God's timing is always perfect (cf. Is 30:18, Mt. 6:8).

Needing to recover from a recent erruption of verbal friendly-fire (Christians assaulting Christians), where I was greatly discouraged for sharing the Gospel with anyone the Lord leads me to (family, friends, neighbors, strangers, etc.), the Lord provided me with abundant comfort and strength through His Word, my darling husband, and my oldest son. And as if that weren't enough, my ever gracious Father also provided me more encouragement through soundly biblical and exhorting books*, sermons and articles. One of the articles (below) was shared today, at Ligonier Ministries.

During this recent verbal attack, it was intimated that I was an unloving person because I didn't always seek to first "love" people through acts of service before I "earned the right" to share the Gospel with them.

In our self-indulgent world, love has been desecrated and redefined to mean all that's warm and fuzzy, verses it's true definition, "God is love" (1 John 4:8). And if God is love, then love is holy, it is righteous, it is good (perfectly moral), and it is sacrificial—which is in complete opposition to the world's teaching that love always makes me or you feel good. Sadly, this worldly and defiled definition of love has been largely adopted and happily welcomed by many Christians. And why is this a problem? Firstly, because anyone who adopts the worldly definition of love, is blaspheming God's holy character and causing the unbelieving world to mock and malign God's Word. Secondly, it's a problem because it weakens our spiritual immune system, making us more susceptible to sin and less sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. And lastly, because it makes us unfaithful children of the Most High God, who prefer to rub shoulders with the world (making people feel good), rather than lovingly offend them with the life-giving power of the Gospel.

God is love and He said the best way to love Him and others well is to share the Gospel. After all, didn't our Father God say in John 3:16 that it was His love for the world that He sent His one and only Son to the earth to suffer and die for our sins? And look what our Lord repeats here in 1 John 4:8-10, "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

"And I, when came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom...that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."

-1 Corinthians 2:1; 5, ESV

During this recent discouraging and burdensome time with believers, most agreed that one of the best ways to share the Gospel (inoffensively) is to share our testimony. What? Unless our testimony includes the Gospel (which, actually, mine does...purposefully), then it's not the Gospel...it's our testimony...which, I'll say again, is not the Gospel. The Gospel is not about us. It's about Jesus.

Dr. R.C. Sproul, explains this biblically and succinctly.

"So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.” He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see” (John 9:24–25).

"This statement, 'Give God the glory!' seems positive until we read the remainder of the sentence, in which the Pharisees revealed that they had concluded that Jesus was a sinner and therefore could not have performed the miracle. They were saying that the man should give glory to God, not to Jesus. The man was straightforward with them, saying: 'I don’t know whether He’s a sinner. I don’t even know Him. All I know is this: once I was blind and now I see.'

"With these simple words, the man bore witness to Christ. He testified about the redemptive work of Christ. However, he did not preach the gospel. What am I getting at? In the evangelical Christian community, we sometimes employ language that is not always sound or biblical. You’ve heard the lingo. It goes something like this: 'I plan to become an evangelist so I can bear witness to Christ.' Or sometimes we say, 'I had a chance to witness the other day,' meaning, 'I shared the gospel with someone.' We tend to use the terms evangelism and witnessing interchangeably, but they are not synonymous. Any time I call attention to the person and work of Christ, I am bearing witness to Christ. But that is not the same thing as preaching the gospel.

"More than thirty years ago, I learned the evangelism technique taught by Evangelism Explosion, and I trained more than 250 people in that program and led them through evangelism efforts in Ohio. One of the finest aspects of that program is that everyone who goes through it must write out and memorize his or her testimony. Your testimony is your story of how you became a Christian. I think it’s very important that Christians are able to articulate to other people how and why they became believers. We all should have a prepared testimony, and we should be willing to share it at the drop of a hat.

"But we shouldn’t confuse our personal testimonies with the gospel. Sharing our personal testimonies is not evangelism. It’s merely pre-evangelism, sort of a warm-up for evangelism. Our testimonies may or may not be significant or meaningful to those with whom we are speaking. There are lots of folks who can relate to my story; they say, 'Yeah, I know what he’s talking about because I used to live like that too.' But not everyone can relate to my story. In any case, the gospel is not what happened to R.C. Sproul. God makes no promise that He will use my story as His power unto salvation. The gospel is not about me. The gospel is about Jesus. It is the proclamation of the person and work of Christ, and of how a person can appropriate the benefits of the work of Christ by faith alone.

