Christians, Come Back

Steyn Online ^ | Sept. 3, 2020 | Tal Bachman

[SaveFerris]

No flame but I prefer to go in my old jeans, a lot of the time.

I don’t want people to treat me better if I’m wearing a nice suit (I have a couple of nice suits but not expensive suits).

Now when I was an usher, yes I wore my nice suits to look professional. But I treat people, or hope the Lord grants me the grace to treat people as admonished by the Lord’s Brother James. I try to think, what if I saw a man on the street in ratty clothes begging for food and I could help him? (which has been difficult the past few years because of the lack of work in my field). I try to think, what if I’m encountering an angel of the Lord? I would expect they would come in ratty clothing. And the Lord speaks of showing grace and mercy to the least of His brethren (which is OFTEN me, LOL):

---

James 2:1-13 New King James Version

Beware of Personal Favoritism

1 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.
2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,
3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,”
4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?
7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;
9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

[steve86]

For men, suits and ties are required in our Latin Masses. You will be admitted without a tie once, but not without the jacket, dress slacks and dress shoes. And contrary to a previous comment, the priests have most certainly not given in to pop culture. Ha!

[Pontiac]

Later

[ExGeeEye]

Point one: Hebrews 10:25 — I am guilty of this one, too.

Point two: such gatherings need not be in a particular place, but must be for the particular purpose of prayer, study, teaching, worship, and service, any one or all of these... so a foursome of de-churched Christian golfers doesn’t qualify :)

[kalee]

For later.

[dp0622]

come on man. Man up :-) I miss church too and it is a sin and a bad one. Don’t tell me there is no church anywhere near you that would fit “good enough” for you.

That excuse is up there with “it’s raining outside” :-)

I need to try much harder to make massnevery week.

Or I will be in a lot of trouble

[duckman]

“..that nobody gets dressed up for church anymore.”
Agreed. Here at the beach, some guys come in with ‘wild’ looking shorts, tops and flip flops. Thought it was me that thought it was disrespectful.

[who knows what evil?]

Bkmrk. One of the most popular churches nowadays is the ‘Church of the Itching Ear’...

[Coffee... Black... No Sugar]

Bkmk

[sauropod]

Independant Fundamental Baptist church.

It’s where I go and it is where they actually preach the Word.

Expository preaching. It’s the new Black.

[jmacusa]

BLM would dare get within a mile of a mosque because they know their heads would be cut off. That speaks volumes.

[jmacusa]

Sorry. Meant to say ‘’wouldn’t’’.

[reviled downesdad]

Agree, the happy warriors must unite and find leaders.

[redgolum]

The same God that said to turn the other cheek was also the same God who said to kill every living thing in Jericho.

Ignore petty insults, do not ignore mortal threats. To many churches embrace mortal threats and attack petty insults

[redgolum]

which is a great way to limit attendance. Most men under 40 do not own a suit.

But I bet that means the ones that attend have more money to give

[SkyPilot]

Wander into a typical Christian church these days, and, far from hearing a sermon challenging you to live an upright life, you're more likely to hear an unsuccessful attempt at a Jeff Foxworthy-style stand-up comedy routine, Hallmark-style stories of dubious veracity, and utterly vacuous "praise songs" which all sound like U2 album rejects from 1986. (They even feature the thumping eighth-note bass parts, echo-drenched guitar, and melodramatic vocal performances.)

I've seen all of the above in Christian churches.

Steyn brings up excellent points all through the article, but he also highlights the degradation and pollution of "Worship" music that has proliferated in Western churches for the last 30 years.

Many, if not most, of today's "Praise and Worship" performers act like pop or rock stars, and think they actually are pop or rock stars.

The "Praise and Worship" portion of the average Christian service takes (in my estimation) 40% to 60%+ of the "stage time." More than the Pastor. More than the sermon. More than prayer.

I have seen it all: fog machines, laser lights, and an obsession with stage craft. Many of these "Praise" performers are praising and worshiping themselves - not God.

As I have posted her before, I attended a church where the "Praise and Worship" team probably would not exit the stage unless a hook was employed. The "closing song" morphed into two, three, four songs. Maybe more....depending on how much they wanted to "rock out."

In the COVID era, I listen to real sermons on-line. When I feel the need to praise God in song, I listen to one of the more solid modern praise songs (there are a few), or an old hymn and quietly sing along.

Jan Markell did an entire program about a year and half ago on the problem of modern Christian "Praise and Worship" music and musicians.

She played numerous "Jesus is My Boyfriend" songs. They lyrics are indistinguishable from pop love songs, and when you listen to them in the context of God and Christ, they are literally blasphemous and carnal.

I have seen female singers wail in almost orgasmic glee on stage, belting out lyrics of "Being Inside Me......Deeper.....Deeper To Know You......My Lover.....The Lover of My Soul...……"

I would like to believe that if we ever went "back to normal", many Christian churches will have reformed themselves. But I highly doubt it.

[dragonblustar]

At some point, you're also going to see the pastor dutifully hand the mic....

Over to his wife because he has a porn problem which makes him feel too guilty to speak out about sin or any other problem facing his congregation.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Andy Stanley (one of Satan’s little helpers) is a picture-perfect example of this post.

The author calls him a serial blasphemer, which is very accurate.

Andy Stanley Mocks John MacArthur, Says Jesus Never Commanded Us to Meet

https://reformationcharlotte.org/2020/08/28/andy-stanley-mocks-john-macarthur-says-jesus-never-commanded-us-to-meet/

I’m surprised Charles Stanley hasn’t banned Andy from his First Baptist Church in Atlanta. Makes me wonder if Charles has alzheimer’s for allowing such a wicked person to touch his congregation?

[dragonblustar]

Next, politely thank the female pastors for their service - but then - how to put this? - empower the guys again.

You need a testosterone injection.

68 percent of church-going men and over 50 percent of pastors view porn on a regular basis. Of young Christian adults 18-24 years old, 76 percent actively search for porn.

https://www.charismanews.com/us/73208-15-statistics-about-the-church-and-pornography-that-will-blow-your-mind

[Roman_War_Criminal]

I’m with you on that and horribly guilty of it unfortunately.

It says a lot more about people who do dress up than those who don’t.

There’s the respect factor there. Good points and well stated.