The Door

By L. J. Landry
Today, as I sit at my desk and write this column on Sunday April 13, 2008, the day brings about the age old question of “Does anybody really give a or really care about anything? Does anyone anywhere really care about anything, anymore? If a person were walking down the middle of Pierre Part Lane, Hwy 70, and if that person were to trip and fall would someone stop to help? Or, even worse, if someone were being raped or robbed along the route would you interfere or just turn your nose up and keep on riding along in your Cajun limousine?
Seems that the world doesn’t care anymore, seems that care has been thrown out the window, and much worse it seems that religion is not religion anymore and that morals and scruples have been thrown into the waste dump?
There are probably a 100 or so readers screaming and shouting, right about now, with questions such as why, what makes you feel that way, how can you say such a thing? The answer to the screams is simply, the world today.
There was a time, not very long ago, that television talk show hosts tried to keep a very good public image and while so doing always tried to teach right from wrong and that has gone right out the door. Some TV talk show hosts are even using their fame to make themselves money, to change public opinion and, as of late, using their influence to change the course of religion. The latter is an all time low.
If you want to know what all the hype is about then plug in church of oprah winfrey into any Internet search engine. The results will bring you quite a surprise. Seems that Oprah fancies herself an authority on religion and is even denying that Jesus Christ is the way to salvation. Before you go booing the column check out the documentation and the rest of the story, no pun intended. The end result, according to the Bible (better known as the word of God) is that by definition of the previous sentence and by definition of her own actions, Oprah Winfrey is best described as an anti-Christ.
Most people think that there is only one antichrist and thereby some are people (readers) are ready to pass out or throw a fit at the very thought of their favorite TV personality being anything but a saint. Some would rather destroy the writer/reporter/columnist rather than read one single bad word about a well liked personality. Well, a saint she is not.
One article on the Internet titled The Church of Oprah Winfrey – A new American Religion states that, “Marcia Z. Nelson sees Oprah as a major American religious leader. In The Gospel According to Oprah, Nelson presents her as the symbol and catalyst for a new American religion. “Oprah Winfrey, talk show host, film producer, and philanthropist, is not ordained. She is neither preacher nor religious professional. Yet her multimedia empire, built over two decades, has given her the scope and stature of an influential leader. Oprah has a prominent pulpit from which to preach,” Nelson insists”.
Oprah does preach from her pulpit and fancies herself an authority on the subject of salvation. Her plan does not include Jesus Christ as the way or the truth or the light.
Oprah started her church on March 03, 2008, the day of the first service. The church has grown from 300,000 members on the first day to over 2 million strong at present. It’s the largest church in the world. She professes that there is no such thing as sin, she professes that a person need only be self-holy to obtain salvation and does not mention belief in God or belief in Jesus Christ as any part of salvation. In fact, she claims that it doesn’t matter how you get there as long as you get there.
To see this for your self-just type in “church of oprah exposed” in an Internet search engine and this will bring you to the youtube.com site. Get ready for your eyes to be opened as to what Oprah really is.
According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary online the true definition of antichrist is: antichrist can mean either “against Christ” or “instead of Christ,” or perhaps, combining the two, “one who, assuming the guise of Christ, opposes Christ” (Westcott). The word is found only in John’s epistles, (a) of the many “antichrists” who are forerunners of the “Antichrists” himself, 1 John 2:18,22; 2 John 1:7; (b) of the evil power which already operates anticipatively of the “Antichrist,” 1 John 4:3.
To make this easy to understand if you’re against Christ then you are an antichrist, period.
From the Bible, King James Version: 1 John 2:22
22Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Just a word to the wise, be careful who you listen to, be careful who preaches to you, always double check your bible, as a backup, if it can’t be found in the bible then it’s not the word of God.
Of course, there are countless numbers who are screaming, just about now, why all this God talk, why all this Jesus talk, simply because they are not wanting to hear the truth. Some claim that they don’t want religion crammed in their face yet will listen to someone who has no authority and who is not anointed to do so and believe a lie rather than the truth.
First and foremost, one should live to please God and not to please man. Secondly the bible holds the answer to almost any question imaginable and it does hold the key to this topic. Then it should be remembered that the true believers are not found in iniquity. Proverbs 11:30
30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.a
How does one become righteous? The answer starts and ends with Jesus.

As Christians we are supposed to follow the footsteps of Jesus in being Christ like. How often does that happen in your world?

Are you a Christian in overdrive? Thats’ a person who is deadset of ridding the world of sin, all sin, and has visions of himself or herself as a Christian at maximum capacity. That person is so deadset on making the world a better place that the person soon becomes blinded with hate for non-followers of Christian doctrine. He/she has the right intentions but the wrong way of trying to make things work. These same people could easily shoot someone for not being a Christian and feel that they’ve done the right thing. That’s how blind they have become. If that doesn’t seem out of place to you then perhaps you should rethink your motives and search your heart before you become un-Christian. Ask yourself, Am I really a Christian at heart?

A true Christian is a person who follows Christ in every aspect and who follows the greatest commandment and the second greatest commandment to the letter of the things as they should be.

When the scribes asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment he answered promptly without hestitation. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind! This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Also, you remember the new commandment given by Jesus himself in which he said, “ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Matthew 22:38

Remember that loving your neighbor as yourself means to love your neighbor as your neighbor is and not as you want him to be. Loving one’s neighbor means loving that person in the color the person is along with all the faults for none of us are perfect. One should love one another no matter what sexual preferences a person has and no matter how the person talks. That doesn’t mean that you, as a Christian, can not rebuke your neighbor for surely you must rebuke your neighbor if he/she offends thee. But remember to rebuke for what you actually see and not what you think might be happening. Get the complete truth and both sides of the story. Don’t judge without knowing the truth. To rebuke out of spite is to hate and hate is wrong and not Christian like. It is better to present your neighbor with the word of God, let the word of God change the person for without God nothing is possible.
Remember that it is written, You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of hou shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge aginst the children of your people, but shou shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:28
Also, In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. You shall not go about as a talebearer among our people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:15