"We see this from our passage in John’s Gospel. The healed man could say, 'I once was blind, but now I see,' and that was a wonderful testimony. But it was not the gospel. The man could not tell the Pharisees about Jesus’ saving work and about how they could be delivered from their sins by faith in Him. So we need to learn not only our testimonies but the concrete elements and content of the biblical gospel. Evangelism takes place when the evangel is proclaimed and announced to people—that is the gospel."

-Your Testimony Is Not the Gospel

Ligonier Ministries article by Dr. R.C. Sproul,

11/23/2015, excerpt from commentary on John

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is this: Repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Mk 1:14-15). We are all sinners who have broken and are incapable of keeping the commandments of a holy, righteous and just God. Therefore, our eternal crime has earned us eternal suffering—the wrath of God—Hell, where the worm doesn't die, the fire is never quenched and where the Lake of Fire eternally burns without consuming you so that you will suffer for all eternity. But God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son into the world, not to condemn it because we are already condemned (John 3:16-18), but to suffer our punishment and die the excruciating death we deserve. Christ Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us so that all who repent and trust in His name, will be saved from the wrath of God and be granted everlasting life.

If you're a Christian, you've already "earned the right" to share the Gospel because Jesus Christ already gave you the authority/right to do so as a demonstration of your love and gratitude to Christ for your eternal salvation (Mt 28:18-20). Therefore, any Christian, who isn't prayerfully seeking opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, no matter how nice or loving they or others think they are, according to God, the only person they're loving, is themselves.

Don't ever allow anyone, believer or unbeliever, deter you from faithfully sharing the Gospel with whomever the Lord leads you to share with.

"If you believe there's a Heaven and Hell and people could be going to Hell, or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think 'Well, it's not worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward' ...How much do you have to hate somebody to know that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?" -Penn Jillette (Illusionist/Comedian, and self-professed atheist)

*The Crook in the Lot: The Sovereignty and Wisdom of God Displayed in the Afflictions of Men, by Thomas Boston (1676-1732)
The Practice of Piety, by Lewis Bayly (1575-1631)
Keeping the Heart: How to Maintain Your Love for God, by John Flavel (1627-1691)

Though it's an icky thought to have an electronic device (pacemaker) in my chest and two electrical wires (leads) in two chambers of my heart (right atrium and ventricle), I'm grateful to the LORD for providing this medical intervention that's making my heart beat as often as it should and gradually elevate as necessary, with activity.

I have a six week recovery that includes not being able to raise my left arm above my head, bear down on it, extend it back, etc. so as not to pull the leads out of my heart, which would require another surgery to put them back in. And for the first two weeks, I can't drive or do much of anything but rest, and possibly, some very light activity. Six weeks gives the tissue in my heart enough time to surround the leads and hold them in place. I never realized how many things I have to do that causes me to have to put my arms above my head (wash and brush my hair, getting dressed, reaching for a drinking glass, etc.), bear down on it (opening prescription meds, closing food lids) and extending it backward (to scratch an itch, to wash, get dressed, etc). This has caused severe pain in my right shoulder and arm due to overuse. So, I'll have to get this figured out too...perhaps...I just need to rest more.

Pain in the Flesh

I misread my care instructions and began some "normal" daily activity the day I got home from the hospital (e.g., unload the dishwasher, try to write this update). It turns out, I was supposed to pretty much do nothing but rest the first three days, and possibly have some very light activity for the next two weeks. Due to being overly zealous after my surgery, the past few days have been rough. I've had severe heaviness in my chest (where my sternum and heart are) so that it's difficult and very painful to catch a full breath. I've also had extreme pain in my shoulders, neck and upper back; so much so, I needed to take a pain med (Tramadol). I don't like pain meds due to the constipation and other side effects it causes. But thankfully, my Father God has brought me through many excruciating trials throughout my life that though my body has a low pain tolerance, I have a high pain threshold. This gift from the Lord made it possible for me to only have to take one pain med the first day home and I've been able to manage these other days with Tylenol here and there. God always knows what's ahead and provides us with what we need...when we need it.

