Posts
Yesterday I visited a place unlike any other I have ever seen. Just outside Rock Springs, Wyoming is the Red Desert. When I say "just outside" I mean a seventeen mile drive over unimproved road (locals call it a county road!) to the first DOI destination, ancient native American Indian petroglyphs carved into sandstone cliffs. A mere mile away from there is a natural formation called the "Boar's Tusk". Another eight miles and the capstone of the panorama shows up and you can clearly see the evidence of what we know as the great flood.
Immense sand dunes rise up from the desert floor. Wind whips the sand and bites your legs if you are foolish enough like me to get out of the car wearing shorts. Even crazier was the taking of pictures with a very expensive camera. Sand and dust quickly infiltrate everything. So my family and I jumped out, took the shot, and jumped back in the car before it was swallowed up in sand (literally it was piling up around the tires in just a short time!)
Looking out from this harsh landscape at the bottom of the world, you can see the rim of mountainside surrounding this spot in all directions. Striations are clearly seen on the cliffs where this once ancient body of water existed and left behind its bed as it disappeared. This is no small area. It is hundreds of miles in circumference. But the best was yet to come.
As we left the area on another unimproved road to get back to the highway, we saw a herd of cattle down below. This desert seemed hardly the place to support any such life. I told my kids that if we got a flat tire, it was unlikely that we could survive the seventeen mile walk to get out. The sun was high, the wind was fast, and there was no cover. Worst of all, there was no water. Drought has hit this land hard this year. Mud cracks and salt packs are everywhere.
That's what made this part of the Oregon Trail so dangerous to the uninformed. What appeared to be fresh water was in fact poisonous alkali salt. Cattle died. People died. If enough provisions were not carried, or if fresh water was not running in the river, then death was imminent.
Yet there it was down at the bottom of the desert, a small spring surrounded by a herd of cows. I only saw it because I was curious what kinds of animals were down there. Earlier we saw a few pronghorn antelope. These skittish creatures don't linger long for photo-ops! My binoculars enabled me to identify the cattle and catch the glint of water from the bright sun. A few miles further up and a sign at a crossroads confirmed that indeed, "Chicken Springs" was just down the way.
What does all this have to do with the Biblical flood? Read the evidence and see it for yourself. Here is a great example of the fountains rising up from the deep and water covering the whole earth. All that is left now is evidence of that water recession, sand dunes, and a tiny spring (from the deep - it must be for the surface water is poison).
This has to be one of the most remote and spectacular places I have ever seen and touched. Truly God is merciful and mighty that He would leave this all behind for us. It is a reminder of His power and grace, His hatred of sin, the ultimate demise of this world, and the new heaven and earth to come.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Called to...?
Thank you for some excellent comments. As Timothy pointed out, there is nothing Biblically wrong with street preaching and evangelism. That was certainly not my point. But I think you readers got that. It does however lead to a good opening to answer Timothy's question about the deception part.
Given that a believer is gifted and empowered by the Holy Spirit to evangelize, street preaching is a wonderful way to do that as shown by the examples of Jesus, Paul, John, Peter. etc.. However, not all are gifted in this way. That's where part one of the deception comes in.
How many Christians are taught to believe that we must all go out and evangelize the world by public speaking? And how many of that group are scared to death to do that? How many of you still feel that way even after going to the EE class? Well, there's a good reason for that.
First, it's not your calling (hold your comments for just a second folks! Yes, everybody is called to witness AND make disciples. The critical issue surrounds how we do that as a Body.) Second, it's not your gift. There are folks in the Body who are gifted as evangelists. Check out I Corinthians 12-14, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4 for the rest of the list.
Each person, as they are uniquely gifted by the Holy Spirit, fulfills the Great Commission. For instance, those with the gift of hospitality evangelize, witness, and make disciples most supernaturally in the home as they serve and make folks feel at home (or whatever else folks with this gift do! :-) My gift is prophecy so I witness and make disciples in a very direct way through sharing God's Word boldly in print and small group settings.
