Making God Famous

On this day thirty-nine years ago, musician John Lennon was shot to death outside his apartment in New York City. Years before as a member of the Beatles, John made the infamous remark, “We are more popular than Jesus.”

To some people, the Beatles are still more popular with them because they don’t know the real Jesus. That’s why God needs His people to go into the world and share the full gospel with others. Unbelievers need to hear about a Jesus that will heal their broken hearts, cure their diseases, and of course, forgive all their sins.

There was a time when John Lennon had a genuine interest in Jesus. According to Steve Turner’s book The Gospel According to the Beatles, John became a regular viewer of that era’s most influential TV preachers. In 1972 he sent a letter to Oral Roberts that the evangelist later shared publicly. Here are some of the comments Lennon wrote…

“The point is this, I want happiness. I don't want to keep on with drugs. Paul [McCartney] told me once, ‘You made fun of me for taking drugs, but you will regret it in the end.’ Explain to me what Christianity can do for me. Is it phony? Can He love me? I want out of hell.”

Five years later, Lennon told friends he had become a born-again Christian and went so far as to write several Christian songs. Unfortunately, that disturbed his wife Yoko Ono who eventually influenced John to abandon his newfound faith and embrace New Age practices.

I heard one minister say his goal in life was to make God famous. Let that be your daily mission as well. Open your mouth. Tell others about what the Lord has done in your life and that He loves them as well. Then Jesus will become more popular with them.

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher?” - Romans 10:14

An Open Letter to Congressman Hakeem Jeffries

Dear Mr. Jeffries,

I was going to email this directly to you but your website allows that only from citizens within your district (I’m registered to vote in Virginia). That’s why this is an open letter.

I’m a traveling missionary who previously pursued a music career and still keeps an eye on what’s going on with the recording industry. Nowadays, I follow politics more closely. I believe it’s important for Americans to know what their leaders in Washington are doing. Every day I pray for politicians like yourself to make wise decisions that will benefit our nation.

Last week you commemorated the 20th anniversary of The Notorious B.I.G.’s death by displaying a picture of him on the House floor and claimed his life was “the classic embodiment of the American dream.” I can relate to you being a fan of the slain rapper since he came from your hometown of Brooklyn. For most of my life, I lived in Minnesota and grew to admire the success of Prince. Still, I never cared for the explicit lyrics in some of his songs, which are rather tame compared to what many rappers have uttered over the last three decades.  

I read online that you are a member of a fellowship called Cornerstone Baptist Church. Therefore, you’ve likely heard the gospel and hopefully received salvation. If so, then as a brother in Christ I need to remind you Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” I also read that you have two teenage sons. Do you encourage them to listen to performers like The Notorious B.I.G. whose profanity-filled lyrics glorify ungodly living? As an elected official, can you really honor a man who went to jail many times for violence and drug dealing?

My intent is not to come across as self-righteous or condemning. None of us are perfect and deserve to go to heaven. I do hope The Notorious B.I.G. got right with the Lord before he was gunned down. Either way, I pray that in the future you will carefully think about the example you’re setting for future generations by choosing to honor individuals who are making a positive difference in this life and for eternity.

Sincerely, 

Todd R. Post

When the Towers Fell

Today on the fifteenth anniversary of 9/11, many people can still recall where they were and what they were doing during that tragic day. On that Tuesday morning, the Lord led me to do street ministry in Springfield, Virginia (at the time I was living in the nearby city of Manassas). The first two people I prayed with were teenaged boys on their way to school. Later while browsing around a Barnes & Noble bookstore, I overheard someone talk about a plane crash. I figured if it was something serious, I would later hear about it on the news.

Not long afterward, I walked into an electronics store and noticed people crowded around a big-screen TV. It was then I heard about the planes crashing into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (which is only ten miles from Springfield)! Increased boldness came upon me and I altered my evangelism approach for the rest of the day. First I asked people if they heard what just happened in New York City and Washington, DC. Then I asked if they would be in heaven had they perished in one of those attacks. Sadly, many of them were still oblivious to their need for salvation. One man in a military uniform walked away from me without saying a word. Fortunately, five more people prayed to get born again including folks originally from France, India, and Romania.

The next morning, the Lord woke me up at 4:00 a.m. and told me to go back to Springfield to do more evangelism. That day I prayed with eleven people to receive salvation. One in particular was by far the most memorable. When I returned to Barnes & Noble, the instrumental music playing in the background caught my attention. I asked an employee about it and we got into a lengthy conversation. Jaime was a Spanish immigrant who was very friendly and we eventually talked about the terrorist attacks. I found out Jaime literally saw the plane crash into the Pentagon on his way to work! He then asked why God would allow things like that happen to good people. I explained to Jaime that it’s the devil that influences people to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). Jaime later prayed to get born again. It was definitely a divine appointment.

There were people I knew who had close calls related to the events of 9/11…

* The wife of my then-pastor worked at the Pentagon. Her office was in the very same section that was hit by the plane, which stopped one wall short of where she was sitting! Fortunately she didn't experience serious injuries.

* The father of a friend of mine in Virginia also worked at the Pentagon. He planned on getting cash at an ATM machine where the plane later hit. This man changed his mind at the last minute. That decision saved his life.

* Two ladies I know who lived and worked at Calvary Campground in Ashland, Virginia took a trip to New York and made plans to tour the World Trade Center on the evening of September 11. It was a good thing they didn't go there earlier that day before the planes hit.

