On the May 31, 2009 Battle Lines broadcast we discussed Joel Osteen and his feel-good version of the Gospel. Osteen is the pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Lakewood is the largest church in the U.S., drawing 43,000 people every week to services. You can check out their ministry at www.lakewood.cc. Osteen is also the most widely watched television preacher. His messages are televised nationally every week on ABC Family, USA, TBN, and several other cable channels. He also broadcasts here in Detroit every Sunday morning on local NBC. Most of us, flipping through the channels, have seen him. Is the message he preaches in keeping with historic, orthodox Christianity?

On the May 16, 2009 Battle Lines broadcast we discussed the homosexual political agenda with special guest Peter Labarbera. Labarbera is the president and founder of Americans for Truth about Homosexuality, a national organization devoted to exposing and countering the homosexual activist agenda. Labarbera is a former reporter for the Washington Times and has appeared on Fox News’ Hannity and Colmes speaking out for the truth about homosexuality. We discussed whether gay marriage is a civil right. Labarbera’s unequivocal conviction is that it is not – instead it is a moral wrong. Gay marriage, according to Labarbera is not even the issue; the issue is homosexuality. And because homosexuality is morally wrong, gay marriage is not even an option. To the assertion that the government cannot legislate morality, Labarbera reacts with certain disagreement. The very purpose of government is to legislate morality. To establish laws that guide a society’s behavior. The only question is whose morality a government will legislate: a healthy, truth-based morality or a relativistic, liberal morality. According to Labarbera, “The number one threat to free speech and religious freedom in America today is the pro-homosexual activist movement.” We concluded our discussion by reminding our listeners that, while we oppose the homosexual political agenda, we love and are concerned for people who are engaged in a homosexual lifestyle. We believe that through the love and truth of Christ, through faith in His death and resurrection, people can be delivered from sin. Check out Peter Labarbera’s website: www.americansfortruth.com.

On the May 2, 2009 Battle Lines broadcast, we discussed Jesus’ call for His disciples to be salt and light. We asserted that the primary reason for the decay in our culture is that Christians are not being faithful as salt and light. In the first century, salt was used primarily as a preservative for foods. It slowed decay. Christians can and should have a positive influence on a culture. Christians are a preservative from God’s judgment because, while Christians are here, the Spirit is here and God is still at work. Even just 10 righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah would have preserved the cities from destruction. The two sources of light – a city and a lamp – have something in common: both are seen, both give off light. Christians shine the light of the truth of Christ in a dark and erring world. Two common points emerge from these two images: 1) Ineffectiveness: Salt can lose its saltiness and light can be hidden. Let’s not be ineffective. 2) Benefit: Both salt and light benefit others – salt preserves, light reveals. Let’s be a benefit to our culture. We discussed two ways that we can be salt and light in our culture.