The calling is the second area of issue. God first gifts His Body, then He calls each member uniquely. Have you made both your calling and election sure? Do you know that it (your calling) can change from time to time as the Spirit wills? Perhaps you are a gifted evangelist but NOT called to street preaching. You can only know with certainty the words of truth by seeking them directly from heaven. Follow the path from Romans 11:36 through 12:2.
Given that a believer is gifted and empowered by the Holy Spirit to evangelize, street preaching is a wonderful way to do that as shown by the examples of Jesus, Paul, John, Peter. etc.. However, not all are gifted in this way. That's where part one of the deception comes in.
How many Christians are taught to believe that we must all go out and evangelize the world by public speaking? And how many of that group are scared to death to do that? How many of you still feel that way even after going to the EE class? Well, there's a good reason for that.
First, it's not your calling (hold your comments for just a second folks! Yes, everybody is called to witness AND make disciples. The critical issue surrounds how we do that as a Body.) Second, it's not your gift. There are folks in the Body who are gifted as evangelists. Check out I Corinthians 12-14, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4 for the rest of the list.
Each person, as they are uniquely gifted by the Holy Spirit, fulfills the Great Commission. For instance, those with the gift of hospitality evangelize, witness, and make disciples most supernaturally in the home as they serve and make folks feel at home (or whatever else folks with this gift do! :-) My gift is prophecy so I witness and make disciples in a very direct way through sharing God's Word boldly in print and small group settings.
The calling is the second area of issue. God first gifts His Body, then He calls each member uniquely. Have you made both your calling and election sure? Do you know that it (your calling) can change from time to time as the Spirit wills? Perhaps you are a gifted evangelist but NOT called to street preaching. You can only know with certainty the words of truth by seeking them directly from heaven. Follow the path from Romans 11:36 through 12:2.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Attacked by Deception
Two nights ago my family and I attended an outdoor cowboy "shootout" next to the Irma Hotel in Cody, Wyoming. This nightly event at 6:00pm is a hokey Wild West show put on by some street theater folks. They charge nothing for the event but do ask for charitable donations.
No sooner did the show end than another loud voice opened up behind the audience. A street preacher had set up a podium and was deriding various members of the audience and the cast. I listened closely.
With a Bible in one hand, he shouted at the one cowboy and called him a public drunkard. The bargirl was a "harlot". The audience in general participated in a show of evil and wickedness. At that, a member of the audience shouted back something at the preacher that I could not understand. He replied to her that she should keep silence. "A womans's place is in the home and that's where you should be," he shouted at her. She laughed and said something else mocking him. His reply to the audience in general, "Here is a rebellious woman!"
Next he selected a young boy in the audience. "Look at this young man wearing an AC/DC shirt!" I didn't catch the rest and frankly at this point stopped listening. My family and I walked away. The show was over and this follow-up "act" was one we didn't want to watch.
A half hour later he was still going at it as we walked back to our car. He was shouting at people to "read the Bible! Read the truth!"
After such a deriding who would possibly be motivated to read the Bible or anything else this man recommended?
But that's not the real problem here. There is a great deception going on. Although the words he spoke were Biblical, they were also out of context AND deceptive. Why?
Where in God's Word does God ever accuse a sinner of being a sinner? Where did Jesus ever shout someone down, point out their sin, and then try and witness to them?
The street preacher was out of context. No Biblical basis exists for his activity. God never calls anyone to go out into the world and call the world a hypocrite or a sinner. On the other hand, Jesus did go to the religious people and accuse them of such.
But folks on vacation, watching a Wild West show? This is not church, synagogue, or any kind of religious gathering. Frankly, this audience was set up. They were preyed upon.
The deception came about because although the preacher spoke the truth of God's Word, he did not speak the truth to this audience. Calling people "rebellious, harlot, drunkard" is just plain foolishness. Of course they are. They are the world. It's a statement of the obvious but not to them. They don't know any better. They are dead in their trespasses and sins. There is no awareness of sin in their lives.
