Take 2 minutes and watch this segment from Oprah’s TV show. I hope you are surprised even shocked.
I’ve seen the popular show and have even enjoyed some of the segments, but really this takes the cake. I’ve talked before about Oprah’s soft or better yet flexible theology. The song by Casting Crown-What If His People Prayed, after watching this clip brings a clearer view to their song. Here is the verse, “What is the family turned to Jesus and stopped asking Oprah what to do”. I couldn’t have said it better. This is not a hate Oprah campaign, just open your eyes to the worldly truth of greed and self-absorption.
The argument is that Oprah had done so much good for children in poverty stricken countries. She has a heart of gold, giving of her money unselfishly. Has she really? What percentage of her hard earned money is given for God’s work, while living the life? Is she really sacrificing anything? I think it is great what she has done for these children, but that doesn’t get you in the heaven key club. Scripture is very clear on this. It is Jesus and what He did, not what you have or will do.
So lets say you feed 10,000 children for a year. While feeding them you tell them that there are many ways to heaven, not necessarily this Jesus was. The Jesus way makes no since and what kind of God would make such a requirement of us. How has Oprah helped these children, better yet as she televises what she is doing, millions of viewers become fooled into believing “Oprah’s, pick a path any path, as long as you do good for others” teachings. What has Oprah really accomplished in the name of God? How is God to receive all the glory? How can you now justify the life, execution and resurrection of Lord Jesus?
At the end of the segment Oprah makes a profound statement, “I can’t get into a religious argument with you!” Why is that Oprah, could it be that as the Prophet Isaiah said in 40:8 & 55:11, God’s word does not come back void and will last forever.
According to Oprah none of it matters. Don’t worry be happy! My fear is that Oprah does not understand the truth of God’s word and that she will ultimately end up in hell. Deuteronomy 18:20 says, But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’
My prayer is that Oprah will seek the truth and not allow outside influence to sway her understanding of God’s clear word. I know that if anyone honestly takes the time to seek the truth he or she will come to a clear understanding of God’s desire of each of us.
Oprah, I say these things not in anger but with fear for you. Colossians 4:6 says, Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Oprah, open your heart to the one living God who is Jesus Christ. Allow Him to heal your broken heart and accept His grace. None of us deserve it, yet He chose us first.
Referenced Verses
Isaiah 55:11
11So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it
Isaiah 40:8
8The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever
Wednesday, 31. January 2007
We are talking a lot about these types of issues in my economics class, even Quin’s book, “Ishmael.” There are two sides to every fence; unfortunately, Oprah, along with many others, decide that the painted and more accepting side of that fence is the correct way in life. Through scripture it says that there is only one way to get to heaven, there is only one living son, one opportunity. It is our job as Christians to reach these people in ‘remote locations’ as Oprah explains; nevertheless, there are not multiple ways to reach the end.. It does matter, Oprah!
Thursday, 9. August 2007
I’m not upset with Oprah…She is only the word of God being fulfilled….It’s sad but it’s true! We can only pray that Oprah will see that the word of God is true and there is only One way to the father and that is through JESUS CHRIST!!!
Let’s keep her in our prayers!
Be Blessed!
Tuesday, 9. October 2007
I have watched a segment of the famous “Oprah” talk show and my curiosity and attention was caught when some of the audience seems to have ‘cornered’ the host when they insisted that the only way to heaven is through the Lord Jesus Christ. What they are saying is ‘a’ truth.
(John 14:6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The eloquence and the intelligence of Oprah manifested in her arguments when she said, “How about those people who have not heard of Jesus?”
Oprah was right, after all. It just happened that she does not want to enter into religious arguments with her audience; but what she is saying is reality. There are now countries, as in the past, wherein even the name of the Lord Jesus is not being heard —His gospel, not being preached. There are countless innocent people that die everyday in these places, who are not lucky enough to have a copy of the Bible or to hear the preaching of the gospel — the True Gospel. More so, there are countries infiltrated by false prophets preaching the false Christ and Jesus.
