that all

praise and honor be ascribed only to Him. Consider the following

Scriptures:

“For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name

will be great among the nations.”

Malachi 1:11

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed

be Your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.’”

Matthew 6:9-10

It is God’s great desire or treasure to see His Name held in

highest esteem among the nations, and among all creatures

in heaven and on earth. At first sight, this may appear selfcentered,

but first sights are often very deceptive. For God to

seek His glory above all else is the greatest demonstration of

His love.

The depth of one’s love is often demonstrated by the costliness

of the gift he/she gives. If someone was to give you

a twig or a small fragment of gravel, it would not be an

overwhelming demonstration of love. You would not rush

out to alert the media, nor would you gather your friends

about you to tell them of this great love that has been shown

to you. It would not be something that you remembered

very long, much less, that you held close to your heart all

the days of your life. However, if someone gave his life that

you might live, this would indeed warrant such a reaction.

It would be a story worth the media’s attention, and your

friends would most likely want to hear all about it. You

would treasure such a selfless act of love all the days of your

life. So then, the measure of one’s love is often manifested

by the greatness of one’s gift.

Now we must ask ourselves a question: “What is the greatest

gift that God could ever give?” It is not prosperity, health, or

even heaven. He Himself is the greatest gift. The most loving

thing that God can do for His creatures is to work in such a

way so as to reveal or demonstrate the fullness of His glory

to them – to take center stage and call all creatures to fix their

eyes and hearts upon Him. For this very reason, when God

does what He does for His own glory, it is the greatest demonstration

of His love toward the creature.

The adverse of this is equally true. The most destitute and

pitiful of all creatures are those who do not know God, who

are unaware of His glory, and cut off from His truth. The

Scriptures declare that God has set eternity in the hearts of

men (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This infinite aspect of the heart can

only be filled by the infinite. Man may pour into his heart all

the fame, wealth, power, and pleasure that this world has to

offer, but he will still be empty. Eternity cannot be filled up

with the temporal, nor can infinity be satisfied by the finite.

Man’s heart was made for the full measure of God’s glory.

Apart from this, man is destitute, miserable, and empty.

In summary, God’s treasure, His greatest desire and purpose

is that His Name be great among the nations, that His Name

be hallowed (highly esteemed), that His Kingdom come, and

His will be done! However, we must ask ourselves, “Is this

our greatest purpose and passion?”

We lay awake at night and worry about so many things. We

fret and are anxious about so many things. We desire things

passionately, fanatically, even to the point of obsession:

houses and lands, jobs and promotions, fame and reputation,

needs, and wants, and countless other things. But when was

the last time that sleep escaped us because of our concern for

the nations that have not heard? When was the last time that

our hearts broke in two because there are places on this earth

where God’s Name is not hallowed, His kingdom advances

ever so slowly, and His will is not foremost in the hearts of

men? We fret and sweat about so many things, but do we ever

give any thought to that which is most on the mind of God?

Christ’s Warning

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth

and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”

In this verse, Jesus is calling for a radical decision on the part

of His disciples to repent of their earthly materialism and

turn their hearts toward God and His kingdom. Although the

Scriptures speak of wealth as neither good nor bad, it does

warn us that the love of wealth is a great evil (I Timothy

6:10) and that the seeking and hoarding of wealth will

only lead to loss and shame on the day of judgment ( James

5:2-3).

Regardless of the warnings that run throughout Scripture, it

seems that the desire for wealth is God’s greatest competitor

for the hearts of men. It is ironic that although most people

spend most of their time, “treasuring treasures,” very few ever

really “possess treasures.” And those rare individuals who actually

do obtain their treasures here on earth quickly grow

tired of them once they are obtained. Is it not a very foolish

thing to trade the glorious gifts of God for earthly treasures

that we rarely do obtain, and if by chance we do obtain them,

we quickly grow tired of them?

Name one thing on this earth that is highly coveted by men

and we can quickly assess its true value with one simple question:

“Is it eternal?” If it is, it is worthy of being obtained even

at the expense of all other things. If not, its worth is equivalent

to the dust into which it will turn. To seek for it is a pathetic

waste of a human life and fool’s errand.

Christ’s Admonition

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither

moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break

in or steal.”

The Scriptures do not speak against treasure or the pursuit

of treasure, but it does speak against foolishly wasting the

life God has given us in the vain pursuit of things that have

no eternal value and can never fill the infinite desire of a

heart made for eternity. In Isaiah 55:2, the Scripture shakes

its head in bewilderment at men who seek for the temporal

at the expense of the eternal:

“Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your

wages for what does not satisfy?”