The deception is placed in their minds regarding the face of the Christian church. The perception is that we are a bunch of Bible thumpers. The world sees a street preacher like this and just waits to trip him up at his own game, to find some fault in him according to his own doctrine.
A pastor once told me that today's church is its own worst enemy. He quoted that from a preacher that said it about 100 years ago. What do you think?
No sooner did the show end than another loud voice opened up behind the audience. A street preacher had set up a podium and was deriding various members of the audience and the cast. I listened closely.
With a Bible in one hand, he shouted at the one cowboy and called him a public drunkard. The bargirl was a "harlot". The audience in general participated in a show of evil and wickedness. At that, a member of the audience shouted back something at the preacher that I could not understand. He replied to her that she should keep silence. "A womans's place is in the home and that's where you should be," he shouted at her. She laughed and said something else mocking him. His reply to the audience in general, "Here is a rebellious woman!"
Next he selected a young boy in the audience. "Look at this young man wearing an AC/DC shirt!" I didn't catch the rest and frankly at this point stopped listening. My family and I walked away. The show was over and this follow-up "act" was one we didn't want to watch.
A half hour later he was still going at it as we walked back to our car. He was shouting at people to "read the Bible! Read the truth!"
After such a deriding who would possibly be motivated to read the Bible or anything else this man recommended?
But that's not the real problem here. There is a great deception going on. Although the words he spoke were Biblical, they were also out of context AND deceptive. Why?
Where in God's Word does God ever accuse a sinner of being a sinner? Where did Jesus ever shout someone down, point out their sin, and then try and witness to them?
The street preacher was out of context. No Biblical basis exists for his activity. God never calls anyone to go out into the world and call the world a hypocrite or a sinner. On the other hand, Jesus did go to the religious people and accuse them of such.
But folks on vacation, watching a Wild West show? This is not church, synagogue, or any kind of religious gathering. Frankly, this audience was set up. They were preyed upon.
The deception came about because although the preacher spoke the truth of God's Word, he did not speak the truth to this audience. Calling people "rebellious, harlot, drunkard" is just plain foolishness. Of course they are. They are the world. It's a statement of the obvious but not to them. They don't know any better. They are dead in their trespasses and sins. There is no awareness of sin in their lives.
The deception is placed in their minds regarding the face of the Christian church. The perception is that we are a bunch of Bible thumpers. The world sees a street preacher like this and just waits to trip him up at his own game, to find some fault in him according to his own doctrine.
A pastor once told me that today's church is its own worst enemy. He quoted that from a preacher that said it about 100 years ago. What do you think?
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Wordle
Wordle allows you to produce word clouds that you can customize. Here's mine up in the right-hand corner.
I've been busier than this over the past month. I decided to start posting snippets of my book on various blogs. The ones on Christianity.com are ripe for this because both the originators and responders in their forums just get so much of it wrong.
For instance, one of today's forums has to do with how many people are going to heaven. Surprisingly most people replied "a lot less than you think" along with quoting accurate supporting verses. So are the rest of Christendom deceived? Or do they just believe myths that provide them with answers that feel good, seem right, jive with what everybody else believes? Sadly, both answers are true.
Christian Mythology is coming to market to address the latter group. It's not my job to get folks into heaven. But I am called to proclaim the truth.
Have you made your calling and election sure?
I've been busier than this over the past month. I decided to start posting snippets of my book on various blogs. The ones on Christianity.com are ripe for this because both the originators and responders in their forums just get so much of it wrong.
For instance, one of today's forums has to do with how many people are going to heaven. Surprisingly most people replied "a lot less than you think" along with quoting accurate supporting verses. So are the rest of Christendom deceived? Or do they just believe myths that provide them with answers that feel good, seem right, jive with what everybody else believes? Sadly, both answers are true.
