Choosing the Narrow Path - Part 2 - Praise from GOD or from Man?

"PUBLIC PERCEPTION"..."spinning it in the media"..."what does the fan-base and support-base think?"..."what will PEOPLE think if I ________?"

It's amazing to watch how PULLED and LED by "what people think" that nearly all of mankind is. From athletes to entertainers, politicians to business executives...even religious leaders...the NUMBER ONE FOCUS is "What do PEOPLE think of me?" And then the decisions are made. Right versus wrong almost ALWAYS takes a back seat. It's about what the PEOPLE want and think and how they'll react. RARE is the case when someone does RIGHT and IMMEDIATELY credits GOD. RARE is the case when someone does WRONG and IMMEDIATELY (BEFORE being "caught") says, "I made a mistake, I've let GOD down and anyone else who has thought highly of me, I ask His forgiveness, and I WILL CHANGE." How powerful and profound this would be!...if GOD truly was NUMBER ONE in more people's lives. This is sad...wrong...upsetting...that our glorious and awesome Creator isn't IMMEDIATELY credited and isn't IMMEDIATELY apologized to...for "fear of the people's reaction."

Look at this POWERFUL and TELLING quote from Gwen...an excerpt taken from her "EXODUS Daily Devotional: Laying Down Your Idols" book...

"It really bothers me that God is not in the headline news every night. I would love to hear a newscaster say, 'And the hand of God spared this person from a fatal accident today.' It also makes me mad that God is not on the weather channel every night! Can you imagine hearing the weatherman say, 'And God did something new again. We guessed that it was going to rain today, but God decided to bring sunshine instead. What a God of surprises He is! And did anyone see the sunset He painted yesterday? He outdid Himself yet again!'"

And there's more from that excerpt...

"God is God, and I love it! I don’t want it any other way, and I wouldn’t want the world in the hands of anyone else. God has all authority and power, and I respect and uphold every decision He makes, from simple ones to difficult ones. Strive to begin each day standing in awe of God’s deeds, and give HIM credit where all credit and praise and honor is due!"

THAT, dear friends, is a FOCUS on giving GOD the PROPER PRAISE and HONOR and RESPECT that is due Him! NO cares about the "praise of men" or "how that will be perceived in the media." THINK ABOUT THIS...NO man or woman of GOD...EVER...throughout history...NONE...ZERO...put his or her "reputation" and/or "how I'll be perceived by MAN"...OVER the wants and wishes and praises and desires and commands of GOD.

Abraham, Job, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Hosea, JESUS CHRIST, Peter, Paul, John, Timothy, James, Titus...and since those days of the written Scriptures you've had MARTYRS and PROPHETS...people who RISKED and even GAVE UP their lives in many ways...and to this very day you have Gwen crying out to anyone in this world who will LISTEN, saying, "It really bothers me that GOD is not in the headlines news every night...God is God, and I love it! I don’t want it any other way, and I wouldn’t want the world in the hands of anyone else."

THOSE are no "common" statements to make...not in this generation.

TODAY on WDWB LIVE, at 3:30pm CST, we'll have a discussion with CHRIS ANCONA, a man who will testify about "Choosing the Narrow Path," STOPPING his known sins from the get-go of his hearing this Message, REVERSING course and getting on the NARROW path, and RUNNING FORWARD with this Truth in his life...putting this "GOD FIRST" attitude and life into PRACTICE...and emulating that incredible example that Gwen lays out in this Ministry...with all praise to GOD! We hope you'll join us.

September 11th, 2001 - "9/11" - TODAY is the Day of Salvation

SEPTEMBER 11th, 2001.

Everyone in the United States who is old enough to have memories from that day eight years ago will, of course, never forget where you were and what you felt on that morning. As a Staff here at Weigh Down, we not only will never forget running to our Conference Room, turning on the TV (REMEMBER that in 2001...while the Internet was up and running and growing in popularity and use, it wasn't the "first thing you ran to" for breaking news...YET), and witnessing with JAWS DROPPED as the SECOND plane hit the tower...then, the shock of seeing each tower COLLAPSE in SECONDS. Never before or since has something so IMPACTFUL (of an accident and/or disaster-type scenario) been witnessed, captured, and BROADCASTED LIVE, played out right before our eyes, in such a worldwide, public fashion.

You may be of the age of remembering the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, or the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger explosion, or the 1981 shooting of President Ronald Reagan. These events, covered worldwide and incredibly impactful, DIDN'T though PHYSICALLY IMPACT so MANY people...right on the spot...in the most famous city in the world...with so much uncertainty as to WHAT was happening and WHY...and with such INSTANTANEOUS COVERAGE...as 9/11/2001 in New York City.

How have you changed since then? A radio DJ this morning in Nashville talked about witnessing "people being more kind" and "changing" for few days after that day...but the DJ's comments were SAD and TELLING as she went on to say that "like always," life moved on and people went back to their old ways. True...sad...and absolutely WRONG before GOD. He has spent SO MUCH TIME trying to lovingly, mercifully, gently teach us that HIS ways are better...that HIS boundaries fall in "pleasant places"...that SALVATION is a DAILY RELATIONSHIP where HE is the GOD and we are NOT...that we are NOT "once saved, always saved." Like the Apostle PAUL said in his letter to the Philippians, Chapter 2:12-13...

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

Continue...working...SALVATION...fear...trembling.

There was PLENTY of "fear and trembling" on that day and for a few days afterwards. Gwen wrote VOLUMES about that experience. In Weigh Down Advanced, written and filmed months BEFORE 9/11/2001, she WARNED that America needed to REPENT, change its ways, RETURN to GOD and His beautiful commands. She told anyone who would LISTEN that our sin was INCREASING and that throughout history, GOD had allowed other nations to invade and attack His people when they STRAYED from His commands, became COMPLACENT, and stopped loving Him FIRST. Then...9/11/2001...IT HAPPENED. Gwen has continued, tirelessly and with great URGENCY, to teach and share the GOOD NEWS that we CAN change! We CAN learn from such events to RUN to GOD! TODAY is the day of SALVATION. You CAN and MUST return to this beautiful combination of love and fear and trembling before GOD. It is a WONDERFUL, HUMBLE place to be...a RIGHT and HEALTHY and BLESSED state of mind, heart, and action. It is "working out your salvation" in the way Paul instructed us to do. Tomorrow is NOT guaranteed for ANY of us. Let's NOT fulfill those words spoken by the Nashville DJ (although she is RIGHT about the way most people are...) Let's INSTEAD listen and read and watch what Gwen is pouring out through this Ministry. THOSE WORDS are TRUE and can help you STAY CHANGED! 9/11/2009...Make TODAY and EVERY day...another day of pursuing this SALVATION with EVERYTHING you've GOT. We actually will talk about this TODAY on WDWB LIVE at 3:30pm CST in our weekly visit with TEDD ANGER. He actually was IN downtown Manhattan ON THAT DAY. It will be a time of introspection, memories, and a CHARGE to RUN FORWARD with this Message of change! We hope you'll join us.