Post by Beulah5 on Apr 22, 2008 6:06:05 GMT -5
The American Society for Church Growth (ASCG) gives us a clue. "Church growth. . .is a spiritual conviction, yet it is practical, combining the eternal principles of God's Word with the practical insights of social and behavioral sciences."3 The practical philosophy of evangelism today mixes the spiritual with the practical and dilutes the eternal with societal and behavioral sciences. As a result of this unholy mixture, a typical gathering of a megachurch is like a Broadway show, complete with stage band, lighting to set the mood, special singing, dancing, oration from a master of all the marketing skills of Madison Avenue, and the latest computer aided overhead presentations.
Who is affecting whom? Today we see a church that is so dead it has resorted to the world's marketing strategies in an attempt to grow numerically. Might makes right. It is the bottom line that counts.
True spiritual growth in Christ has become passé. The Church today looks more like the Bazaar of Annas that filled the outer courts of the temple 2000 years ago, than the body of Christ. It resembles a marketplace more than a loving community, and is more like a den of thieves than a house of prayer (Matthew 21:12). The noise of the moneychangers' tables crescendos above the muted prayers of the few that "sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof" (see Ezekiel 9:4). As it was in the time of Ezekiel's prophesy, judgment is on it way.
It Is All About Marketing - The Way of Cain
As we look out at Christendom today; marketing is the name of the game. This marketing-mania we are seeing is more a meter of apostasy rather than progress. Sorry, American Church, but your merchandising is a sure sign of spiritual deadness. How could we say such a thing? Merchandising is as American as apple pie, and from our youth we have heard the praises of capitalism. Merchandising is both a spirit and an exact science of carnal man. It does not belong in the True Church, or the kingdom of God. In fact, if you look at the subject in the scripture, it is rarely mentioned in a positive light.
Some of the most idolatrous and brutal societies and people were given to merchandising. The most notable of these were Cain, Tyre, Sidon, and Babylon. One of the definitions of Canaanite is "merchant or trader." It was a band of Midianites that bought Joseph from his brothers and sold him as a slave in Egypt. The family of Annas, the high priest during Jesus' years of ministry, plotted to have Him killed after He turned over their money changing tables in the temple and disrupted their commerce. Jesus warned, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." And what a perfect love of money and hatred of Jesus they had, so much so that He told them that they were of their father the devil, who was a liar and murder from the beginning.
The Father of Merchandising
Now let's look at the roots of mercantilism. Let's go back to a gentler time--a time when a gold nugget was only a pretty rock, a time before money, building, buying and selling, a time before theft and murder, a time of greater innocence and generosity. No, this is not the introduction to a fairytale. It is a true story about the dawning days of mankind.
In these early days, before governments and corporate greed, two brothers came bringing their offerings to the Lord. One came with a heart filled with gratitude for God's generous bounty in his life. The other came with an evil heart out of a sense of religious duty. The eldest was named Cain and the younger was Abel. God, who sees the hearts of men, showed favor on Abel's offering. This angered his elder brother. God, seeing the anger in Cain's heart, warned him, "Sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it" (Genesis 4:7). It was well within Cain's power to resist this sin, but he did not. In spite of God's warning, Cain plotted to draw his younger brother out into the field, then rose up and killed him. The judgment of God on Cain is as follows:
"And now you are cursed more than the ground which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it will not again give its strength to you. And you shall be a vagabond (a rover or wanderer) and a fugitive in the earth." (Genesis 4:11-12 MKJV)
When Adam and Eve first fell, the ground was cursed. "Cursed is the ground for your sake" (Genesis 3:17). Now a new and greater curse was placed on the descendents of Cain. Cain was not just cursed; he was bitterly cursed. By the spilling of innocent blood, he was cursed more than the ground. Cain's act of violence brought a great acceleration of sin--a new expression of sin that was unknown in God's creation before that time. While it might be argued that this development was simply the logical outgrowth of Adam's sin, it is clear from scripture that this sin can be traced back only to Cain and not to Seth, the younger brother who replaced Abel.
