Improved sinners…

You know what’s so hard about disagreeing with the methods of the pdc stuff or the seeker stuff or the whole mega “church” stuff?  It’s taken as being tantamount to judging or condemning the “leaders” to the eternal abyss or the lake of fire or whatever other word it’s called. And that’s not what I’m intending here.  I disagree with some of the philosophies and methods and certainly their interpretations and definitions of both their job descriptions, the message story they read and the places and/or methods of what they call worship (if they call it worship, which I don’t know that they do).  But the individuals—the people? Well, I’d probably gladly visit with and serve them a meal and a piece of pie and a cup of coffee right alongside my family at the table.  So, it’s not them individually, per se, it’s all the stuff.  Hey, that’s a thought: it’s not all about them.

I’m reminded of a group we used to be associated with ( btw, bad grammar wasn’t a teaching from one of the booklets, that’s mine).  Anyway, one of the programs this group heavily promoted and used was a character program where they would teach character in schools and businesses.  The head of the organization said that it was a method of improving lives… sort of that he knew they couldn’t convert the sinners, but that they could “improve them.”   Really, that’s a quote.  Well, so, that never set well with me or my husband.  Improved sinners are still going to spend eternity separated from God no matter how well behaved they are trained to be or how good they look in a shirt and tie with their good manners and attentiveness or whatever other character quality they were learning that week.  So, it always bothered me to endorse and spend time on programs that would teach people in the pharisaical system and get them all cleaned up; for what?  I always wondered: when are you going to tell them the Truth?  How are you going to tell improved sinners… O, by the way… you’re works are as filthy rags and you’re headed for a Christless eternity and eternal separation from God.  People who disagreed with stuff in the whole program were sort of labeled: bitter or great wasters or whatever.  I don’t really care all that much for labels.  I don’t wear them, anyway.

So, then there’s the global peace plan and folks who aren’t on board are considered to be hateful and narrow minded and probably like fundamentalist Christians: enemies of the “church.”  But that’s really not true.  That’s a lash-out and a cop-out.  I am so all for helping the sick, the poor and the downtrodden—totally.  But — and this is very important, we are called to preach the gospel, we are called to proclaim Christ and Him crucified.  And then we are called to visit the sick, the poor, the imprisoned, the impoverished, the widows and orphans.  World hunger, a.i.d.s. and poverty and a host of other scenarios are very, very important—but improved sinners, helped sinners, healthy sinners, working sinners, free sinners……… are ALL going to spend eternity in hell if they don’t know Jesus as LORD.  All of them.  So to not preach Jesus Christ is a shame.

There is no other name given among men by which we must be saved.  Jesus said: “I am the Way the Truth and the Life.  No man comes unto the Father but by Me.”  We cannot, must not, put our own plans, peace or otherwise, before the mandates of the Word.

  There’s lots going on.  Lots.