In 1985, Sally Field won an Oscar. In a cringing-worthy, but memorable acceptance speech, she excitedly said–”You LIKE me, You LIKE ME!” The audience squirmed uncomfortably to see someone openly state what is virtually on everyone else’s heart. It’s true…we all desire to be liked. It seems popularity has become the Holy Grail not only for Hollywood narcissists but for glory-seeking Christians too.
I think it’s interesting that the concept has also spread to our Social Media. We gauge our worth by how many “Likes” we have on FaceBook.
Even Pope Francis and Obama have gotten into the act.
In the 2012 election, Obama was consistently viewed as more “likable” than Romney in poll after poll. He was the person most Americans would choose to invite over for a beer or their Holiday dinner party. Apparently, this “likability” translated into low-information voters selecting the next American Idol.
Pope Francis has been recently described as the “Rock Star Pope.” Undeniably, people LIKE Pope Francis and he seems to be encouraging this adulation. He was just named Time’s “Person of the Year.” His recent quote: “Who am I to judge” has become the inclusiveness and diversity mantra for Human Secularists and LGBT activists alike.
Yet, here’s what the Bible says:
Do you not know that we will judge angels?
~1 Corinthians 6:3
Is there anyone else out there who finds it utterly incredulous that the POPE, the chosen leader of 1.2 BILLION Christians worldwide, seems incapable of simply telling his flock what is right and wrong according to the Word of God? If HEcan’t quote basic scripture (which is extremely clear on the issue of sexual sin and PARTICULARLY clear on the homosexual issue)…then may I suggest he is woefully unqualified for his job!
Even Pro-Abortion, Pro-Gay Marriage and Anti-Christian Obama praised Pope Francis’ comments. Don’t you find this weird?…I guess he “likes” him.
So should followers of Jesus expect to be LIKED? …
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
~John 15:18
You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
~Matthew 10:22
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
~James 4:4
4= four corners of the earth
44=Worldwide (exponentially)
Coincidentally, Obama is the 44th President. Hmmm…exponential enemy of God? Just sayin’…
If the Bible prophets, disciples and apostles were stoned, burned at the stake, thrown into the lion’s den, cast into the fiery furnace, torn limb from limb and crucified….How in the world (pardon the pun) did popularity become a modern day measure of goodness?
Obama and the Pope also have something else in common. They both claim that they want to eradicate poverty. They believe they can alleviate everyone’s misery on the planet if they can just be put in charge of the purse strings. Doesn’t that sound so nice? I mean…who can possibly be opposed to removing poverty from the planet?
Interestingly, JUDAS was the ONLY disciple who ever expressed concern about redistributing wealth to the poor:
Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
~John 12: 5-6
So, on one hand we have the Pope and Obama saying we can eradicate poverty in our lifetime, and we have Jesus saying “the poor you will always have with you.” Hmmmm….Whom should we believe? I think that another modern day translation of this scripture could easily begin with….DUH!
Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar.
~Romans 3:4
For even your brothers and the household of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you, Even they have cried aloud after you. Do not believe them, although they may say nicethings to you.
~Jeremiah 12:6
What Obama and the Pope don’t seem to understand is that POVERTY is a state of mind, body and spirit that we all MUST attain in order to approach the throne of God. It is a SHADOW PICTURE of humility. This is the same reason why nuns and priests take a VOW OF POVERTY in order to better serve the Lord.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
~Matthew 5:3
Obama and the Pope want to be popular…thus they feel the compelling inner need to eradicate “poorness” or HUMBLENESS in order to obtain this goal.
I can almost hear the gnashing of teeth that will accompany this unpopular position!
Compassionate Christians need to be more like Paul the Apostle:
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
~Galatians 1:10
I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.
~1 Corinthians 4:3
Basically, the Apostle Paul was saying: “I couldn’t care less what you think about me.”
However, the ultimate arbiter in all matters is our Lord and Savior. What did he say?
But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
~John 2:24-25
but made Himself of no reputation
~Philippians 2:7a
Socialist government enslaves and impoverishes people. This is a plain and simple Truth. It does the EXACT OPPOSITE of what it purports to do. It does not offer compassion for those least among us. In fact, the VERY FIRST people to feel the effects of a wicked Marxist/Socialist government are the poor, weak and vulnerable in society.
If you truly love God and are called to be a Truth-teller…you won’t care who “likes” you when you confront falsehoods. You may get “unfriended” or “blocked”, or possibly even “reported.” But in the end, like all the information posted on the Social Media…
The TRUTH will always be floating out there forever.
__________
he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.
~Proverbs 28:19
And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
~Job 30:16
I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.
~Benjamin Franklin
~Posted by permission of Pastor Jeffrey N. Daly
Pastor Jeffrey N. Daly is the author of Repentance—God’s Strategy to Bless a Nation and Zeal to Repent!—A Key to Personal and National Restoration
or by emailing him at
