Comments on: why critique the content when you can critique the stage?

By: Ike

Ike — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:45:51 +0000

My favorite is the poll on the side of the page that says:

After Watching The Video Posted, Is Joel Osteen A Truly Regenerate Christian?

Damnation by popular vote! Woohoo!

Comment from Jerry Hillyer
Time: January 1, 2008, 11:23 pm

Right, isnâ€™t Jesus Christ the only Judge of who is and is not a â€˜truly regenerate Christianâ€™?

You could have voted that we should not judge? Also, the Bible says that “we” shall know them by their fruit.
I’m not going to say Osteen isn’t saved, but how can an evengelical preacher state that the “mormon” jesus is the Bible Jesus??? You got to be kidding me???

By: nathan

nathan — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:08:00 +0000

Ike,

about the president metaphor… unfortunately many people have added cultural stipulations to worship. As an example, in America when meet with an important figure (such as the president) we dress up and use elevated language. It is wrong to carry that over to God. Three piece suits and old english do not honor him any more than street clothes and modern vernacular.

Ike,
how do you know that LGC is side-stepping people into life? We never heard the sermons. The issue here is jumping to conclusions. I.E. If someone decorates their stage in a certain manner, they must not care about the gospel – they are using parlor tricks to get people into heaven. Now, if we listened to his sermons, and that was the case, this whole thing would be unnecessary.

Lastly, I don’t think we can separate glorifying God with other commandments. Some think that it is either or… either glorify or evangelize. However, the latter is proof and fulfilment of the former. Also, in a true Christian Community, the gathering together of believers happens more often than two hours on Sunday. If that happens, then then emphasis on what happens on Sunday is not as critical.

By: Chris L

Chris L — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 05:34:01 +0000

Joe,

I’ll be out on vacation (going to the Big Apple through Sunday night) the next several days. Sorry I won’t be here to ‘kill you’

By: Ike

Ike — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 03:25:18 +0000

I’m not a watchdog for anybody and I don’t have a blog. My point is when we gather together with other believer’s we do so to worship a Holy God.
Nathan, if the President invited you to the Whitehouse for dinner it would be interesting to see what you wore and how you talked and acted around President Bush? Is our God smaller than the president?
Although the lostness of men should drive us to the mission field, it should NOT be our primary motivation any more than loving our neighbor should be a higher commandment than that of loving God. We must realize that those who truly seek the glory of God will also seek the welfare of the fallen men for whom God gave His Son. It is impossible to obey the first great command while being disobedient to the second.
The same is true when we gather as believer’s in church. It’s all about having a passion for God’s glory.
It takes more “power” of God to raise a dead man to life than all the power of God in the six days of creation. LGC wants to stair-step these dead men to life? It is no more “easy” for a dead man to take one step than it is for him to take a thousand steps? If he is dead….he is dead! You either believe that or you don’t. Have we forgotten that the Bible itself testifies that “no man” can understand the Gospel apart from the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit. I’m saying that all churches would be better off if “we” were more concerned with expository preaching and the Spirit’s empowering, and less preoccupied with repackaging the Gospel to make it less offensive or “easier” to understand. And also, that the Kingdom would be better served if “we” were less concerned with cultural sensitivity and more concerned with the sensitivity to the Scriptures.

By: Joe Martino

Joe Martino — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 02:31:56 +0000

Chris, you kill me when you’re on vacation. Truly

By: nathan

nathan — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 02:10:55 +0000

hahahahaha…. very funny.

By: Chris L

Chris L — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 01:25:05 +0000

You know, I did a search on the Willowcreek site and I couldn’t find anywhere where they say that man’s needs must be met rather than God’s glory…

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 01:23:31 +0000

And from what I read on Truth Matters that is their desire also!

Well there you have it! Let’s shut her down…Nothing more we can do!

By: nathan

nathan — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 01:14:03 +0000

ike,

can you show me in scripture where the decor on the stage is more important that the word preached. Apparently to these ODMs it is.

By: Ike

Ike — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:28:21 +0000

I read your mission statement and if you really believe what you state than why would you defend LGC?

I left this church because their Pastor became infactuated with Hybills theology of bringing into the church a lust for worldly satisfaction and pleasure. The church has become man-centered instead of God-centered, and the focus is on felt needs instead of God’s glory.
Now I ask you: How can you defend this with scripture? Salvation is all about the power of God and when you use human manipulation you lose the very thing most needed. This is why Matthew chpt. 7 warns all who emphatically claim Him as Lord……now think about this…..of all the 69% of american professing christians…….only a “FEW” are really saved! And you can blame alot of this on these silly pastors who have made “cultural sensitivity” an important tool for evangelism and then have these people repeat a superstitious prayer and pronounce them saved?
You can slam these concerned people all you want but I would not want to be in some of these preacher’s shoes. I would like to show them Whom they should fear! And from what I read on Truth Matters that is their desire also!