Christian Mythology is coming to market to address the latter group. It's not my job to get folks into heaven. But I am called to proclaim the truth.
Have you made your calling and election sure?
Sunday, May 25, 2008
A Writer's Platform
This week I learned a new "trick" to blogging. As I work to establish a platform, I started with this blog. But I realized that simply writing my own blog and working real hard to bring readers to it was really just that, hard work. Don't get me wrong, I love the writing part of it. But attracting an audience with a new blog just seemed not quite the most efficient method.
Then the thought occurred to me that I can write BUT use somebody else's blog to get the attention I need to build a platform. It doesn't have to be my blog at all. I can simply post comments to someone else's blog. The trick is that simple. AND...
Make sure the blogs you post to are in your genre of writing. That way you are writing to the market you want to have notice you. Make sure to post to blogs that are large and widely read. There's lots of little ones out there not worth the time. Post to blogs hosted by editors. Get right to the buyers and sellers. A captive audience of millions of readers and that one important editor. WOW! What a revelation.
At the end of the post, a simple URL will start to bring traffic your way. Many blogs even feature a Google autofill to make this even easier.
Then the thought occurred to me that I can write BUT use somebody else's blog to get the attention I need to build a platform. It doesn't have to be my blog at all. I can simply post comments to someone else's blog. The trick is that simple. AND...
Make sure the blogs you post to are in your genre of writing. That way you are writing to the market you want to have notice you. Make sure to post to blogs that are large and widely read. There's lots of little ones out there not worth the time. Post to blogs hosted by editors. Get right to the buyers and sellers. A captive audience of millions of readers and that one important editor. WOW! What a revelation.
At the end of the post, a simple URL will start to bring traffic your way. Many blogs even feature a Google autofill to make this even easier.
Friday, May 16, 2008
What Are You Reading?
What are you reading in the business/management book world? What book(s) have helped? Why? Conversely, what books did not help and why? What book(s) do you recommend?
Have you read my book? If not, then consider this:
The management strategies in this book all work and are 100% guaranteed. Each topic is backed up by real-world examples cited from the popular business literature such as Industry Week, Business Week, Fortune, and The Wall Street Journal. Many personal experience examples are also provided.
Have you ever experienced "right-sizing"? You can avoid this ever happening again in your life by following one simple strategy. You can get it for FREE on my website right now. But before I tell you the link, here's a few more things to think about.
Have you ever been looked over for a promotion or been denied a job opportunity that you thought was the perfect opportunity for you? You are certainly not alone here. Wouldn't you rather be one of the few who makes it right to where you want to be without all the hassle of politics and networks and slush piles? You can find out how for FREE on my website and then get moving into that position.
Who do you rely on at work for reliable information, good advice, and mentoring? Do you have a network you can trust? Do they consistently deliver good results? Do they value your participation? On my website, I share with you a list of people that are guaranteed to bring positive answers to each of these questions. Best of all, this list is FREE.
If you haven't already skipped to the bottom of this message to click through to my website for this valuable free information, may be it's because you are a little skeptical. That's a fair assessment for the claims I'm making so far without giving you much to grab onto. So read on about this real example to convince you to scroll on down and click.
At least one employee in every workplace has one. The little cartoon of people laughing hysterically at the comment, “You want it when?!!!” Whether manager or hourly worker, it makes no matter. The implication is the same. You are not going to get what you want right away. After all, who do you think you are? Can’t you see I’m busy?
A former boss of mine exhibited what I believe to be the best example of an open-door policy. Whether you came to him, or he perceived the need on his own, he took immediate action on the request. He didn’t delegate. He didn’t shift you to his secretary to make an appointment. He took charge. He took care of the problem. Because he knew that a problem left unattended was a problem that would fester and grow bigger with time.
There are two general work situations that demand the principle of now. If you are a manager, then you are a servant to your people who work directly for you. Like my old boss, your job is to drop everything to help your people get things done. Now. If you are an hourly employee, then your job is to act now upon the words of your boss. Get the job done. No assumptions about the calendar or the budget or the method.