In a couple of weeks I'll have my first post-op visit with my Cardiac Electrophysiologist (CE) and the rep from St. Jude's Medical (where my pacemaker is from) to make sure the personal settings they made for my pacemaker are working well for me, and to review the readings from my pacemaker to decide if, in conjunction with my pacemaker, I'll need heart meds to control my episodes of SVTs (supraventricular tachycardia), PACs (premature atrial contractions) and PVCs (premature ventricular contractions) caused by my heart arrhythmia: sick sinus syndrome. Both my Cardiologist and CE diagnosed me with sick sinus syndrome from the readings of my 14-day heart monitor. From this report, they discovered that I was having more bouts of bradycardia than the other arrhythmias (which was causing my lightheadedness, dizziness and near fainting spells). The pacemaker only controls my bradycardia, so my prayer is that the LORD isn't allowing enough of those other arrhythmias to occur so that medication is not needed to control them. But again, I am the Lord's handmaiden, let all things be done to me as He pleases. I know that whatever God wills is better than whatever I will.

Joy in the Lord

In the hopes that I might daily use and not waste the spiritual gifts God has given me, one of my constant prayers is Romans 1:11-12, "For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine." because I never know when I'll be with a fellow believer. One of the unique joys of being a child of the Most High God is the blessing of unpretentious, altruistic and beautiful fellowship with other saints in Christ Jesus, everywhere I go (1 Pet 1:22).

I had my hospital tract bag filled with books, DVDs, CDs and tracts so that I would be ready to exhort saints to press on and share the Gospel with the lost.

Right from the beginning, I was able to encourage and be encouraged by the faith of my phlebotomist and nurse who did the pre-surgery prep work for me. They shared personal details and concerns about their lives and the Lord allowed me to share His Word with them as only He knew they needed at that moment (Eph 4:29, another one of my constant prayers). My precious nurse had been a missionary in Tanzania for six years and has only been back in the U.S. for the past year. We discussed much about how every Christian is called to be a missionary—to share the Gospel, no matter where God puts us, in Tanzania, here in our country, as a nurse or as a patient. I gave her "God Has a Wonderful Plan For Your Life" (by Ray Comfort) to encourage her. We exchanged contact info and we're already planning on our next fellowship together! She told me she's enjoying the book and Ray's message regarding evangelism. It's such an incredible blessing to know that in Christ, I have the riches of His kingdom that I may freely and generously share with others.

Neither where we live for a time nor what position God grants us for a time, should be wasted. All that we are, wherever we are and whatever we do, we ought to do for God's pleasure and glory alone; for this is our strength and joy—our joy in the Lord (1 Jn 5:3)!

My Father God also blessed me with the joy of meeting a brother in Christ, my anesthesiologist. We shared how we're mutually inspired to share the the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ and how we both love and appreciate all the witnessing tools and resources Ray makes available through his ministry, Living Waters Publications. He told me how encouraged he's been by our brother Ray's ministry and asked me to relay a message of great thanks to Ray for his faithfulness and love for Christ and all those He came to save. So my Romans 1:11-12 prayer extended all the way to California and I was glad for it!

My anesthesiologist and I chatted about our mutual love and faith in Christ all the way up to the point of him putting me to sleep. As I began to fall asleep, I prayed that the Lord would help me (as He's done before) to share the Gospel, whether or not I'm fully conscience. Because I'm never completely lucid while in the recovery room, I can't recall all that I said and did, but I do recall asking those around me (I don't know how many were there because my eyes were still closed, but I heard multiple voices), "Do you know Jesus Christ?" There were varied responses and I don't remember if I got to share the entire Gospel, but I do recall saying, "You must repent and believe...there's nothing more important than your eternal salvation." I also remember repeating that multiple times and I'm not sure if I was talking to the same person/people. But I was grateful that the LORD granted me my request and I pray that the seed He gave me to sow was on the soft and tendered hearts that He's prepared to receive and believe the Gospel.

"This message [the Gospel] is not supposed to make us tame and comfortable. Christ crucified and raised for our justification is intended to unleash us, embolden us, and put us to work. Christianity is much more about serious adventure than sentimentalized safety. It is much more about faith in suffering than ease in prosperity. It is much more about death—death to sin and self—than it is about personal affirmation and precious moments."

-Dr. Owen Strachan, Tabletalk Magazine, August 2015 issue

Sadly today, we have too many "Christian Picnickers" and too few "Christian Runners". Our lives are but a mist and none of us are guaranteed our next breath. Just because I'm so obviously ill doesn't mean I will die before you will. No one takes one breath more or one breath less than God has ordained before the foundation of the world (Ps 139:16). And we ought not take that truth lightly or forget it altogether. Rather, we ought to embrace all that God has spoken to us through His Word and make the most of every moment we have for the glory and pleasure of our Savior, instead of indulging ourselves with personal affirmations and self-centered desires and fears.