(Matthew 24:4-5, 24) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many…
…For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Even if you have heard about Jesus, but the Jesus that was introduced to you is the false Jesus or the false Christ, and your religious leader is a false prophet, is there any chance you can go to heaven?
(Matthew 15:14) Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
(2 Corinthians 11:4) For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
(Galatians 1:8) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
It would have been better if you have not heard of Jesus than to believe in a Jesus or a Christ counterfeited by deceiving and lying religious leaders.
(2 Peter 2:21) For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
Oprah asked the audience: “If you were somewhere on the planet and you never heard the name of Jesus, yet you live with a loving heart; you live as Jesus would have had you to live; you live for the same purpose that Jesus came to the planet… you can not go to heaven, do you think?”
These are valid questions that require honest biblical answers that were ignored by the audience because of their lack of understanding of the Scriptures.
Biblically, there are those who have not heard the law, but will be justified.
(Romans 2:13-15) For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another.
There is a ‘divine instinct’ in human conscience and heart, parallel with the natural instinct that God has bestowed on our being. In occasions were a person did not have the opportunity to hear the law, but is doing the ‘things’ or the ‘essence’ of the law written by God in the heart of the human family, he will be justified or be saved; therefore can go to heaven. In fact, he may have greater chances of going to heaven than those who, after hearing the law — of Jesus, of God, and do have a copy of the Bible, but does not follow the law.
God is a God of justice, equity, unfathomable wisdom, and loving-kindness. Not so many preachers of our times know this. In fact, due to their ignorance of God’s wisdom, they have misled people to believe that only those who belong to their church will merit salvation or will go to heaven.
It is idiotic to claim that while you have not yet reached a particular country, and have not preached about Jesus, and afterwards say that only those who belong to your church or group will be saved. In the Middle East, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), most part of China, India, in Africa, and in almost all continents of the globe, the name of Jesus is not known to billions of people and yet thousands of innocent and kind-hearted people die everyday. Is there not a way for them to go to heaven? The good news is: There is!
While it is true that Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life; No one cometh to the Father except by Him, it is true to those who have heard the teachings of Jesus; This statement is definitely ‘a’ truth; But, to those who have not believed because they have not heard of Jesus (faith cometh from hearing). (Romans 10:17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God… Is there no way for them to go to heaven?
(1 Timothy 4:10) For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe.
I want you to notice the phrase “especially of those that believe”. God, in His justice and omnipotence can save even those who were not able to believe or have not the capacity to believe. Let me give you irrefutable examples:
Babes and small children will go to heaven, although they have not the capacity to believe.
(Hebrew 5:13) For every one that useth milk is unskillfull in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
(Matthew 19:14) But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Reject the ‘limbo’ of the Catholic Church because it is non-sense and is not in the Bible.
———–
Can the mentally retarded, the physically and mentally disabled persons, the mongoloids, believe and join a church? They are mentally and spiritually incapable, but the living God can save “especially of those that believe”.
The verse in 1 Timothy 4:10 gives hope to all those innocent children who were butchered by Ramsees II (during the time of Moses), King Herod (after the birth of Christ), Hitler (during the Holocaust), and so many more innocent souls, creation of God, oppressed and neglected by human society, but is loved of the Creator.
(Exodus 4:11) And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
Remember the living God is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe.
The whole truth is that Jesus is the Savior, the Way (the only Way) to get into heaven for those who have heard of that good news: The Gospel; but to those who have not heard the Gospel, the good news is, God will judge with mercy, and it is His right and prerogative.
(Romans 9:15) For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
(James 2:13) For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy; yet mercy triumphs over judgment. RSV
God can exercise mercy in judgment day. This is the whole truth and nothing but the truth!
