Thought so. Thank you.

Unfortunately, I think that one of the biggest proponents of this type of behavior that he talks about IS the church to begin with.

Not only the health and wealth (or name it and claim it as Brad and I like to call it) “theology” (I use that term VERY loosely) that he mentions is to blame.

Many…if not most of the churches in our country have totally watered down their teaching trying to make it “seeker sensitive”. In the process they have focused on trying not to scare people away with the Truth and in turn have stopped preaching the Truth.

“5 ways to a happier you” should NEVER be a sermon topic. Even if the point is that Jesus is what you need to be truly happy, the focus is still on US and not on the gospel. We shouldn’t be taught how to use Christ or the Word or Prayer or anything to our own advantage. Blessings for us are merely a side affect to following Christ…not the point of following Him.

Too many churches have so many programs and things going on that the people begin to live in the church and take themselves out of the world…even though we are told to be IN the world…but not of it.

The church’s role should be to equip it’s congregants to fulfill the “but not of it” part of that verse.

Paul’s verse about not forsaking the gathering together of yourselves was put there because at the time the church was so busy making disciples that they didn’t meet together often enough for iron to sharpen iron…so they weren’t being built up and exhorted and they weren’t being kept accountable in their personal lives.

That’s what church is for. It’s not for us to make a Jesus club and only let people in who learn the secret handshake. For anyone can play the part of a Christian…anyone can learn the handshake.

Like salt without flavor we roll around this shaker of a world not adding anything that anyone else couldn’t add…selfishness, greed, broken marriages…no different than world…in it AND of it.

Church should be about learning to put on the hip waders of the Spirit over our boots so we can slog through this crappy world without being tainted by the crap we’re walking in. It should NOT be about (not matter how cleverly disguised) keeping away from the muck in an attempt to keep clean.

New believers need DISCIPLESHIP…one on one mentoring by a more experienced believer who can teach them with RELATIONSHIP and by EXAMPLE what it means to love Christ.

Experienced believers need RELATIONSHIPS with other experienced believers that are REAL and RAW and DEEP. They need a couple people in their lives, besides their spouses (if they have one) who can call them on their crap. Friends who can call sin, sin, who can say “Look, what you’re doing is wrong and you need to stop and I want to help you.” From repeated bad attitudes to addictions and beyond, if we don’t have people in our lives who KNOW us then we have no accountability in our walks. Lack of this type of NECESSARY relationships are how “Christian” men get addicted to porn and how “Christian” women get into bed with someone other than their husbands. It’s not full-proof, and if we don’t have relationship with Christ first these friendships will be useless, but if we are building one another up like we should…well…things could be very different.

I don’t think we need a revolution involving politics or summer camps or tent revivals.

I think we need to step back and make sure we are fulfilling the Biblical models for relationships, church, discipleship, womanhood, manhood, parenting and what our focus in all of this should be.

Glorifying God…in all things.

Church today makes it way too complicated.

But I think that the guy who wrote that piece makes it much too simple. This can stem from a legalistic mindset…if you just obey then you will be accepted and things will get better. Yet the Bible says “While we were yet SINNERS, Christ died for us…” Like the song says…”If you tarry…till you’re better…you will never…come at all…” Christ accepts us, the Holy Spirit changes us, we love him and so we try to obey…and we are blessed. Not with health or wealth necessarily, but with Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.

And I also don’t agree with this blanket statement about tattoos and piercings.

And therein lies the rub. It scares me to confront my own inadequacies and the truth that I am powerless to impact any sphere larger than my own circle of influence (and the bald truth is that even this small circle is beyond any genuine control on my part). Then I recall that God is the one who spoke the world into existence, and is powerful enough to extract good effects from evil causes. He can take our puny faith and not only enlarge it, but use it to impact the world in ways we can’t imagine this side of eternity. That is what comforts me as I confront this desperate and ongoing need in my own soul – and in the world – for the previously-mentined revolution. Phil 1:6 – I am a work in progress He will nurture for as long as I have breath.

Parents have the greatest challenge: raising the next generation with values that transform a culture (and therefore, one hopes, a healthcare system!). As one discussion above traced, past legacies have provided the medium for the current toxic stew. We can’t change the past; but we can allow God to renew *our* minds so that we redeem the time and love our neighbors where we live now. Trust the Lord and do good. Please take heart that the darkness, while profound and powerful, cannot and will not conquer all.