I try to reinforce this principle with my children during teachable moments. The other day my eight and five year old sons and I were building a sand castle. The older was yelling at the younger to get out of his way. They were both trying to dig the moat, which at that point was not big enough for the two of them. I stopped the argument and asked a few questions.
“Son, what do you want?”
“I want him out of the way,” replied the elder.
“Don’t you really want to build a sand castle?”
“Yes, but he’s in the way.”
“Then follow my example and try to create a solution instead of a problem. You want him out of the way immediately and obviously he is not moving. He is trying, just like you, to do a good job. How about if you ask him to come over here by me and start working on the castle walls while you continue to dig the moat?”
The idea worked. It had to be reinforced a few times. But they’re just kids. As adults, the same reinforcement is needed. We learn exactly the same way. What we did not learn properly when we were children we must now learn as children.
“Why did this solution work?” I asked.
“Because now we both get to do something to make the castle,” he replied.
“What I mean is, what is the principle that makes it work?”
“I don’t know.”
Another series of questions and answers revealed the following:
My sons did as they were asked. They did it immediately. Why? Not because the external goals could be accomplished (being out of each others’ way and building the castle). Because the internal principles of leadership and understanding were applied. Would my children obey if the command was foolish or not according to their desires? No. So as their father/leader, they trust me personally. They trust me, my judgment, and my words. They trust that I know what the goals are and how to achieve them to everybody’s satisfaction.
That was a fun example of a very real and serious principle that you can adopt at work right now. You can order my book and learn about this principle and dozens of others that will bring you and your company to profitability beyond your imagination. But before I give you that URL, there's one more very serious story you should read.
Do you remember the big Cadillac recall back in the mid 90’s? GM said that there were thousands of the Northstar-powered luxury vehicles on the road that were motorized bombs. A potential fuel leak was the culprit. Dozens of people died in random explosions on the highways. You remember the news, don’t you?
Of course not. It never happened. Do you know why? Because I stopped it. Yes, there were a few isolated cases of fuel line leaks. There were audits, inquiries, containments, and meetings. Root causes were determined and corrective, preventive, and mistake-proof actions were appropriately applied. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into fixing a process that everybody had once considered infallible.
Like your company perhaps, my company was world-class in the products it made. There was depth of experience, the best equipment, and the best engineers to always improve it. But through attrition and time, the experience base was slowly disappearing. The art and science of the process was not passed on adequately. It was not written down anywhere and everybody had their own version of how things worked. With that, unknown and unexpected variations crept into the process.
No one would have said that the process was out of control. In fact, everybody from the machine operators up to the CEO would say that they were the best in the world and they couldn’t possibly be susceptible to the kinds of problems that GM was reporting. Everything was good enough and no one from the outside could tell them any different. After all, who knew the business better than the experts?
The answer? No one. But GM did know a little something about business processes that we did not. Our business process was out of control and it was the real root cause of the problem. A real tragedy almost happened in the mid 90’s but it was averted because management woke up and fixed the problem.
Are you ready to solve some real problems in your life at work? Are you willing to implement the things that really work because you are just sick and tired of all those other books and fads that failed you? Are you ready to wake up (and how about waking up a bunch of those around you) and fix the problem like I did?
Then by all means I invite you to my website and get that FREE information I told you about a while ago. When you get to my site, just look for the new chapters menu and they're yours for FREE.
Go to www.biblicalquality.com right now for your FREE management strategies and the link to purchase your own copy of all my other proven profit builders in Biblical Quality.
Thank you and I look forward to your feedback.
Have you read my book? If not, then consider this:
The management strategies in this book all work and are 100% guaranteed. Each topic is backed up by real-world examples cited from the popular business literature such as Industry Week, Business Week, Fortune, and The Wall Street Journal. Many personal experience examples are also provided.
