THIS IS CHURCH, MEHN!

We've brought in frivolous and superfluous activities into the church including cultural ceremonies and social programs that range from fanfares, bazaars, shows, concerts, commercial activities, show business and entertainment razzmatazz, all termed "seeker friendly" and masterfully designed to magnetize and mesmerize a mammoth crowd and obviously raise the revenue while we're at our religious stunts. 

Our hopes are that comers to our centers will be 'wow-ed' and impressed enough to echo, even in a hushed whisper or mental voice note, what our billboards so loudly proclaim: "This is church, mehn!" with the decision to become repeat customers. 

We no longer spend enough time in heartfelt prayer, intense worship in complete abandon in God's Presence and the ministry of the Word. 

We're no longer teaching Biblical truth and challenging unverified religious notions until believers are well rooted in the pure and unfailing Word of God.

Thus we have so many smart, fancy but spiritually malnourished believers. Frankly, from my little experience, many people who are in "church" are not certain how to be born again much less be assured of their own salvation, if they can be really honest. Sad. 

There's little focus on having an authentic relationship with God or a genuine experience of the saving grace of Christ through His Cross. Modern-day "faith" has been reduced to reckless presumption. 

The Early Church model has been lost, for the most part. The truth of the New Covenant established by Christ has been substituted for mundane pursuits. 

What Christ came from Heaven and went through the most gruesome shame and pain as well as the most amazing victory and all He achieved for us in His death, burial and resurrection have been largely reduced to physical benefits that will all perish in time. 

Deception and spiritual blindness have become the celebrated new order. 

Eternal perspective has been downplayed. 

See, what I need in a church family is an authentic spiritual community that will encourage me to grow in spiritual maturity to be more like Jesus, to do the will of the Father and to be ready for Christ's Second Coming and His eternal Kingdom. 

However, if what another person needs is entertainment and economic empowerment, then they'll find lots of places that align with such aspirations and life goals. As they say, the show must go on. 

What a shame, for it is written "my house shall be called the house of prayer for all nations but you have made it into a den of thieves." 

Selah.