“I grew up in the church. Joined the church when I was eight years old. I heard a lot of preachers preach in my life. I’ve never heard, seen or experienced anybody like you,” Oprah told Bishop Jakes and all of us. And in Oprah’s Next Chapter, we all find out why Bishop Jakes is so extraordinary. Not only does he preach, but he has been a best-selling author, counselor to multiple Presidents, music producer, actor, producer and director of movies which included Whitney Houston’s last movie “Sparkle.” There doesn’t seem to be a hat he can’t wear.
“I’m talking about your God. My God. The water-walking God. I’m talking about Jesus who walks on the stuff you’re about to drown in.”
His words are powerful. His uplifting hope and the 3-hour production was inspiring. With dance groups, noted singers and even flash painters…this wasn’t your average congregation. He found his calling. Beginning as a preacher in 1979 with only 10 members…now through the miracle of television, he now speaks to millions. His success he attributed to the fact that he believed everyone should “take the small beginnings seriously.” Whether you preach to 10 or millions, it doesn’t matter. Both are just as important. Following his sermon in his mega-church, The Potter’s House, in Dallas, he sat down for his intimate interview with Oprah. “I never asked to be bigger. I asked to be better. I never asked to be successful. I asked to be effective,” he began. Of course no person that comes into success avoids the criticism of others. Listen in to how the Bishop responds to those critics.
With snippets of the sermon and encouragement from the congregation, you could see the hope lifting. He filled the enormous building with thought-provoking statements like, “That that refuses to be broken, refuses to be blessed. It is the breaking of life that produces the blessing of life.” I could go on for hours on the statements alone, but this would be a book as opposed to a quick article. His truth in simple words gave comfort and strength to a room filled with almost 8,000 people.
“Until you can be thankful for something that is not enough, then what you have can not be multiplied into what is more than enough.”
Oprah did approach the topic of being gay and his approach to the topic. He delicately avoided the topic by saying his job was to preach from the Bible and he can love you and not agree with you. The basic feel…if it isn’t in the Bible, he doesn’t preach it. He isn’t there to judge, only relay the messages. I love his message and the uplifting spirit, but I hope someday we find a preacher brave enough to stand up and say that being gay isn’t a sin. Then I will tune each Sunday!
The interview went on to discuss his views on God and how God reveals himself to us in our lives, his views on the last three Presidents and so much more. Check out those clips. They were great!
Believing his calling is to help all of us reach our own, it was hard to not love this guy. Then his wife took to the stage and the interview got a little more personal discussing everything from ex-girlfriends to a horrible car accident they both survived only months into their marriage.