My prayer is that God uses everything...everything that He's given me: my marriage, my parenting, my friendships, my time, my money, my talents, my spiritual gifts, my social media platforms, my writings, my errands, my broken body, and every conversation, to be something that's beautiful in His sight (Mk 14:6). And I pray this for everyone who claims Christ as their Savior; that we would all hunger and thirst for righteousness, and like our Father God, that our hearts would be filled with compassion for the lost. Don't waste another breath. Don't waste another vacation, errand, telemarketing call, etc. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and generously give others what you profess you're grateful for—Christ, given to you by God, as a propitiation for your sins, so that you may have eternal life in His Son.

"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the fruit of hands, and let her works praise her in the gates...I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me...Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him..."

~Proverbs 31:30-31, Galatians 2:20, Philippians 3:8-9 (ESV)

There are a barrage of "Christian" films that are currently in theaters and some soon to be released. The peculiar thing about all these movies are that none of them...until now, have been written or produced by actual Christians. One movie was written and produced by New Agers, another by an atheist and then this one: "God's Not Dead" produced by Pure Flix Entertainment in association with Check the Gate Productions.

Though "God's Not Dead" opened in a mere 780 theaters, it earned $9.2 million and ranked number four its first weekend. Other movies in the top five opened in nearly 4,000 theaters and took a 20 to 50 percent revenue dive in their second week. But the revenue for "God's Not Dead" only went down by 4.5 percent, remained in the top five (taking the fifth position), added 398 more theaters and earned $8.8 million its second weekend with a total gross of $21.8 million thus far.

After having the joy of watching this film, the first thing I thought was, "Finally! A good Christian movie that was actually produced by Christians; therefore it didn't blaspheme God, His character, or His Word."

"God's Not Dead" was well written, well acted and was true to the joys and hardships Christians who stand up for their faith endure from both unbelievers and sadly, even believers. Were there moments of cheesiness, yes, but honestly, I think many movies have that...not just "Christian" movies. No actor or script is perfect and not every line comes off as best as it could. Overall, I thought the acting and writing was spot on to real persecutions and pressures Christians endure...me included.

The story for the movie was inspired by 43 court cases that were filed from 1995 to present. In all cases, both Christians students and staff members were discriminated against by their universities for being faithful to Christ and God's holy precepts for their lives. There were students that were expelled and threatened to have their academic careers ruined. And some students even had teachers refuse to grade their work because: they stood for the biblical definition of marriage (between one man and one woman, Genesis 2:23-25), they advocated pro-life (Prov 31:8-9), refused to counsel gay couples (Is 5:20; Rom 1:18, 24-27), required members of Christian campus organizations to live by biblical standards (1 Cor 5:11-12, 1 Pet 1:14-16), etc.

“We developed the script then commissioned a book by the same title with the arguments presented in the movie to debut a year ahead of the film. We felt the Newsboys’ popular song ‘God’s Not Dead’ was the perfect title and incorporated them as well as Willie and Korie Robertson of Duck Commander and fan favorite Kevin Sorbo (HERCULES, SOUL SURFER) into the script,” said Russell Wolfe, Managing Partner of Pure Flix.

Josh Wheaton (Shane Harper)

A college freshman, and a biblical Christian young man who's not a push over for his unsubmissive, self-centered and unsupportive, Christian girlfriend. When Josh enters his philosophy class he's publicly challenged and ridiculed by his professor for believing that God exists. No one except Pastor Dave (David A.R. White) encourages Josh to remain obedient to God, reminding him that he may be "the best exposure to Christ" anyone in that class has ever had. And Pastor Dave was right.

I thought the writers did a fabulous job of depicting what a true college freshman could do with only three class lectures to defend his view of the existence of God. Josh didn't come off as a studied theologian or a learned scientist. Rather, Josh provided evidence and presented ideas and arguments that someone his age, with limited time, and in his circumstance, might have access to. It would've been completely unrealistic to have a college freshman present evidence of God's existence like well-studied and well-degreed men and women of theology or science.

