The Commercialization Of Church-Money Changers In The Temple?

Please hear me when I say that I am not trying to sow dissention among believers by anything that I write. I am writing my thoughts and opinions as of this moment which may change as God gives me knowledge or conviction on them.

It has been on my mind for a while now what I see happening over and over again with churches. I see several in my community and many more nationwide that seem to missing the point. I say seem to because I don't go to all of them. However God's Word says we will know by their fruit and the fruit I am seeing is not pleasant to eye or good for food as it were.

One thing I see a lot are electronic signs going up at churches. I know we live in the age of information and we want to give people what they crave by putting everything we have available on a sign. I get it, I really do. But I don't like it. I don't like it one little bit. When I see electronic signs at a church it just doesn't feel right. I seems more like a business. Of course that is what a lot of churches have become; businesses. Many are incorporated; like a business and it makes me think of Jesus throwing the money changers out of the temple.

*sigh* And then there are the coffee bars and bookstores inside some churches. Hey I love me some coffee and I am all for having a fellowship time around coffee before church. I am not for selling the coffee. Again, I get the idea behind it; serve up some lattes and make sure people actually get to the service on time because they didn't have to stop at a Starbucks or some such place before church. I get wanting to be relevant and all that. Maybe the price of the coffee only covers the cost of making it; I don't know. I have never attended a church that has a coffee bar in it. I have only seen one when attending a concert at a church and the coffee bar was not open at the time. Still it seems to me to be a slipper slope. Just what lengths will churches go to in order to be trendy? Will we put circus performers in the lobbies? Will we have Ice Bucket challenges in masse in the church parking lot?

I hear the argument for these things to be that we are called to outreach the get them hooked then reel them in
thinking. But aren't Jesus and the Apostles our examples of outreach? Did they go into a town and put on a show? No, they came proclaiming the Gospel. Yes, Jesus and the Apostles performed miracles but never in a showman way of doing it. In fact Jesus often withdrew from the crowds after performing a miracle. Look at your Bible in the Gospels and see if I am not right. When we worry more about how many people we have in church than sharing the Gospel in church I believe we have missed the point.

Just when did the Gospel, the fact that God's Son left Heaven, became a little baby, grew into a man without sin and allowed Himself to be murdered, rose from the dead and ascended back into Heaven so that anyone who believes on Him would be free of the curse of sin and live with God forever; when did this Gospel become boring? When did the Gospel become irrelevant? When did the Gospel start coming in second to programs and hooks?

I am often asked if I watch this preacher or that preacher on television. Most people are shocked that I do not. I don't because many of them are more about hawking their special study Bible, or their book, etc. than preaching the Word of God. Many spend more time asking, nay pleading for money than they do helping one understand more of what the Bible says and how to apply it to our lives. Many live in mansions and drive expensive cars while widows and orphans go without to support their ministry
. Many speak at churches that are filled to the brim with people in expensive suits and designer dresses and shoes who would turn away a homeless person outside the church but give faithfully to support the ministry. ( I have nothing against wealthy Christians per say just those who are hearers of the Word and not doers of the Word who put themselves on pedestals claiming God has blessed them) No, don't watch most preachers on television. I hear and see on Facebook people quoting some TV preacher or other and I just shake my head. When did we decide we would rather follow men who talk well instead of Jesus?

These are things I ponder when I see those electronic church signs. And I pray, I pray that what people find inside that church isn't as flashy as the sign; but more glorious than a million blinking lights- the truth from God's Word.

Getting tired here folks; hope I didn't ramble too much.

Grace and peace CAC

Ferguson Missouri; My Humble Opinion And Prayer

I live about 130 miles south of Ferguson so I offer this disclaimer; I am not in the middle of this only watching from afar. I also want to point out to anyone who may happen upon this that I am white and don't know first hand what it is like to be black. I talked to someone who has a tumbler account recently and she said everything she is seeing regarding Ferguson makes it sound like the police are bullying a bunch of peaceful protesters. Though there has been a lot of overreaction on the part of the police in the area; that is not he whole story. What happened to Michael Brown was wrong, awful, and possibly criminal. I would like to know how taking to the streets and burning down small businesses that individuals not involved in what happened is an appropriate response. How does all of this violence do anything to bring peace and comfort to Michael's family? Michael's mother has called for calm from the very beginning of this and if she can be patient and wait for an investigation; why then can't everyone? Many of those protesting don't even live in Ferguson; making crowds even harder for the police to handle. I get solidarity, I do. What I don't get is what looting and violence do to further solidarity. Surely there are other things we could be doing to speak to the injustice we see and feel. Prayer services and/ or letter writing campaigns come to mind. Yes, racism and discrimination exists and it is wrong. But I can't think of one example from history that the kind of behavior we are seeing in Ferguson right now has brought about positive change. Malcolm X abandoned his violent stance as did Nelson Mandela. Martin Luther King never approved of this kind of behavior and though he was murdered his family has carried on with that message because it is still a valid message. We cannot respond to ugliness with more ugliness. Peace begins in the heart of the individual who says " I will rise above the darkness, not become a part of it". There is so much that can be said on this topic, so much is wrong with what is happening right now. I urge all to withhold judgment until more is known. I do believe an independent investigation is a good idea so that the results will be believed by everyone. I found this video; he says things I think only a black man can say on the subject. Pardon the swearing here In closing I pray for peace and justice in Ferguson MO. I pray the truth will come out quickly and that somehow we will learn from this madness and tragedy. Grace and peace CAC

