Posted on 09/13/2010 5:43:15 AM PDT by Kaslin
In a recent journey that connected two different times and two different continents, I’ve come to appreciate the impact that individuals can have when they struggle to find God’s will in their lives. One such individual was Martin Luther whose stand triggered the Reformation in 1517. The other was Glenn Beck whose recent Restoring Honor Rally touched hundreds of thousands in attendance and even more who were watching from afar. One took advantage of the printing press, the other the Internet and the media. Both took risks to take a stand for God, freedom and personal responsibility.
On a recent Path of Luther Tour in Germany, I was confronted again and again by the power of one lowly priest, preaching in a remote German village, who helped unleash the fire of a living faith that transformed an age.
In the city of Worms, Germany, Luther was called to recant of his views expressed in the 95 Theses that he had posted in Wittenberg against the abuses of the Catholic Church. It was in Worms that he made his bold and memorable stand: “I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.”
Because of his offenses against the Pope and Rome, Luther was never allowed to enter the Imperial Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Worms, but, today, it remains the only Catholic cathedral to have a stained glass window honoring the German reformer. Our guide commenting on the window said that they left the Bible under his arm a bold red because at the time of Luther “faith was on fire for God.”
On August 28th, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Glenn Beck avoided partisan rhetoric. Instead, he called on Americans to get on their knees and get right with God. For it was only then that America would again find its way. Like Luther centuries before him, he called for an awakening to the power of faith in God. Glenn Beck and the thousands attending lit a spark to put faith on fire in this great country.
Luther put the Bible in the hands of the average believer to let them experience a personal relationship with God. When, to Luther’s dismay, they turned their passion for freedom into attacks on others, Luther implored them to stop. Glenn Beck did the same. Instead of condoning hatred, he called for a change in heart. Since then, there have been numerous critical and supportive comments and commentary. But history will be the best judge of its true impact. But rest assured that his message rings true with our Founding Fathers’ understanding of the importance of faith in preserving freedom.
In George Washington’s Farewell Address, our first President and Founding Father affirmed our common patriotic pride supported by diverse, religious citizens “with only slight shades of difference.” He went on to warn, “...reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle...." Our second President, John Adams, went even further: "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
The beginning and end of the Declaration of Independence provided the anchors for Glenn Beck’s Restoring Honor Rally—“We the People…. With the firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor.”
May we somehow connect those dots once again in this generation, one American at a time. For believers, the answer isn’t burning the Quran in Florida; it’s adding some fire to one’s own faith. We’d be wise to claim the three anchors that Glenn has focused on this year—Faith, Hope, and Charity.
The conservative call for smaller government and an end to endless entitlements must still deal with the people in our midst who need help. That’s why Glenn puts such a strong emphasis on tithing. People of faith don’t just spend and save their earned income; they’re called to provide charity and support for those in need.
When pundits commented on the political implications of Glenn Beck’s event, they talked about Republicans taking back Washington. Glenn said that was not the point. To Beck, such progress would be short-lived. What is needed is a new Great Awakening that will change the hearts of men and women. A new awakening that would renew a commitment to individual responsibility, Constitutional principles and God could once again focus our country on faith, hope and charity. History will tell whether that awakening occurs.
Wonder if he’s happy with his creation.
The Christian Bible says that in the last days God will "... pour out his Spirit on all flesh..."
” What is needed is a new Great Awakening that will change the hearts of men and women. A new awakening that would renew a commitment to individual responsibility, Constitutional principles and God could once again focus our country on faith, hope and charity. History will tell whether that awakening occurs. “
Cannot impeach his reasoning.
Yeah, he gets us hooked in with the conservative principles,
then immediately throws out the “Native Americans as God’s chosen people”, the works based salvation, and becoming your own god.
It is true that we need a revival. But that revival needs to be based on truth, not on some man’s desire to justify his desired lifestyle (Smith).
Very true
” then immediately throws out the “Native Americans as God’s chosen people”, the works based salvation, and becoming your own god. “
Is this a Mormon thang?
Si... If you’d like, I will FReepmail you some links to podcasts where the guy examines Beck’s speech - heavily Mormon oriented.
Some things never change...ah, the self centered. Let’s reinvent God to conform to me, me, me. My conscious demands it after all.
One of the tactics of the left is to insist that if a Christian is to pray in public, that prayer must not mention Jesus Christ. Christians rightly respond that they have the right and responsibility to express their beliefs in prayers and that to enforce some “politically correct” prayer is contrary to the First Amendment and God’s laws and a sign of the left’s real agenda of destroying the the right of the faithful to participate in the public forum.
How, pray tell, is your criticism of Beck expressing his religious belief different from the left criticizing prayer in the name of Christ? Are you not trying to enforce “politically correct” Christianity as the only legitimate expression of religious belief? After all, Beck wasn’t telling you what to believe, any more than a person praying in the name of Christ at a public event is telling everyone what to believe.