It's likely I'm not as smart as many, therefore I learned a lot from this movie and thought the arguments were good and spot on. I'm actually going to use what I've learned from the movie to share with others should I ever be in the same position as Josh.

Ayisha (Hadeel Sittu)

Works in the university cafeteria as well as attends school there. She lives with her Muslim family and wears a hijab ( Muslim head covering) to honor her father, but has secretly been a Christian for about a year. Her faith in Christ is violently tested. This particular story resonated with me the most, as it brought back personal memories of similar events and persecutions in my life.

Martin (Paul Kwo)

Is a Chinese citizen, studying in the United States. China is an atheistic country and talk of any religion is generally forbidden, so when Martin has phone conversations with his father about what's happening in his philosophy class, he encounters unexpected opposition and disinterest. Martin is very curious as to why Josh would put himself in a humiliating and seemingly futile predicament of proving an invisible God exists.

Pastor Dave (David A.R. White)

An associate pastor of a local church who privately feels he's not doing as much for Christ as he should in his comfy suburban, American town. He envies his visiting missionary friend, Reverend Jude (Benjamin Onyango) because he gets to work in the trenches without the same worldly comforts Dave has. Pastor Dave is a sincere and loving person who is genuinely concerned for the eternal welfare of all those around him and doesn't realize the comfort, encouragement and support the Lord provides others through him.

Amy (Trisha LaFache)

A young, vivacious journalist thinks she's going to conquer the world and assumes she's too important for the world to spin on without her. But in just one day, her narcissism is shattered by sobering, life-changing news. As happens with many (including me), it takes news like this to snap us out of the little fantasy worlds we make for ourselves where we're our own gods and we think we alone determine our destiny.

Mark (Dean Caine)

A very successful, megalomaniacal businessman who always considers "what's in it for me" before he makes or keeps a deal. Mark is dating Amy because they have the same life aspirations and being beautiful, she also makes for a very nice ornament to tote around town; satisfying his callous and overweening ego. When Amy shares her news with Mark, the only thought that crosses his mind is how inconvenient her news is to his life.

Professor Jeffrey Radisson (Kevin Sorbo)

Was raised by a Christian mother, who lost her battle with cancer when he was only 12 years old. Because Jeffrey himself had never repented and trusted in Jesus, rather than pray for his mother in accordance with God's will, he does what we're commanded by God never to do―test Him (Matt 4:5-7, 1 Cor 10:9-12). After trying to make an unsuccessful "deal" with God, Jeffrey feels slighted by the Almighty and decides He must not exist since He didn't see things the way Jeffrey did and didn't give him what he wanted (Job 41:11).

Mina (Cory Oliver)

A former student and now girlfriend of Professor Radisson. She's not very strong in her faith...yet, and like many women, looks for her value and identity from a man rather than the Son of Man, Jesus Christ the Lord. Due to this, she falls into the painful and deceptive world of missionary dating, that is, knowingly dating an unbeliever hoping to convert him (2 Cor 6:14-15). Thankfully, because she's truly saved, this relationship begins to gnaw at her and she seeks wise counsel.

Response to Naysayers

I must say that I've been very surprised and perturbed by illegitimate and contradictory complaints about "God's Not Dead". Some reviewers have said that this film puts "God on trial" and we're commanded not to test God. I agree we're not, and this movie doesn't do that. The term is used only to set up the dynamics of the debate between Josh and Professor Radisson much like Christ Himself spoke in farming terms to farmers, shepherding terms to shepherds, etc. in order to help the hearers understand the things of God by comparing them to the things people of this world understood...things of this world.

There are other reviewers who complain Josh didn't present a good enough argument because he forgot to mention many scientific facts about creation. While at the same time, saying it was unreasonable that a college freshman could ever win an argument with a near genius college professor.

The last two complaints I'll address are the ones that have purported that Josh supported the Big Bang Theory; he did not. The second complaint was that the script for the characters and situations they were involved in were unrealistic and stereotyped. Case in point, one reviewer said the atheist character Amy and business tycoon Mark were over-exaggerated because atheist aren't that mean or callous. I agree that not all atheist are, but some are...and honestly, so are many professing Christians.

I knew a Christian gal many years ago who was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her professing Christian husband of 20 years left her and their three children and moved into a hotel or apartment saying, "I'm sorry this is happening to you. This doesn't fit into my life, so why don't you call your girlfriends from church and ask them to help you. Then call me when you're done with all this cancer stuff and I'll come back so we can resume life as usual." Her husband, like Mark was also a very successful business man and just felt this "cancer business" didn't fit into his business and life aspirations.