Something terrible was crouching at the door, poised to spring on an unsuspecting humanity, bringing an increase of iniquity that would so pollute the human race that God would regret ever having created them. Alfred Edersheim wrote regarding the fruit of this sin, "Cain. . .built a city, which has been aptly described as the laying of the first foundations of that kingdom in which 'the spirit of the beast' prevails." (For a look at its final form see Revelation chapters 17-19).
The Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, described the changes that occurred in the earth after Cain unleashed the sin that was crouching at the door.
"And when Cain had traveled over many countries, he, with his wife, built a city, named Nod, which is a place so called, and there he settled his abode; where also he had children. However, he did not accept of his punishment in order to amendment, but to increase his wickedness; for he only aimed to procure every thing that was for his own bodily pleasure, though it obliged him to be injurious to his neighbors. He augmented his household substance with much wealth, by rapine (plundering or theft) and violence; he excited his acquaintance to procure pleasures and spoils by robbery, and became a great leader of men into wicked courses. He also introduced a change in that way of simplicity wherein men lived before; and was the author of measures and weights. And whereas they lived innocently and generously while they knew nothing of such arts, he changed the world into cunning craftiness.
He first of all set boundaries about lands: he built a city, and fortified it with walls, and he compelled his family to come together to it; and called that city Enoch, after the name of his eldest son Enoch. . .Nay, even while Adam was alive, it came to pass that the posterity of Cain became exceeding wicked, every one successively dying, one after another, more wicked than the former. They were intolerable in war, and vehement in robberies; and if any one were slow to murder people, yet was he bold in his profligate behavior, in acting unjustly, and doing injuries for gain."
Out of Cain's rebellion sprang a system of merchandising that gave rise to the oppressor, the raiser of taxes, and the taskmaster. Without doubt, the exactor and the gold gatherer are responsible for every form of slavery and oppression in the world today.
It was this compounding of sin that finally brought on the judgment of the flood. Isn't it amazing how much this sounds like hedonistic America today? We see greedy men amassing great wealth gathered by plundering, theft and violence. The unjust measures and weights of Cain are still in use today to facilitate and legitimize open theft. The way of simplicity, living innocently and generously with one another, has been lost in America and most of the world because of the spirit of merchandising. The sin that was crouching at Cain's door is still working its corruption in families, cities, townships, states, nations and yes, even churches, changing them "into a world of cunning craftiness."
The whole meaning of community has been lost, especially in today's commercialized church system. Once church leaders took up offerings to benefit the poor and needy (see Acts 4:32-37). Now, the money received in church coffers goes for pastoral staff salaries and church buildings, a thing unheard of in the first two centuries of church history.
Jesus prophesied that before the coming judgment it would once again be as it was in the days of Noah, when the earth was filled with the feasting, drinking and hedonism of Cain. It would be as it was in the corrupted society of Sodom where it was business as usual, "They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built."(see Luke 17:26-32). Can anyone look around western culture and its churches and not see this prophecy fulfilled?
Without doubt, the prevailing conditions on the earth today are identical to what existed before the judgment of the flood and the judgment of Sodom. The export of American hedonism has infected the whole world, and the church has been privy to it in its evangelism of the heathen. It goes forth converting men to its corrupt American ways, convincing all that this is true Christianity. The lust for wealth has found a home in the gospel of prosperity, and gain preached as godliness is commonplace (see1 Timothy 6:1-11).
The lust of Cain has found a home in the clergy who now rule the church. We read recently where a Pentecostal minister pleaded guilty to five counts of bank robbery and faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 4 Is this the way of Cain or not? He robbed widows and orphans of their due, so why not rob a bank? Is not this more noble?
The opinion expressed here may or may not be my personal opinion.
The word of God tells us about prayer cloths, it teaches us to give gifts and to give money. However these days whenever i turn the tv on there is some preacher selling spring water or soap for a miracle.