Have you ever experienced "right-sizing"? You can avoid this ever happening again in your life by following one simple strategy. You can get it for FREE on my website right now. But before I tell you the link, here's a few more things to think about.
Have you ever been looked over for a promotion or been denied a job opportunity that you thought was the perfect opportunity for you? You are certainly not alone here. Wouldn't you rather be one of the few who makes it right to where you want to be without all the hassle of politics and networks and slush piles? You can find out how for FREE on my website and then get moving into that position.
Who do you rely on at work for reliable information, good advice, and mentoring? Do you have a network you can trust? Do they consistently deliver good results? Do they value your participation? On my website, I share with you a list of people that are guaranteed to bring positive answers to each of these questions. Best of all, this list is FREE.
If you haven't already skipped to the bottom of this message to click through to my website for this valuable free information, may be it's because you are a little skeptical. That's a fair assessment for the claims I'm making so far without giving you much to grab onto. So read on about this real example to convince you to scroll on down and click.
At least one employee in every workplace has one. The little cartoon of people laughing hysterically at the comment, “You want it when?!!!” Whether manager or hourly worker, it makes no matter. The implication is the same. You are not going to get what you want right away. After all, who do you think you are? Can’t you see I’m busy?
A former boss of mine exhibited what I believe to be the best example of an open-door policy. Whether you came to him, or he perceived the need on his own, he took immediate action on the request. He didn’t delegate. He didn’t shift you to his secretary to make an appointment. He took charge. He took care of the problem. Because he knew that a problem left unattended was a problem that would fester and grow bigger with time.
There are two general work situations that demand the principle of now. If you are a manager, then you are a servant to your people who work directly for you. Like my old boss, your job is to drop everything to help your people get things done. Now. If you are an hourly employee, then your job is to act now upon the words of your boss. Get the job done. No assumptions about the calendar or the budget or the method.
I try to reinforce this principle with my children during teachable moments. The other day my eight and five year old sons and I were building a sand castle. The older was yelling at the younger to get out of his way. They were both trying to dig the moat, which at that point was not big enough for the two of them. I stopped the argument and asked a few questions.
“Son, what do you want?”
“I want him out of the way,” replied the elder.
“Don’t you really want to build a sand castle?”
“Yes, but he’s in the way.”
“Then follow my example and try to create a solution instead of a problem. You want him out of the way immediately and obviously he is not moving. He is trying, just like you, to do a good job. How about if you ask him to come over here by me and start working on the castle walls while you continue to dig the moat?”
The idea worked. It had to be reinforced a few times. But they’re just kids. As adults, the same reinforcement is needed. We learn exactly the same way. What we did not learn properly when we were children we must now learn as children.
“Why did this solution work?” I asked.
“Because now we both get to do something to make the castle,” he replied.
“What I mean is, what is the principle that makes it work?”
“I don’t know.”
Another series of questions and answers revealed the following:
My sons did as they were asked. They did it immediately. Why? Not because the external goals could be accomplished (being out of each others’ way and building the castle). Because the internal principles of leadership and understanding were applied. Would my children obey if the command was foolish or not according to their desires? No. So as their father/leader, they trust me personally. They trust me, my judgment, and my words. They trust that I know what the goals are and how to achieve them to everybody’s satisfaction.
That was a fun example of a very real and serious principle that you can adopt at work right now. You can order my book and learn about this principle and dozens of others that will bring you and your company to profitability beyond your imagination. But before I give you that URL, there's one more very serious story you should read.
Do you remember the big Cadillac recall back in the mid 90’s? GM said that there were thousands of the Northstar-powered luxury vehicles on the road that were motorized bombs. A potential fuel leak was the culprit. Dozens of people died in random explosions on the highways. You remember the news, don’t you?
Of course not. It never happened. Do you know why? Because I stopped it. Yes, there were a few isolated cases of fuel line leaks. There were audits, inquiries, containments, and meetings. Root causes were determined and corrective, preventive, and mistake-proof actions were appropriately applied. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into fixing a process that everybody had once considered infallible.