None of these stories were unrealistic, they were just some of the worst case scenarios Christians (though there are far worse) might face in order to encourage them to press on...no matter the cost. After all, why waste time on telling Christians how to handle situations where everyone likes you? We already know how to handle that.

What happened to all the characters in the movie have either happened to me personally, or others I know; all here in America. That's not hype or stereotype, it's real life.

Conclusion

This is by far the best Christian film I've seen in a while and I highly recommend everyone to support it by going to see it and sharing the message of hope found only in Christ that this movie accurately and realistically portrays.

The only thing I disagree with in this movie was their definition of why evil is in this world...freewill. As one who adheres to Reformed Theology, I don't believe God grants any human being freewill until after conversion rather than before (Rom 9:16). We don't choose God, He chooses us (Jn 6:37, 44; Rom 9:11, 19-24). I believe what is written in Scripture, that we are all inherently sinful (Ps 51:5, Rom 5:12, Eph 2:3) and destined for Hell (Rom 6:23); therefore slaves to our sin nature (Jn 8:34, Rom 6:16) until we repent and trust Jesus, who alone has the power to free us from the penalty and bondage of our sins―making us new creations (Rom 6:17, 2 Cor 5:17).

Be sure to visit the "God's Not Dead" blog page where they provide interesting resources to help you prove to others that God's not dead and neither is anyone who has left this world and is now Home with Christ (1 Thess 4:13-14).

They are surely more alive now than you or I.

Since yesterday, March 24, 2014 there's been much media buzz about World Vision and their "new" state of apostasy. World Vision announced they will now employ and provide marital benefits for those involved in same sex marriages. I put the word new in quotes because World Vision's apostasy isn't new. Their departure from Christ's vision to come to earth in order to seek and save the lost was abandoned a couple of years ago, at least from what I could find in my research. If you have other information, I welcome correction.

As of January 2012, World Vision has partnered with the well-known and popular heretic, Joel Osteen. You can read an article about it here: Federal Way Mirror Pastors Share Stage With Joel Osteen and/or watch a YouTube video here: Joel Osteen and World Vision Partnership.

Anyone who understands the true Gospel of Jesus Christ realizes that Joel Osteen is nothing but a big bad wolf in flamboyant sheep's clothing. Osteen has confessed multiple times that though he personally believes Christ is the only way to Heaven, he doesn't believe Christ is the only way to Heaven for everyone. Yes, Mr. Osteen says that Hindus, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, etc. can go to Heaven if they sincerely believe in a god; any god, that is, of their own choosing. But don't take my word for it. Watch and listen to this charlatan during an interview with Larry King: Joel Osteen Denies Exclusivity of Christ for Salvation.

In November 2013, World Vision stepped further down the road of apostasy by partnering with New Agers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. World Vision is one of the sponsors of "The Bible | Son of God Tour 2014" (based on their production of the heretical and blasphemous NOT "The Bible" miniseries) and subsequent big screen blasphemy with their "Son of God" movie that intoxicated viewers with a fake jesus who deluged them with a false gospel.

(I'll share more on this ostentatious "bible" tour in another article. The focus of this piece is on World Vision's worldly vision.)

This brings us to yesterday, where World Vision didn't just take another step towards apostasy, but is now fully immersed in the cesspool of heterodoxy.

According to Christianity Today, World Vision's U.S. president Richard Stearns described this policy change as one that's "symbolic not of compromise but of [Christian] unity." In this same article, Stearns further expresses, "We're not caving to some kind of pressure. We're not on some slippery slope. There is no lawsuit threatening us. There is no employee group lobbying us. This is not us compromising. It is us deferring to the authority of churches and denominations on theological issues. We're an operational arm of the global church, we're not a theological arm of the church."

I completely disagree with Stearns first statement, but partially agree with his last. World Vision is not a church, but they are supposed to be a Christian organization, run by Christians and founded on biblical principles. Which means they have no excuse before God Almighty for their clear choice to disobey His commands which are not difficult to understand nor obey since He put the Spirit of Christ in us (1 Jn 5:3-5).