Nothing except the person and will of God can fill a man. The

only treasure worth having is that which is eternal and comes

from God. Such treasure is found only by doing His will, living

for His glory, and seeking after His Kingdom. Has God

not promised to care for us? Has He not promised to meet

our every need? Has He not shown Himself capable and willing

to fill His children with blessing and to not withhold from

them one good thing? Why, then, do we put earthly pursuits

ahead of the pursuit of God and God’s pursuits? Our one

obligation is also our only means of truly living an abundant

and satisfied life – “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His

righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Heaven and earth shall pass

away, the inferior products of this world will burn up in the

fire as hay, wood, and stubble (I Corinthians 3:12-15). However,

the man who does the will of God will abide forever and

his works will stand throughout eternity (I John 2:17). There

will be no regrets in heaven for having lived “too much” for

the kingdom of God, but we can be assured that there will be

great regrets for having lived “so little.”

The Undeniable Truth

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Ever so often in Scripture, we are confronted by certain statements

that open our hearts and reveal the truth about our

character and desires. The verse above is one of those statements.

Regardless of how often or forcefully we declare that

God and His Kingdom are our greatest desire, the true desire

of our life can be revealed by smallest and simplest of questions:

Where is our heart? What occupies our thoughts above

all other things? What do we long for? Can we say in truth

that God and His Kingdom are our passion?

What if a stranger who did not know of our Christian confession

watched our lives and read our thoughts? Would he be

convinced that God and His Kingdom are our two greatest

priorities? Would he hear almost constant conversation about

the mercies of God and the advancement of His Kingdom?

Would he hear us pray with passion for the unevangelized

nations? Would he see us passing a sleepless night because

God’s Name is not highly esteemed among all peoples,

because His Kingdom has not covered the entire earth, or

because His will is not obeyed or even known by the great

majority of men?

If most were honest, we would be forced to admit that he

would hear us speaking about houses and lands, cars and

toys, recreations and hobbies. He would see us obsessed with

worldly worries, wants, and pleasures. He would hear very

little about God in our daily conversation, would see little

activity directed toward the advancement of the Kingdom,

and would think it preposterous for us to claimed that our

treasure is in heaven!

Clear Eyes

“The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear,

your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad,

your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that

is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

In saying that the “eye is the lamp of the body,” Jesus is not

giving us instructions in human physiology, but rather is

teaching us about the great influence that our desires have

on our lives. Our body goes where our eyes are focused, and

our eyes focus on what our heart desires. If our heart desires

worldly things, then worldly things will be our focus and the

very things we pursue. However, if our heart truly desires the

things of God, then our eyes will be fixed on them, and we

will pursue them with a passion. The clear eye has a single vision

without confusion or duplicity. A.T. Robertson writes, “If

our eyes are healthy, we see clearly and with a single focus. If

the eyes are diseased (bad, evil), cross-eyed or cockeyed, we

see double and confuse our vision. We keep one eye on the

hoarded treasures of earth and roll the other proudly up to

heaven” (Word Pictures).

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to singleness of

heart and purpose. We are called to seek first the Kingdom

of God and entrust all our worldly needs to the Master. He

knows what we need before we ask Him and is disposed to

do good things for His children.

Two Masters

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one

and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise

the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Jesus taught a great deal about money. The reason is simple

- In this fallen world, money seems to be God’s greatest competitor

for the hearts of men. If by grace, a man has freed

himself from the love and pursuit of wealth, he has opened

himself to the possibility of undivided devotion to God.

Fallen man is a slave to someone. The question is not whether

or not a man is a slave, but whose slave is he? Some men are

enslaved to other men, some to themselves, and others to

things such as money, security, and respectability. Other men

are given to vain pursuits, deceitful pleasures, or something as

“harmless” as a hobby. The list is almost endless, but Christ

calls us to turn away from such slavery and turn wholeheartedly

and without reservation to Him.

Although the above Scripture teaches us that it is IMPOSSIBLE

to serve God and wealth, the application is far reaching.

There can be no competitors in the heart of the believer.

We must constantly survey our lives and search out competing

loyalties. When we find them, we must be careful to deal

with them severely. We must not show them even the slightest

compassion. If we spare them, they will become barbs

in our eyes and thorns in our side (Numbers 33:55). We can

never truly serve God while such things are hanging around

our hearts. Even those things most precious to us must not be

excused from our censure. Jesus taught that it is better for our

right hand and right eye to suffer violent mutilation than for

them to become stumbling blocks to the upward call of true

discipleship (Matthew 5:29-30). We must put away anything

that deters us from Him and His pursuits. Our lives are on

the line and eternity is at stake! The Expositor’s Bible Commentary

concludes:

“Both God and money are portrayed, not as employers, but

as slave owners. A man may work for two employers; but

since ‘single ownership and full time service are the very essence

of slavery’ (Tasker), he cannot serve two slave owners.

Either God is served with a single-eyed devotion, or he is not

served at all. Attempts at divided loyalty betray, not partial

commitment to discipleship, but deep-seated commitment to

idolatry.”

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