Like your company perhaps, my company was world-class in the products it made. There was depth of experience, the best equipment, and the best engineers to always improve it. But through attrition and time, the experience base was slowly disappearing. The art and science of the process was not passed on adequately. It was not written down anywhere and everybody had their own version of how things worked. With that, unknown and unexpected variations crept into the process.
No one would have said that the process was out of control. In fact, everybody from the machine operators up to the CEO would say that they were the best in the world and they couldn’t possibly be susceptible to the kinds of problems that GM was reporting. Everything was good enough and no one from the outside could tell them any different. After all, who knew the business better than the experts?
The answer? No one. But GM did know a little something about business processes that we did not. Our business process was out of control and it was the real root cause of the problem. A real tragedy almost happened in the mid 90’s but it was averted because management woke up and fixed the problem.
Are you ready to solve some real problems in your life at work? Are you willing to implement the things that really work because you are just sick and tired of all those other books and fads that failed you? Are you ready to wake up (and how about waking up a bunch of those around you) and fix the problem like I did?
Then by all means I invite you to my website and get that FREE information I told you about a while ago. When you get to my site, just look for the new chapters menu and they're yours for FREE.
Go to www.biblicalquality.com right now for your FREE management strategies and the link to purchase your own copy of all my other proven profit builders in Biblical Quality.
Thank you and I look forward to your feedback.
Monday, May 12, 2008
The State of "Christian" Publishing
Yesterday I read a most grievous Christianity Today article on the current state of Christian publishing. A few statistics are quite alarming. The number of independent Christian bookstores has dramatically decreased over the past few years. This is attributed to two primary causes: 1) the internet, and 2) the big bookseller chains. This in turn has decreased the membership in CBA.
In another article in the same issue there was a discussion about the future of the Christian publishing business. It seems altogether possible that traditional, conservative Christian publishers may one day soon be merged with the big, secular publishing houses.
Does any of this concern you? Do you see a greater bias entering the picture? Perhaps. But fear not. God can overcome all this if your voice is one He wants heard. But the thing that digs at me the most is this:
That Christians seem so willing to allow this to happen at all and see nothing wrong with mixing their business with the business of the world seems to add another blemish upon the Body of Christ. How can we ensure a pure and unspotted voice when our objectivity to the Word of God will almost surely be brought into question by those who agent, publish, and sell our works? It's one thing to be under this scrutiny by those who are also under God's authority and Holy Spirit direction, but quite another by those who are of this world, led by the father of lies.
There are many Christians out there with a voice. With Christian publishing becoming more of a business than a ministry now, the wilderness is just getting a little larger every day. Beware my friends, Jesus is coming again very soon. Be watching; be praying; be unspotted; be ready, and; be bold to speak and write the truth, taking it first before the throne to ensure your message is pleasing to God and according to His will.
In another article in the same issue there was a discussion about the future of the Christian publishing business. It seems altogether possible that traditional, conservative Christian publishers may one day soon be merged with the big, secular publishing houses.
Does any of this concern you? Do you see a greater bias entering the picture? Perhaps. But fear not. God can overcome all this if your voice is one He wants heard. But the thing that digs at me the most is this:
That Christians seem so willing to allow this to happen at all and see nothing wrong with mixing their business with the business of the world seems to add another blemish upon the Body of Christ. How can we ensure a pure and unspotted voice when our objectivity to the Word of God will almost surely be brought into question by those who agent, publish, and sell our works? It's one thing to be under this scrutiny by those who are also under God's authority and Holy Spirit direction, but quite another by those who are of this world, led by the father of lies.
There are many Christians out there with a voice. With Christian publishing becoming more of a business than a ministry now, the wilderness is just getting a little larger every day. Beware my friends, Jesus is coming again very soon. Be watching; be praying; be unspotted; be ready, and; be bold to speak and write the truth, taking it first before the throne to ensure your message is pleasing to God and according to His will.
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