Though this is disturbing news, as many Christians have already shared, it shouldn't be shocking or even surprising news. As a matter of fact, one might even say, it's welcomed news. And that "one" would be me. Sound crazy? Well, I might be, but it won't be the first time someone told me my thinking was a bit off kilter. And frankly, I'm okay with that. As long as my line of thinking is in accord with Scripture, I'm not really concerned about how alien my thought processes might be to the world (Rom 12:2, 1 Cor 2:14).

I'm not shocked, disturbed or even a bit surprised by this news because these happenings have already been recorded in a mighty, holy and infallible book—the Bible.

"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance  of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at the knowledge of truth."

~2 Timothy 3:1-7 (ESV)

If the evidence of nation rising against nation, the increase of natural disasters, pestilence, the influx of deadly diseases and the ever-increasing moral decay of our world hasn't alerted you that we're most certainly in the last days, then let the continual news about professing Christians and Christian organizations falling away from the faith convince you...just as it has been written.

"And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come... For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

"The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

~Matthew 24:10-14, 24;

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (ESV)

Being in the last days is not bad news. On the contrary, it's good news for all who long for the Day of Christ. But we musn't be selfish and rejoice only for ourselves within the safety of our Christian bubbles. No, the joy of seeing our Lord Jesus face to face ought to compel us all the more to be sober-minded and alert about the the lost and dying world we live in.

As holy and dearly loved children of the Most High God, we ought to daily put on the full armor of God, desire the necessary pains of sanctification and have compassion for those who don't believe, as well as for those who profess they believe, but their acts prove their hearts are far from Him (Is 29:13).

Pray for opportunities and share the Gospel while we still have time (Is 55:6-7). Don't know how to share the Gospel biblically and effectively? No problem, just visit my friends at Living Waters where you'll find a host of resources and practical, everyday ways to share the Gospel.

Rather than allow this news of World Vision's apostasy cause you to become angry or discouraged, use this news as a catalyst for you to be a student of the Word and a laborer in the field, so that on the Day of Christ you'll have no reason to be ashamed when you appear before His judgment seat (2 Cor 5:9-10).

"as it is my full expectation that I will not be ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

"And now, little children, abide in Him [Christ], so that when He appears we may have confidence and not shrink from Him in shame at His coming."

~Philippians 1:20, 1 John 2:28 (ESV)

On Friday, February 28, 2014 Ray Comfort and his Living Waters staff released for download, their latest movie/documentary, "Noah—And the Last Days".

This film is not a reenactment of the life of the historical Noah, but a refreshing 30-minute movie that biblically and accurately depicts how the life of this righteous man is pertinent to our world today. "Noah" includes 10 biblical prophecies (which I share below), the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and interviews from ordinary people like you and me.

Unfortunately, there's another movie on the horizon about Noah. This movie, starring Russell Crow, was produced by Hollywood and will be opening in theaters the same day (March 28) Ray Comfort's Noah movie will be available on YouTube and DVD. As expected, Hollywood maligned the character of Noah; the one whom God said was the only righteous man of his time.

"The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually...But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God."

~Genesis 6:5, 8-9 (ESV)

Hollywood's version of Noah is an overly zealous, environmental psychopath who wanted to kill his grandchildren. Not quite the character God had written about Him in His Word. Far from it. Why does it matter whether or not Noah's character is maligned? It matters because Noah and the ark were shadows of the Christ to come—the one who would and has come to save people from the fatal consequences our sins deserve (Rom 3:23-25, 6:23). And when you mess with Christ, you mess with His Gospel. And when you mess with the Gospel, you mess with the eternal salvation of lost souls. And when you do that, well, you're just not a loving person. At least not in the biblical sense (1 Jn 4:8, 5:2-3).

On the brighter and more biblical side, Ray Comfort's "Noah" movie enlightens the hearts of the interviewees with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and wisely pricks the hearts of many with discerning questions about life, death and eternity. And if we're humble in heart, it ought to have the same affect on us, the viewers.

The movie opens with Ray interviewing people on the street, asking if they believe Noah was a real person and do they believe there was a worldwide flood? The first person questioned said she didn't believe Noah really existed because she was happy with her atheism, but was open to myths. Ray then quotes Matthew 24:37 as he leads us to the 10 biblical prophecies (with references included) that correspond with the story of Noah and what's happening in our world today.

Along with each biblical end time prophesies listed above, clips of actual events and interviews of those who are affected by these are appropriately included.

