There's a lot of talk about what this person or that political party has to answer for. We're talking "Judgment" here. And the judgment in view is that of God.
But what about the organized Church. The one that claims to be the "Ordained of God?" Is she going to escape retribution? Not on your life!
I'm not talking about those cult-like sub-groups. I'm talking about Mainstream "Church." The one that everyone can see and many people enjoy.
Let me spell it out for you. This is the Church that has:
Abandoned The Bible as the final authority in all things pertaining to faith and practice.
Opened the doors to a variety of biblically offensive patterns and policies
Normalized the sin of Cain, by creating all sorts of alternative "worship" forms.
Embraced Satan's Lie by teaching as fact that believers become "little gods."
Accepted The False Relgion of Babel, with it's mysticism and required religious behaviors.
Incorporated occultic practices such as exorcism or 'Deliverance' techniques, speaking in gibberish and calling it an angelic language: the language of God, channeling spirits of demons who communicate messages supposedly from God and clairvoyance in knowing the physical or financial condition of people they've never met.
Turned a deaf ear and blind eye to the Canaanite practice of offering their infant children to be sacrificed on the altar of a false god for wealth or pleasure. Abortion on demand, as a woman's "Right"
Making merchandise of mens' souls with a Health-Wealth Medicine Show, complete with hucksters and shills, peddling useless products at outrageous prices and calling it The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Exalting biblical ignorance by calling it spirituality or the Spirit-filled life.
All the while marginalizing the clear truth of God's Word. A truth we do not want to hear because of its unyielding exaltation of God....over self.
Do you recognize YOUR church? In subsequent blogs I will attempt to flesh out what is meant by these statements, one statement at a time.
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
A Bright Spot In An Ever Darkening World
William Graham Tullian Tchividjian was elected to follow Dr. D. James Kennedy as Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Flordia, about 6 months ago. He was then the pastor of the 500-member New City Church. Presumably, those folks came over to Coral Ridge.
Pastor Tchividjian is 37 years old, prefers contemporary music to organ music, dropped the weekly TV program and doesn't give altar calls.
But his real crime seems to be that he doesn't believe political action is the way to change the country.
Dr. Kennedy's daughter, Jennifer, was banned from Church property, along with 5 other members, back in August for distributing flyers critical of the new pastor.
About 400 members signed a petition requesting a Special Business Meeting to decide whether or not to keep him or fire him. That meeting was held on Sunday morning, September 20, 2009.
Critics faulted him for not maintaining the Kennedy legacy and for altering traditions. Supporters noted that Church membership was increasing and congregation should stay united.
How would you have voted? I suppose if you preferred organ music to trap-sets, you might have tended to vote for firing him. And, if you were convinced The Church is ordained to bring in the Millennium, you might have been tempted to vote against him.
But, what if you really believed The Bible? What if you saw "Church" as something distinct from politics? What if you saw "Church" as a uniquely Christian thing, not structured for, nor oriented toward unbelievers? You'd probably vote to keep him.
This congregation voted to keep him, by a ratio of 2 to 1.
It's a bright spot in an otherwise dark world. Too many churches, today, have abandoned their biblical heritage for Seeker Sensitive, Contemporary, Marketing plans. They make no apologies for trying to attract as many unsaved people as possible. To do so they have brought in as much of the world as possible, to make unsaved people feel comfortable.
I would suggest this philosophy will destroy "Church" as we know it. If that hasn't already happened. Theirs is a wonderful plan. The only problem is: There is No Bible to support it.
Pastor Tchividjian is 37 years old, prefers contemporary music to organ music, dropped the weekly TV program and doesn't give altar calls.
But his real crime seems to be that he doesn't believe political action is the way to change the country.
Dr. Kennedy's daughter, Jennifer, was banned from Church property, along with 5 other members, back in August for distributing flyers critical of the new pastor.
About 400 members signed a petition requesting a Special Business Meeting to decide whether or not to keep him or fire him. That meeting was held on Sunday morning, September 20, 2009.
Critics faulted him for not maintaining the Kennedy legacy and for altering traditions. Supporters noted that Church membership was increasing and congregation should stay united.
