ANSWERS NOT ASKED FOR

My response to a man who was trying to explain his conversion to Stoicism. Based upon your statements, it seems you never knew Christ. You were in a church of some kind, but the idea you were born a Christian is unbiblical. God has no grandchildren. I can say that because I have for over 65 years and none of your complaints is the slightest valid -
CHRISTIANITY OVEREMPHASIZES OBEDIENCE
1) Obedience to God our Father was what Jesus did and is the only way to have fullness of life. Mindless submission as in Islam it is not - how can we presume to be wiser than our creator - those who obey him have a fullness of life - we are not slaves, but Sons and Daughters of the most high God.
MOST CHRSITANS THINK THEY HAVE A MONOPOLY OVER GOD'S KINGDOM
2) You believe yourself more than Christ. The road to heaven is narrow, I everyone went there, it would not be heaven, it would be more like hell. WHy do people think those who rejected God would want to live with him and serve him forever? Further, why would JEsus have come to suffer and die if anybody could go to hevaen except through him? It is an absurdity, Your model is the outdated one.
IT'S FORBIDDEN TO ASK CRITICAL QUESTIONS
3) Forbidden to ask questions? Ridiculous. We are the ones who ask the questions. In Christopher HItchens' book God is Not Great. he thinks he had slam dunks. I answered his most difficult one in five minutes. Most were recycled and answered over the last hundreds of years. The real problem is that sinners, like Democrat sheep, never ask the hard questions. There is an Intellectual Gullf, which is my semron topic next Sunday. Sinners refuse to consider the life of a distinct human being in the womb and run froim science. Sinners claim everything just happened - logically and mathematically impossible. They cling to failed models and are scared to ask the questions that should be asked. You condemn Christians for believing God and proven truths while turning to unproven hypotheses that change with the wind.
RELIGION IS INHIBITING AFRICA'S DEVELOPMENT
4) I haven't been to Africa, but my wife is black and I know Africans. The only good that has come to any country is through Christian influence. The problem is syncretism - mixing some Christian concepts with folk religion which is the real issue.
CHRISTIANITY MAKES YOU RELY ON PRAYERS
5) Your disregard for prayer is proof positive you know nothing about a relationship with God. Prayer is two way communication with him and I do that for quite some time every single say and have for over 65 years.
Your slander saying people read nothing else besides the Bible is ridiculous - I read 2 to 4 books every week PLUS the infallible scriptures every single day. I find Christians far more informed than those outside the faith.
To sum it up, following the ways that seem right to a man lead to death. Following Christ but knowing him and the joy of our salvation lead to a fulfilled life forever.

EMPTY PEWS

 

Christianity Today wrote an article on empty pews - from 42% to 29% church attendance, and the numbers in the northeast are doubtless far lower.  The local soccer field church with packed parking lots look like where many young families prefer to be on Sundays.

WHAT SEEMS TO BE MISSING FROM THE ANALYSIS is the sad fact that so many churches are so compromised I would not go regularly to the vast majority of them myself - and I am a minister!

Reminds me of the joke of the man who did not want to get out of bed on Sunday morning to go to church,  His mother called him again and again but he turned over like a rusty hinge. Finally he blurted out - I do not want to go there - the people really get on my nerves.  Leave me alone!   His mother said softly, "Honey, you HAVE to go, you're the pastor!"

Most churches today have NOTHING of eternal value to offer. The love to talk about love but hate to talk about sin and responsibility.  They love to talk about "acceptance" but cringe if "holiness" is mentioned.

I have been a Christian for over 65 years and stand for the inalterable standards of the word of God.  I am a licensed minister and have preached in numerous denominational and non-denominational churches from Catholic (ecumenical service) to Baptist to AG to Apostolic to Third Wave to non-denominational, though I myself have been non-denominational for over 50 years.

In talking with other ministers, I find that many are into their job and non-ministerial Christians are often far more on top of the issues than "the professionals".  In fact, a Catholic Deacon at a gathering was bringing up how clueless some in his own hierarchy were and a priest nodded his head in ascent when I said the real issue is that many in ministry simply do not know Jesus. 

I am also a licensed architect working with people of many ethnicities, so I work full time as well as being an evangelist with three radio and Internet programs produced every week so am in the loop with what is going on in the world and a diversity of people. I also read a lot and am close to the pulse of what Christians are saying.  

I get endless theological papers from ACADEMIA - a social media site for academics, and what passes for scholarship is almost laughable in its illogical and absurd statements that would encourage a scribes and Pharisees style rebuke from Jesus were he listening. If these in seminaries ever get into churches, our church attendance would probably drop like a stone to resemble Europe's paltry rates.

 

Even in theologically conservative churches I have attended, which many people would think are over-the-top with Jesus, becoming a member is problematical, because there are compromises on basic Biblical Principles in key areas. Nonetheless, I preach where they will have me and do not change my message based on where I am.  

Where are the righteous? Where are the people who believe in the Lord and are intimate with him? We need each other, but many still looking for a fellowship which is truly in tune with the Lord and which refuses to compromise with clear teachings in the scripture - those fellowships are needles in a haystack, and many do not bother looking anymore...

 

WATCH WHICH DOORS YOU WALK THROUGH

 People like talking about doors.  God opened this door and closed another. Did you know that John 10 talks about going both ways through a door?   Sometimes God wants you to go through a door and sometimes he wants you to back out when he has something else in mind.  It has happened so many times in the scriptures.  God has certain amount of fluidity in his directions - he has times and seasons for us.  Some people have lost their lives because they went through a door at God's direction, but did not leave when it was time to go through another door he had prepared for them.

Of course, we are talking about ministries and life choices here - NOT leaving Jesus for some other so-called God. We are also not talking about compromising our faith in any way.  We are talking about how we live though.  Jesus had a house in Capernaum - it was used for God's glory.  Then he gave it up and went on the road and had to rely on others to provide a place for him to sleep - even on boats at times!  He could have thanked his Father for his house and said that was his Father's will and camped there. He did not.

Some evangelists who have a successful group of meetings will camp out there.  The Father had other plans for Jesus - in the midst of some of his biggest successes, the Father told him to leave and move on. He did.

We also have to know the ramifications of walking through any door.  Jesus certainly knew that when he participate in the triumphal entry after raising Lazarus from the dead.  He knew that welcoming door with palm branches and Hosannas would lead to the cross.  Yet he rotes through that open door and never looked back and we are the church today because he as resolute.

The same goes when people go through doors of compromise.  Satan comes ONLY to steal, to kill, and to destroy - no other reason.  When we go through the door of what seem like a little compromises, we are headed for spiritual ruin. Satan will not be satisfied until you are doing things you never dreamt you would ever do.  Avoid those doors.   The world has many.  Satan doesn't particularly care which one you go through as long as you go through ANY of the ones not opened by the old Jesus Christ.

My friends, he is the door - enter by him and ignore the others. It is the only way to please him and be his brother in Spirit and in reality.  Obey the Lord! Enjoy him! Don't look back.