I was out this morning for a meeting and a few errands. While in my car, I turned on the radio to a Christian station. The radio had not been on but for a few minutes when I heard the conveyance of what I am about to share. The radio station was relaying that a church out West had actually brought in a "sample" of the world and "polled" them in front of the members of the church. The leadership asked them probing questions about Christians -- more like opinion questions like how we, as Christians, could improve. One of their responses relayed was "Be less judgemental and listen." Then it was wrapped up with the church's leadership's ultimate "motive": To get their congregation to ask what Jesus would do, or better put -- how could the answers from the lost shift the Christian's behavior. There was a strong implication that the members of this particular church should listen to the "world's" answers and follow the "world's" advice so that the world could be "reached" for Jesus.

Are they serious? I felt such a drop in my spirit that I had to turn the radio off.

I had just left a meeting where, in part, we were talking about the Church's roll in America. May I just say strongly --- IT IS NOT TO PLACATE TO THE LOST.


Christ NEVER polled the lost to see what He could do better. Nor do we find any evidence that the apostles "polled" the lost for how they could better reach the world for Christ. To do so is nonsense and evil! It is taking something holy, set apart, and bringing it before swine.


The church out West asked the world "how can we be better liked by you?"

I am not interested in being liked. I am interested in being used as a tool in Father's hand to confront the sin nature in those I meet. If they desire freedom, I introduce them to the One who can set them free. If they mock or ridicule me, I leave them in their desired darkness and move on.


We, Christians, need to get it in our minds we are not going to be liked by the world, nor is it the Church's responsibility to save all people. Paul speaks that where he went he brought the awareness of death to the spiritually dead and life to the spiritually living. He did not say it was his responsibility to make the dead living or make the dead like him. His duty was to boldly speak forth The Truth.


In a world where "truth" is thought to be relative, of course The Truth is going to rub the world the wrong way. I say "Let Him!" HE wants them to squirm in His presence. Let's never forget the Holiness of God Almighty! He is not to be watered down -- but boldly proclaimed to the world!

The Church, who is IN HIM, is intended to be a bright CONFRONTATIONAL light to the world...... set apart for HIS glory. Many churches are way too preoccupied with keeping the members happy and attendance numbers up instead of preaching the truth and permitting the Spirit to truly confront our corruption!

Just this past month, it came to my awareness that a mother's son was run off from her church's youth group because some misfits in the group are being "tolerated" instead of confronted and corrected. So sad!

Have some in church leadership abdicated their protective role such that the wolves are permitted to run the sheep off from the flock in the hopes that leadership can make a wolf a sheep? If so, they are devising their own path -- and dare I say -- their own ruin! Paul said to the church of Corinth that if they permitted such behavior within the church, the whole church would be corrupted; for certainly Christ would have run the wolves off and protected the sheep!

I have never been more dismayed at modern American Christianity. You want to know why we aren't effective anymore? Because we have prostituted ourselves before the world in a ridiculous attempt to be liked.

Take a stand for Christ and be not ashamed! Church, stop asking the world for permission to be Christ's ambassadors! They did not buy you with their blood. Stop placating them! Their opinions should not leave us striving to change so they feel less uncomfortable! Christ did not and we should not!