Get off your anti-Mormon jihad and recognize the real enemy is our own intolerance of each other at times when we should be combining our strength (without compromising our principles) against a common enemy. If Beck were tearing down your faith at his call for revival, your criticism would be understandable. But, as I understand it, he merely called everyone to place their faith front and foremost. But, heaven forbid, a Mormon call us to our better nature.
We need to be in a great awakening about democrat voter fraud.
Are you not trying to enforce “politically correct” Christianity as the only legitimate expression of religious belief?
Quite the opposite. Truth is the antithesis of political correctness.
On the flip side, political correctness says we must not speak the truth when someone is urging others down a path of falsehood.
And, yes, it IS sad that a Mormon is the one leading the way.
Beck wasn’t telling you what to believe
That’s an interesting interpretation of the works versus grace debate still roiling Christianity after 2000 years.
You have settled the issue in your mind, which is fine and your right but there are a lot of Christian churches who don’t fully agree with your interpretation. Who has the truth? We all believe we possess the truth, otherwise we wouldn’t hold different faiths and creeds. It all hinges on interpretation of the Bible by mortal men, some inspired, not not so.
I just find it sad that when someone tries to accomplish something good, so many are willing to tear down that work because it somehow threatens their own beliefs. By all means, lean on faith to protect us from the predations of the Democrats in power, but I am going to rely on works springing from faith. As that pesky Bible scripture says, “Faith without works is dead.”
However, I don’t see how that applies to urging people to do good works in this country to counter evil. As I read the Bible, God does not countenance a people who sit idly by and let evil run rampant. Instead, the innocent get swept aside with the guilty when the inevitable wrath of God comes. Your posts are themselves “works” to fight what you consider Beck’s evil. Should Beck’s call be considered evil because you disagree with his religious faith? I disagree with everyone not of my faith but that doesn’t mean I can’t be called to improve myself or to a particular truth by the Pope, Franklin Graham, an imam, a rabbi or a Buddhist monk. I have taken truths from many sources from Hindus to Confuscians to atheists. Truth is truth and can be mouthed by anyone, and whoever is confident of their own faith and recognizes truth will take that grain of truth and discard the chaff of falsehood that might come along with it. But the fact that a person believes something you don’t doesn’t and shouldn’t discount the truth he or she does express.
All I’m saying is that you should be “Berean” and understand what the Bible says (not the “reworked, plagiarized ‘bible’, either),
and not let apostate “doctrine” like “dominion theology” lead you astray.
Fine, follow Beck if you want. I actually SUPPORT the “awakening” - but I don’t want a millstone tied around my neck for leading folks astray, or for being the watchman that doesn’t sound the alarm.
You quote “Faith without works is dead”, but that requires the faith and salvation FIRST, not as a requisite of salvation,
This is an example of the theme that is ALL OVER the new testament, so I really don’t think it’s a “debate” to any who view the bible as the authority.
Eph 2:8-9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
I don’t think we disagree that one can’t “earn” their way into heaven. My issue is that the matter of faith and works doesn’t seem to me to apply to a call to righteousness and a combined effort to counter the evil we are facing right now. The faith/works debate is important (not to mention nuanced) but it should not neuter our joint efforts to fight evil right before our eyes. No, it will not earn us a place in heaven, but it might save a lot of grief and pain for our children and grandchildren here and in the hereafter.
I just don’t like the message of “Don’t listen to Beck. He’s not one of ‘us’.” These days there are too few of “us” to engage in a circular firing squad.
(Note, got to head off to work. I will respond later should you wish to continue the discussion. I respect your point of view; even though we disagree theologically I recognize you speak truth also.)
Um, care to provide a link to where Beck has said or done such a thing?
Take a look through the transcript.
He proclaims the belief that the Native Americans are God’s chosen people.
“Be your higher self” - very “new age”
“stand in the burning bush” - what’s that mean to you? To me it means “stand in the place of God”
In a few months after the Nov election we are all going to have a great awakening to the fact that the GOP has not changed and will do little or nothing to roll back all of this Progressive nonsense.
even where we sit next to Brothers on Sun morning, we will have some disagreement on the interpretations of things, much moreso when its another sect entirely...
'Truth' is needed, every sliver from every corner that we can bring to 'We The People' at every opportunity...we cant perpetuate what we believe to be false teachings, but MUST reinforce the things that we can all agree about...
that the tree will be known by its fruit [works] is a slam dunk at revealing who bambam really is...i think thats a common starting point for anyone to begin instruction of Truth, excepting most muslims...
Mormons are re-branding themselves to show what they have in common with the new Protestantism. The only way they can do this is by attacking the basic truths of the Catholic Church and Christianity. The other day, they had an article attacking the creed. In other words, God lied and the gates of hell prevailed against the his church, the pillar of truth, and we all get to follow our conscious, appoint ourselves prophets, define the truth to be whatever and declare ourselves the authentic church.
Expect more attacks on truth by Mormons as Beck and company are “re-branding themselves and attempting to redefine Christianity.” Who didn’t see this new assault creeping in awhile back? Unite by lies and narrow truth or unite by truth and build on truth.
Thank God for the 2000 yr old Catholic Church, the pillar of truth!
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