Watch This Movie Or I"ll Shoot Your Shamrock

I mean really it won Best Picture and many other awards at the Oscars. Yes I just got around to seeing The King's Speech last night and enjoyed it immensely. If you have not seen it yet, I do recommend it. It has some cursing in it but that is all and the way the way the cursing is used is pretty funny.

Happy Mother’s Day Blog Tour Book 3

Enduring Justiceby Amy Wallace When an FBI agent is pressed into action by a loved one’s childhood secret and a racial killer, he learns the difference between vengeance and justice is the choice to heal. (Publisher promo)

Enduring Justice us a compelling drama that I really wanted to like. The main themes running through the book have the potential to be powerfully emotional yet somehow, the author lets them fall flat.
I was pretty sure I knew Hannah's dark secret and I was right, but I was disappointed in the shallowness this powerful subject matter was dealt with.
The other main character, Micheal's conflicted emotions and bitterness were again rife with potential which was left, for the most part, unrealized.
Instead of seeing people deal with problems with prayer and God's Word; we see people whose issues and problems are all wrapped neatly in a trite happy ending.
Also, the dialogue in this book, especially the internal dialogue of the main characters, does not only not right true, but lends a choppy disjointedness to the tale.
I am not, like some, one to quibble over proper sentence structure and grammar to the point of banality. I don't demand excellent writing in order to enjoy a good story. But I do demand good writing , which in my opinion, this book sorely lacks. I was actually surprised to find this was not the authors first book.
It frustrates me that so many poorly written books get published when I know good writers who want to get published and can't.
As I said earlier, I really wanted to like this book. I hope you will like it more than I did, and if you would like to challenge my opinion, please leave a comment for a chance to read it yourself and let me know what you think.
You can also purchase it here .
Happy reading and get to commenting please!

Dinner With A Perfect Stranger Blog Tour

Dinner With A Perfect Stranger by David Gregory is a large blessing in a small package.
Only 100 pages long, this little book does a great job of presenting Jesus and His Father to would be critics and detractors.
A man receives an invitation to dinner with none other than, Jesus of Nazareth and goes simply to play along with what he feels is an obvious joke on him by one of his colleagues. What he finds when he gets there is only the first surprise of the evening as he converses with a man who knows a lot about him and has some very interesting answers to his questions.
Well told, historically and Biblically accurate; this story will warm the hearts of the devout to the skeptic. It is a well written, interesting and perfectly paced while also being informative and even fun. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the companion, A Day with A Perfect Stranger.

What if a fascinating stranger knew you better than you know yourself?

When her husband comes home with a farfetched story about eating dinner with someone he believes to be Jesus, Mattie Cominsky thinks this may signal the end of her shaky marriage. Convinced that Nick is, at best, turning into a religious nut, the self-described agnostic hopes that a quick business trip will give her time to think things through.

On board the plane, Mattie strikes up a conversation with a fellow passenger. When she discovers their shared scorn for religion, she confides her frustration over her husband’s recent conversion. The stranger suggests that perhaps her husband isn’t seeking religion but true spiritual connection, an idea that prompts her to reflect on her own search for fulfillment.

As their conversation turns to issues of spiritual longing and deeper questions about the nature of God, Mattie finds herself increasingly drawn to this insightful stranger. But when the discussion unexpectedly turns personal, touching on things she’s never told anyone, Mattie is startled and disturbed. Who is this man who seems to peer straight into her soul?

David Gregory is the author of the best-selling books Dinner with a Perfect Stranger and A Day with a Perfect Stranger, and coauthor of two nonfiction books. After a ten-year business career, he returned to school to study religion and communications, earning graduate degrees from The University of North Texas and Dallas Theological Seminary. A native Texan, David now devotes himself to writing full time.


You can learn more about and purchase these books here or here

Blog Tour Of The Echo Within by Robert Benson

This is an interesting little book. I would not call it theologically sound, yet it could be useful for one whom finds herself feeling unable to hear the voice of God. It would be a great starting point, as long as one did not stop here but went on to read her Bible and consult with her pastor. I feel the author stops short of getting into any real relevant spiritual meat. Whether this is because he does not have his own insight to provide it or is trying to appeal to a wider audience by not digging deeper I am not sure. I hope it is not the former. There is too much of a "I'm OK, You're OK" type of thing going on here. While God has created us and desires to be a part of our lives, we must realize that without the finished work of Jesus Christ; looking inside ourselves for answers will leave us empty and lost.

