As a side note and point of reference, I also want to point out my sister and I were in now way shape or form loyal Oprah fans. We definitely were Maury Povich fans before and after he became a walking DNA swab. I remember one episode (Maury was really trying to be serious) where he had a gentleman who suffered from a disease called BJD. BJD stood for "Big Jaw Disease". Sister and I balled, folded over on our tiny living room floor. Even though neither one of us were more than a dozen years old, we knew there had to be a better name for what this poor young man was suffering from rather than Big Jaw Disease. Not one medical researcher could've extracted a more validating name than Big Jaw Disease from all the dead Latin words that infiltrate our very living English language? C'mon!
Later on, Maury's signature words, "You are not the father!" evoked a certain sick intrigue in my sister and I. Tears and cheers, boos and flailing arms, hair flopping and flying and whipped and ripped off. Oh, it was a sensory attack! All the power Maury possessed, holding those paternity tests in his hands. The potential father nervously waiting to be relieved of his fatherly duties. Too much!
But as my faith grew and I became more of a woman and less of a girl, I grew tired of Maury's antics and Oprah's luster lacked in my world. Her generalized statements and delves into topics of faith, wore on me even in the infancy of my Walk with Christ. I had questions that her "spirituality teachings" and gurus didn't sufficiently answer. The Secret, The Shack, Deepak Chopra, T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen, A New Earth, Iyanla Vanzant (a yoruba priestess by the way), Dr. Phil, Rick Warren, Dr. Oz, Oprah herself, and an array of books and characters all branded with Oprah's stamp of approval just wasn't doing it spiritually for me anymore.
I heard someone say Oprah possessed the spirit of the antichrist and I must admit, from a Biblical vantage point, I do agree (1John 2:22-24). Now, right when someone says that [Oprah has the Spirit of the antichrist], very often, that person placed in the "weirdo" category or people get freaked out because the word antichrist, at least for believers, directs our attention to evil and danger and ominous circumstances and talk of end times, which can be a very scary topic for some. Or worse, we're reminded of that one Christian Bible website with all the weird galactic backgrounds and that oddly placed Rugged Cross animated gif with Easter lilies blowing in the wind that looks like it hasn't been updated since 1999 only to have all your graphic designing judgements shattered because their last post was dated last week of this year. Please, please, please sound- doctrined websites with outdated graphic designs, sign up for a free Wix account and legitimize your content to a much larger audience in a user-friendly manner. The content may be Bible-based but it's a headache trying to navigate those sites. I'm trying not to be THAT type of article in this post, so please, bear with me.
On the Spirit of the Antichrist.....
The most rudimentary definition of the antichrist is a person who is against Christ and has rejected His truth. Kinda like the Pharisees in the Bible. Check this link out if you'd like to know more about the Pharisees operated. God doesn't play in shades of grey (not 50, not 100). Like last week's topic, you're either for God, or against God (Matt. 6:24, James 1:8). Plain and simple.
It is not only Oprah walking around with the spirit of the antichrist about her. It is more prevalent than we desire to believe. It's our next door neighbor or that some-timey, fence straddling church attender. It's our backslidden mother and our wounded sister. It might even be our pastor or deacon, or worship leader or elder. The spirit of the antichrist is all around. The only difference between them and Oprah, is Oprah's reach is much wider and exponentially deeper than theirs, thus magnifying her misguided attempts at seeking and attaining pseudo truths about my God and the essence of His character. In short, Oprah ain't no different that a multitude of antichrists that exist in the world in direct opposition to Christ and His Truth.
Let me share some facts, and spiritual truths to help you discern your way through this gauntlet of antichrists.
On the topic of Oprah and Her Enterprise......
Fact- She runs a business. Her main goal, although she has a very philanthropic heart and track record to back it up, is to create revenue. She has a research and development team that exists solely to find out what makes YOU tick so you'll watch her shows, click on her website, read her books (or the books she recommends), buy from her sponsors, etc....