* On the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance (September 14, 2001) declared by President George W. Bush, I felt led to call a friend of mine who lived in the Philadelphia area. Ellen told me a couple we both knew was visiting her and had ministered at a New York church the Sunday before. This couple originally planned on staying in New York two more days to do some sightseeing. But the wife felt a strong prompting to get out of New York sooner.

The next time a horrific event like 9/11 happens, use that as an opportunity to share the gospel with people. Some individuals need a serious wake-up call to realize their lives can suddenly end without warning. One minister I know in New York often says, “Meet your Maker before you meet your undertaker!”

“There will be on every high mountain and on every high hill rivers and streams of waters, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall” - Isaiah 30:25

Cowboy Controversy

Charles Spurgeon once said, “A time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the church will have clowns entertaining the goats.” This statement has been quoted when Christian critics see something going on in church they deem “worldly.” Recently a women’s conference at Hillsong NYC featured people on stage dressed as various characters including “The Naked Cowboy”, a popular Times Square street performer who wears only boots, a cowboy hat and briefs strategically covered by his guitar. The cowboy at Hillsong was portrayed by its youth pastor Diego Simila.

Over the years Hillsong Church has been a frequent target of heresy hunters. Therefore, I wasn’t quick to pass judgment on them but hoped to see an official statement explaining what happened. That eventually came from Hillsong founder Brian Houston. As I suspected, it was a lapse of judgment by the conference organizer. Houston pointed out, “He [Diego] was wearing proper shorts, not underwear, and he had a flag draped over him – perhaps inappropriate, but certainly not naked...It won't happen again.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Michael Brown wrote an article expressing his concerns about the controversy. One thing that caught my attention was a response from a woman who attended the conference. Amber Grace commented, “…And what this post does not mention is the hundreds of women who heard the gospel and surrendered their lives to Christ for the first time. Or, the hundreds of children who were sponsored through Compassion International.” 

Thank God He still uses us in spite of poor decisions we might make.

Amber also talked about how at the conference the women were encouraged to pray for one another. She went on to say, “How are we ever going to beat the real enemy if we keep attempting to destroy our fellow workers? I applaud Hillsong. They reach the ones that others aren’t. You may not agree with their methods, but to the unchurched they have influence and that is our focus. Why don’t we unite against the enemy instead of each other? We don’t all have to agree on everything, but we can still spread love and share that there is one name by which people are saved…Jesus. We have a world to change together!”

It’s often said believers are to be “in the world but not of it.” Perhaps the leadership at Hillsong will use better discernment regarding what they do at future conferences. Their London church experienced a similar backlash after their pastor dressed up on stage as the womanizing movie character Austin Powers. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 (KJV) does say, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

Then again, the Apostle Paul also wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” Christians can be creative and have fun parodying contemporary culture without selecting suggestive characters to imitate. Three years ago I attended a special meeting honoring the pastor’s 70th birthday. Five of his associates dubbed themselves “Mac Dynasty” and sang birthday greetings mixed with riffs from ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man” (the original “Duck Dynasty” theme song).

Whether you like Hillsong or not, let’s choose to believe the best about each other and focus on obeying the Great Commission.

“Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.” - Romans 14:4

The Right Place at the Right Time

Last November, I took a trip to Boston, Massachusetts. I perceived the Lord wanted me there since I was getting all kinds of “Boston” signs (such as this paper cutter used at a church in Florida). To save on lodging expenses, I stayed at a hostel for two nights but didn’t sleep well due to other guests walking in our bedroom at various times. The next night I stayed at a house church in Haverhill, Massachusetts. My hosts would have let me stay longer except they already had too many guests. Not wanting to return to the hostel, I decided to leave the Boston area and travel to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where I have friends to stay and minister with.  

During my time in Bean Town I did some sightseeing but not much evangelizing mainly because I wanted someone ministering with me. Now I wish I had done more after hearing about the Boston Marathon bombings this past Monday that left three people dead and at least 170 people injured. This tragedy reminded me of when I was in Madrid, Spain six months before the 2004 train bombings that killed 191 people and wounded close to 2,000. God only knows whom I might have ministered to affected by one or both of those terrorist attacks.

In 2004 I had another incident that showed me how our obedience to the Lord has eternal consequences for others. One night I felt a strong impression that I was supposed to head over to the University of Tampa the next day. After some initial hesitation, I finally did so in the afternoon and noticed an area roped off by the police. A man standing on top of a building was threatening to jump off!  Since I couldn’t talk to this man directly, I bound the spirits of suicide and death in Jesus’ name. Then I prayed in the Spirit until I felt a release. As I stood praying, one man came up to me and asked what was going on. I witnessed to David and he got born again.

I also recall not sleeping all that well the morning of 9/11 but still felt led of the Lord to go evangelizing that day. At the time the hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, I was in Springfield, Virginia...10 miles from the Pentagon. I mentioned those tragedies to the people I witnessed to by pointing out how our lives can suddenly end without warning. The Lord woke me up early the next day (September 12th, 2001) and instructed me to evangelize again in Springfield. One of the people I led to the Lord was a Barnes & Noble employee who the day before saw the plane crash into the Pentagon on his way to work!

Once again, it's important to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit and be where God wants us to be. People’s eternal destinies are at stake. Every day before I leave the house, I pray “God, help me be in the right place at the right time doing the right thing with the right people and saying the right thing.” Let that be your prayer as well.

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” - Psalm 37:23