From what I can see in looking around (and let me know if you see different in your looking around) there are two pinnacle ends of Christianity: blessing (victory) and experiencing God (aka, entering/being-in God's presence).
These observations stem from billboards, marquees, radio and tv, websites, message boards, email, circulars, postings and overhearing Christians who purport to be "in" with God. If I know nothing about God I hone this view by observing the things people who allege to know Him do and say. How are these people living? What are they indicating is going on as a result of their (allegedly) being acquainted with Him?
And here is where something is horribly, horribly disastrous with Christianity.
The fact that almost the entire body of Jesus lives, prays, expects,
hopes, speaks and reasons as though blessing and presence are the goal of the Way is spawning all kinds of hell. This contributes to the root of extreme haughtiness so common among Christians, who think their "favor" with God translates into nonstop goodies and entitlement.It's a staple in the superficiality and callousness of the hearts of people who ironically claim to be warm, caring and loving. It's a factor in the severely warped view of Positive Christians, who live every breath of life erroneously thinking that God only wants good things to happen to people. (And that life consists solely of "finding the good [positive] in everything". What a warped perception of reality on this planet.)
It's a contributor to the spending of multi, multi, multi millions of dollars every year on things that God doesn't give a rat's ass about. And I think this could quite possibly be the saddest thing of all. People who allege to know what is important to God putting all kinds of over-the-top, gluttonous emphasis on things that aren't important to Him.
Jesus minces no words about people who purport to know God who are in actuality (and in Jesus' own words) "double sons of hell". Why don't we give more thought to Jesus bluntly saying that shrewd businessmen and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of those who perceive they are intimate with God?
I've got a friend who talks off and on about God yet is a huge critic and skeptic (and justifiably so) of Christianity. He put it really well recently when he said "These Christians actually think that God has nothing better to do than sit around thinking about how He can do things for them." I replied, "I know. Exactly." This friend, who has a casual knowledge of God, has a better understanding of Him than most Christians I come across.
The blessing/presence obsession is such an ear-tickling message. It gives Christians something to do to be busy, instead of being about doing the things Jesus says are the Way.
It's also an extremely self-absorbed paradigm. All these Christians wanting to do nothing but recline in their lazy chairs obsessing over how much God loves them. All the time.
I've lost count of how many times I've heard people say things like "Human beings are wired for worship", talking about how "awesome worship is" (in their church, their car, etc). Amidst this Feel-Good Gospel and P&W stuff, have you ever stopped to notice how many times Jesus talks about worship?
Jesus mentions worship twice. That's it.
You wouldn't think this is so in observing today's Body. There are many people, churches, entire movements that are ALL about worship. A lot of churches spend more than 50% of their time doing p&w.
Have you seen the t-shirt "It's all about worship"? I just did a Google search and apparently there is a song called "It's All in the Worship". I also found this little gem on a website last year: "Worship is at the center of this great spiritual war. It has always been over worship, fought with worship and will be won through worship."
Um, not really. Not according to Jesus.
I've lost count of the number of Music Ministers, pastors and everyday Christians who embrace the idea that we can (and should) "praise our way" out of troubles. This is such a ludicrous, retarded and shallow perception of life. Yet these same people are befuddled about the vastly increasing animosity toward Christianity.
Another classic example of people yakking their yak on God's behalf. An ear-tickling excuse for Christians to get lathered up and spend an exorbitant amount of time in self-absorbed pursuits instead of being about the things Jesus says to do. No wonder the bruised are leaving churches in record numbers.
Have you ever taken a look around at folks during p&w? The most common thing I see is people looking like they're in pain. When I see folks doing this I think "They're either in a lot of pain or they're constipated and trying really hard to pinch a loaf, right here instead of going to the bathroom".
If worship is such this great and heralded thing, why the looks of agony and constipation? If Jesus is indeed Emmanuel ("God inside"), then why do Christians talk about "entering God's presence"? If He's already within me, why the huge emphasis to go to a brick & mortar building to "experience God"?
A part of this is the Church's lemminghood in imitating society. Christianity is more about entertainment than it is the gospel. It has warmly embraced its own version of pop culture, complete with hierarchy, status, big names, who's hot, fads, "in" language, cliques, etc.
The Body is definitely into name-dropping and rock star-type icons (in music, authors, media personalities). Christian authors going on book tours, charging people to hear them speak and charging money to read their books.
If someone is given a morsel of God, why do they charge money to convey this message to others whose life might ripen in some way from hearing it? If someone is allowed to see a chamber of God's heart which is hidden to most, why demand money to gain access to this? Interesting how God gave them the nugget at no charge and yet they in turn charge money for others to hear it.
Another thing that some of these folks do is self-promote themselves
as gifted, prophetic, great teachers, etc. I think this is just pious as pious can be. Don't tell me how gifted you are. Just show up, and after hearing what you have to say I'll assess whether you're gifted, prophetic or otherwise. I have a serious aversion to this name-dropping and man-promotion stuff. Whenever I come across anything good about God I simply say "I heard xyz", "I read abc" or "a friend of mine said jkl".
I don't mention names because imo what is important is what's said, not the person who says it. This foraging that we're doing among us and with God is not writing research papers in high school. Why not just talk about the savory things of God without all this source-citing and name-dropping? Why are Christians so fixated on mentioning how educated and well-read we are?
I personally don't see the need for any of this. I enjoy anonymity, and only refer to things I come across as "I heard x". I have no interest in participating in or contributing to the vast swelling of self-promotion. What's fundamentally important is not grandstanding. What is important is simply the message. A message that should not cost anything and should not be continually tainted with piss-stains of self-promotion.
There are a lot of prisoners, captives, broken and bruised all around us. Why don't we stop promoting ourselves and just concentrate on being good to them?
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