I was enchanted by Mr Benson's anecdotes from his life; as a child and as a grown person. I like his writing style, it seems as though he is sitting across from you in the room and having a conversation. It is well written, with just the right amount of humor to make it move along quickly and just enough personal whimsy to keep one turning the pages. I think I would like to someday check out some of his other works, as this is the first book of his I have read.
This would be good book to give to someone as long as you made sure they did not use it on it's own to discern direction.
This is the information from the publisher
The Echo Within is a profoundly affecting, honest look at the myriad ways we are drawn into our life’s best work.
Written out of his own lifelong search for and response to the calling voice of God, Robert Benson recounts his discovery of the meaning of vocation, work, and purpose through the ups and downs inherent in family life, professional choice, and spiritual experience. With clarity and insight, and in the elegant prose for which he is known, he gently invites and encourages readers to find such deep truths for their lives as well. In particular, he illuminates the way for readers to explore:
· ways to sense the Holy in our pursuits, both in the pursuits themselves and within ourselves.
· how to fall into our vocation and chart a course toward it at the same time.
· how to love the work we do, and the process of doing it.
Robert Benson has written more than a dozen books about the discovery of the sacred in the midst of our ordinary lives, including Between the Dreaming and the Coming True, Home By Another Way, and Digging In. His work has been critically acclaimed in a wide range of publications from The New York Times and USA Today to Spirituality & Health and The Benedictine Review. He is an alumnus of The Upper Room’s Academy for Spiritual Formation and was recently named a Living Spiritual Teacher by SpiritualityandPractice.com. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.



You can purchase this book at
or herehere.
Or you could have a chance at winning a copy of your own by commenting on this post. I will choose two comments by random number generator on March 14 Good luck!

Did you vote? I did!

I have chosen to exercise my right as as citizen of the United States of America to vote my conscience. I am praying that every one else does the same.
There is a lot of smack talk going on out there and sadly much of it is coming from Christians. The message at our church this week was a continuation of I Corinthians chapter 13, explaining what love is. It was not and has never been a message on voting, candidates in the elections, issues, or anything else related to politics; as I believe is best for all churches. Your pastor has no business using the pulpit to proclaim anything other than God's Word. Does this mean I think Christians need to stay out of politics? It most certainly does not; it does mean I think we need to first understand that politics is a world issue, not an issue of the Kingdom of Heaven of which we are first and foremost citizens of. We have a kind of dual citizenship, and our citizenship in Heaven takes precedence over our citizenship in the world.
If you live in the United States you have the right to vote and with that right you have an obligation to use it. But you also have a power above any political figure to answer to, to ask for help and to count on in all times, hard, good or otherwise. I like the way John Piper puts it in the latter part of this video. He says some sort of controversial things in the beginning, but for the most part he is spot on.
. God is sovereign, and I'm sorry if you are one those people who would say this means God elected Hitler. God doesn't elect people, but His Word tells us in Romans 13 that He appoints the authorities that exist. Do I claim to understand why someone like Hitler was allowed to gain power and murder countless innocent people? No I do not understand, but I can find nothing in God's Word that tells me I must understand. I am only told to know He is God, and believe.
So vote, relax and trust that God is in control no matter who wins the election and lets refrain from rude comments and accusations to those whom we find didn't vote the same way we did, for as it was pointed out to me recently love is not rude.

Rebuttals upon rebuttals

I feel like I stirred a hornets nest by what I said in my earlier post . Just to be clear I must say I do not disagree at all with what my daughter said. I understand where she is coming from and agree with her. What this guy said, though erroneous, was none the less what she needed to hear to make her see she had chosen the better thing. ( remember the talking donkey?)
It is so easy to get caught up in doing Christian activities, to be drawn into events with fellow believers and forget what is important; our relationship with Christ and showing that relationship to the lost. We can't very well reach the lost if we are always hanging out with believers. Community within the church is becoming, it seems, more important than reaching out to our community in general. If you ask the average Christian to come to lets say a Creative Memories Party (which, by the say I am having Monday in case I missed getting an invitation to you) 90% will tell you they are too busy. Too busy doing what? Bible Studies, Small Group meetings, preparation for SG Meetings, helping out in the Nursery, cleaning the church building and grounds, planning a baby shower, organizing a retreat, and of course family obligations. All good things every last one. I am just using the party as an example but it could be lots of things. Maybe someone calls to ask one to go out to lunch but doesn't want to say on the phone how heavy her heart is and what she really needs is someone to talk with and pray with? You see how it is? What is being neglected while so many are so very busy? Who is being neglected? This is part of what my daughter struggles against, sees the danger in and wants to avoid. We also tend to neglect our own prayer life and study of the Word when we are so caught up in all those good things we are doing.
I am reminded as I write of the parable of the Wedding Feast; veres 5 especially. They went their own ways, perhaps with important things begging their attention?
Hope this quiets the hornets, blowing smoke works on bees anyway. :)