As I write this, we are visiting Melissa's parents in St. Louis. Melissa and I sure do a lot of travelling. St. Louis is amazing, and Melissa's parents live right around the corner from apostate cult leader superstar Joyce Meyer. Drove by her compound tonight. Can you imagine how many wireless microphones and clear, lucite podiums must be in there? There's a nice secular take on Joyce and her "ministry" in the local paper. I may post some excerpts.
I live by one simple rule: If you are a "christian" and your book is for sale at Sam's, you are doing something wrong. Works every time. Joyce's book is available at Sam's. Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life" is there, too. Uh-oh. Could praise for 'Mr. Warren's Opus' be misguided? I haven't read it, but I know other people in Chattablogs praise this work, and I would hope it is the exception to the rule. It strikes me as odd, though. Could spiritual truth be purchased at the same place where you can buy enough kool-aid to hold your own Jim Jones impression? I mean, they only sell so many books. How does one get so lucky as to have theirs peddled there?
All in all, St. Louis is growing on me. It's freakin' huge, and fun, and people seem to make money here, which is something that nobody in Chattanooga seems to be doing these days.
Posted by colrus at September 29, 2003 03:50 AM | TrackBackI know who Joyce Meyer is (I've passed her on tv a few times) and I'm wondering why you say what you do about her apostate, cult leader. OK she's a woman preacher, probably not kosher but I've never heard her say anything unbiblical in her sermons on tv. Granted I've probably spent a grant total of 20 minutes watching. Maybe she's truly evil.
Really wondering if you could expound a bit.
Posted by: ColeSlaw at September 29, 2003 07:48 AMShe doesn't come across as too happy a person. Her speaking manner is kind of strange.
I think it's Ok for a Christian book to be available at Sam's. Sam's is going to sell things that people are willing to buy. Sams' motivation is not likely to be that of the author (spiritual edification), but it doesn't neccesarily cheapen the book to be sold at Sam's.
They sell Bibles at Sam's, don't they?
Posted by: podge at September 29, 2003 08:37 AMSlaw, Joyce Meyer is big into the "Word of Faith" movement, which is chock full of false teachings.
Posted by: John at September 29, 2003 03:27 PMMy previous comment just got wiped out, but the gist of it was that popularity does not automatically mean warped, wrong, or unscriptural. Maybe you don't agree with Rick Warren, Max Lucado, or other 'popular' christians. Sam's stocks what sells.
If you don't want it in Sam's, where should christian stuff be sold? Only in exclusively-christian stores? All that does is lock up our message which the opposite of what we want.
I think we should be thankful big places like Sam's offer not just wordly-junk, but also spiritual stuff.
Posted by: Dale at September 29, 2003 04:35 PMi got the responses i expected to this, and my rick warren comment was kinda in jest...i just wanted to find a way to get the line "Jim Jones Impression" into a post.
sure, sam's sells some o.k. stuff...
joyce meyer, however, ain't one of 'em...
As members of of the body of christ we all have imperfections and spiritual gifts. when we attack a member with sarascm we are truely attacking our selves: we are part of that body. Love extinquishes evil; if thats hard to swallow,just remember what the crucifixion did for all of us. may god bless us and our enemies in christ jesus forever,theresa
Posted by: theresa roberts at October 30, 2003 01:28 PM