Fact- She has a multi-ethnic, socioeconomically diverse fan base with varied religious backgrounds ranging from atheist to fundamental Mormon, most of whom are women. Remember, her main goal is to create revenue so she is going to try to please as many people as possible hence you get Deepak Chopra and T.D. Jakes sharing the same platform (on the OWN Network) although their religious/spiritual backgrounds wildly vary.
Fact- Oprah does not teach sound, Biblical doctrine. That's not her mission. Again, her mission is to create revenue. She is not trying to be about Acts 1:8. If bringing Joel Osteen means her ratings go up, then she'll bring Joel on. If Joel didn't give her a viable ROI, we wouldn't see much of Joel anymore and she's onto Deepak Chopra. Her mission has nothing to do with ANYONE'S religion.
On the Media You Consume (print, video, web-based, radio)-
Beware! Just because someone says "god" doesn't mean they're talking about the Triune God we know in the Bible. Listen to the context in which they're talking about "god". Iyanla Vanzant is a wonderful example of what I call a "god talker". I googled her and found out that she is a yoruba priestess. Yoruba is a pagan African elemental religion. Loved her show, but after finding that truth out about her, the Holy Spirit convicted me to stop watching "Iyanla, Fix My Life". It took too much brain power trying to meander through her ungodly "spiritual" talk. God showed me a place (a T.V. show in this case) that needed to be pruned from my life because it wasn't glorifying Him and neither was I by watching it.
If someone is trying to glorify the Triune God, then their language should point back to Him and His Works. If the talk is more self-centered ("finding the god within us" type of lingo) they're probably not someone you want to follow as a spiritual leader if you're alining with Jesus Christ and His teachings. If they appear to be talking about the Triune God but you're still uneasy or the message seems vague or veiled, go to the Bible and see if it matches with God's Word.
I have seen some amazing shows on the OWN network (this is where that love-hate thing comes in). She's good at attracting an audience. The story teller and story listener in me really appreciates "Our America with Lisa Ling" and "Oprah's Master Class". But I'm not looking to either of those shows for my spiritual sustenance.
I can't in good conscience tell you if you should or shouldn't be watching the OWN Network in your free time. The programs you choose to watch fall in to that category of not necessarily sinful acts but not necessarily good for you happenings (Romans 14). In these areas, the Word talks more so about everything we do giving glory to God and refraining from doing things that might cause a fellow brother or sister in Christ to stumble. So the question you should ask yourself is: "Am I glorifying God by watching this show?" and "Will my watching this show cause me, my brother, or sister in Christ to spiritually stumble?" If the answer is no to the former, and yes to the latter, then, you probably should refrain from watching that particular show (Philippians 4:8).
The programming that truly alarms me on Oprah's network is Super Soul Sunday. It is offering a church/spiritual experience alternative on Sunday (which is traditionally Sabbath for Christians) and is one step away from being a more sophisticated and culturally relevant Jimmy Swaggart type of programming (come to my seminar, buy my magazine, stay on this channel and watch this other series, donate money for x,y, and z).
Super Soul Sunday blurs the lines of Christianity and the New Age Spirituality Movement. The Bible warns against such things like a generalized spirituality (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). It can be hard for believers to discern what is Christian doctrine when Oprah entertains Christian heavy hitters like T.D. Jakes and Rick Warren (still doing my research on some of the mega church pastors and the soundness of their doctrine) and then sneak in an Eckhart Tolle webinar the next week. It can offer the facade that these men and their teachings and writings are somehow aligned. Not the case.
Here are some simple thoughts for your faith journey this week:
If you want the real story regarding God's character, read the Bible, not "The Seat of the Soul".
If you desire a better understanding of His truth, find a good Bible-based church and attend every week instead of paying to go to "The Life You Want Weekend" hosted by Oprah.
If you are hoping to deepen your faith, pray to our Savior, Jesus Christ, don't use Deepak Chopras' meditation techniques to essentially pray to yourself.
If you're looking for guidance, seek out the Holy Spirit, not a clever and heart-warming quote from Joel Osteen.
I hope this has been an encouragement to up your spiritual awareness. I'll be praying for clarity in seeing what's false versus the Truth. God Bless!
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