How would you have voted? I suppose if you preferred organ music to trap-sets, you might have tended to vote for firing him. And, if you were convinced The Church is ordained to bring in the Millennium, you might have been tempted to vote against him.
But, what if you really believed The Bible? What if you saw "Church" as something distinct from politics? What if you saw "Church" as a uniquely Christian thing, not structured for, nor oriented toward unbelievers? You'd probably vote to keep him.
This congregation voted to keep him, by a ratio of 2 to 1.
It's a bright spot in an otherwise dark world. Too many churches, today, have abandoned their biblical heritage for Seeker Sensitive, Contemporary, Marketing plans. They make no apologies for trying to attract as many unsaved people as possible. To do so they have brought in as much of the world as possible, to make unsaved people feel comfortable.
I would suggest this philosophy will destroy "Church" as we know it. If that hasn't already happened. Theirs is a wonderful plan. The only problem is: There is No Bible to support it.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Who Will Most Likely Attend Your Church?
We live in a world where success is measured by how many people attend a particular church, by the number of programs it mounts and by how much money is flowing through the bank accounts.
So I wondered, one day, how many people I could get to come to my church. And it occurred to me that among those I could never count on would be:
Those who aren't saved -- they wouldn't be interested
Those who prefer feel-good sermonizing -- they wouldn't want to be challenged
Those who want to be entertained -- they would be bored
Those who expect to be healed -- they would be disappointed
Those who want to be wealthy -- see "Those who expect to be healed"
Those who are offended by The Gospel -- they wouldn't last long
Those living in sin -- this would be too convicting
Those engaged in an active homosexual lifestyle -- no cover here
Those seeking to climb the social ladder -- we don't even have a footstool
Those who want to "come as you are" -- we think worship is special
Those who see religion as subjective -- they wouldn't like objective, propositional truths
There's more, but you get the point. Efforts to market Christianity with whatever it is folks are selling these days in order to fill up the pews is big business. And it works! What it doesn't do is glorify God.
You see "Church" is the spiritual organism Jesus came to build. It's His Church and it consists only of truly born again believers. Others attend, and that's good. But they do not constitute The Church. When all you're doing is working to get more of these folks into your building, you're the one building the Church -- not Jesus.
And the effort, while it looks good to the watching world, is not at all what God calls The Church. Give them secular music forms, liturgical dancing, sight-and-sound presentations, weak preaching -- or just homilies and biblical vignettes, coffee shops, a promise of good health and great wealth (if you sow financial seeds into MY ministry), and a non-judgmental attitude. You will soon have to build a bigger barn.
Just don't call it "Church." The Bible doesn't.
So I wondered, one day, how many people I could get to come to my church. And it occurred to me that among those I could never count on would be:
Those who aren't saved -- they wouldn't be interested
Those who prefer feel-good sermonizing -- they wouldn't want to be challenged
Those who want to be entertained -- they would be bored
Those who expect to be healed -- they would be disappointed
Those who want to be wealthy -- see "Those who expect to be healed"
Those who are offended by The Gospel -- they wouldn't last long
Those living in sin -- this would be too convicting
Those engaged in an active homosexual lifestyle -- no cover here
Those seeking to climb the social ladder -- we don't even have a footstool
Those who want to "come as you are" -- we think worship is special
Those who see religion as subjective -- they wouldn't like objective, propositional truths
There's more, but you get the point. Efforts to market Christianity with whatever it is folks are selling these days in order to fill up the pews is big business. And it works! What it doesn't do is glorify God.
You see "Church" is the spiritual organism Jesus came to build. It's His Church and it consists only of truly born again believers. Others attend, and that's good. But they do not constitute The Church. When all you're doing is working to get more of these folks into your building, you're the one building the Church -- not Jesus.
And the effort, while it looks good to the watching world, is not at all what God calls The Church. Give them secular music forms, liturgical dancing, sight-and-sound presentations, weak preaching -- or just homilies and biblical vignettes, coffee shops, a promise of good health and great wealth (if you sow financial seeds into MY ministry), and a non-judgmental attitude. You will soon have to build a bigger barn.
Just don't call it "Church." The Bible doesn't.
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