"WE’VE LOST CHRISTIANITY" - by Andrew Strom
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
by Andrew Strom
Despite the thousands in our megachurches today, soaking up
the warm entertainment offered to them every week, I want to put
it to you that we have lost Christianity. Despite the Christian
books now found in every Walmart, and the "crossover" of Christian
artists into the mainstream, and our Christian mega-stores and
CD´s and DVD´s and Study-Bibles, I want to put it to you that
we have lost Christianity.
Despite our lavish Cathedrals in the suburbs (`Charismatic or not)
with their pastel hues and comfortable pews, their projector screens
and $30,000 sound systems, I want to put it to you that we have
utterly lost Christianity.
We left it behind somewhere when we shifted our churches from
the inner city into the "comfortable" suburbs. We left it behind when
we stopped welcoming the bums off the street into our meetings
and started welcoming only the "respectable" people. We left it
behind when we stopped preaching "take up your cross" and
turned the gospel into a success formula - `Seven Steps to your
Best Life Now.´
Somewhere in our comfortable suburban streetscape with its
manicured lawns we lost the real thing. Somehow in our concern
for "property values" and a better `dental plan´ we left it behind.
But that is not the worst part of it. The worst part is that we don´t
know how to get it back again. Or perhaps we don´t really WANT
to get it back again. The cost simply doesn´t bear thinking about,
does it? And so, as we drive around in our nice shiny cars with
our groovy plastic toys, and attend "church" as we know it twice
a week for 2 hours;- As we live a life that is about as unlike
Jesus as you can get, a life of comfort and coddling undreamt
of by billions around the world;- a lifestyle in the top 10% of the
earth today (-in debt up to our eyeballs all the while) - the fact
is that we don´t really CARE that we have lost original Christianity,
do we? We are too busy, man. Don´t bother us with that kind of talk.
It will all be OK, the preacher tells us. We will all make it to heaven
in the end. We are all "decent" people here. We have "prayed the
little prayer". We have `given our heart to the Lord´.
But wait - what is this?
"Not every one who says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father who is
in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in your name? and in your name have cast out demons? and in
your name done many wonderful works?
And then will I say unto them, I never knew you: depart from me,
you that work iniquity."
-Mt 7:21-23.