Where do we draw the line between what is God and the biblical example set by scripture?
Note that in bringing this article i myself do not have the answers and would like to discuss something that is of personal importance to me.
It is not to totally put down someone's ministry but to at least discuss this growing trend in the body of Christ.
Who is affecting whom? Today we see a church that is so dead it has resorted to the world's marketing strategies in an attempt to grow numerically. Might makes right. It is the bottom line that counts.
True spiritual growth in Christ has become passé. The Church today looks more like the Bazaar of Annas that filled the outer courts of the temple 2000 years ago, than the body of Christ. It resembles a marketplace more than a loving community, and is more like a den of thieves than a house of prayer (Matthew 21:12). The noise of the moneychangers' tables crescendos above the muted prayers of the few that "sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof" (see Ezekiel 9:4). As it was in the time of Ezekiel's prophesy, judgment is on it way.
It Is All About Marketing - The Way of Cain
As we look out at Christendom today; marketing is the name of the game. This marketing-mania we are seeing is more a meter of apostasy rather than progress. Sorry, American Church, but your merchandising is a sure sign of spiritual deadness. How could we say such a thing? Merchandising is as American as apple pie, and from our youth we have heard the praises of capitalism. Merchandising is both a spirit and an exact science of carnal man. It does not belong in the True Church, or the kingdom of God. In fact, if you look at the subject in the scripture, it is rarely mentioned in a positive light.
Some of the most idolatrous and brutal societies and people were given to merchandising. The most notable of these were Cain, Tyre, Sidon, and Babylon. One of the definitions of Canaanite is "merchant or trader." It was a band of Midianites that bought Joseph from his brothers and sold him as a slave in Egypt. The family of Annas, the high priest during Jesus' years of ministry, plotted to have Him killed after He turned over their money changing tables in the temple and disrupted their commerce. Jesus warned, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." And what a perfect love of money and hatred of Jesus they had, so much so that He told them that they were of their father the devil, who was a liar and murder from the beginning.
The Father of Merchandising
Now let's look at the roots of mercantilism. Let's go back to a gentler time--a time when a gold nugget was only a pretty rock, a time before money, building, buying and selling, a time before theft and murder, a time of greater innocence and generosity. No, this is not the introduction to a fairytale. It is a true story about the dawning days of mankind.
In these early days, before governments and corporate greed, two brothers came bringing their offerings to the Lord. One came with a heart filled with gratitude for God's generous bounty in his life. The other came with an evil heart out of a sense of religious duty. The eldest was named Cain and the younger was Abel. God, who sees the hearts of men, showed favor on Abel's offering. This angered his elder brother. God, seeing the anger in Cain's heart, warned him, "Sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it" (Genesis 4:7). It was well within Cain's power to resist this sin, but he did not. In spite of God's warning, Cain plotted to draw his younger brother out into the field, then rose up and killed him. The judgment of God on Cain is as follows:
"And now you are cursed more than the ground which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it will not again give its strength to you. And you shall be a vagabond (a rover or wanderer) and a fugitive in the earth." (Genesis 4:11-12 MKJV)
When Adam and Eve first fell, the ground was cursed. "Cursed is the ground for your sake" (Genesis 3:17). Now a new and greater curse was placed on the descendents of Cain. Cain was not just cursed; he was bitterly cursed. By the spilling of innocent blood, he was cursed more than the ground. Cain's act of violence brought a great acceleration of sin--a new expression of sin that was unknown in God's creation before that time. While it might be argued that this development was simply the logical outgrowth of Adam's sin, it is clear from scripture that this sin can be traced back only to Cain and not to Seth, the younger brother who replaced Abel.
Something terrible was crouching at the door, poised to spring on an unsuspecting humanity, bringing an increase of iniquity that would so pollute the human race that God would regret ever having created them. Alfred Edersheim wrote regarding the fruit of this sin, "Cain. . .built a city, which has been aptly described as the laying of the first foundations of that kingdom in which 'the spirit of the beast' prevails." (For a look at its final form see Revelation chapters 17-19).
The Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, described the changes that occurred in the earth after Cain unleashed the sin that was crouching at the door.
"And when Cain had traveled over many countries, he, with his wife, built a city, named Nod, which is a place so called, and there he settled his abode; where also he had children. However, he did not accept of his punishment in order to amendment, but to increase his wickedness; for he only aimed to procure every thing that was for his own bodily pleasure, though it obliged him to be injurious to his neighbors. He augmented his household substance with much wealth, by rapine (plundering or theft) and violence; he excited his acquaintance to procure pleasures and spoils by robbery, and became a great leader of men into wicked courses. He also introduced a change in that way of simplicity wherein men lived before; and was the author of measures and weights. And whereas they lived innocently and generously while they knew nothing of such arts, he changed the world into cunning craftiness.
He first of all set boundaries about lands: he built a city, and fortified it with walls, and he compelled his family to come together to it; and called that city Enoch, after the name of his eldest son Enoch. . .Nay, even while Adam was alive, it came to pass that the posterity of Cain became exceeding wicked, every one successively dying, one after another, more wicked than the former. They were intolerable in war, and vehement in robberies; and if any one were slow to murder people, yet was he bold in his profligate behavior, in acting unjustly, and doing injuries for gain."
Out of Cain's rebellion sprang a system of merchandising that gave rise to the oppressor, the raiser of taxes, and the taskmaster. Without doubt, the exactor and the gold gatherer are responsible for every form of slavery and oppression in the world today.
It was this compounding of sin that finally brought on the judgment of the flood. Isn't it amazing how much this sounds like hedonistic America today? We see greedy men amassing great wealth gathered by plundering, theft and violence. The unjust measures and weights of Cain are still in use today to facilitate and legitimize open theft. The way of simplicity, living innocently and generously with one another, has been lost in America and most of the world because of the spirit of merchandising. The sin that was crouching at Cain's door is still working its corruption in families, cities, townships, states, nations and yes, even churches, changing them "into a world of cunning craftiness."
The whole meaning of community has been lost, especially in today's commercialized church system. Once church leaders took up offerings to benefit the poor and needy (see Acts 4:32-37). Now, the money received in church coffers goes for pastoral staff salaries and church buildings, a thing unheard of in the first two centuries of church history.
Jesus prophesied that before the coming judgment it would once again be as it was in the days of Noah, when the earth was filled with the feasting, drinking and hedonism of Cain. It would be as it was in the corrupted society of Sodom where it was business as usual, "They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built."(see Luke 17:26-32). Can anyone look around western culture and its churches and not see this prophecy fulfilled?
Without doubt, the prevailing conditions on the earth today are identical to what existed before the judgment of the flood and the judgment of Sodom. The export of American hedonism has infected the whole world, and the church has been privy to it in its evangelism of the heathen. It goes forth converting men to its corrupt American ways, convincing all that this is true Christianity. The lust for wealth has found a home in the gospel of prosperity, and gain preached as godliness is commonplace (see1 Timothy 6:1-11).
The lust of Cain has found a home in the clergy who now rule the church. We read recently where a Pentecostal minister pleaded guilty to five counts of bank robbery and faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 4 Is this the way of Cain or not? He robbed widows and orphans of their due, so why not rob a bank? Is not this more noble?
The opinion expressed here may or may not be my personal opinion.
The word of God tells us about prayer cloths, it teaches us to give gifts and to give money. However these days whenever i turn the tv on there is some preacher selling spring water or soap for a miracle.
Where do we draw the line between what is God and the biblical example set by scripture?
Note that in bringing this article i myself do not have the answers and would like to discuss something that is of personal importance to me.
It is not to totally put down someone's ministry but to at least discuss this growing trend in the body of Christ.