Reference: http://esoriano.wordpress.com/2007/09/27/the-truth-is-the-truth-if-it-is-the-whole-truth/
Tuesday, 23. October 2007
Eli,
Sorry it took so long to respond. I needed to locate and review the show in question to verify what it was that was so alarming. Never would I want to speculate. The statements made by Oprah can be broken down into two distinct points. Point one, the diversity of spiritual living and point two, the name Jesus alone is not a get out of hell free card.
I couldn’t agree more with you on our statements that surround point two, but I did not get what you got out of the entire Oprah interview. You’ve focused on a point that I must agree is missed or not understood in most of the evangelical community. It’s not the actual name Jesus alone that gets us into heaven, but of our heart and faith.
My concern sir was the context of the talk, at least as I understood and comprehended. Oprah was being politically correct and we all know why. Ratings, Power, Money and Success! If I am wrong, Oprah please accept my apologies now. I am trying to bring to light the responsibility that comes with influential positions such as the internationally recognized Harpo enterprises.
Let me quote Oprah, “That is one of the mistakes that humans beings make, is that there is only one way to live. And we don’t accept that there are diverse ways of being in the world. That there are millions of ways to be a human being and many paths to what you call God.”
This first statement sound way too much like pluralism, which is not acceptable to scripture. People that follow religions that worship other gods will perish in the fires of judgment. I am not trying to be judgmental towards these people, God already has. As an example, how would a Hindu and a Christian pray and worship God together. Can they really come together to bring honor and glory to the Lord Father?
If a person has a heart of gold and does great things for mankind yet worships a man like Buddha (just as one example) or the earth, golden caves or some other form of a god will he not be judge by God and perish in the fires of Hell! Would his works be enough to get him in the gates of Heaven, regardless?
Next Oprah says, “And her path might be something else and when she gets there she might call it the light. But her loving, kindness and generosity, if it brings her to the same point that it brings you it doesn’t matter if she called it God along the way or not.” “There couldn’t possibly be one way!” Lets look at this. If you did not know of Jesus and had a wonderful heart and had the desire that Paul speaks of in Romans 2, they could end up in heaven, I’ll give you that. But, if that same person chose to follow a false teacher or an anti Christ then they are in trouble just like anyone else and will be held accountable. Regardless of how nice and wonderful they appear to the world! If Satan appears as an angel, as scriptures warns, to someone and they decide to follow him, where will that person go when they die? Heaven or Hell?
I do not have all the answers and daily ask the Holy Sprit for direction and wisdom. I know throughout my own life I have made many mistakes, yet God has been faithful and patient concerning me. My prayer is that everyone will have the opportunity to openly discuss this matter of spiritual life and death with sincerest love and passion for the lost. I will continue to cling to His grace and remain humble and thankful for all He has done for me. Praise God
I continually ask myself this question, what is the significance of the below bible verses in today’s church culture.
Proverbs 16:25
25 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
Matthew 7:13
13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
“Only few ever find it”. Lord, may my eyes be opened to your truth and my ears sensitive to your subtleness. That I may remain faithfully on your very narrow and difficult path.
Thank you Jesus
Saturday, 12. January 2008
Thanks for information.
many interesting things
Friday, 7. March 2008
Great Great conversation here!
I’m going to link up to your post here with the quotes on my blog, Parents, Geeks, & God.
You may be interested in my post, “Anti-Christ, Oops, I Mean Oprah Reinvention of Jesus Picks Up Steam” from my blog 2 weeks ago. You can link to it at: http://www.parentsgeeksandgod.com/2008/02/20/anti-christ-oops-i-mean-oprah-reinvention-of-jesus-picks-up-steam/
It’s rich! Thanks! Chase Jesus!
Bart Lewis
Friday, 7. March 2008
Oh my gosh! This article sends chills down my spine. I knew Oprah was liberal and free thinking, but this is down right scary. And your right people that have the ability effect millions a one hour of the day need to be more accountable. I like how you clarified the two points Larry, well written.