Friday, February 15, 2013


Norman Vincent Peale gave us  "The Power of Positive Thinking."

Joel Osteen’s message are described as ". . . simple self-help message." Those attending his church report his message to be both uplifting and accessible.

Rick Warren often called "the most inspiring preacher of our time" was greatly influenced by Robert Schuller of The Crystal Cathedral, who was greatly influenced by Norman Vincent Peale.

George Mair in his book A Life With Purpose states:

"feel good sermons" combine psychology and religion to form a therapeutic brand of religion. The sermons are motivational rather than academic and focus on the ordinary problems of ordinary people in their everyday lives. Mair contends Peale's present day followers know, as Peale did, "that to talk about sin, suffering, and guilt does not produce the attendance numbers they want."

Guided by the misguided, millions across the nation and around the world float aimlessly through life, adrift on the Dead Sea while the Fountain of Living Water is cast aside for yet one more feel good, uplifting, accessible, me first message.

"LORD, the hope of Israel, all who abandon You will be put to shame. All who turn away from Me will be written in the dirt, for they have abandoned the LORD, the fountain of living water." Jeremiah 17:13

Shake us and wake us LORD - That we may do the work You have called us to do.

2 comments:

  1. Ali,
    Have you seen this - http://iamhis-lyn.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-must-see.html
    It is a bit lengthy, but it's worth watching.

    You are so right, this psychological message we hear today appeals to the flesh, it comforts, it soothes, but it does not save. It does not prick the heart, strike a chord, or convict. It is just like it was in Jeremiah's day, 'But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah." Hands are being strengthened by these 'feel good' messages, no one turns from evil because repentance is not taught, it isn't even mentioned.
    This is an excellent post sister, sadly, the motivational messages are wildly popular, while repent and believe is shunned; labeled as divisive, unloving, intolerant, out-dated.

    May it be as you have requested, may God stir us on to stand firm; as the days grow darker, we will face stiffer opposition and surely persecution will soon follow...

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  2. Have not seen the post, thanks for alerting me to it and to its importance.

    As 2013 moves ahead I see dark clouds looming on the horizion.

    If God is unable to shake us or wake us, He will break us. And a breaking I fear is the direction the church in America is heading.

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