One of the interviewees was Professor of Geology and Oceanography, Rick Behl of California State University-Long Beach. When Ray asked the Professor where all the water from the earth originated, his response essentially was that most of it came from comets. Then when Ray asked if his response was a fact or mere theory, Professor Behl chuckled and said, "Nothing about the origin of the earth is fact."

After Ray interviews people regarding each of the 10 biblical end times prophecies shared in this documentary, he then asks them to consider their eternal outcome in accordance to God's Word. When presented with the light of the Ten Commandments (Rom 7:7), and asked how he'd be found in God's sight, one of the interviewees responded, "I'd obviously be guilty unless it's the worst judicial system I've seen."

Ray closes the movie with, "We didn't produce 'Noah' to entertain you. We produced it in the sincere hope that you'd obey the Gospel, that you'd repent of your sins and trust alone in Jesus Christ, so we'll see you in Heaven."

I enjoyed this movie not because it was entertaining (not that I don't enjoy being entertained), but because it was more meaningful than mere entertainment which is like cotton candy—it's fun, tastes good, makes me feel good, but has no lasting affect after it's gone. There's a time and place for every activity (Ecc 3:1), and just the same there's an appropriate time and way to be entertained (which Scripture should never be used for), and there are times we need to buckle up and seriously consider the ramifications of the careless words we speak and actions we take.

Jesus is clear. He came the first time as a lamb to be slaughtered; as a propitiation for our sins. The second time He comes, it will be as a roaring lion; coming to destroy all who hate and deny Him.

One of the things I particularly like about the way Ray shares the Gospel and speaks with people is the clear evidence that he cares. It's difficult to watch Ray interact with people and come away without seeing the deep love for our Savior and extreme compassion for the lost. Ray also demonstrates great passion to see God's people rise up and join the battle to contend for the faith and make disciples—not false converts. Ray not only asks good, heart-piercing questions, but he also listens carefully to those he speaks with; which is obvious, as he responds directly to what they're saying rather than continue on with an off topic he already had in mind.

Being a good listener is key to being a good communicator. And Ray Comfort is a good communicator, especially for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It was deliberate. I heard Hollywood was making a movie about Noah that wasn't biblical. Hollywood knows how to make money from Christians. All they need to do is keep some biblical aspects, i.e., Cecil B. DeMille didn't make "The Twelve Commandments", he made "The Ten Commandments" and we Christians will love you and support you and give you our money.

But if they displayed the Prophet Muhammad as a psychopath you won't see Muslims lining up at the theaters two by two. You wouldn't see this because Muslims wouldn't stand for it and neither should Christians stand for this from Hollywood. Hollywood would never blaspheme the name of Muhammad like they blaspheme the name of our Lord...they wouldn't dare because they know there would be repercussions.

As with all your films, when you present the Gospel, you first share the Ten Commandments, emphasizing that our eternal salvation is a legal transaction between God and man. Why?

The Bible says sin is the transgression of the Law (1 Jn 3:4). The Law is the Ten Commandments. The Bible says God is a just Judge and we stand as guilty criminals before a holy God. We've violated His Law and our sentence is terminal. Jesus Christ came and paid our fine in full. That's what the Cross is all about. That's why Jesus cried, "It is finished". God can now legally dismiss our case in the courtroom. He can commute our death sentence and let us live because of the suffering, death and resurrection of our Savior.

What was your main motivation and what are your hopes for this movie?

I have a burning passion in life to see people in Heaven. Never before have we had a vehicle like the internet to spread the Gospel. Hundreds of years ago we'd put missionaries on a ship and it would take weeks, families would die of malaria and they would suffer many other unspeakable hardships. Today, all we need to do is push the "send" button and we can reach millions of people.

What makes a Christian video go viral? You do.

Flooding of Living Waters parking lot on February 28, 2014. Photo: Ray Comfort

A special message from Ray:

Those of you who took advantage of our pre-release download offer on "Evolution vs. God" enabled us to fund the production of "Noah—And the Last Days." We would be grateful if you would consider doing the same with this movie, and in turn help us to continue producing similar projects in the future. 

When you download this movie for $19.99, you will get a free downloadable Companion Guide (valued at $4.99) containing further evidence for the Ark and the worldwide Flood, plus a special video message by Ken Ham, "Creation and the Last Days" (valued at $12.99).

"Noah—And the Last Days" will be available on YouTube and DVD starting March 28. See more at: http://www.noahthemovie.com